Are We Ready to Make the Hard Choices?

When someone is smart, we call them “wise as an owl.” But when referring to a person in that manner, we could make an enemy really quick. That is because owls--according to those who work with them--know the owl cannot be trained to do even the simplest of tasks. Unlike parrots, hawks, pigeons, or even our parakeets, who all can be taught to do a variety of amazing feats, owls are what we might lovingly refer to as simple-minded, as in unable to be trained or to learn anything.

Without even knowing, we have often used this common phrase solely based on how the owl species look. It is all in their extremely large eyes compared to the size of their much smaller head. They just look like they are focusing and paying attention to us, so we equate that with intelligence. Especially when they have to turn their entire head to look at something!

Using 100 Percent

There are many, many things we do not know about a lot of things. Most of us can readily admit to that concept, even though there has always been a myth that we only use ten percent of our brains. Actually, numerous scientists have proved otherwise. Recently, John Henley, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, stated, "Evidence would show over a day you use 100 percent of the brain". It is just that at any one time during the day, we may only use ten percent!

Why Should We Care?

Nothing is more distasteful than a person who constantly tries to point out his/her knowledge on every single subject. It seems they lack perhaps not intelligence, but a sense of humility in all things. They seem to have lost the ability to judge their own importance.

We may have experienced this type of person in our last relationship. Nothing we did or said made any difference to him at all. Our values and opinions were unimportant, and we were made to feel small. This may not have just happened in our home; it may have happened at the place where we worked or with friends and even family.

The truth is that cleverness and what we call “smarts” are considered the most attractive in the world. We see it in the news, sitcoms, and movies all the time. It makes for superb entertainment ratings. Now do not misunderstand. We are definitely not talking about authentic education and earning well-deserved degrees with accolades. That is certainly to be rewarded!

The subjects here are the antics and nonsense that go on with someone who is trying to convince others of how much they know. Making sure we understand that they are right and there is no discussion of the matter. They get the last word above all. Those of us who have been through such a petulant relationship, know we have to make the hard choices.

God’s WORD is Our Truth

The only One who truly knows our value is Jesus. He is the Humble One who loves us beyond all imagination. Be assured He was right there when we were being beaten down, cheated on, and tossed out. He got us to where we are now--standing on our own two feet ready to have Him as our only Master.

Know that we are not owls. . .we are God’s W.O.R.D.: Women of Renewed Devotion (c)!

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, ‘He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness’ ” (1 Corinthians 3:19 NLT).

 

 

 

Truth, Trust, and Tenacity for a Better You

Water--very, very deep water—can be terrifying, especially to someone who can not swim! The deepest ocean is the Pacific at 14,040 feet and covers over 60 million square miles according to The World Almanac 2021. It is the stuff Hollywood movies are still famous for such as “Jaws” (1975), “The Perfect Storm” (2000), and even Disney’s “Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” (1954).

Of course, thrill-seeking surfers travel the world looking for the largest waves they can find. A Brazilian surfer in 2017 conquered an eighty-foot wave at Nazare, Portugal, and broke a record (nationalgeographic.com). Think he was terrified? Probably not for long.

A Better You is on the Horizon

It takes a lot of faith and practice to accomplish something like surfing. Our single-again world is probably much tamer but still requires plenty of faith on our part. When we first find ourselves alone (much different than lonely), we may feel lost and a little shaky. It is new to us. It is something we most likely have never done before. We have no idea what to do or even where to go. All of this is normal, but, thankfully, not permanent.

Sound familiar? We understand. We know because it has happened to many, many women. It is going to take practice and plenty of courage to go after what we need to survive. But we have faith it can be done if we stick with our individual plans!

To start with, there are many friends, groups, and organizations ready and willing to help us. We are not alone. Keep saying that: I am NOT alone! And repeat--I am NOT alone! Perfect. That was Step One.

Step Two is gaining just a bit of understanding about what faith is and how to get it. It is not that hard to define, but faith is necessary if we want our lives to move forward. In simple terms, if something is true (for instance the phrase above I am NOT alone!), then it deserves our trust. It deserves to become part of us as we become a tenacious (strong) woman. It may take additional learning and more practice, but that is an abbreviated version of our faith.

Finally, Step Three—eliminating doubt--goes hand-in-hand with faith. This step is not quite as easy because it can creep up on us before we know it, but it is possible to drain it of any energy taking up space in our minds. Eventually, it will become natural for us as we become more and more certain about which direction we want to go. We will start believing in ourselves and then we will know—minus the doubt--we are riding the right “wave.”   

Deep Peace is Possible

Once faith becomes our friend and doubt is put on the back shelf, we will begin to experience a deep peace in our being. And that is what we are after. A powerful life we can call our own without the turmoil and chaos of the past.

God Himself is called the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). It is His gift to us when we decide to accept His presence in our lives. God wants nothing but the best for us even in this single-again season of life. Nothing we have ever done can cancel out any of His plans. He deeply loves us, and He proved it by giving us His Son, Jesus, who sacrificed His life so we could spend eternity in heaven with Him.

Imagine that! What a faith-full gift.

“But when you ask [for wisdom], you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6 NIV).

How to Live in Peace and Harmony

Thankfully, we’ve been given the intelligence to know and decide how to act in any situation. In other words, we inherently know right from wrong. But is it easy to make good decisions? Absolutely not! We know this by how long it took us to change our own lives for the better. But we finally did it when we had the best information to move forward.

One of the uncontrolled parts of our previously married life is that some of us, or we could say most of us, were “commanded” daily by our significant other to do some things we knew were not right at the time. But because we were pushed emotionally and, sometimes, physically until we complied, we resisted and didn’t act on our own decision. An extremely uncomfortable position, indeed.   

Making Informed Decisions

Now that we are on our own, we can strive to live in peace and harmony with others without giving up our common sense and moral values. Sometimes it's exceedingly difficult to lean in that direction, especially when certain questionable activities make us cringe and even doubt our beliefs because of the popularity of it all. This week on Saturday, October 31st is one of those misunderstood occasions that can tend to rub us the wrong way. Not everyone believes or celebrates Halloween. We want to do what we know is right for us, but how do we do that?

First, let’s remember we are each free to determine how we should act and why. There is absolutely no judgment here, only some truths we may have never considered. Celebrating Halloween or not is our decision alone, but to do that, we need knowledge of the subject--some pertinent information and historical facts to consider that will help us make an informed decision along the way. Amazingly, God has a lot to say about this subject. So, it is important for us to settle now how we want to reflect our Christian lives to others.

Second, we would be correct in saying the Bible does not mention the actual word Halloween. And perhaps for some people, there is nothing wrong or evil about dressing children in “happy and cute” costumes in general. But we should at least ask ourselves, what does God think about Halloween? Is it an anti-Christian event? When talking about the “darker” aspects of this October day, absolutely! So, we must figure out exactly how we feel about this “celebration” and how we want to handle it.   

Stay Safe and Do No Harm

God, however, didn’t leave us to figure it all out by ourselves. He’s good that way. He has our backs! God has definite instructions for us about certain questionable practices, no matter what day it is! Here are some eye-opening facts we previously may not have even thought much about.

Considered innocent by some people, the following activities are extremely harmful to us according to God’s Word (look up the corresponding verses to discover why):

• Witchcraft and fortune-telling (Lev 19:26)
• Occult (Acts 8:9-24)
• Sorcery (Acts 13:6-11)
• Magic (Acts 19:19)
• Mediums and necromancers (Lev 19:31, 20:6)
• Divination, casting spells, seances, channeling (Deut 18:9-12)

As if those customs were not enough, the Bible speaks in general about unexplored subjects such as:

• No such thing as ghosts (of deceased persons) (2 Cor 11:14-15)
• There are, however, good angels (Isa 6:2-6)
• There are also evil demons (Lk 8:2)

In addition to the above, Satan is not some fantasy in movies and comic books. He is our enemy, and he is real. His many demons are also real! They can and will deceive and convince us it’s okay to participate in activities such as psychics, seances, tarot cards, Ouija boards, crystal balls, and horoscopes to mislead, corrupt, and destroy us! This shows the importance of reading the Bible daily, otherwise, how will we ever know the truth?  

Amazing Truth

“Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them” (Ephesians 5:11 NLT).

“Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don’t impose it on others. You’re fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent. But if you’re not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe--some days trying to impose your opinions on others, other days just trying to please them--then you know that you’re out of line. If the way you live isn’t consistent with what you believe, then it’s wrong” (Romans: 14:22-23 MSG).

 

 

Who Wrote Your Story?

Some creative people may have written an original article, essay, book, or poem they wanted to share with others. They likely researched how to copyright it and make it their own (or a publisher-provided service). That layer of protection forever gave the writer solid proof and the rights to the written material. Not seeking copyright would put a person at risk if anyone else claimed it as their own. It would become a lengthy court battle.

In 2008, John Marzulli of the New York Daily News reported a fascinating "3-Way Battle" over the rights to the famous poem, Footprints in the Sand. Eventually, it was established that the late Mary Stevenson of Long Island, New York, was the 1939 author although she never knew about needing to copyright anything (she was 14 years old at the time). 

"Stevenson's main proof of authorship is an early copy of the poem, penned on yellow notepaper that has allegedly passed a forensic examination," says Marzulli. The glitch here is that the other two women who claim ownership of the poem have each "copyrighted" their verses with slightly different versions. 

No More Regrets

Like Stevenson's poem mentions, we also may feel as if God has left us on our own to figure things out and that can be a lonely place. A previous marriage or relationship hit rock bottom way too soon. Now we are walking on a sandy white beach with no one to help guide and direct us. One set of footprints. 

But wait! Read the last line of the poem:

"During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." 

We see the Lord has always been there with us throughout our entire relationship and even now that we are single-again women. He has given us that promise, and He will never ever go back on His Word! [See many images of the entire poem on-line].

Maybe it never occurred to us, or it was just too difficult amidst all the chaos in our life at the time, to reach out and ask for the Lord's presence, protection, and provision. If we have done that, then we know it can literally be a life-changing decision and one we will never regret. 

Don't wait to experience the best of the best life ever imagined. Isn’t that why we have struggled to get here? Many people hesitate to believe it's possible to have something so much better than they have ever had in the past. Or they try something else in its place--sometimes for years and years without getting any answers--but the empty hole inside of their heart will not disappear like magic. God wants to completely fill it with His L-O-V-E if we will only open the door! 

The Simple Truth

This isn't a bunch of nonsense! It's the simplest truth in the world. And that is the problem. Too many people think that accepting the Lord Jesus into their lives is just way too simple for it to be true. Why? Because all it takes is literally inviting Him into our lives using our own words.  

Right where we are, right now, we can begin by acknowledging how our life has become a mess and that we genuinely want to change it all with His help. We want to fill that hole in our hearts with His love. Isn't that true? We can just let Him know we believe anything is possible with Him writing the poem. He knows. He gets us! 

It's as simple as that, dear one. 

"So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love" (2 Peter 1:5-7 MSG).

 

Trading the Lie for the Truth

Garage sale fun!

There are a couple interesting shows on TV about how we all eventually reach a point in our homes when we cannot ignore the numerous piles of junk any longer. We even have the typical “junk drawer” where every bit and piece of our belongings end up in that one spot.

Stacks of magazines we keep for years nearly bury us. We think after the first reading we will go back someday and re-read them. That kind of hoarding is labeled as “reference material” and it makes us feel better than if we call it trash. Now that several restrictions are slowly being lifted following the Covid-19 attack, many of us are looking forward to one day soon when we can get back to enjoying weekend garage sales (yep, I am raising my hand too). We will gladly purchase another person’s junk they no longer want. Some of it is especially useful but, occasionally we buy items just because they look like something we might be able to use. Then we throw them into a box in the garage, forget about them, and they end up in our own garage sale the following year. Oh, my!

The summer organization bug is arriving like a parade of ants! We start thinking of what we can do to clear out all the rubbish. If we never, ever discard anything--fearing we will need it someday--we could become a candidate for one of those TV hoarding shows. It’s like trying to dig our way out of a thick jungle.

Stress-Free Answers

Those are all lifeless objects that we think we need, so we keep them. It appears all this accumulating gives us a sense of security, which of course, is false. But the same thing goes on in our brains, emotions, and spirits. We get bogged down worrying about every little thing, most of which we can do nothing about.

Money, or the lack of it, causes us much stress as most of us know. Don’t get caught believing the lie that money provides happiness. It does not! How many famously rich millionaires (or billionaires) have we heard about that are truly happy? It might appear that way at first, but an excess of money generally brings an excess of responsibility, which equals excess stress. Think of all those lottery stories of winners one year after their big win. Many of them are worse off than if they had never gambled because they cannot keep up with all their new possessions. Believe it or not, many people fall into bankruptcy when the lottery money is all gone!

A roof over our heads

Certainly, we do need enough money to feed our families and keep a roof over our heads which are huge fears right now but frantically seeking a surplus of money is not our only concern. We also deal with relationships that have gone wrong, finding a job after our Covid-19 layoff, trying to survive after divorce, dealing with child custody, health issues, finding supportive friends, car repairs, anxiety, dieting, disappointment, and doubt. And on, and on, and on.

This is exactly why God commands us not to worry! [Matthew 6:25-28]. Notice, it’s not a suggestion. He is serious about this subject. Why? Because the truth is worries are endless; they consume us. Only God knows our anguish when worry devours us. He never wants us to live in that state of unhappiness and mental chaos. And better yet, God has the answers to our dilemmas. He is just waiting for us to share our concerns with Him because He is the only One who can do something about them.  

The Best Combination: Joy and Love

If we find ourselves completely worry-free (really?), the opposite problem may become our enemy. Pleasure. Collecting or “hoarding” too much of the wrong thing can steer us into a state of denial. We find ourselves hanging with an unsuitable crowd. Doing what we never thought we would. Ignoring our standards and principles. Filling every minute of the day and night with inappropriate bodily entertainment, earthly treasures, and worshiping ourselves.

Please do not get the wrong idea here. God wants us to be happy and content. He is all about us finding our joy. Joy and love in our families, friendships, and close relationships. Discovering His plan and purpose for our lives can be the absolute best kind of pleasure; a fulfillment of everything we hope for. Living in God’s world, where He is ready and able to handle our worries and concerns, will provide us a way to grow stronger and stronger every day. Now, that is a thing of beauty!

“This is what the story means: The seed is God’s message. . . .The seed that fell among the thorny weeds is like those who hear God’s teaching, but they let the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life keep them from growing and producing good fruit” (Luke 8:11, 14 NCV).

How Are You Different Than Anyone Else?

A Little Love

There is a story about a woman who decided to go out and celebrate Valentine’s Day by shopping at an expensive jewelry store. She had always wanted a ruby and diamond ring but her now divorced husband always thought that was a frivolous gift he did not want to give her (ever) even though he could well afford it. She found the perfect single band with alternating sparkling diamonds and the most gorgeous color of rubies. It was made for her. At the time, her purchase satisfied the lack of love she was feeling on this first Valentine’s Day alone. It was a choice.        

Friday of this week is the day so many single-again women struggle with lonely feelings. But, there really is no reason for those sensations. It’s all about our choices. It’s about how we treat ourselves. It’s about the love we can share with others. Valentine’s Day is about love. Period. Who says it must be all about a couple’s relationship? Check the greeting card aisle and see that it is about expressing love to close friends, sisters, brothers, children, neighbors, parents, even co-workers.

Shifting Our Viewpoint

When was the last time we had a chance to do what we wanted to make a day special? It’s really been a while! There are several things we can do to change our outlook and make this day mean something. So, let’s have some fun with it! Take a look at these 13 ideas and tips, then add your own:   

Share the Love!

1. Who needs another horrendous date? What I need is coffee, now!
2. Do something nice for a perfect stranger; you’ll feel special.
3. It’s a great day for a total spa treatment.
4. Bake a chocolate cake and take it to your sister!
5. This week: buy a cozy new pair of pajamas.
6. Friday: take the day off work and stay in those new pajamas!
7. Share the love: go out to dinner with friends and surprise each one with a yellow friendship rose.
8. Change-up Tip: invite a friend in and watch movies you never do, like a western, sci-fi, or comedy.
9. Release tension by jogging, working out, painting, biking, journaling, or playing with your pet.
10. Learn something new like the guitar, mosaics, golf, photography
11. When all else fails, remember, it’s just another day on the calendar! Yes, really!  
12. Pick up a copy of the book, The Princesses I Know by Ayla Mae Wild. She grabs our hearts when she says, "Princesses pursue their own adventures instead of waiting for a prince to write their stories for them."
13. And don’t forget rubies and diamonds go on sale this week!

A Truth Nugget

The One Who created us knows what we need when we need it. We can depend on God because He loves us no matter what. He loves us when we feel lonely, depressed, confused or angry. He willingly tells us the truth (in His Word, the Bible) about forgiving others, divorce, our responsibilities, and answered prayer. The best thing about Jesus is He is our Peace, Deliverer, Companion, Fulfillment, and our Love! He is our Everything!    

“If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that?... If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else?” (Matthew 5:46-47 NLT).

How to Turn Desperation into Cheerful Circumstances

A big box of Joy!

This is the season of hope and joy! But let’s face the truth right now: we feel like saying bah-humbug, right? Living the single-again life--especially if it's a new situation to us--brings on welcome activities like pulling the covers over our heads for the next two months!  

If we want to breathe, however, the covers must come off. But good news, we are stronger than we look, certainly after savoring that morning cup of coffee, tea, or juice. Getting dressed in something cozy and colorful, styling our hair and makeup, and stepping outside for a walk will fill our lungs with hope. Now, we can think clearly.

Anticipate Something Good
We can take this season and make all sorts of things into new habits and traditions. We can show the world we are here to stay on our terms! Remember, our lives don't have to be a picture of perfection. We can choose to simply live, breathe and survive by what we do and how we act. One definition of hope is "anticipating something good to come in the future." Ready to test that thought? 

All of these fun pick-me-ups could fit right into our new wonderful lives (remember that's a choice we have too):

• Connect with a close friend who really understands and supports us. 
• Change our thinking and celebrate our own life. Try simple things we've never considered before such as a new restaurant. A new route to work. A new workout center. A new quilt for our bed.  
• Keep our sense of humor, even if we're not known as the funny-type. Watch a comedy. Tell jokes with our kids/grandkids. Share an amusing story with a family member.
• Keep an encouragement journal. As often as we can (morning or night) just list a few things we are grateful for or that bring us happiness.  
• Volunteer to help someone in need. Work at a thrift store that benefits abused women. Read to children or the elderly. Teach someone to dance. 
• If we don't feel like being the cook this year for family dinners, it's okay to bring a store-bought dish or flowers. Really. 

” Hope is the power of being cheerful in circumstances that we know to be desperate.” –G.K. Chesterton, English writer, and philosopher

The Truth and Nothing but the Truth

The truth is powerful, and we need a good dose of it right now. Aren't we tired of experiencing lies, people evading us, and abusing our good nature? Of course, we are. On our topic for today, then, we need to know where hope comes from, so we can understand it and, apply it to our lives. If not, our hearts will continue to feel "sick." Our stomachs will react negatively to our situations. 

Don't forget Hope!

Ready for a great truth? God is the original source of all hope. He knew we would someday need all the hope we could get. He offers it to us with hands outstretched! The Bible, in fact, tells us that hope creates patience, courage, and joy. So, we can THEN understand why we have none of these at times. Without hope, we have nothing else. In fact, it is one of the three things which last: faith, hope, and [true] love. 

Hope is produced by endurance--when we "hang in there" and keep moving forward no matter what happens. No matter how much pain we might be feeling. When we do something hard for a long time and still end up breathing. It is not a magical "wishful thinking" kind of thing. Hope is the confidence we have in things that are unclear or unseen. It's our inspiration! 

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NLT).

How to Live in Peace and Harmony Every Day of the Year

Get to the Answer

Thankfully, we’ve been given the intelligence to know and decide how to act in any situation. In other words, we inherently know right from wrong. But is it easy to make good decisions? Absolutely not! We know this by how long it took us to change our own lives for the better. But we finally did it when we had the best information.

One of the uncontrolled parts of our previously married life is that some of us, or we could say most of us, were “commanded” daily by our significant other to do some things we knew were not right at the time. But because we were pushed emotionally and, sometimes, physically until we complied, we resisted and didn’t act on our own decision. A very uncomfortable position, indeed.   

Making Informed Decisions

Now that we are on our own, we can strive to live in peace and harmony with others without giving up our common sense and moral values. Sometimes it's very difficult to lean in that direction, especially when certain questionable activities make us cringe and even doubt our beliefs because of the popularity of it all. This week on Thursday, October 31st is one of those misunderstood occasions that can tend to rub us the wrong way. Not everyone believes or celebrates Halloween. We want to do what we know is right for us, but how do we do that?

First, let’s remember we are each free to determine how we should act and why. There is absolutely no judgment here, only some truths we may have never considered. Celebrating Halloween or not is our decision alone, but to do that, we need knowledge of the subject: some pertinent information and historical facts to consider that will help us make an informed decision along the way. Amazingly, God has a lot to say about this subject. So, it is important for us to settle now how we want to reflect our Christian lives to others.

Second, we would be correct in saying the Bible does not mention the actual word Halloween. And perhaps for some people, there is nothing evil about children’s “happy and cute” costumes in general. But we should at least ask, is Halloween anti-Christian? When talking about the “darker” aspects of this October day, absolutely! So, we must figure out exactly how we feel about this “celebration” and how we want to handle it.   

Do No Harm  

The Bible: God's Truth to Us

God, however, didn’t leave us to figure it all out by ourselves. He’s good that way. He has our backs! God has definite instructions for us about certain questionable practices, no matter what day it is! Here are some eye-opening facts we previously may not have even thought much about:

Considered innocent by some people, the following activities are extremely harmful to us according to God’s Word (look up the corresponding verses to discover why):

·                     witchcraft and fortune-telling (Lev 19:26)

·                     occult (Acts 8:9-24)

·                     sorcery (Acts 13:6-11)

·                     magic (Acts 19:19)

·                     mediums and necromancers (Lev 19:31, 20:6)

·                     divination, casting spells, seances, channeling (Deut 18:9-12)

As if those customs were not enough, the Bible speaks in general about unexplored subjects such as:

·                     no such thing as ghosts (of deceased persons) (2 Cor 11:14-15)

·                     there are, however, good angels (Isa 6:2-6)

·                     there are also evil demons (Lk 8:2)

In addition to the above, Satan (our enemy) and his many demons are real! And they can and will deceive and convince us it’s okay to participate in activities such as psychics, seances, tarot cards, Ouija boards, crystal balls, and horoscopes to mislead, corrupt, and destroy us! This shows the importance of reading the Bible daily, otherwise, how will we ever know the truth?  

Amazing Truth

“Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them” (Ephesians 5:11 NLT).

“Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don’t impose it on others. You’re fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent. But if you’re not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe--some days trying to impose your opinions on others, other days just trying to please them--then you know that you’re out of line. If the way you live isn’t consistent with what you believe, then it’s wrong” (Romans: 14:22-23 MSG).

Can You See Your Own Footprints?

Writing it all down

Have you ever written an original article, essay, book, or poem you wanted to share with others? Then you likely researched how to copyright it and make it your own (or a publisher provided that service for you). That protection forever gave you solid proof and the rights to the written material. Not seeking copyright would put you at risk if anyone else claimed it as their own and not yours. It would become a lengthy court battle.

In 2008, John Marzulli of the New York Daily News reported a fascinating "3-Way Battle" over the rights to the famous poem, Footprints in the Sand. Eventually, it was established that the late Mary Stevenson of Long Island, New York, was the 1939 author although she never knew about needing to copyright anything (she was 14 years old at the time). 

"Stevenson's main proof of authorship is an early copy of the poem, penned on yellow notepaper that has allegedly passed a forensic examination," says Marzulli. The glitch here is that the other two women who claim ownership of the poem have each "copyrighted" their verses with slightly different versions. 

Hitting Rock Bottom

Like Stevenson's poem mentions, you also may feel as if God has left you on your own to figure things out and that can be a lonely place. Your previous marriage or relationship hit rock bottom way too soon. Now you are walking on a sandy white beach with no one to help guide and direct you. One set of footprints. 

How many footprints?

But wait! If you read the last line of the poem (click on the link in the above paragraph), you see the Lord has always been there with you throughout the entire relationship and even now that you are a single-again woman. He has promised you this and He will never ever go back on His Word! 

Maybe it never occurred to you, or it was just too difficult amidst all the chaos in your life at the time, to reach out and ask for the Lord's presence, protection, and provision. If you have never done that, it can literally be a life-changing decision and one you will never regret. 

Don't wait to experience the best of the best life you could ever imagine. Many people hesitate not believing it's possible to have something so much better than they have ever had in the past. Or they try something else in its place--sometimes for years and years--but the empty hole inside of your heart will not disappear like magic. God wants to completely fill it with His L-O-V-E!! 

The Simple Truth

This isn't a bunch of whoo-ha! It's the simplest truth in the world. And that is the problem. Too many people think that accepting the Lord Jesus into their lives is just way too simple. Why? Because all it takes is you asking Him directly in your own words. 

Right where you are, right now, you can start by telling Him about how your life has become a mess and that you want to change it all with His help. You want to fill that God-hole with His love. Isn't that true? Just let Him know you believe anything is possible with Him writing the poem. He knows. He gets you! 

It's as simple as that, dear friend. 

"So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love" 2 Peter 1:5-7 (MSG).