Self Confidence

 

Self confidence all comes from the thoughts in our mind.

I am sure all who read my Blog and my comments on theirs, will think I am a very self confident person.

Well, this may surprise you, because I am not!

It's taken me years to build up confidence.

And still I have times of terrible self destruction in my mind.

WORDS...

Our Words to our self..

And the Words of others to us!

Can do much to destroy our self esteem and confidence.

In my first marriage (over thirty years) I was constantly told I was stupid.

So much so, that I believed it.

  and I sometimes still tell myself this, often aloud!!

Then I have to remind myself, WHO I am in Christ.

And that God loves me,  just as I am.

In His Word.....and His Word is truth, 

He tells me He lovingly formed me.

“And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. 

We are the clay, and you are the potter. 

We all are formed by your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8)

I was formed by God's hand, now that can make me feel better!

By this I know, I am not so bad after all. 

Sometimes our thoughts are completely wrong.

Our mind can run away, thinking something that is not true.

When this happens I/you/we, need to ask ourselves.

"Where is the evidence to what I am thinking?"

An Example:

A friend doesn't call you, so YOU THINK they don't care.

*When the truth is, they have problems of their own and they are waiting for you to call them.

You attend a new church and not many, or no one, come to greet you.

So you feel unworthy, unwanted.... and walk away, despondant, never to return.

*INSTEAD, you could walk forward and introduce yourself to those around you. 

Proverbs 23:7 says..

"As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is."

We think with our feelings, and our emotions. So that's where the devil attacks.

In our most vulnerable place. 

He wants us to feel unwanted and unloved.

He wants to reduce our self image, and esteem.

He wants to take away our confidence, that we are beloved of God.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,

but against principalities, 

against powers, 

against the rulers of the darkness of this age,  

against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

Ephesians 6:12 

When I get down in spirit and my thoughts are misconstrued. 

I speak scripture aloud because I know it is the Sword of the Word..

I know that if I resist the devil, he will flee from me.

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God 

for pulling down strongholds.

2 Corinthians 10:4

Because...

"I have been crucified with Christ; 

it is no longer I who live, 

but Christ lives in me; 

and the life which I now live in the flesh 

I live by faith in the Son of God, 

who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Galatians 2:20

AMEN

Refresh your soul.....God loves me/you/us.

Talking to Jesus

Greg Olsen- Talking to Jesus.             TAKE A LONG LOOK!!!

What a beautiful painting, with a great lesson.
Some people get all confused about how to pray?
They think they need to recite?
Or, read a pray someone else has written?
Can you imagine doing that to your best friend....
They'd look at you and wonder... why you couldn't simply be yourself.

"What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer."

Just TALK to Him, he is your Best Friend, and He waits for you......



Jesus said -

^"No longer do I call you servants, 

for a servant does not know what his master is doing; 

but I have called you FRIENDS, 

for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."

John 15:15

"Fear Not For I am With You,"  

Says Jesus,

"I have redeemed you and called you by name, 
YOU....  are mine."

Innocent or Guity

I am sinful, perhaps more than some, perhaps less than others. 

I do not deny it.

 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Romans 3:23

The reason I am a sinner is because I am imperfect....

And anyone, who truly belongs to God, admits, they are sinners.

So, I am not perfect.

The only perfect one, is God!

So why do many, who profess to be Christian, point the finger and condemn??

When we perform the act of pointing the finger at another...
There are three fingers on our own hand, pointed back at ourselves...

   

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

Romans 8:1

How do I know if I walk after the spirit?

^"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, 

joy, 

peace, 

forbearance, 

kindness, 

goodness, 

faithfulness,  

gentleness and self-control. 

Against such things there is no law."

Galatians 5:22-23

I will defend the helpless and advocate to ensure justice on their behalf.
For such, I will not be put down, or condemned!!

 I have a good non Christian nursing mate who refers to wrong doer's as a cow, a pig or a dog.
I can't even do this, as I am a lover of animals. 
Many are much nicer than, some people.......



  "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."

1 Peter 4:8

 

                                           My beautiful granddaughter Shiarn, growing in the Lord each day.
Photo by: Femia Shirtliff.

Healed by Prayer

As many of you know I entered hospital last week with anticipation.
For a long time I have suffered with Left Bundle Branch Block.
This effects the electrical system of the heart.
It causes the heart rhythm to go out of sync.

Before my journey into the unknown, I asked my church to pray.
The following verse was read out from Gods Word.

" Is anyone among you sick? 

Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.  

 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.

James 5:14-16

Well, in two days I am back home again and feeling very well! 

My cardiologist informed me my heart is in wonderful condition. 
Its like a new born babies heart, only, the size is my size.

He told me he was very surprised / shocked to see this.

Well he should be because he has know me now for four years. 

My last E.C.G. recorded by him in his office, showed Left Bundle Branch Block.

The telemetry recording my heart the whole time I was in hospital, showed normal sinus rhythm.

There was a nine lead E.C.G. taken again in the hospital. but I was not informed of the result. 

So now, as my knee improves, I will walk daily and loose some of the weight I have gained.

Many miracles happened on my trip to the hospital.

A young man needed money, so I gave it to him.

A man sitting next to me on my three hour train ride, informed me what station I needed to change at next.
After a second train ride I connection to the hospital.

Getting off the train, a couple, showed me the way to admissions.
When I got there, a huge Cross hung on the wall.
I prayed and asked the Lord for a room overlooking the brisbane river.
I got the room.
Next I prayed that the Angiogram, wouldn't be too uncomfortable.
It wasn't.
Then the doctor told me everything and gave his wonderful verdict.

Christ heals today!! Praise His Name!

I wish to thank all the staff at the Wesley Hospital Brisbane especially:
Kalinda and Lisa... 
Wonderful caring thoughtful nurses.
The whole hospital was a valuable experience. 
I am sure many agree. 




 

Where's Mum?

I enter The Wesley Hospital in Aukenflower, Brisbane tomorrow, for my heart.
Last night my church, the pastor, elders and friends, prayed over me, and anointed me with oil.

"Is anyone among you sick? 

Let him call for the elders of the church, 

and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord."

James 5:14

I am so grateful for all the love and care I receive.
I won't be here on my  blog, for a while. Only a short time away I hope...

I have an extra baby to come home for.
Monty and Mille`, have a new friend, Marley.
They wait at the gate lost, until I come.
Then there is great rejoicing.

Monty (Australian Terrier) Mille`(Toy Foxy) Marley (Toy Poodle)

Convicts in Tasmania - Australia

We saw this sailing ship on the way. How appropriate.

I love history, yet much of it is built on the hard labour of others.
On slavery, bond servants and convicts.
Many of these people were oppressed into an empty life.
Such was the penal colony of  Port Arthur in Tasmania.
Tasmania (Tassie)  is an island that sits on the bottom of Australia under the state of Victoria.

 

Remember, Australia is approximately the size of the U.S.A. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Arthur,_Tasmania
Ray and I visited this notorious place where only a remnant of what once was, now remains.
Once a bustling harbour side town, built on convict labour, it has ended a tourist destination.
As I sat on a bench and reminisced, I thought of the cold, hunger and inhumane conditions.

I imagined the whip cracking over skeletal backs and the cries of powerless men.
Many went mad.
Here are some of our photos.

On the way to Port Arthur: A wild coastline.

 
Port Arthur as viewed from the water.

The Commandants House.
This was built and added to, over a period of time. It has three levels.

To the right side of the Commandants House is the Guard Tower.

The ruins of the main prison was used for those considered to be hardened criminals..
There was another which was know as the separation prison..This was built later to help rehabilitate.
Where the grass is, was once just dirt.

Many of the men went mad and were placed into this building,  an asylum.... It chills my blood..

 

The church, it was compulsory to attend. 

The Isle of the dead.
This was where everyone was buried.
The convicts were placed in pauper graves down towards the water.
The upper class and officers in a graveyard on the hill with stone monuments.

 

There was another island.... designated especially for boys. 

As young as nine years old, they were considered responsible for their actions and sent here.

This may once have been an officers cottage?

I liked the lovely shrub at the side.

On the way back to Hobart we stopped for a rest and I saw this little fellow.

He is an echidna or spiny anteater. They are mammals and lay eggs. 

Ray picked it up to give me a closer look.

Ray also found a bearded dragon.

 "There is a time for everything,
  and a season for every activity under the heavens:

A time to be born and a time to die,

A time to plant and a time to uproot,

A time to kill and a time to heal,

A time to tear down and a time to build,

Ecclesiastes 3:1-3

And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda ~ John Williamson

Today is a special day.
It is the 11-11-11. and November the 11Th is the day we remember
the Great War, W.W.1.
Please listen to the song.... its a bit rough, but so is war.
So in memory of all service men and women....
My own grandfather Samuel WW1, father Arthur WW2, and hubby Ray Vietnam War.
God Bless them all.

"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. 

Such things must happen, but the end is still to come."

Matthew 24:6

Flying the Coop

When your children fly the coop you're left with the empty nest, bewildered and wondering? Was that only a dream? Yes, they grow up and leave too quickly. Suddenly gone are the dashes to soccer and athletics training with games and competitions to attend on weekends.
Racing a child to school in the car because they missed the bus. Hoping it doesn't breakdown because you are still dressed in your nightie. You'll die with embarrassment if anyone sees you and realises. Then a policeman gets you for speeding and you are asked to produce your licence. Fumbling apologetically you tell him it's at home in your purse, while your child looks on intently noting every word for "Show and tell" in class.

Yes, I was a busy mum. I kept a huge house clean and cared for four children while also working in a family business.
Life was hectic yet so rewarding.
Then suddenly one day, they began to leave.
The hardest was the first one, and I cried on and off for six months. Of course she visited, but that's never the same.
Then joy of joys, suddenly I was a grandmother. I had to contain myself not to take over, reminding myself I wasn't the mother. The precious bundle was mine only to cherish for a short while and then I had to give her back.

Now what has caused me to reminisce today? I know, I can hear new life chirping in the trees around our house.
Parent birds are busy gathering food, sheltering from the weather and meeting the demands of their young. Tender wings will slowly strengthen as the parents protectively watch the first feeble attempts to fly. All to soon the fledgling will be ready for flight. Then without a backward glance and uncaring of their watchful nurturer, gleefully they will soar.....and begin their own saga.

 "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it."
Psalm 24:1 

The birds are the Jabiru.

Photo taken outback by Ray.

To learn more about them click below.

http://www.wiresnr.org/Jabiru1.html

Aussie World

Our friends Kerrilynne and Mac have finally come to live in Australia.
I met Kerri through the internet site,  Mates Up Over, while living in Tennessee.
We were two Ozzie girls married to Americans and soon became fast friends.
Kerri and Mac lived in Indiana, but they travelled to Rogersville to meet up with us.
They now live just over one hours drive away.
We met for lunch at Aussie World yesterday.

We ate at the pie shop............I love a good curry meat pie with mussy pea's on top.

The blokes, Mac and Ray.

Kerri tried her hand at trying to turn off the water.. LOL

 

All of us taken together by a kind stranger newly arrived from New Zealand.

 

The building behind us is the famous Ettamogah Pub..

The Ettamogah Pub is a cartoon pub that was once featured in an Australian magazine by cartoonist Ken Maynard.
It is the most photographed pub in Australia, and is a meeting place for many on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.  The same pub can be seen in various other Australian locations.
I wish I had taken some photos inside. It is a hoot to see.

See the man pointing......this is what he is pointing at.

The front of the Pub....note an old truck on the roof.

As see in the cartoon.

 

Writing on the other side wall.

Kerri wanted us to get together before I enter hospital on the 16th Nov to have my heart fixed.

Lovely time together, Thanks Mate.

Phillipians 1:9-10
"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ"

Ray's Passion - Gods Creation

Ray's passion....
Besides me that is.
Is the garden.
He knows the names of all the plants and gets such a thrill out of watching them grow.
Its spring here now in Queensland and with plentiful rain, the blooms are thriving.

 

Doesn't it look wild. The flowers under the windmill are called butterfly flowers. 

The creeper growing over the arch on the front path, is a lady slipper. 

It has a rich dark yellow flower with some red in it. 

It also grows up a side gum tree. 

Here is a closer look. Can you see it in the folage?

Another look at the ach over the front garden pathway.

The flowering purple shrub dominates the side path.

I don't know the names of all the plants and flowers.
The yellow are candlesticks. The orangery red are kangaroo paws.

I love the spiky palms. These will grow to about fifteen feet tall, or more.

Up close to the candlestick and kangaroo paw.

Underneath the house are portulaca's, and, an Indian chief.
My little car has flowers on the front doors.

On the bottom driveway Ray has four different iris's which have finished blooming.

When God planted the Garden of Eden, the only problem was the snake.
Nothing is perfect and my only concern with our garden is that a snake may make its home there.
I am terrified to allow my little dogs outside alone at night.
My granddaughter just found a three metre (9'11") long python skin..
Which means there is one living close by.
I only leave screened windows open at night in case one of these intrude. 
Brown and redbelly black snakes are a concern by day.
But you can't let problems in life stop you being happy.
The garden gives so much joy. I love to sit and look at it from my front porch.
Its my special place, to dream and pray.

 Visitors Welcome.

 And God Saw What He Had Made, and Behold It Was Very Good.

TASMANIA: Old Time Automobile's and Bike's.

Like my fellow Blogger friend Gorges Smythe says, he loves "the sweep of the curves" in old vehicles.
ME TOO!
And that's why Ray wanted us to visit the Automobile Museum in Launceston, Tasmania.

Ray had problems photographing as he had left his other lens back at home.
I am sure you will agree, these yesteryear models are magnificent!!
And how about that New York City police bike!! I wonder how it got here to Australia??

 I bet there is a good story behind that!


Don't run over any little Tassie devils on your drive....they are snarley little creatures.

 

Or any other wildlife for that matter.

 

Visit Tassie (Tasmania) its an experience of stepping back through time..

More later.....