All Things Are Possible To Those Who Believe

I have to apologize for not writing for a few days. I’ve been struggling with a cold that my husband gave me.  It’s one of those head colds, where you’re congested and your head feels like your carrying around a huge weight.  The headaches are the worst part because any little sound seems to be multiplied and quiet is not something easily found within our walls.  We raise our two granddaughters who are both in their teens and believe me quiet is not a word that they know the meaning of.  Between the shouts of get out of my room, the TV or stereo’s blaring,  or that Wii  game ( you know the one where they dance, I think it’s called Just  Dance 2) going full blast, silence is only a luxury around here .  Right now all I really want to do is sleep.   I’m not sure in your house sleep is a word that exist.  In mine, sleep consist of if I’m lucky a couple of hours I squeeze in here or there. 

I’m one of those people who think all the time.  Not that my thoughts are very profound or meaningful but my mind is always on the go.  All my problems seem to follow me to bed and throughout the night that is all I think about.  How are we going to do this?  Where are we going to get that?  It isn’t bad enough that I have to think about them during the day they should at least give me peace at night.  I thought about getting up and writing but nothing was really jumping up at me to talk about and I didn’t want this blog to be about nothings.  So I choose to wait until something profound tapped me on the shoulders and sparked my creative juices to flow.  So here I am ready to write.  Still sniffling and trying not to cough but ready to go.

I got a call yesterday that was so uplifting.  I hope you read my article earlier about the young woman who was in critical condition from a blood clot that traveled to her brain.  Well she was pretty much on life support.  They said that she was in a coma, they were afraid that the damage from the blood clot would pretty much leave her in a state of vegetation.  Well yesterday they shinned a flashlight into her eyes and got retina movement.  The doctors were not expecting this at all.  They spoke to her and she literally moved her eyelids.  I believe it was her husband who stood over her and pleaded with her to open her eyes, and behold she did for only a brief moment.  She was moaning which was an indication that she could feel pain so they gave her medication to help.  Here was a woman whom her chances were far from good has made a major advance forward.  The power of prayer and positive thinking there is no denying that great things can happen when one believes in receiving from God his mercy and love.  She still has a long way to go and of course the doctors say don’t get to excited but these family members have every right to get excited and my prayers will continue to be sent via spiritual networking but I hope all who read this understand the powerful message being told.  NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE!!

So my message for you today is this.  No matter what life throws at you, there is always HOPE.  In the darkest moments of your life there is a light shinning showing you a way.  Don’t believe just in a world that offers you no guarantees or promises, but in a Loving God who will never abandon you.  “Believe” is such an easy word then why is it so hard for us to comprehend. 

Following My Heart

I’m going to follow my heart this morning because that’s what it’s telling me to do.   I received an email yesterday about a fairly young woman who was in the hospital on life support.  She had a blood clot that went to her head and since then, her kidneys aren’t working or functioning well, she has had a few strokes and infection is raging out of control on her poor body.    The last line of the email said “I know God can work miracles…”   

When I read the email it was those last words that brought goose bumps to me.  That immediately invoked my heart to send out a silent prayer for healing, not only for the young woman but for her family as well.  God can and does deliver miracles everyday and these are the moments that when confronted by our helplessness we draw ever closer to the side of God.  He is never far from our cries and hears every word spoken even those that are whispered in the silent confine of our hearts.

I sent along a prayer about healing power and told the writer to read it aloud to her.  I believe that even in a state of unconsciousness our spirit still hears and acknowledges especially those familiar voices and records those words as truth.  I am not a doctor nor do I have any background in medical procedures etc. but I believe that the spirit we reside in is very much alive at all times.  Look at the instance of Rep.Gabrielle Giffords.   It was and still is her fighting spirit that is allowing  her progress to advance so quickly.   

The spirit that we have is so powerful and constantly connected to God.  It is our desire to push past the obstacles and believe that God is working systematically with us to bring about the desired results we need.  Healing power does come from within, when we surrounded those who are sick with our words of encouragement we deliver and reinforce healing to transcend.  Encourage her that she does have the power within her and that she is not alone that God and you her loved ones are right there to help me.  Let her know that baby steps are o.k. in her recovery and that you will be there to walk them with her.

I would suggest to you meditate, go within to that place within yourself that is peaceful and let the serenity of God fill you with the strength you will need now to be strong.  He is your teacher and will show you how to help your loved one.  He will display ways to bring the power of joy back into your loved ones life.  You can do it; God would not have allowed this terrible incident into your lives if you didn’t have the tools you needed to accomplish your mission. 

There is a great passage in John 14:12 that says “Truly, Truly I say to you, he who believes in me, will also do the work that I do and greater works than these will he do.”  What greater promise could we receive than that, greater works than these will he do.  The key word here is “BELIEVES”.  The heart knows when one truly believes it isn’t something you can fool or try to deceive.  I believe that if this young woman has more to fulfill here on this planet, if she still has lives she must touch and wisdom she must deliver then the miracle will come no matter what the doctors say. 

I am going to enclose the prayer that I sent in case anyone else is in need of it.  Just replace the name with your own.

Awe-inspiring Healing Power

We are witnessing the awe-inspiring power of God descend down upon you Pam his Healing Power. We  see his power  manifest and grow as it embodies every fiber, cell, tissue and organ within your body to be cleansed and restored back to it’s original healthy state.  Illness has now succumb to the Power of God. Your body Pam is now responding, as your vitals are displaying signs of functioning  once again as stable and normal levels.  Divine Healing has triumphantly transcended beyond our wildest expectations.  Pam , God has placed now within you the power to restore your body to wholeness.  You are Divinely Protected and Loved as a child of God’s and nothing can or will stop you from living a normal healthy life.

Gerri Stonebrook

Emerge Victoriously

Nothing my friend in this world is simple, everything requires effort.  Look around you; the times we face now are the toughest.   But through adversity we find the strength to rise and triumph.  Change only requires the size of a mustard seed.  If you truly believe in your heart that what you say and profess is truth, then nothing in this world has the power to stop you.  Give yourself the opportunity to emerge victoriously. This world needs you. It needs your gifts and talents.  Now is the time to open those prison doors within us and be whom you truly were meant to be.

Gratitude

I must apologize for not having my blog posted yet this morning.  I have been here trying to write it for 3 hours now and every time I write something I find myself pressing the delete button.  I guess you could say I have a lot on my mind.  I realize that by writing this blog, I have a responsibility to detach myself from certain situations so that I am not writing with bias or malice in my heart.  The human side of you when feels threatened immediately looks for ways to retaliate, to even the score, to win but does anyone really come out ahead.  When you really examine the core of the problem no one person is totally right nor is one totally wrong.  We act on impulse, we say things that really we don’t mean, we become hurt and disappointed and in the end, a day from now life still carries on.   So I am going to try to write with my gut this morning and not my heart because my heart is still confused and troubled and until it sorts it way out, I believe it is better remaining still and quiet. 

Under these conditions I choose today to write about Gratitude.  The exact meaning in the dictionary is (a feeling of thankful appreciation for favors or benefits received).  I believe that in today’s world this word is taken for granted.  Sure we say we’re thankful for our blessings, our family, health, home etc but if there is a glimmer of anger or bitterness in our hearts towards anyone then how can we expect gratitude to bless us?  To receive the grace we must cultivate gratitude within each action, word spoken (or unspoken) and by example. 

When a Cancer Survivor says that they are thankful for the gift of a new day, they expressed the true meaning.  They were so close to loss that they experience the true meaning of gratitude that everything they have is of such great significance to them. Just having the opportunity to see another sunrise, watch their children run and laugh, smell a rose, to them time is not something you waste being right or wrong, it is just "being”.  Why must the rest of us wait until loss because so close to realize what our true blessings are?  I don’t want to receive a strong jolt awakening me to show me what I truly am grateful for and that is my family.  I could lose my health and probably accept it more easily than if I lost any one of my family members.  For they are the life force that drives me forward.  The inspiration that feeds my heart, without them I am nothing but with them I am everything.  So take these words and truly look deep for the meaning in your heart: are you truly grateful for your blessings and if you are then show it every day by example as though it were your last. 

A Simple Act

How many times do you find yourself contemplating what your life's purpose is?  How many times do you say to yourself or others "there is something I'm supposed to be doing, only I just don't know what"?  There is a mission in life that each one has to accomplish, but maybe we put to much pressure on finding it than living it.  Maybe our mission is as simple as a chance remark that we make to a friend in need, or a kind gesture that we make to a stranger.  I want to describe it like "the ripple effect", (The ripple effect is a term used to describe a situation where, like the ever expanding ripples across water when an object is dropped into it, an effect from an initial state can be followed outwards incrementally.)  We just never know the impact our actions or words have not only to another but to life in general.   For example,  maybe that individual seeking employment who isn't exactly qualified but you give them a chance turns out to be "a diamond in the rough" and makes your company not only more productive but prosperous.  Or that child that you foster or adopt grows up with a sense of pride,  self-confidence and through your love becomes a doctor who will develop an new medical procedure that will save literally thousand of lives. We never know what we've been called here to do.  If it is something so important as a new discovery or a simple act.   I'd like to think that my writing is "my simple act,  my mission in life" and that someone, somewhere will get what they need to better not only themselves but the world.

Verbal Abuse

There is nothing more enjoyable than waking up in the morning to a good cup of coffee.  Just that smell as it is brewing is enough to bring a smile to your face and help you start off your day. 

 I have been struggling since yesterday regarding a phone call that I took from my mom.  She was crying and unhappy and no matter what I tried to say it just wasn’t getting through.  So unfortunately I had to reverse the roles and had to raise my voice to get her attention.  You see she is disabled and living with my Dad in Idaho, a very long way away from me.  My dad is not nor has he ever been the easiest person to live with as my sister and brothers would agree with.  She lost both her legs a few years back due to medical conditions and though this has not been an easy transition for my mom, I think it was harder on my dad.  They are both full blooded Italians and coming from old school, the man ruled the house.  The wife waited on his every word, cooked, cleaned, and took care of the kids and so on.  When this happened my dad had to become her caretaker.  Now he has to care for her, carry her into and out of bed, help her get dressed, clean, and so on and so on.  He has grown bitter over time and it shows in his personality.   Growing up he was not the easiest man to love, it was easier to fear him and keep him off to a distance.  He was never physically abusive but mentally he could destroy your self-confidence, self-esteem with just a look.  My mom has had to endure much in the 63 years of marriage and sadly to say not much was good or happy, and now that they are in their 80’s she is feeling depressed.  You could say that when she lost her legs she lost her identity and freedom; unfortunately she is more vulnerable now than she was before.  “We” meaning her children have told her many times to leave him, to move down here that she would be welcome but she refuses.  She says that she made a commitment to God when she married him and she cannot break it.  Her vow or commitment to God was more important than any suffering or sacrifice she would have to endure.

How do you change someone’s belief system when all their life it has been ingrained in their head of what is right and wrong?  How do you convince someone that any form of abuse whether it physical or mental is against God’s laws and designs for us?  How do you show someone that they are victims of Domestic Violence when they won’t admit it to themselves or others?    Well I know that the only way I am going to be able to get through to her is that I have to find the words that will speak to her on a spiritual level.  I have to search and research for words that will make her understand that the love God feels for her is so strong and he would never want her to live her life this way.   Finding passages for victims of domestic violence isn’t clearly written anywhere exactly expressing it that way but what I did find was a few things that I am hoping will open a doorway for her to walk through to find the peace and happiness that she deserves and craves in her life. 

 I found a passage (1 Corinthians 7:15) that said:   if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so.  A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.  

I was confused by what this passage was talking about so I found a site that explained this passage as follows:  Any man that constantly mistreats and maligns his wife, who wounds her psychologically, and, or physically, has “let go” and departed from the intent of his marriage vows.  He may be living under the same roof and sleeping in the same bed with her, but if he neglects her needs and destroys her as a person by attacking her body, soul, or spirit, mentally he has left!  If he is cold, cruel, and uncaring, he has already separated himself from her, even if he shares a house with her.  In his sick mind, the relationship is over.   The Lord does not want or expect her to suffer mental or bodily harm at the hands of a husband who is supposed to sacrificially love her.  God does not want her to be oppressed or incapacitated by fear.  Any woman who is physically harmed or verbally belittled, insulted, or harassed by her husband is under bondage.  Any wife whose husband controls her mind and activities with threats or brutality is enslaving her.    This is a great sight if you would like to read more it is at the following address:  christianpsycg.org /WP.

In Malachi 2:16-17 is says: I hate a man’s covering his wife with violence, as well as with his garment, says the Lord Almighty.

I think one of the hardest things for my mom to understand is that mental abuse is very much a part of Domestic Violence.  Verbal abuse is a destructive tool that can be used by anyone against another person.  Abuse’s main purpose is to blind a person from their own power thus preventing them from living their life to the fullest.  One in every four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.

Well hopefully I found enough to give her some support and food for thought.  If you have anything that you can add to help please leave me a post, it would be deeply appreciated.

If you're a victim of abuse or violence at the hands of someone you know or love, or you are recovering from an assault by a stranger, you are not alone. Get immediate help and support.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 800-799-SAFE (7233) and 800-787-3224 (TTY). Spanish and more than 170 other languages are available. When you call, you will first hear a recording and may have to hold for a minute. Hotline staff offers crisis intervention and referrals. If requested, they connect you to shelters and other services and can send out written information.

The National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 866-331-9474, or TTY 1-866-331-8453. When you call, you will first hear a recording and may have to hold for a minute. The Helpline also has peer advocates available via live chat from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time).

The National Sexual Assault Hotline can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 800-656-4673. When you call, you will hear a menu and can choose #1 to talk to a counselor. You will then be connected to a counselor in your area that can help you. You can also visit the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline.

Affirmations

Morning,

When I first decided to start this blog, I went to scan all my old writings to find a starting point.  I thought I found a few items I wanted to use so I copied them from my computer and went to paste them on a separate sheet of paper, but to my surprise instead of what I copied these words appeared in their place.

“Dear God, praying that all who read this feel the embrace of your arms around them see your grace surround them; have no worries for they know they are loved!”

These lines were nowhere on the documents I was trying to copied from.  So I went back to my original document, opened it up, scanned  for the paragraph I wanted, recopied it, went bent back to repast it and boom, those two lines above appeared again.  Nowhere was my intended paragraph.  So I am taking it from a higher source that this is how my blog must start each day.  I can see that his hand is in control and not mine.  So I will follow where he leads knowing that I am only a servant of the Lords.

I want to spend just a minute on Affirmations. I don’t know how many of you know a lot about Affirmations but I would like to give you my explanation and why I believe they are so important in our lives.  They are an assortment of positive words arranged to encourage, support and address major issues in our lives.   I like to call them a dose of potent medicine that enters the mind and immediately administers order for change.  They work systematically filtering out negative input from past and present beliefs and images.  They begin a reprogramming process where strong, confident, harmonious words and images begin to restore hope and faith.  New visions begin to emerge lighting the way for success and wholeness to flourish and grow.  Through the constant use of affirmations you allow the words to visualize and reproduce in reality what the heart truly desires.  Change can and will occur if the recipient is truly willing to believe to receive.

I personally have a few that I find speaks to me and they are placed around my home in places that I see or use all the time.  Every time I open the refrigerator there is an affirmation that I repeat, so you can imagine that this one gets said quite frequently.  I also have one taped on my bathroom mirror so every morning and evening I remember to say these.  Have I seen a change?  Believe it or not yes.  The one on my refrigerator goes like this:   As I said yesterday I will be posting an Affirmation Daily on my blog, you can write your own if you choose.  Place them around where you will have the opportunity to repeat them.  Remember that you have literally years of reprogramming.  So don’t get discouraged just believe.  This is the year for great transformations to occur.  Great changes are already starting to come, open your heart and be a willing recipient.  Open your mind and explore new frontiers.

POURING DOWN ON ME

　

Food is always plentiful in my home for God provides all that I need. Money is always abundant in my accounts. God’s wealth and abundance is constantly pouring down on me addressing all my financial needs moment by moment. I surrender all my wants and needs unto the Lord knowing that at all times God provides without hesitation. I fear nothing for I dwell in the goodness of the Lord.

My husband is a Painting Contractor and work right now is very, very slow.  So when that happens so is money.  But God has always provided for us money for food.  Somehow thank God we keep surviving.    Somehow something shows up at the right time to get us through.  So if I spend a moment everyday repeating words that offer me encouragement why would I choose to ignore this.

Welcome into my home

Hello, my name is Gerri and this is my first attempt at writing a blog.  It seems a little overwhelming just trying to figure out all the aspects of putting this thing together.  I can only hope that in the end I will have created a place that people feel comfortable going and walk away with a sense of friendship and love.  I am a wife, mother, and grandmother of 9 beautiful grandchildren.  One of my very favorite things to do is writing.  I have been writing since I was 8, which is a very long time ago.  Mostly back then they were letters to God (which my mother still has saved), and poems.  Now I love to write affirmations because I truly believe in the “power of words” and how when applied with positive energy creates powerful transformations.  Each day I will post a new affirmation that I have written.  They cover a wide scope of topics so stop by and see if one is talking just to you.  I am also hoping each day to include items like a favorite recipe I’ve found and open it up to anyone who would like to share as well.  There is a section also for prayer request.  This one is very special and dear to me.  For over 40 years I have kept journals of individual’s names that have requested prayers for themselves or loved ones.  There are names of Military Soldiers who are still fighting in the war and those whom have lost their lives.  There are names of people sick or those whom have already crossed over to a better place.  Missing children or adults, individuals struggling with addictions, the list is very diverse.  Everyone deserves to be remembered and this is my way of honoring them.  So if you have a name that you would like to share, I would be honored to place it in my journal along with the others as a daily prayer.  You will notice on my site that there is also a section called “Prayer Tree”.  This is another of my favorite things.  I have a real prayer tree in my home and ribbons are attached representing an intention request.  Some have been placed on the branches by the individual themselves that have come to my home and others I have placed in their absence.  In today’s world with all that is going on with the economy, faith must have outlets to stay alive.  It seems hope has been beating down by all the silent cries that have gone unheard.  We need to restore Hope to its rightful place.  To let it be a beacon, a shining light that leads us to experience Peace again not only in our homes but within our hearts.  I can only promise that within my blog I will try my best to always write from the heart and deliver it to you in love.