Tag Archives: Encourage

Tahoe’s Vet Visit – One of ‘Those’ Days

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Tahoe had a recent trip to the vet to get a check-up and to get his teeth cleaned.  I didn’t have the pleasure of seeing him get drugged, but I was told he walked around with his leash in his mouth – resisting sleep and finally collapsed with his leash squarely planted between the very teeth that were about to be cleaned.

After his teeth were clean, he recuperated on the floor….would you look at that tongue?

He was plain tired out.  I’m glad he’s a dog and not a human.  A child might not forgive his mom for posting photos like these!!

Some days I feel a bit like Tahoe looks in the above pictures.  It’s OK when it happens, right?  We all have ‘those’ days.   When ‘those’ days strike, I try to strike back with a bit of faith – and quote a couple short verses for inspiration:

“March on my soul, be strong.” Judges 5:21   or

“Rely on the Lord! Be strong and confident! Rely on the Lord!” Psalms 27:14.

An ‘attitude of gratitude’ is another effective weapon.  I tell myself, ‘Name 10 things you are thankful for in less than a minute.’   Then I go on with my day, knowing there’s hope that it’ll get better today…or…tomorrow may be more like this:

…or even like this!

Tahoe jumps for the kong

Today, I’m praying for my niece, Crystal, who lost her young husband to cancer last January when she was six months pregnant.  She’s an inspiration to me as I watch her navigate being a single, working mom of three.  My hope is that she has less days like the first pictures and more like the last ones.

…..what do you do to get through ‘those’ days’?

May your day be filled with wisdom, faith, hard work and fun.  Love to all from Madge on a ‘Tahoe Tuesday’!

A Favorite Mobile App – Youversion Bible

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Oh, do I love my iPhone and my iPad.  Apps are my friends. The Youversion Bible App is definitely right up at the top of my list of favorites. I use it everyday.  Who knew that you could carry so much wisdom and faith in a little app like this?  I always have my bible with me now.  No longer do I need to pack it when I go to church or out of town.  That’s convenience.  I have to confess that, in the past, I actually cut a  ‘One Year’ bible into multiple sections so I didn’t have to carry the whole thing around to do my daily reading.  Before you say ‘sacrilegious’…a quadriplegic figures out how to get around with mobility issues. Physical disability adds a new outlet for creativity.  OK, back to the app….

If you already downloaded a free bible to your mobile device you probably have this puppy. If you don’t have it yet, this is for you.  It’s feature rich and easy to use and it’s free.

Versions.   With the push of a button you can access over 150 versions in 50 languages! 27 versions are in English.  Access to various versions keeps familiar passages fresh and lends new perspectives!

Reading Plans.  There are over 150 reading plans. There are ‘read-through’, ‘topical’, ‘devotional’ and ‘youth’ plans – some take a few days, others years!  I have only scratched the surface of the plans.  Once you select a plan, the readings are easily accessed.  No flipping pages around and you never lose your place from one day to the next!   The flexibility associated with plans is a beautiful thing .  You can start a plan at any time and track your way through its readings.  I like the ‘One Year Bible’ plan because it works well with other tools I use, but I supplement with other plans as well. 

Audio.  Many of the versions have audio associated with them – they are easily identified by a small speaker icon.  Some of the voices are better than others!  When I use the audio, I  switch versions to get the reader I most enjoy.

Downloadable by selection.  Most of the versions can be downloaded to your device as indicated by a green download symbol next to the version name.  By downloading your favorite versions you’ll have the bible even if internet access isn’t available.

Live Events. If you are a pastor or if you lead group meetings, the ‘live event’ feature is handy. Once a group or live event is set up, participants can do things like take notes, ask questions, respond to questions – and immediate results can be displayed for the group.  I haven’t had the opportunity to use this feature, but look forward to trying it out.  Sounds powerful.

The app makes it simple to search or highlight text, add public or private notes, send passages to friends (via email, SMS, Facebook or Twitter), and allows customization of text font type and size.

Youversion is an impressive app that I hope you’ll check out.  I’m sure I’ll reference this app again as we get close to the beginning of the new year.  A new year is a great time to start a reading plan.  Well, anytime is a great time with this treasure.

 

You can check it out in your market place/app store or at www.youversion.com.

Enjoy!

Madge

 

 

Seven Days in Utopia – A Few Noteworthy Quotes

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Movie theaters are not a place you’ll find me very often. Not sure if it is my short attention span in a dark place where my wheelchair needs to stay quiet (and turned off – as not to blind the person sitting next to me with my control lights), or if it’s my dislike of the cold temperatures in said theaters, or if I’m just willing to wait for the DVD.

My quotes are from the book, mind you, because a trip to the theater to see the movie was not on my agenda this week. (Update…I watched the movie and added more quotes here).

Golf’s Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia by David Cook is a great read for golf enthusiasts.  Despite the fact that I’m not a golfer the story and the lessons were deep when applied to anyone’s life.  It’s a quick read, so pick it up if you get a chance.  No doubt the quotes won’t give away any critical plot line.

Find what you do well and perfect it.

Significance in life in the end will be measured by character, relationships, values, virtues, and faith.

You never really know when you might meet someone who will change your life. More importantly, you never know when your influence might change another life.

In life we must be willing to coach and be coached; either one alone will leave us empty. 

I don’t believe that we take into consideration the far reaching effects that our everyday decisions have on our destiny, the lives of others, or the world as a whole.

Update: See my post on movie quotes here.

 

Strength Through Difficulties

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When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure. Peter Marshall

Some day’s difficulties, well, they can just tear us down. While I often am the first to want to deny that I’m really spent and all washed up, I think these are the times I have the greatest opportunity of growth in faith and dependence on God – the One who knows all.

Recently I’ve had a number of health issues. I’ve been miraculously stable as a quadriplegic for so many years…this stability has been challenged by some nagging, so far undiagnosed, persistent, GI issues. The diagnosis is complicated by my mobility issues. Test after test reveal the same wonderful news, ‘No problems’, the medical professionals report, with their upbeat voices. My heart is conflicted as I’m grateful nothing ‘terrible‘ is discovered and I realize many people face challenging reports about their health, and family members’ health every day. In the past two days I learned about an 8th grade cheerleader who lost her leg, a young dad who had brain cancer and passed on, a friend’s dog who has terminal cancer, and a 56 year old Steve Jobs who lost his life due to complications from pancreatic cancer.

… it seems selfish, but I desperately want answers for my issues.

My personal scenario sparks an area of growth for me. It is an opportunity to hunker down in prayer, not only for myself, but for so many others who have serious and pressing issues far greater than I can imagine. It’s an opportunity to realize that hardships give birth to new things – fresh new things – which can often bring greater significance to our lives. I have a related favorite verse that I’ve held onto in recent months that I’ll share tomorrow, but for now, I’ll leave you with a little ‘faith’ challenge to think on in your time of need – let’s face it, we all have the tough times in our lives…

…Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16