Happy New Year!: Let's Turn on the Light & readily receive the Grace of God!

Happy New Year! It is now 2010, I can barely believe it. Yesterday, I wrote about my desire to expand my spiritual journey this year. Today, I started that journey. I am currently watching Joyce Meyer's "Enjoying Everyday Life," I haven't watched this show since October, but I have some episodes saved on the DVR (I love the DVR! One of the best inventions ever!) *I said it, [also means I said it], **means Joyce said it.

*Joy cannot be based on circumstances.

*Find a way to stay happy when our circumstances don't suit us, or when we don't get a breakthrough as quick as we'd like to, or when people around us are not how or who we'd like them to be.

*Grace is the ability to do things and still have joy and peace. Being a graceful person is not complaining about something a hundred times, but living happily and joyfully in spite of that.

**It isn't about preaching, it's about living.

**Frustration is the feeling that you're going to blow up if you can't get what you want. You think "if I have to put up with this one more day, I can't do it." And yet, two weeks later you're still puttin' up with it, and you're still alive. You might be puttin' up with it a year from now and you'll still be alive. So there's no really point in being unhappy. You have the make the [concious] decision that no matter how long your journey takes, no matter which pathway your journey takes, that God loves you, that He has a unique individualized plan for you, what you do not understand now, you will understand later."

**Grace is God's power coming through us freely, by way of faith.

**Frustration is relying on ourselves, instead of God, to make things go the way we want to go.

**Grace is like Light, why do we fight with the darkness when what we really need to do is just turn on the Light!

**The minute the Light comes on, it swallows the darkness.

**Get more Light into the situation!

*I've always thought of God as a source of Light; everything good, positive, healthy and miraculous comes from the Light of God. I sign off every entry In Light N' Love, I do that because that is where I want to stay. In the Light N' Love of God! And this year, I need to really stay focused on the Light!)

**Sometimes we fight with the Devil more than we work with God.

**Grace is the Power of God!

**You may be in a more difficult marriage than 10 of your friends, maybe you come from a different background. Some people need more grace than others.

**Jesus didn't get depressed about the Devil, He didn't get frustrated with him, He didn't believe his lies. He simply said, "It is written."

**Stop worrying about you got started and be determined you're going to have a great finish! [I am very good at this. My health situation and medical background has never defined who I am. It contributes, it helps, at different times, it uplifts me, and yes, sometimes it defeats me. But I've never ever allowed my rocky start define how I live to today. I am determined to be happy and live my life to the fullest, in spite of my health. I've always gotten this and I am proud of that.]

**Every single day of life can be worth getting out of bed for! (Regardless of circumstances)

*But you have to be willing to receive the grace of God! (However, there are some people who just don't want the grace of God, or perhaps they don't know how to receive it, or where to start.)

**We get frustrated [because] we're trying to do something about something we can't do anything about.

**God is never going to help you be somebody else. You might as well decide to like yourself.

**How do you know when something is true? When it is working in your life. When it brings you peace and joy and a life worth living. That is truth.

**A lot of people who go to church aren't serious about it. I can go and sit in my garage for a week, that's never gonna make me a car. Sitting in a church doesn't make you a Christian. A Christian is somebody who has an intimate personal relationship with God.

**My plan of holiness was planned while I laid in bed, it lasted 'till I put my feet on the floor. [I don't care who you are, that's funny. Because we've all been there!]

**Pride says I know it all and I don't need any help. You have to be willing to learn.

*God gives grace to the Humble.

**Even if we never change, God will still love us. Do what we can do, God will do what we cannot do.

Life on the inside. I need to live my life from the inside out, not the outside in. So one of my other goals for this New Year we're now living in, is to pick ONE day a week. One WHOLE day, where I don't know turn on the computer. If I want to write, than I turn it on, go to Microsoft Word and write. And when I'm done, I turn the computer off. I need to have a day when/where I'm not caught up in the world. I need to live IN the world, not OF the world. There's so much noise, chaos, confusion and downright craziness in the world today--well, truthfully, there always has been. But for me, the only way to overcome that and not go crazy myself, is to rise above it. Not to not be a part of it, not to disconnect myself completely, because I believe we each have an obligation to CONTRIBUTE something wonderful to world. To help each other, love each other and life each other up. But, there's a big difference between HELPING someone to lift themselves up, and flat out doing it for them. The only person I can change, fix or make better is myself. God loves us all, even those who frustrate us and seemingly cause us misery. But, I can't constantly be tuned into the world, and I can't help the world, if I'm not in tune with myself. So, yes, one day a week, no computer, and perhaps, even, no TV. Imagine that. What a concept! If there was no Internet and no TV, just for one day a week, or even one day a month (because I'll be honest, a whole day of no Internet and no TV, right now, sounds a little scary--I'm ashamed to say that, but it's true. At least I'm admitting to it. I'm not a huge TV watcher, but I do like watching certain shows I've recorded on the DVR. Not all TV is bad.) imagine the time we'd have! With no computer (Internet, I mean) and no TV, I'd be forced to think (I do a lot of that, let's not kid ourselves), write more (another one of my goals for 2010), pray more, get organized, cook more. All of the things I want to do more of in 2010, a lot of them would be done if I just knocked out the Internet/TV for ONE day a week! If I leave myself with nothing else to do but sit and meditate, or read and write, or cook and clean, or organize or take a walk, or whatever--than I'll have to do more of all of those things. This is a fantastic idea! I really don't want to clean more, but I definitely want to get more organized, that's for sure!

Anyway, I feel really good about the fact that I've written this entry, and that I wrote one yesterday. At least I got those two things accomplished! Later today, my mom and I are going to go see a movie, I may go see a few of them this weekend (that doesn't fall under the category of TV, I still haven't seen The Blind Side which I've wanted to see for about six weeks now.). We had a nice New Year's Eve, it was fun counting down and mom and I fixed a bunch of appetizers. It's a NYE tradition of us, I made bruchetta, grated carrots in endive, melted brie cheese w/ orange marmelade and walnuts, savorings pastries, cheese and crackers and fried zucchini. It was so so incredibly delicious, I felt so blessed to be able to buy that food and then enjoy making it all in my kitchen. I really am so blessed, I know I say it all the time, but it is so true! Colin didn't really like anything we made, he also didn't try anything we made, but you know, oh well. There were chips and salsa, leftover pizza in the fridge, salami for him, he had options. He actually did chow down on the salami, so I was happy about that. But, I didn't really feel bad that he didn't eat anything else we made because, well, that was his choice. He's quite stressed right now with his work and his Aunt Stephie being in the hospital. Huge prayers for her right now, she's on life support and in a coma, it's just horribly devastating. I really hope she pulls through, I've definitely spent a good amount of time these last twenty-four hours praying for her and all of Colin's family. My prayers remain with them too.

Anyway, I need to go. I need to go make the bed, drink about two glasses of water and get ready to go see a movie!

I hope this year brings you and yours a wonderful & prosperous adventure filled with love, laughter, joy & peace! May you be open to, and thankful for, all the grace of God.

I thank You, God, for the grace You've shown me time and time again in my life! Thank You for a wonderful New Year's Day (so far), and most of all, please, please watch over Aunt Stephie and all of the family right now. We need You, I know You can work miracles, but I also know that it is is Your will. Just be close to them right now, Lord, give them some kind of peace and be kind to them. Thank You, most of all, for the incredible gift of family!

Happy New Year, everyone, here's a great 2010!

In Light N' Love,
-Sarah Liz :)