General

Just Ask

Posted by joaniebruce on Nov 8, 2013 in General | 6 comments

A few weeks ago, my brother-in-law was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He had the usual drill: a CAT scan, bone scan, and extensive blood tests. At first his diagnosis was positive: the cancer had not spread. We were all very thankful. Then after second opinions from more experienced doctors, he was given the horrible diagnosis: because of the type cancer he had, it probably had spread into his bladder, lymph nodes and possibly other areas. Even if he had surgery to remove what cancer they could find, he would still have to endure extremely strong radiation for many weeks. The doctors ordered an MRI to see if surgery was even an option. We were all devastated. They basically said there might not be hope for a cure.

All of our friends and family doubled up on our prayers. My sister’s husband is a good husband, a loving father, and for many years worked two jobs to provide for his family so my sister could stay home and raise/homeschool their four children. We prayed hard during that MRI, and the days after … waiting for the results. How elated we were when we received the news: the cancer had NOT spread. No organs around that area were infected. They would remove his prostate, and if they were able to get it all, and the lymph nodes around that area were not infected, he might NOT even have to have radiation. WHAT A POSITIVE ANSWER TO PRAYER!!!

Today, my brother-in-law is undergoing surgery. The surgery was scheduled for 6 a.m. this morning. So … I got up at that time to pray. While sitting here in my recliner, I realized how few times I get up this early in the morning to pray, and how many of God’s blessings I miss because of my laziness. God loves us so much that He begs us to pray with Him so we can receive His full blessings. Remember the parable of the Judge and the widow who stubbornly begged him to help her? The judge finally answered her because she was persistent. God gave us this parable for a reason. James 5:16 says, “Confess your faults one to another, and PRAY ONE FOR ANOTHER, THAT YE MAY BE HEALED. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Please don’t miss out on God’s blessings because you forget to pray, or because praying might be your last option.

No … He doesn’t always answer the way we would like Him to, but He still loves us to ask and to trust His answer. I’m praying my brother-in-law will live a long life with his family and be cured of this cancer. And, I’m trusting God to answer in His will. I’m also thanking the Lord for the gift of prayer. He loves us and wants the best for me … and for you. All you have to do is ask.  Matt 21:21, 22

Give Without Sparing

Posted by joaniebruce on Sep 25, 2013 in General | 2 comments

Giving to others liberally is what the Lord expects of His children, and giving to others is what the Lord placed on my heart as another way of “showing love.”

“Recently, I heard a sermon on showing others you love them, and I realized it’s not necessarily what I tell them, but how I show them. In my devotions every morning, I’ve been researching the word love, and how to “show” my love to others—family and friends.” Here is the third lesson I’ve learned about “showing love.”

Giving of myself is sometimes hard. I can think of a million reasons why I should keep to myself and be selfish with my time, money, talents, counsel, encouragement …etc.  Why should I be selfish with the assets and blessings the Lord has given me? Without His love and bountiful grace, I would have nothing …I would be nothing. I’ve been given a wonderful chance to help others by sharing the blessings God has given me. Not only will I be blessed in this world if I share with others, but I’ll be laying up treasures in heaven. The Bible tells all who are rich in benefits to share those blessings.

“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”  1 Timothy 6: 17-19

Sometimes the simplest word spoken, the smallest financial gift given, even the tiniest amount of time spent to listen to a crying heart can encourage and uplift a friend or family member. It’s within my power to help.

If I saw a baby deer caught in a trap, with the mama deer fretting close by, I know I would move heaven and earth to set it free. Yet how much more important to help a human being who is hurting or feels trapped by the temptations and disappointments of life  It’s easier than I think to give my resources to a friend in need, or a sister begging for advice.

If you help someone in some way, not only will it encourage your friend, but that good deed will return to you in the future … that’s a promise from the Bible:

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Luke 6:38

Can you see a friend in need? It will bless your heart to “give,”—time, money, a word of encouragement, a meal for someone hurting. Ask the Lord to help you find a hurting soul who needs you today.

Controlling My Tongue

Posted by joaniebruce on Aug 23, 2013 in General | 2 comments

“Recently, I heard a sermon about showing others you love them, and I realized it’s not necessarily what I tell them, but how I show them. In my devotions every morning, I’ve been researching the word love, and how to “show” my love to others—family and friends.”

Last week, I shared with you about forgiveness, and to show love to others by having a forgiving spirit. Today, I’d like to share another way I’m learning to “show” love. The second lesson is about controlling my tongue.

Proverbs 15:23 says:  A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth; and a word spoken in due season, how good is it.

My words are powerful. With them I can harm or help. I can use words to encourage, bless, comfort, compliment, or praise someone, or I can ridicule, criticize, depress or discourage those around me. And … it is completely a decision of the heart. I choose which path I take when it comes to the comments I make in talking to others. Guard your heart, for everything we say comes from there first.  (Proverbs 4:23-27)

Not only is using my conversation to uplift others a choice, but it’s irreversible. Once the words are spoken, I cannot retract the damage from the mind of the person I’ve spoken them to. It reminds me of the oak trees belonging to the University of Auburn that were poisoned by an angry Alabama fan. He poured the powerful herbicide, Spike80DF, on the ground around the trees after the Auburn/Alabama game in 2011. It saturated the ground and was sucked up by the roots into the huge trees. Auburn University used every solution they could think of to save those trees, but once the poison entered the tree, it was too late. The oaks finally died and were eventually removed.

My words are like that poison. Once spoken, they cannot be retracted, and the damage is done. My words infiltrate the mind of the person I’m talking to, and do lasting damage. Or, if they’re encouraging words, they might inspire that person to achieve a higher goal, or to become a better person.

Our words are so powerful and can do tremendous damage to others. Think of how much better the world would be if we were all encouragers instead of criticizers. The accomplishments could be limitless. Remember … you can change the world with your heart.

One Way To Show Love

Posted by joaniebruce on Aug 14, 2013 in General | 4 comments

Recently, I heard a sermon about showing others you love them, and I realized it’s not necessarily what I tell them, but how I show them. In my devotions every morning, I’ve been researching the word love, and how to “show” my love to others—family and friends. For the next few blog posts, I’d like to share with you what I’ve learned.

One way to show love is found in Colossians 3:13, and it’s about forgiveness. It says, “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”

Does that mean I should remember the offense and us it as blackmail in the future? No. Does it mean I should execute revenge whether planned or not? No. Does that mean I completely forget the offense and never think of it again? Of course not—that would be impossible. But, God does expect me, with His help, to endeavor toward forgiveness.

Exactly what is forgiveness? The dictionary says it’s “to grant pardon for, to give up all claim on account of, to cease to feel resentment against.” All of these things are hard to do when someone has offended or injured me in some way. Just because I know what forgiveness means doesn’t help me understand how to execute the definition.  Just “saying” I forgive someone doesn’t make it so.

So, how do I forgive? The Bottom line?

1) I have to ask for God’s help. You’ve heard the saying, “to err is human to forgive is divine.” It’s impossible for me as a human to completely, absolutely, without-looking-back forgive another. The Bible tells us that without God, we can do nothing. (John 15:5) It also says that revenge belongs to the Lord, not us. (Romans 12:19) So ask for His help!

2) Think of all the sins I’ve committed that need forgiveness. Then, in gratitude, I vow to show the same patience and grace to my friend or family member that God has shown to me. I cannot expect God to forgive me if I don’t forgive others. (Luke 6:37) Remember God’s forgiveness!

3) Forgive from the heart, not just the head. I want to make it a top priority in my life to have a forgiving spirit.

4) Try to forget. When I remember the offense, I will try to make a conscious effort to “remember it no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)

5) And most importantly, I will pray for that person. You’d be surprised how praying for someone helps you love them more.

So, the first way for me (and you) to really “show” love to others is to Forgive.  🙂

“An Attitude of Gratitude”

Posted by joaniebruce on Jun 27, 2013 in General | 2 comments

When I was small, I loved to run through the grass barefooted, but I hated the thought of stepping on a honey bee. Their sting always brought tears to my eyes along with the declaration, “I’ll never run in the yard without shoes again.” However, a few days later I’d forget my vow and go running out the backdoor without shoes, only to be stung again. For this reason, I grew up hating honey bees.

As an adult, I tried to keep clover from growing in the yard so my children wouldn’t face the same bee stings I endured as a child. My husband, as a dairy farmer, explained that clover added nitrogen to the soil and was good for the pastures and, of course, our yard. But I still hated the dreaded sight of clover in the yard because where there was clover, there were honey bees.

Then several years ago, I heard that scientists were baffled to find the number of honey bees sharply decreasing. Whether the cause was disease, viral pathogens or parasitic mites in beehives, or new pesticides being integrated into the plants, scientists could not pinpoint the exact reason. The result: We saw no more honey bees in the pastures.

After that, my whole attitude toward the tiny stinging insects changed. Today, my husband and I went on a twenty minute walk around the farm to see the cows and their new baby calves. Because of the recent rains, clover was flourishing in the fields, and believe it or not, I was elated to see a honey bee darting around the clover blossoms. I saw a honey bee here, then another one there. The clover wasn’t covered with honey bees, but I was happy to see several on our short walk.

That change in attitude made me wonder how many other distasteful things in life I start out hating but later come to appreciate. For example: discipline. My parents were strict in their discipline, but because of the structure, I learned values and integrity that make me what I am today. That strong moral structure was passed on to my children, and hopefully their children.

Now, when I come in contact with something I hate, I think about the honey bees and the lesson they’ve taught me about improving my “attitude of gratitude” toward all things.

How To Improve Your Memory

Posted by joaniebruce on May 11, 2013 in General | Comments Off on How To Improve Your Memory

Each and every day I pray. I ask for guidance, I ask for help, or I ask for God’s blessing on some task I’m performing.  God answers all of my prayers—not always when or how I want them, but He does answer. Sometimes, He says “yes” and grants my request. (Of course, “yes” is my favorite answer.) Often He says “no.” This answer might test my faith or make me ask the Lord “why?” but many times when I look back, I see a reason God said “no.” I understand why it was the best answer for me in that circumstance, and I’m thankful for the outcome. Then there are times when God says, “wait.” Those “wait” answers try my patience—they sometimes make me lose hope, or dent my faith. That’s why it’s important to remember the times God said “yes.”

When Joshua led God’s people across the river Jordan into the Promised Land, God told him to choose twelve men and have each one pick up a stone from the middle of the river. With those stones, they built a reminder of God’s faithfulness and watch care over them. (Joshua 4)

If God instructed Joshua to erect a remembrance pile, do you think He might approve if we do the same? Why can’t we create our own kind of remembrance? If you love flowers, why not start a flower garden and add a new flower every time God answers a huge prayer request. What a gorgeous flower garden you will have by the end of the year! And for the smaller answers, why not put a praying hand on the refrigerator for every prayer God answers during each month—with a written reminder at the bottom? As an artist, I think drawing a heart on the calendar when God answers a prayer request is a good idea. What an exciting thing to look back at the calendar for the year and see how many times God heard my prayers and answered!

It doesn’t matter how you choose to remember God’s blessings. Each person has their own unique way of remembering. The point is—remember!  God blesses us each and every day with gifts—caring friends, wonderful families, good health, a vibrant world to live in—but He also blesses us by hearing our prayers. That’s a HUGE gift from the awe-inspiring God who created the universe.  What an awesome blessing! Being grateful for his blessings is a way we can honor Him. What kind of remembrance can you create to help you improve your memory?

Turning Something Bad Into Something Good.

Posted by joaniebruce on Apr 25, 2013 in General | 2 comments

Saturday I was given the opportunity to conduct a book signing at the Southland Jubilee Festival in Greensboro, Georgia. Since one of their vendors cancelled because of illness, and they didn’t want an empty space marring the perfect line of tents, the City of Greensboro offered me a booth space free of charge.

I have to tell you, sitting under the tent in upper thirty degree weather wasn’t pleasant at all! There was a bit of sunshine filtering through the edges of the tents, and my sister, Jeanie Acord, and I fought over sitting in that tiny bit of sun. However, by lunchtime, the sun was beating down on our tents, and we began peeling off layers of sweaters, jackets, and scarves. By the afternoon, we were comfortable in short sleeve shirts. You have to love our Georgia weather. 🙂

Since I had to stay at the tent permanently to sign the books we sold, several family members offered to help spell my husband Ben, who was running to get us coffee, chicken on a stick for lunch, (yum!) and various things I needed throughout the day. My helpers, Esther Curry, Katy Bruce, and David Bruce filtered in around lunchtime, and we had a family gathering right there in between book sales.

I’m not much of a salesman, so I’m not comfortable “hawking” my wares. Talking someone into buying something I made is not a cozy fit with my personality. However, my family helped ease the fear of speaking out to perfect strangers, and once we got the buyer into the tent, they almost always bought a book. Having family there to encourage, support and help me with the day turned something scary into something fun.

After the event was over, Ben and I treated our helpers to an ice cream from the Dairy Queen close by. The whole day was a pleasant memory I can store away in my “Good Memory” file—all because family and friendship made an intimidating activity bloom into something wonderful. Wouldn’t it make you happy to do the same thing for someone else going through a rough patch of life?  If you can be a friend or a help to someone in a bad situation, why not? It won’t hurt you a bit, and you might help turn  something bad into something wonderful. 🙂

Are You Inferior?

Posted by joaniebruce on Apr 10, 2013 in General | 1 comment

Many of us have an inferiority complex. We’re afraid to interact with people because we think if we do, and make a mistake, others won’t love us. How many times have you stood around with your friends and blurted out some crazy thought that you either didn’t mean or it came out the wrong way? So what do we do? We crawl in our little shell and stay away from crowds so we won’t misspeak or say something embarrassing, or we keep our mouths shut to keep from humiliating ourselves.

We think we have to be perfect for others to love us. But the truth is … NONE of us are perfect. Every person you meet, every friend you have a conversation with can sympathize with your faux pas—because we ALL make them. Notice how many times people around you turn a simple phrase into an embarrassing mistake.

Don’t let mistakes in your speech or actions keep you from enjoying the fellowship and friendship of those around you. If you let yourself be “human” in front of a friend, that friend may become the closest friend you’ve ever had. And, who knows? That friend will probably make a mistake in front of you one day, and that one mistake will strengthen the bond between you and make your friendship stronger. 🙂

Don’t You Hate Change?

Posted by joaniebruce on Apr 1, 2013 in General | 2 comments

I don’t know about you, but I’m one of those people who like living in ruts. Give me my usual daily routine, and I’m happy. I like to get up in the morning, make my bed, dress for the day, check my e-mail, eat breakfast  then prepare for teaching, painting, or writing. Occasionally, I throw in the trip to town for groceries, a ride in the car with my husband to pick up a part for some piece of farm equipment, or a trip just for entertainment. BUT, if you throw something different into my usual daily routine or way of doing things, I hate it.

However, life has a way of prodding us out of those “ruts.” They’re always changing SOMETHING on the internet: New rules for facebook, new rules for my e-mail account, new rules for e-bay. I HATE NEW RULES!

Why do I hate them so? I think it’s because it takes WORK to figure out new rules….especially when it comes to something having to do with the computer. Invariably, when a new rule pops up, I balk and complain. But, you know what? Nine times out of ten, once I learn the new procedures, or the new way of doing things, I LOVE the changes. They make the whole process work so much smoother. That should teach me something! If I keep my eyes on the goal, not the immediate problems or changes, it makes the changes bearable and me a whole lot happier.   🙂

I lost the Lottery!

Posted by joaniebruce on Mar 27, 2013 in General | 2 comments

Yesterday, the lottery made it up to $320 million dollars, but did I win? Nope!  It was probably because I never bought a ticket.  🙂  But … I was thinking about winning all that money and what I would love to do with it. It was nice to dream about the things I would like to buy until I read my devotions this morning. Then it hit me. I’m really glad I DIDN’T win all that money.  Today, the verse that spoke to me was in Proverbs, chapter 27, and verse 7.  It says… “The full soul loatheth an honeycomb, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.”

I believe that verse proves that it’s harder for someone who has everything to appreciate the things they have—even  the good things in life mean nothing because they were easy to come by. But, to those who have nothing, or struggle for what they have, everything means more. Does that make sense to you?

How much happier I am when I struggle for things, or work for what I have.  I appreciate every little thing so much more. I never thought I would thank the Lord for NOT winning money from a lottery or a sweepstakes, but I believe with all my heart that I’m happier when I have a “hungry soul,” because even the bitter things in life turn out to be sweet. 🙂