Joseph

Hey everyone!

Get your bibles out, or use the bible app on your mobile device. We are going to be focusing on the story of Joseph. I am going to be referencing Genesis chapters 37, 39 - 41. There is so many different aspects of Joseph's story but I am only going to talk about a few of them that spoke to me this past week. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts and lessons you have learned. You can read his full story from Genesis 30-50. It's quite the rollercoaster ride.

this image is from the website: media.sharefaith.com

We can learn so many things from the story of Joseph. 

Genesis 37:  God gave Joseph several dreams; he would then share them with his brothers and family. They were not to thrilled about the imagery of his dreams. God can and will give us a dream. We will share it with others. However, I also think it is okay to not share your dream with others while its still in the beginning phases(this is not part of the story -just my opinion on life). But they may not understand or they may get out right upset. This can be very discouraging and make you want to give up. But don't let go of that dream. It will come to fruition. 

Later in Genesis 27: Joseph's own brother sold him because they were so annoyed by him and his dreams and in my opinion they probably were annoyed that he got a special coat from their dad but the rest of them didn't. Sometimes even our family may not understand the path God has us on and will turn against us. Its painful but remember God has a plan. 

Genesis 39: We can work hard, do our best, and be faithful. But the devil or someone will try to frame us. We may end up in a bad spot as a result of that person. But don't be discouraged. Sometimes in our lowest points God is building our testimony. 

Genesis 40-41: It may take years but God's plan (that dream from long ago) comes to fruition. And sometimes the same people who doubted in the past are the very same people you are blessing because you obeyed and waited on God. 

Being obedient and waiting on God is not easy. You will have trials and just long periods of what seems like God has forgotten you... but don't give into that line of thinking. Keep the faith. Keep praying. God has not and cannot fail. So you will get there by His grace. 

Stay encouraged and don't lose hope,

Simple Me..

2023 Summary and a Happy New Year!

This is from the book Jesus Always by Sarah Young

 Hey ya'll!

We have made it through another year. Thank God. This has been quite the year. In case you are new here or haven't had the time to read previous posts; here is the cliff notes of this year.

• Popeye was moved to a new command. That was a nightmare. God bless him and all the other sailors at that command. 
• I started working out with a personal trainer. That was so much fun and I was finally getting stronger and toned. That had to come to an end due to health issues. 
• I ended up in the hospital on my death bed once again. I was there for quite a bit. Had to restart treatment at a higher dose and frequency.
• I was blessed with a visit from a best friend from my college days. Thank you again, Ink for coming to visit me. I hadn't seen her since 2009. Though we both were going through a hard time--it was just so amazing and healing in some ways to spend time together. Hopefully it won't be this long before I see her again. 14 years is way to long. She left me with homework, hahaha.. you can read it here.
• I quit my job. That was such a hard decision to make but it honestly was the right decision for me to make.
• God gave me a career pivot. I am still in the beginning stages of that so stay tuned for more details on that.
• I started group challenges on Stridekick. If you want to join let me know. Lets get our steps in. 
• We added a new member to our pack. His name is Luigi. You can read more about him here.
• Popeye made a huge decision that changes his career path and I am so proud of him. 
• Popeye and I went to his best friends wedding. It was so much fun and beautiful.
• I went to my little sister's wedding. It was so beautiful. She was stunningly gorgeous.
• I had major surgery--I might come back and explain that later. But for now, just know the recovery is very long, slow, and painful. At the time of this writing I am 7 weeks post-op. Home health Nursing comes out a few times a week to change my wound care. 
• I reconnected with my sister. That has been such a blessing.
• I read a total of 27 books for the year. You can see the list of books I read here.
• I changed my name on my blog from Simply That to Simply Me. It fits better. 

And with that the year comes to an end. I have had to deal with a lot and in some ways I am still dealing. I have grown in some areas and have learned some lessons. How was your year? Leave me a comment if you feel like sharing. I'd love to hear about it. 

So as I end this year and start 2024 I just want to first thank you all for stopping by and reading my ramblings. I truly appreciate it. I know you all have gone through life issues as well and I just want you to know that I am proud of you for overcoming and getting through those tough times. I have no idea what 2024 brings but keep on taking one step at a time and keep hope alive. I wish you and your family a very special and blessed 2024. May it be filled with good health, love, peace, joy, and great adventures.  Happy New Year, my darlings; see you in the new year!

Till next time,
Simply Me...

Happy New Year 2022

this photo is from bluemountain.com

Hello my dear readers,

We are two days into the new year. I hope your year is off to a great start. My prayer for all of us is that this year is filled with many blessings, love, adventures, prosperity, and good health. Remember to be kind to others and to yourself. Learn to forgive others and yourself. Read a good book and take time to travel. Try a new recipe. Take time for yourself-its okay to relax and take care of your mental health. You will be able to better serve others when you have recharged your own batteries. Take time for a walk, make sure you laugh and smile. And if you have faith--make sure you take time for Jesus (or whatever you believe in (I prefer Jesus)). 

Till next time,
Simply That...

 

Prayer

I saw this on pinterest today. I felt this in my soul. Nothing necessarily is wrong. I am just exhausted. I also feel like I can't  complain. There are people who work more than me and have harder situations than I do. I know they have to be exhausted. But knowing that there are others who are worse off than me in the exhaustion department doesn't negate the fact that I am indeed exhausted. 

Life these days is a challenge. Finding a balance has taken on a new outfit. I am not sure what my new "normal" or balance is. I just know life is daily changing. 

This weekend, I took sometime to truly relax. I spent time with God and did a Golden Girls marathon. While, I still feel drained and exhausted, I do feel a bit recharged. 

As I look into the face of a new week, I remind myself to be thankful and to ask God to carry me as I repeat  the prayer above.

God given hope

What is 2020? This has been such a strange and difficult year so far. One thing that is unchanging as the world continues to change is that God is in control and is right there with us in the thick of the chaos.

Things around me are so confusing and I can't keep up with all the changes. But knowing God is with me through this gives me hope and peace. Despite the chaos, hysteria, and manic panic I still believe that 2020 is going to be a year of seeing clearly and double portions in blessings. 

The most recent thing I found to be thankful for in middle of the COVID-19 pandemic  is that my grandma is not here for it. I miss my grandma dearly and wish she was still alive most days. But given the issues my grandma had her last few weeks of life and how cruel this virus is, she would not have been able to fight it. And it would have devastated our family if she had passed away and we were unable to visit her because we are all on lockdown. God did my family a favor by letting her rest and not suffer any longer. God is so loving and gracious. 

As things continue to evolve, I ask that you please stay safe. Take care of yourself and your family. Keep holding onto God. 

I pray for all of you my, dear readers, and I pray that healing comes soon for the world.

The Foggy Forest

Dear Friend,

Have you ever felt off? Confused? Lost? Or as if you are just unstable with things in your life?

I have been feeling this way for a couple of weeks and it is a very unsettling feeling. Each day I wake up as if I am in the midst of an extremely foggy forest. It's dark and I can't tell which direction I am going in.

As I continue to battle this fog I have learned some life lessons. If you are still reading, stick with me a few more moments.

1. I may feel alone but God is in my foggy forest with me. Joshua 1:5 Each day I have been reminded of God's presence in my life.

2. I have no clue what I am doing or where I am going. BUT God knows what He is doing and had a plan. Jeremiah 29:11-13

3. In conjunction with lesson 2, I need to trust God's heart and plan. Proverbs 3:5-6

4. Life is not easy. Life is complicated and has many twists and turns. It's ok to stumble and lay on the floor and say "I'm not adulting today". Just don't stay there, you have to get back up and adult even if it's for 5 mins.

5. Some days you will need to binge watch your favorite shows and eat a tub of ice cream with a pound of cake. That's ok too. Sometimes your brain (thoughts) and heart (emotions) need to slow down and catch up with each other.

6. In the darkest part of the foggy forest, never ever give up. Keep praying and holding God's hand. It is in this part of the forest that you relinquish your control and completely let God carry you.

7. I am not at this spot yet but I know that there is an end to this forest. God reminded me of that today. And at the end there will be sunshine and rainbows in whatever blessing God has for me. There will be one for you too so hang on just a bit longer.

Yours truly,
Simply That...

You are not alone-- Joshua 1:9

Life has been a roller coaster of emotions for so many people lately. As the year comes to an end, peoples emotions increase. For many, this last part of the year is very trying and taxing. Suicides increases, depression increases, debt increases, and so much more. 

Unfortunately, I don't have the answer to any of life's question. Truth be told, I don't want the answers. I just want peace of mind and a direction to walk in. As we start preparing for the holidays, as we continue to deal with the sour lemons and curve balls that we are dealt each day, I just want to encourage each one of you that you are not alone. There is still hope. Things will get better. It may not come tomorrow, this week, this month or even this year. But it will. This I am sure of. Hang in there and hold on to your faith. God is there. He is in the corner with you. Don't give up on God because He hasn't given up on you. 

Joshua 1:9 (Clear Word Bible)-- What I told you to do? I have told you to be strong and full of courage. Don't be afraid. Don't become discouraged or give up, because you don't have to do all this alone. The Lord your God will be with you every step of the way.

At a crossroads but waiting....

Have you ever been in a place where you just don't understand what is going on? Have you ever felt like you have lost control of your life? Have you ever felt so disconnected you began thinking you lost all your marbles? If you haven't count yourself blessed. If you have, you are not alone. Lately, I have felt this way and then some. I think my life is at a crossroads but the problem is I don't know what my options are.

Recently, Popeye found out that we have been extended on Guam for a few more years. What do I think about that, you may ask? Well, overall I am happy about that because I do love Guam and I haven't completed my Guam bucket list yet. However, it leaves me in a position of what do I do now? For the past 2.5 almost 3 years, I have been babysitting and volunteering with several organizations. While I have enjoyed these things very much and have learned many valuable lessons on life, I am faced with the question of what now? What's next? Sometimes I feel like I need more. Sometimes I feel like I need less.

It is the middle of February and I don't have a clue as to what I am doing. All I feel is a storm raging in my world. I have been praying and asking God for guidance because at the end of the day, I rather be in His will and do what He has called me to do than to make my own decision and it not be the thing God wanted me to do. So much has happened over the past several weeks, I will write about that in a later post. But the one thing that keeps me grounded is knowing that God has a plan even though I may not understand or see it yet. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

If you too are feeling confused as to where to go next, what your next assignment is, just be patient. God's timetable is not the same as ours. Know that you are not alone and that its ok to feel clueless. Just don't give up the faith. Sometimes God wants us to wait just a bit longer. If you need some encouragement feel free to comment on this post and we can go through the waiting period together. I promise when God is done with us, we will look back and say it was all worth it. Stay encouraged my friend.

Thought of the Day, January 13, 2016

My friend sent this to me a few days ago but I am just now able to sit down and post it to the blog. I hope you find some encouragement in this.

Exodus 6:12 (NIV)“But Moses said to the Lord, ‘If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips.’”

I relate so much to Moses. I too am hesitant to step up to an assignment where I doubt my effectiveness.

Moses already felt like he was failing at the smaller assignment of getting the Israelites to listen to him. So, he was understandably hesitant to go and speak to the intimidating powerful leader, Pharaoh.

However, we must make note of a crucial fact in God’s instruction to Moses. He simply told Moses to go tell Pharaoh to “let the Israelites go out of his country,” (Exodus 6:11b). That’s all Moses was responsible to accomplish. He wasn’t responsible for anything but the delivery of the message.

The resistant way Moses responds lets me know he misunderstood his assignment. Moses thought he was to bring enough power in his words to convince Pharaoh. And since his words lacked power before, it’s no wonder he thought this was a terrible strategy.

But God never told Moses to bring the power.

Moses was simply told to bring the words.

Moses’ job was to be obedient to God. God’s job was everything else.

God would bring the power. God would bring the strategy. God would bring all the plans together. And God would certainly bring the victory.

God already assured Moses of this in Exodus 6:1, “… Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go …”

He wasn’t asking Moses to play every part. Moses was only supposed to play his part. And the same is true for you and me. What assignment has God put before you today? Feel encouraged that your job is simply to be obedient to God. God will handle everything else ~ First5.org

Something better

Where is God directing you today?

20 Signs You're Succeeding in Life

There are times in life where I take a look at my life and think "wow a lot has happened over my 30 years: some good and some bad". Have you ever taken a look at your life? If so, how did it make you feel? Are you successful, a failure, neither or a little of both? 

Here is a article that will help you see that you are actually succeeding at life even if you don't feel like it at the moment. 

The Best ABC's ever

I recently came across this video. It is from a graduation ceremony from 2004. But it is so powerful and very relevant to today--10 years later.

Thought for the day: July 3, 2014

Isaiah 41:13: I am the Lord your God. I will strengthen you and hold your hand, so do not be afraid. (The Clear Word).

A look back on my first blog

This is a throwback posts from my first blog back 20 November 2006: though the circumstances have changed the lessons are still applicable

This has been the longest, worse, emotionally draining, physically exhausting, mentally and academically challenging semester I have ever experienced in all my life. Despite all of that I have learned many valuable lessons....

1. All of the mountains I have had to climb and jungles I have had to walk through--brought me closer to God...I can say without a doubt that I only made it through this semester because of Him.

2. Prayer does work and miracles still happen today. When you pray, everything will be ok.
3. You can't change people. The only person you can change is yourself. People will let you down, drive you crazy, break your heart, make you laugh, help you, and uplift you. But they come and go...at the end of the day you are left with yourself..Make sure you like yourself---love yourself.
4. These quotes say it best:
On determination: "Reaching your goal requires a firm purpose and a strong resolve with the goal always insight."
On perserverance: "NO matter how difficult the goal, triumph of will power after weakness will gain success.
5. In regards to lesson number 3, you can tell a person something over and over again till you are blue in the face but if they don't want to hear it or accept it, you will not get your message across no matter how you try...if that happens...just let it go...sometimes we have to just let people be.....
6. Last but not least, enjoy life. Life is too short. Stop and enjoy the simple things. Don't take things for granted, because tomorrow it may be gone.
I hope you have learned these lessons already, if not please take my advice, it will help you out...But if you are one of those people that need to learn the lesson for yourself..I pray that you have the courage and support to continue on because it may be a tough lesson to learn.
The semester is just about over, and I did make it...I have gained many experiences and learned many lessons. All in all, I am blessed and truly happy to say...I am A OK! and will be from here on out despite what life may throw at me--I am ready for it.

We All Have Hope

Another amazing sermon to add to your list of things to listen to...

Mind the Gap

Dear Readers,

This from my daily readings....it was very encouraging and I hope that it gives you some encouragement or hope as well...

This particular thought for the day was written by Laura Henry-Stump.

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say on the Lord! Ps. 27:13, 14, NKJV

If you've ever taken the tube(aka subway) in England, there is a distinct announcement you can't avoid. At every stop a voice comes over the intercom, reminding you to "mind the gap". This repeated instruction is a source of amusement for tourists. For some reason there is a large space between the platform and the car. At some stations the gap is wider than at others. But regardless of the size of the gap, all travelers are warned to "mind the gap". 

When Abram received his promise of a son from God, he must have jumped for joy. God told Abram, "I will make you a great nation...and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Gen. 12:2,3), NKJV). When Abram reached Canaan, God reiterated His promise. Abram was so grateful to God that he built an alter. It would have been easy to praise God then. It would have been easy to declare the awesome power of God. I imagine Abram had a contented smile on his face as he looked into the future and imagined the life of his son.

This would have been a good point in the story to have a voice announce, "Abraham, mind the gap". He had no idea how many years it would be util that promise was fulfilled, but there was purpose in that gap: to build faith in Abraham. "Mind the gap, Abraham; you will have so many tests and trials before those dreams are fulfilled." "Mind the gap, Sarah; jealousy will eat you up." "Mind the gap, Abraham and Sarah, if you try to fulfill the promise on your own."

You may be in he gap. Perhaps you are waiting for employment, a child, a relationship, a doctor's report, a loved one to turn to God, emotional healing, or perhaps improved finances. Know that there is purpose in the wait. Use this time to develop your relationship with God. Let God rid your life of excess baggage and hurts that you may not even realize you have. Do not lose heart. Your heavenly Father will take care of you. Abraham had to wait for a son, but he became the friend of God because he allowed God to work in him. The lesson learned during the gap landed him in Hebrews 11, the hall of faith. Your heavenly Father will come through for yo-but mind the gap..
--Laura Henry-Stump---

So my closing thoughts for my readers: I am praying for you. Remember that God's timing is always right, so sit back and enjoy the ride, He will never fail you. Stay encouraged and keep smiling...

Till next time my friends,
God bless,
Simply That....

Strong enough

Lately, I have been told that I am really strong, courageous, brave, etc. They rattle off a list of reasons, but the two common reasons as to why the have declared me a strong person are:

• You live on Guam without your family and are so far away from everything
• Your husband is deployed and yet you still function

 And my reply is always no I am not strong--not in the slightest. But everyone tends to disagree with me. Let me explain. I am very weak. I do have days where I miss my family and friends that are elsewhere in the world but I am not alone out here on the island of Guam. God has blessed me with family and friends. In my weakness God is strong for me. He is always carrying me or walking beside me as I continue on this adventure in my life. Yes my husband is deployed and has been for the past 8 months with no end date in sight but that doesn't mean I must stop living my life. It just means that I get to lean on God for encouragement and comfort on those really low days where all I want is for him to come through the door and say "honey I am home". So yes, I am human, I do have emotions, I am extremely weak and vulnerable. But because of my shortcomings. I get to experience God and His blessing in a different way.

So, if you are going through something in your life right now and feel like you can't go on. Remember God is with you always. Joshua 1:5 (ESV) "...So I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you."  Matthew 28:20 (NIV) "...And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Smile

This video is a few years old but its very encouraging with a hint of comedy. Just what I needed today, I am not having the greatest day but oh well....This song made me feel better.

T.D. Jakes--Trusting God When He says NO

Such a powerful sermon...So what I needed to hear today...

Thought of day: July 18, 2013

The following is from the devotional book Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. It is dated July 18 and can be found on page 209.

I am nearer than you think, richly present in all your moments. You are connected to Me by Love-bonds that nothing can server. However, you may sometimes feel alone, because your union with Me is invisible. Ask Me to open your eyes, so that you can find Me everywhere. The more aware you are of My Presence, the safer you feel. This is not some sort of escape from reality; its is tuning in to ultimate reality. I am for more Real than the world you can see, hear, and touch, Faith is the confirmation of things we do not see and the conviction of their reality, perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses.
Acts 17:27-28; Hebrews 11:1 (Amp)