Teresa's Treasures

I like lists, so here's nine suggestions of things to do to improve your life in 2013. 1) Pick out one specific place to pray for a specific person and pray for them every time you're there. For example, pray for someone while you're in the shower; pray for someone different at a stop light, at your kitchen sink, in your car, etc.. 2) Remember if you can't change the situation you have to change your attitude. If you're tied to a rock, learn to love the rock. Let the situation change you. 3) Realize acceptance does not always mean approval. There's just some things that have to be accepted in life, whether agreed with or not. 4) If you find yourself unable to get along with people, make a list of those people and then find the common denominator; most likely it's you. 5) Live in the present moment. One-hundred percent of every minute of every day is lived in the present moment. The past is only made up of memories that are simple harmless thoughts

I guess since Phil’s been away this week-end I’ve had more time to think and solve the world’s problems. For some reason I’ve been more noticeable of everything – I guess I’m replacing Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes who just retired. This is going to sound like something he would write. Please forgive me if this blog is going to apply to you; I don’t mean it to be offensive to anyone – just funny and an indication of how we’ve gotten our priorities turned upside-down, our focus blurred and our common sense thrown out the window. Since Phil has been gone I could have eaten ANYWHERE but have chosen to eat at home – even at this moment fixing potato soup, fried apples and cornbread. As I was peeling the potatoes I made myself stop bending over to use the garbage can as a “peeling catcher” deciding to use a bowl instead that Phil bought me that sits out on my counter all the time. (I know I could have used a Kroger bag or a Wal Mart bag which I used to use at the other house because they were

Yesterday Laura and I sang hymns at Magnolia Village for Alton’s 90th birthday party—“The Old Rugged Cross,” “Amazing Grace,” “No Tears in Heaven” to name a few. Mr. Herald, I was told, loved “I’ll Fly Away” so it was he I watched as we started to sing his favorite. Mimicking a bird he whipped the air back and forth, back and forth with his hand , flying it gracefully up toward Heaven. Last night after returning home from Gatlinburg, dropping by to see “Mammie” (Brody would have dropped by to see Phil had “Pappaw” been home) David plopped Brody in my arms at the front door. As I carried him into the kitchen he saw the fan, two to be exact, mimicking them with his hand , just like Mr. Herald had mimicked the bird with his. Hands—they’re significant. My hand lines, my fingertips tell my story; yours tell yours. Whether you’re old like Mr. Herald and about to die or young like Brody and about to live, God gave you your own DNA. He made us all unique yet in some ways the same. We ALL

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 In my own personal experience the one question I’ve been asked more than any other, by someone desiring a relationship with God is, “What does it mean to be led by the Spirit – to listen to the Spirit’s voice. How will I know when I hear it?” They basically know the Spirit comforts them, but other than that, they know little more. This is the best advice I can give. First, of all believe the Holy Spirit is a person ; He is very real; and He does not dwell only “within” the pages of the Bible, He dwells in you. Do I understand this? No -- no more than I understand sound waves; but I believe they exist.  The Holy Spirit is a member of the God-head – God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Even though he has been described as the silent member, he is only silent if you don’t allow him to speak to you. The Greek word for Holy Spirit is pneuma which means “a movement” of air (a gentle blast

I love this picture. If you haven’t already done so, scroll down to the bottom of the page and look at it. I asked David to stand so I could memorialize the day he graduated from WKU. He stood and waved at me as if to say “It’s me, Mom. I’m here.” And in an instant I captured the moment. In a sea of thousands of other graduates in black or blue caps and gowns I recognized David -- my son – just like God recognizes me, where in a sea of people with unknown faces,sometimes I think He doesn’t. Let me tell you how much God loves and sees you. Moses records in Deuteronomy 8:4 when he tells the Israelites to always remember the way God led them out of Egypt: “Your clothing did not wear out on you nor did your foot swell these forty years.” The God who spoke and created light, the God who perched the sun up in the sky, was concerned about the condition of their clothing and that their feet did not swell. He knew they would be walking, wandering in the wilderness for forty years. That’s the

Can you imagine how Adam and Eve must have felt after living in the Garden of Eden where they thought they would live forever when God told them they were going to die because they had sinned? Can you imagine how Moses must have felt when he thought God was going to use him to free the Israelites at the age of forty but had to wait forty MORE years before he heard God’s voice again or how Hannah must have felt wanting so desperately to have a child but “THE LORD HAD CLOSED HER WOMB.” (1 Sam. 1:5) Because you and I can look back, we know the rest of their stories but still we wonder if God knows ours and what’s best for us sometimes. I lived for ten years in the pit of depression hearing God say no to me every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year throughout all ten of them when I was begging him to release me. I couldn’t figure out why on earth I was in the bottom of a pit when I knew I had so much more to offer. I heard nothing but no to every question I aske

Bella and I have spent quite a bit of time together lately--much more time than we've spent together probably since she's been born. In three of our non-chalant conversations God spoke through Bella to remind me of three Biblical truths He apparently thought I had forgotten; and He was right. Conversation #1 Mammie as she reads to Bella in her bed right before David comes in to say her prayers: "Bella, I know daddy says your prayers with you at night. Would you want to say a prayer with Mammie too?" Bella pensively staring, thinking... Silence... Mammie wanting to hear some of the sweet things David says Bella prays for every night: "It's okay if you don't want to pray with Mammie, but would you just want to tell Mammie some of the things you pray for?" Bella thinking as Mammie waits... Silence... Bella looking seriously into Mammie's eyes: "Mammie, I just tell God." Conversation #2 Mammie upon arriving see

Several years ago I used to teach larger classes than I have in the immediate past, involving maybe 35-40 women. In one of these such classes I was teaching a class on humility and thought Jesus’ example of washing feet would be the most appropriate way I could teach it and felt I had Jesus’ permission to do so, because he said to the apostles “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” Yes, I know that washing feet is basically an unheard of practice in churches of Christ, but I do remember hearing my father-in-law say that the reason his church practiced washing of feet was because it did, indeed, teach humility. So, it was with good intentions, a sincere heart and Jesus’ example that we washed feet. We sat in circles of twelve women with a pitcher and bowl in the middle of each circle. My husband had built a large cross, not just for this class but for another, which I also had in the room and I believe I had a scripture tape playing also. The lights were

Earlier in the week, I posted an article called Depression -- four lessons I’ve learned which came from the heart of a 56-year-old woman (me) long removed from "the pit." Today I write a second, coming from the heart of a 29-year-old woman, who back then, was descending into the pit. The picture of me on the left was made on Christmas day when I was in my thirties. The picture on the right was made at my mom and dad's 60th wedding anniversary celebration when I was 54. ~ YES I'M SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION.  IF I HAD THE WHEREWITHAL, THIS IS WHAT I'D TELL YOU: Don’t tell me to snap-out-of-it. The part of me that’s reason – ABLE is the very part of me that’s sick. You’re dealing with my brain, my mind – my feelings. You can’t fix me like a broken arm or leg. My pain is inward – not visible to the human eye. I am exhausted from doing mental calisthenics you cannot see, on an emotional roller coaster you cannot stop. I am emotionally gutted. I have exper

I suffer from depression; I have most of my life; it’s nothing I try to hide; I speak freely about it. There are some lessons I’ve learned I have to put into practice every day. I just believe people who suffer from depression sometime suffer in silence when they don’t have to; this is what this article is about. If it just helps one person, it's worth sharing. I live in the present moment. All of life is lived in the present moment. Looking forward brings worry and anxiety. Looking back brings regret and guilt. Stay in the moment. If you’re in the shower BE IN THE SHOWER. Don’t be thinking about paying the bills or cooking supper or being at work. Feel the water, smell the soap, bask in the steam – experience it. If your mind wanders bring it back like a lost puppy; retrieve it. Experience THIS MOMENT. I understand why depression is called frozen rage. Anger and depression go hand-in-hand. If depression is frozen rage then when it “thaws” or “melts” anger is released. It is

There’s a lot going on where I worship right now that centers around conflict between members. Here’s my own advice for anyone who’s been there and done that, like I have – found herself in conflict with another church member. I have been both the offend – ER and the offend – ED . For the advice I have to offer, it doesn’t matter which side you’re on. I would give this advice to either side. 1) The disagreement is not as important as the manner in which it is handled. 2) Most of the time, the disagreement is not about the disagreement it’s about personalities. 3) If the disagreement is over whether something is a sin or not, then it must be substantiated by scripture. 4) If scripture substantiates it, then it’s a moot issue and has already been dealt with. 5) If scripture is silent, then it must be considered a grey area. 6) Grey areas are grey areas and must not be considered black or white. 7) My opinions about grey areas are determined by my perception which is totally subjective