Spiritual Sisters
Spiritual Healing Serene Salad
Spiritual Voices Creativity Bakery
Praise
Praise
Meditations
Musings
Teachings
Meditations
Meditations
Musings
Praise
Musings
Musings
Teachings
Teachings
Meditations
Praise
Copyright Jane Mullikin used by permission of Project Ripple
Bringing Sense into Chaos
from half way round the world God sent a gift of encouragment
May 02, 2006
As the typical human emotions flooded me, I asked God to take my "attitude" away and return my joy. Shortly thereafter I received a beautiful email from Christine Jones in Australia--from half way round the world--God had used Christine's attentive ear in order to send me a gift of encouragment, reminding me He appreciated my efforts.
No matter how insignificant our petty concerns, a loving Father never dismisses them or forgets us. He never leaves us 'twisting in the wind' and we can rest assured He is always there for us, helping us through the worst of times in our earthly relationships.
"One way or the other, God, who thought up the family in the first place, has the very best idea of how to bring sense to the chaos of broken relationships we see all around us. I really believe that if I remain still and listen a lot, he will share some solutions with me so I can share them with others." --Jill Briscoe
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Always Kept in Love
In falling and rising again we are always kept in the same precious love
May 04, 2006
I am so sorry people are sometimes pelted with the fear of God before they have time to connect with the God of Love. Once we get past the fear-inducing people camouflaged as "helpful souls" so the light can flood us with the love of the "I AM", life becomes so different. Life with a real connection to God still has problems and difficulties, but they no longer consume us. Problems and difficulties become guidelines for growing and once viewed as stepping stones, they are not painful. They just slide on over us and we can watch them as though from a distance instead of being in the center of the chaos.
The Bible is not a club for beating people down; it is a love story. If we start reading the Bible from the standpoint of a parent wanting his children's love and friendship while keeping his promise not to control his children's lives, the "bad stuff" takes on a totally different perspective.
Anyone who is a parent understands the extremes we will go to in order to protect our children. Remember: God is our parent.
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God is God of all
Territorializing of the holy
May 06, 2006
I gave this quote from Joe Mazzella to a young homeless mother in response to her consuming efforts to strike out at all the people who were messing with her life. As she read it, she laughed and I said "thank you, Lord" for she was so consumed with negativism she could not recognize any positive alternatives that might be available to her. Slowly, and unintentionally, we become embittered as we fill our thoughts with anger towards one whom we blame for our troubles. Then comes the time when 'the one' becomes a class of similar people allowing hatred for a group to become cemented in our minds. Thus, one becomes a class becomes a group becomes a nation or a belief and we find ourselves permanently prejudiced toward many of our neighbors.
"Strife - in philosophy, religion, and politics - has certainly gained so much ground that it is impossible for us to reconcile with one another. But it is possible to find reconciliation...by means of the foundation of all things, which is God. For he does not cease to be the same for all men irrespective of our differences, and his earth bears us all, even if we preferred to see that the ground would cleave asunder beneath our enemies.
The sun sends his rays upon us directly, paying no heed that we look askance at one another. The rose smells sweetly to both the Jew and the Christian - and to the Muslim too. And so God is God of all, and whatever he says, he says in the same manner to all that are ready to listen. If then we look to our own rules, books, and works, which we have made ourselves and which differ in many thousands of ways, we are irreconcilable. But if with due attention and honor we accept God’s ideas regarding our lives... reconciliation is easy." --J. A. Comenius (1592-1670) "A Perfect Reformation"
"This kind of split makes me crazy, this territorializing of the holy. Here God may dwell. Here God may not dwell. It contradicts everything in my experience, which says: God dwells where I dwell. Period." --Nancy Mairs
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Live as if you did not exist
as long as we want to get something from God in some kind of exchange, we are like the merchants
May 08, 2006
Let's examine this subject further before we start feeling good about ourselves:
"As long as we look for some kind of pay for what we do, as long as we want to get something from God in some kind of exchange, we are like the merchants. If you want to be rid of the commercial spirit, then by all means do all you can in the way of good works, but do so solely for the praise of God. Live as if you did not exist. Expect and ask nothing in return. Then the merchant inside you will be driven out of the temple God has made. Then God alone dwells there. See! This is how the temple is cleared: when a person thinks only of God and honors him alone. Only such a person is free and genuine." --Source: "Meister Eckhart: A Modern Translation" by Raymond Bernard Blakney.
Has your church ever reimbursed you for time or materials? More importantly, did you expect to be reimbursed. When you take food to someone who is ill, do you anticipate others will do the same for you? Certainly we hope you would receive help as well, but is it all right to expect it? Do you give money to those who are temporarily struggling with the expectation the same courtesy will be afforded you should there be a need? Do you give a 'seed' to the Evangelist while expecting to reap a financial harvest?
Meister Eckhart points out, "Expect and ask nothing in return."
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The Advantage Goes to God
God does not give gifts, nor did he ever give one, so that man might keep it and take satisfaction in it
May 10, 2006
...Therefore I say that we must learn to look through every gift and every event to God and never be content with the thing itself. There is no stopping place in this life--no, nor was there ever one for any man, no matter how far along his way he'd gone. This above all, then, be ready at all times for the gifts of God and always for new ones." --Meister Johannes Eckhart, 1260-1327, German scholar, mystic, Meister Eckhart. Trans. R. Blakney.
The day had begun with great promise. A lively discussion within a group committed to the spiritual walk was invigorating! absolutely exhilarating! Affirmations of God's love and support within each event of our lives (right down to the smallest detail) whenever we consciously let go and let God take control, generated a profound sense of just how completely loved we are as the children of the One Living God.
Later in that same day, as unexpected human cares and concerns intruded upon my joyful peacefulness, the burdensome weight of the earthly baggage began to rest heavily upon me. Unnoticed and no longer appreciated, the joy of the morning slipped away as my "take control and charge forward" attitude exhibited.
I got on my horse and prepared to ride, then I realized I had no idea which direction to ride. For an instant, the morning's discussion flittered in front of me and, feeling somewhat foolish, I got off my horse and humbly asked for wisdom.
Once my mind was opened to researching the possibilities, I went to the Bible to seek God's counsel and it was there I found a possible resolution which had not occurred to me--to MY brilliant mind--at all. The resolution simply required letting go and letting God. It was a special spirit moment as I realized the morning's discussion had been both forewarning and preparation for the afternoon's events. Once again I was reminded how fickle human nature proves to be.
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Experiencing Contemplation
The only way to get rid of misconceptions about contemplation is to experience it
May 12, 2006
It was a long journey from the restless emptiness produced by earthly desires to the peaceful pleasure blossoming through the development of a personal relationship with God. It was a journey which saw me grimace with the painful discarding of worldly values, but the eventual rewards--rewards which I had no way of understanding--those rewards are indescribable.
"So first, give much time to quietness. For the most part we have to get our help directly from our God. We are here to help, and we must each learn to walk with God alone and feed on his word so as to be nourished. Don’t only read and pray; listen. And don’t evade the slightest whisper of guidance that comes. May God make you very sensitive, and very obedient." --Amy Carmichael
"The only way to get rid of misconceptions about contemplation is to experience it. One who does not actually know, in his own life, the nature of this breakthrough and this awakening to a new level of reality cannot help being misled by most of the things that are said about it. For contemplation cannot be taught. It cannot even be clearly explained. It can only be hinted at, suggested, pointed to, symbolized. The more objectively and scientifically one tries to analyze it, the more he empties it of its real content, for this experience is beyond the reach of verbalization and of rationalization." --From New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton
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The Price of Not Letting Go
Mothers, the greatest gift we can give our children is to Let Go
May 14, 2006
We look to this verse as proof of protection against evil, as an assurance that God will provide us with a hedge of protection against any adversity coming to attack us. More importantly, does it also mean our careless actions and our thoughtless requests can stop the kingdom of heaven from operating in our best interest? As I contemplate this possibility, here are some examples coming to my mind:
When we pray for an "easy" life--a life free of illness, full of prosperity, a place of honor and respect--have we carefully considered whether this is what we really want? Remember the butterfly which is freed from the cocoon without a birth struggle does not develop strong wings and is left crippled.
"The truth that many people never understand, until it is too late, is that the more you try to avoid suffering the more you suffer because smaller and more insignificant things begin to torture you in proportion to your fear of being hurt." --Thomas Merton
When we pray our children will rise up and make us proud, when we ask they be protected and assisted--what are we doing to them? When we rush to God each time our child stumbles and demand He take care of them, what griefs are we dumping upon them by not allowing them to learn the give-and-take of life's realities?
"We should not strive for a peace that is without temptation, or for a life that never feels adversity. Peace is not found by escaping temptations, but by being tried by them. We will have discovered peace when we have been tried and come through the trial of temptation." --Thomas a Kempis
We celebrate motherhood. Mothers, the greatest gift we can give our children is to Let Go!
"A spiritual kingdom lies all about us, enclosing us, embracing us, altogether within reach of our inner selves, waiting for us to recognize it. God himself is here awaiting our response to his presence. This eternal world will come alive to us the moment we begin to reckon upon its reality." --A.W. Tozer
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Staying Centered During Crisis Times
Stress-filled situations can intrude upon our existence no matter how great our efforts to avoid stress
May 16, 2006
~~There are many advocates who propose reducing stress through drugs--alcoholic, over-the-counter, prescription, and/or illegal.
~~Swinging the pendulum to the other side are the many advocates for prayer, meditation and contemplation.
~~And then there's "pretend it's not there and it'll go away."
Even though I lean toward the prayer, meditation and contemplation school of thought, I have great difficulty keeping my mind centered on the positive aspects during times of crisis. Negative thoughts always enter the recesses of my mind and take up residence there waiting to knock me off balance at the appropriate moment.
I was faced with a particularly stress-filled court ordered testimony. I just wanted it to go away. To keep from dwelling upon my negative thoughts earlier in the day, I asked my "spiritual mentor" to join me for an extended brunch. After hours of discussing pride, humility and compassion, I found myself so at peace that I was well-fortified against anything that might arise the rest of the day.
"To the soul that is wholly bent upon God a thousand fretting cares and vexing problems which tear the lives of others in pieces simply cease to exist. With the submerging of the irrelevant, the soul is free to give itself to that which really matters." --Emily Herman
"There is no need for peculiar conditions in order to grow in the spiritual life, for the pressure of God's Spirit is present everywhere and at all times. Our environment itself -- our home and our job -- is the medium through which we experience His moulding action and His besetting love. It is not Christian to try to get out of our frame, or to separate our outward life from our life of prayer, since both are the creation of one Charity. The third-rate little town in the hills, with its limited social contacts and monotonous manual work, reproves us when we begin to fuss about our opportunities and our score. And this quality of quietness, ordinariness, simplicity, with which the saving action of God enters history, endures from the beginning to the end." --Evelyn Underhill
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A Life of Spiritual Contentment
Welcome every change that comes into any phase of your life; insist that it is going to turn out for the better—and it will.
May 18, 2006
diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be
known. Improve them and they will become the brightest
gems in a useful life." --Ralph Waldo Emerson, Philosopher and Writer
There is a growing trend among CEOs and Upper Management to give up the big salaries and other perks for a life of spiritual contentment according to the May/June 2005 issue of AARP magazine. One third of the students at Hebrew Union College had previous careers.
Prior to reading this article, I had experienced a moment of deeply felt gratitude toward God for His having encouraged me to leave the stress behind to meander wherever God leads. So what if early retirement means I have to live on a tighter budget--it's only more stuff that won't last forever like the beautiful special spirit moments I am rapidly accumulating as I build relationships in the inner city. These beautiful memories will not fade with time; they will last as long as I am capable of recall and keep growing as I relive them in my mind. The decision to transition from workaholic to 'just being in the NOW' was really difficult until I learned I was trading impossible deadlines for smiles and hugs!
"The outward work will never be puny if the inward work is great." --Meister Eckhart
"There is no greater mistake than to be afraid of change, and yet many intelligent people dread it and cling to what is customary and familiar. To be afraid of change is to doubt the presence of God. It is an unintelligent fear of the unknown. If it were not for the blessing of change, people would still be primitive savages living in caves, and you yourself would still be a child mentally and physically, would you not? Welcome every change that comes into any phase of your life; insist that it is going to turn out for the better—and it will." --Emmet Fox
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Am I Good or Evil?
Most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil
May 20, 2006
For the short time it takes to read this piece, I ask the reader substitute 'child of God' for 'illegal immigrant' in their thoughts. The vast majority of the good-hearted citizens of the United States are not personally impacted by the immigration problem and probably don't really know where they should stand on the issue at hand. So much of the rhetoric is political and it's all confusing--we find ourselves thinking it is much easier to let it be handled by those who know more than we.
History points repeatedly to other times and places where the good citizenry never made up their minds. How many good citizens stood at the foot of the cross the day Jesus was crucified? Would you and I have been able to make valid decisions and take firm stands on that fateful day? We would have been hearing many rumors, but would we have had the luxury of knowing any of the pertinent facts?
What about today? Where there are pockets of uneducated people, they are dependent upon their neighbors for information. If the culture of their neighborhood does not welcome them, the reliability of the information they receive is suspect. Researching the business community in one small section of the inner city says volumes about that particular segment's culture---only ONE bank with TWO check cashing stores, FOUR tax prep services and one pawn shop. Three of the four tax prep services used the word 'freedom' or 'liberty' in their name. Do we know how to spell 'predatory'? It's enough to make one want to fight--to engage in battle to free people's minds of the perception that the world they are encountering resembles the world others experience.
It is my responsibility to determine and stand for good. Otherwise, I am...
"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty." --Albert Einstein
"If we do not at least try to manifest something of Creative Charity in our dealings with life, whether by action, thought, or prayer, and do it at our own cost -- if we roll up the talent of love in the nice white napkin of piety and put it safely out of the way, sorry that the world is so hungry and thirsty, so sick and so fettered, and leave it at that: then, even that little talent may be taken from us. We may discover at the crucial moment that we are spiritually bankrupt." --Evelyn Underhill
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When Everything is Going Wrong
It has been well said that no person ever sank under the burden of the day
May 22, 2006
I looked down at the materials I had accumulated in my preparation for the discussion and right there on page 3 was a group of Bible references on trials and tribulations:
Was the Christian life meant to be smooth sailing? Did God intend that once we repent of our sins, that we could easily coast into His Kingdom? Would all our troubles be over, at least for the most part, once we repent of our sins and are baptized? Is this what God promises? God reminds us that Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel, 'Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much TRIBULATION enter into the kingdom of God' (Acts 14:22).
Somehow we think that if we obey God, the path before us will be smooth and easy going, like a Sunday picnic. We think that Jesus said His yoke is easy, and His burden is light, and we remember that He promised that He came to bring us the "abundant life" (John 10:10; Matt.11:28-30). We forget that this same Jesus told us: "Enter ye in at the strait [(narrow] gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; because strait [narrow] is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matt.7:l3-14).
We so easily forget that Jesus foretold about His disciples, including those of us of this present generation: "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved" (Matt.10:22). We forget so easily the words of Christ, "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it" (Matt.10:38-39).
"It has been well said that no person ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow’s burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than a person can bear. Never load yourselves so, my friends. If you find yourself so loaded, at least remember this: it is your own doing, not God’s. He begs you to leave the future to Him, and mind the present." --George MacDonald
The Special Spirit Moments--available from God--will sustain us through the black times and are ultimately the ones that matter most.
When there are
roadblocks in our path
When there are
foes surrounding us
When there are
problems we cannot see past
When there is
pain and suffering
When the future is so uncertain
turning inward and laying everything at the feet of the One Living God, accepting the arrival of the peace and calm which is necessary to get us through the dark hours, will conquer all situations.
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Traveling the Broad Way
The broad way is characterized by great freedom and unlimited pleasures
May 24, 2006
When there is talk about the wide road leading to eternal distruction, I'm always left visualizing a road with lots of signs to tempt me this way or that way--in other words, lots and lots of commercials! Is it that way or is it more like this road in my dream: this road which is visually appealing but gives me no signs to guide me along the way, this road which leaves me lost and confused, this road which has a "village" at the end but does not have a way of reaching the village.
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." --Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)
P. G. Mathew, M.A., M.Div., Th.M. describes for us the commercialized broad way, "So those on the broad way are eating, drinking, smoking and dancing. They seem to have no restraint. The broad way is characterized by great freedom and unlimited pleasures. Fun, self-indulgence, and antinomianism abound. People on the broad way do not worry about the Ten Commandments. "Why worry?" they say. "Be happy." On the broad way one can be totally hedonistic and self-centered. You don't have to love your neighbor, wife, husband, or children. Just love yourself and have a good time. Have fun--fun in the morning, fun at noon, and fun at night.Fun, fun, fun!
Jesus also tells us to look for the one who leads people on this broad way. Broad way people do not see this leader, but they all obediently follow him. This leader is the same one who led the first couple, Adam and Eve, into death and misery. Who is he? Satan. And Satan also uses secondary agents, false prophets, to lead many in the broad way. We read about such false prophets in Ezekiel 13.
What is the gospel of Satan's false prophets? They say exactly what people want to hear. They speak smooth things, emphasizing love and unity. They hate the biblical doctrines of sin and judgment. They hate them! They speak of freedom and pleasure now, but will not say one word about what is going to happen in the end. They never speak of sin or the wrath of God. They do not speak of death, the final judgment, or of God's holy love. They will not speak of God's holiness and justice. Such false prophets will only practice deceit, trying to deceive even the very elect, if that were possible. Thank God, it is not possible!
In 2 Corinthians 11:13 we read about such false prophets: "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve."
I would like to know how others visualize the broad way. Please leave your impressions.
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Gerhard Tersteegen
From the book, They Knew Their God
May 26, 2006
The young merchant Gerhard Tersteegen, retired from his business and took up lodgings in an isolated cottage, in order to search after God. For five long years, the young recluse experienced great darkness as the sense of God's approval was withdrawn. He seemed assailed by doubts as to whether God even existed....Although he read some of the deepest spiritual books, he was only confused by the varied opinions and the deep mazes of thought...for, said he, "Read them till I was filled with strange fears and bewilderment. At last I took the books back to their owner, and it was like a weight lifted off my heart."
Some of Tersteegen's biographers hint that the five years of darkness may have been occasioned by his secluding himself instead of sharing his newly-found faith. The mature man of God, looking back on those years, felt such an experience was invaluable.
"Our Lord Jesus was silent and kept Himself concealed for thirty years, in order that by His example, He might inspire us with a fondness for a truly retired life, and scarcely did He spend four years in a public manner. I often think, if we that are awakened, would endure only four years of probation, in silent moritification and prayer, before we shewed ourselves publicly, our subsequent activity would be a little purer, and less injurious to the kingdom of God. This is a secret, but common temptation of the enemy, and a subtle device of the flesh, by which the tempter seeks to allure us from the one thing needful, and to weaken our strength by the multiplicity of the objects in which we are engaged. But the flesh and its progeny, which finds a life of mortification too strait for it, and too disagreeable, may breathe very easily, and even maintain itself, in every outward spiritual and apparently profitable exercise, whilst in the meantime the mystery of iniquity at the bottom, remains unperceived and unmortified."
It was just the day before Good Friday, that the twenty-seven year old seeker entered into an enlarged place, the cries and entreaties of the past years being abundantly answered. He came to realize that the life of crucifixion with Christ was not to be one he could learn by instruction save by that of the Holy Spirit.
"It is a small thing with Him to cause us to find in our souls in one moment without trouble, that which we may have sought externally for years with much labour."
The long night of darkness and uncertainty was past. While journeying to another city, the Savior, as the all-sufficient One, appeared to the young man and rose upon his horizon like the day-star from on high.
"It was as if a sick child were alone, and far away in the dark night, when suddenly the door was opened, and father and mother and all the loved ones came in, and the long, lonely hours were over, and all was love."
There by the roadside, Tersteegen dedicated himself to the Lord. He was lifted on to a new plane where God was henceforth the One and only Good. He had learned that "Jesus alone is sufficient, but yet insufficient, when He is not wholly and solely embraced." Returning from his journey, he sat down in the quiet of his own room and wrote out a covenant of love with blood drawn from his own veins.
"My Jesus, I own myself to be Thine, my only Savior and Bridegroom. Christ Jesus, I am Thine wholly and eternally. From this evening onward, I renounce from my heart all right and authority that Satan unrighteously gave me over myself. From this evening - the evening on which Thou, my Bridegroom, through Thy precious blood, didst purchase me for Thyself, agonising even unto death, praying till Thy sweat was as it were blood falling to the ground, that I might be Thy treasure and Thy bride—Thou hast burst the gates of hell and opened to me the loving heart of the Father! From this evening onward my heart and all my love are offered up to Thee in eternal thankfulness."
"From this evening, to all eternity, Thy will, not mine, be done! Command and rule and reign in me. I yield myself up without reserve, and I promise, with Thy help and power, rather to give up the last drop of this my blood than knowingly and willingly, in my heart or in my life, be untrue or disobedient to Thee. Behold, Thou hast me wholly and completely, sweet Friend of my soul. Thou hast the love of my heart for Thyself and for none other. They Spirit be my keeper; Thy death the rock of my assurance. Yea, Amen! May Thy Spirit seal that which is written in the simplicity of my heart. --Thine unworthy possession, Gerhard Tersteegen. Anno Domini 1724, Green Thursday."
Throughout his active time of ministry, Gerhard proclaimed four distinguishing doctrines:
1. Self-renunciation - the complete giving up of self-will to the will of God.
2. The continuous activity of the Spirit of God in all believers, and the intimate union possible between God and man.
3. The worthlessness of all religion based upon fear or hope of reward.
4. The essential equality of laity and clergy, though for the sake of order and discipline the organization of the church was necessary.
Read More....
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Thoughts on Solitude
God gives us an irresistible desire for solitude
May 28, 2006
"Solitary trees, if they grow at all, grow strong." -Sir Winston Churchill
"Solitude is as needful to the imagination as society is wholesome for the character." -James Russell Lowell, Among My Books, 1870
"A solitary, unused to speaking of what he sees and feels, has mental experiences which are at once more intense and less articulate than those of a gregarious man." -Thomas Mann, Death in Venice, 1911
"There are places and moments in which one is so completely alone that one sees the world entire." -Jules Renard, Journal, December, 1900
"Children love to be alone because alone is where they know themselves, and where they dream." -Roger Rosenblatt, The Man in the Water, 1994
"One can acquire everything in solitude except character." -Stendhal, On Love, 1822
"He who lives in solitude may make his own laws." -Publilius Syrus, Moral Sayings
"The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till the other is ready, and it may be along time before they get off." -Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854
"I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude." -Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854
"I have never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude. We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers. A man thinking or working is always alone, let him be where he will." -Henry David Thoreau, Walden
"We are rarely proud when we are alone." -Voltaire, Philosophical Dictionary, 1764
"I'm more than ever of the opinion that a decent human existence is possible only on the fringes of society." - Hannah Arendt
"Where is the Life we have lost in living?" - T.S. Eliot
"Millions long for immortality who don't know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon." - Susan Ertz
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God with Us
I am thankful my friend listened to God when He spoke to my friend
May 30, 2006
A 'friend in the spirit' called to tell me of his dream in which my right shoulder was hurting. I told him I did have an old injury, but it was in my left shoulder and I didn't have any problem in the right shoulder. After a blunt statement like that, many of us would have decided we did not remember the dream correctly and waffle. He did not, he stuck by his original story that it was my right shoulder. I shook my head as the question, "why would anyone dream about my shoulder?" went through my mind.
He went on to say pain in one location is sometimes indicative of a problem elsewhere. Then we chatted a moment, I hung up and forget about the dream until a week later when the stabbing pain hit my right shoulder.
It's been two months of hurting and I still don't know what's wrong with my shoulder, but the tests which were run because of the shoulder have brought to light a more troubling problem with which I must deal.
What's the old adage, something about forewarned is forearmed? Sure is!! I am most thankful that I have a loving, living God upon whom I can rely to be with me through whatever this life throws at me.
"Teach me, oh God, not to torture myself and not to make a martyr of myself in suffocating introspection, but to take deep and wholesome breaths of faith!" --Søren Kierkegaard
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