abundance

No is Only a New Yes!

/ tilson123 / Leave a comment

Ok, yesterday I got the verdict from my unemployment hearing, and the answer was no…as in nope, you deserved to be fired, and you were, and we owe you no money.  That’s not actually what the letter said – it was all official and said I was disqualified…which is still a not so nice way of saying no!

My initial reaction was the above, along with the thought that my previous employer’s human resource department was sitting around celebrating.  It would also have been very nice to receive 4 weeks of unemployment, and it would have taken away the “sting” of giving 3 1/2 years to them with such an abrupt and untimely dismissal.

AND YET!  That no really means that I am done with my former employer, once and for all, and will now just see them in the rear view mirror of my life, fading away.  Yay!  Also I know that in spite of all the stress and pressure of that job, I would never have walked away from them, because of the salary and benefits that I thought I could not live without.  The job was killing me, but I was making huge money and couldn’t see past that – I thought I had to make that sacrifice.  God knew that, and so He forced me to leave!

AND YET!  For every no, there have been at least two “yes’s”.  Yes to having another job, parttime.  Yes to less blood pressure medicine.  Yes to more time to write.  Yes to a happy work environment, where I can directly impact people.  Yes to watching Him meet every financial need that I have.  Yes to a uniform that keeps me from the constant struggle of having enough work-worthy clothes.  Yes to more time for ministry.  Yes to having a testimony to share of God saying no to me, and thriving in spite of it!

So, if you are in the land of “no”…the place where it seems there will never be another yes…or the place where it seems like the whole world is against you, and you’re not sure about God…relax!  The Scripture is full of promises that God has made to His children, that He intends to keep!  Start looking out for those “yes’s”, and the “no’s” will fade away!  I am living proof of that!

Pink Shoes and Ponytails!

/ tilson123 / Leave a comment

One of my favorite parts of being back at Chick Fil A is waiting on the children.  They are always so excited to be there, and you never know what they will say.  Today I had a delightful little girl, around 4 or 5, with these adorable sparkly pink shoes that lit up when she bounced, which was often.  She had a ponytail and a big pink bow on it.  Right after her I had more little girls with pink shoes, and I was surrounded by happy!

I started thinking about how children come in, and approach our counter, and us.  They are very proud to place their own orders, and they are filled with confidence that their order will be heard and filled.  If we don’t serve something – like the pancakes a little boy wanted today – then they are disappointed, but they move on and choose something else.  They have parents hovering nearby, and they know that if something goes wrong, the parent will help them out.  And they ALWAYS want dessert!

I wondered what would happen if I could translate their attitude to my walk with the Lord and especially my prayer life.  While I know prayer should be entered into with reverence, I wonder if sometimes I shouldn’t BOUNCE into God’s presence!  Either overjoyed with blessings, or excited to be there, but definitely with a heart full of joy.  And what if I always came with full confidence?  And with the expectation that my request would be heard and answered, or if the answer was “no”, that an acceptable answer would be made known?  What if I accepted “no” gracefully from the Lord, and then MOVED ON??  I could also try asking for dessert!  I am sure God doesn’t mind when I ask for things that I want sometimes, and not just what I need.

And the best part?  The Scripture says that when we can’t “order” our prayers, the Holy Spirit is interceding for us (Romans 8:26) just like those parents in the background. How awesome! May God help us all to not always be so serious, but to “enter His gates with thanksgiving” (Psalm 100:4) – and occasionally a bounce!

Singing in the Rain!

/ tilson123 / Leave a comment

unnamed[1] (9)AND YET!!!  My God has poured out His blessings on us today to the point that I have almost been speechless!  This car, pictured to my left, has been my “dream car” since it first came out in commercials a few years ago with hamsters driving it!  And in my dream world, it HAD to be green!  So as my car began letting us know this past week that it was getting near retirement, we began the search and found this beauty online.  Went to Tallahassee today, and after a very long day (title and tag switching between states is NO easy task!) drove this 2013 with a small ding in it home.  Just 4 months ago, in a Sunday School lesson I taught on being obedient in your finances and trusting the Lord, I told them about this dream car…and said that I knew it would always be out of my range because of not wanting to tie up money that God intended us to use for other things.

Flash forward to now and here I am!  Unemployed still, yet with THE CAR.  And with a payment so affordable we could even do it NOW (after our trade in and some cash). Oh, yes, and I had an awesome interview this morning for a job that I would love to have.  Do I deserve this favor and these blessings?  Absolutely not.  Am I beyond grateful for God’s provision?  ABSOLUTELY!  Would I still love Him if He hadn’t?  ABSOLUTELY.  But I cannot keep silent when He does!!

As one of my favorite songs says, “How can I keep from singing Your praise?  How can I ever say enough?”  Amen!

Going to the Source

/ tilson123 / Leave a comment

My husband, Robert, is a coffee lover from WAY back, and I know better than to bother him until he has had at least one cup of coffee in the morning.  However, he is an extreme lover of dark coffee – French Roast being his favorite.  And we have the grind/brew machine because that “tastes SO much better!”.  I, on the other hand, will not touch the stuff.  But as the grocery shopper, it is my duty to keep our “low coffee” light (lol!) from being on in the cabinet.

I was in good shape with the whole bean french roast coffee pictured below until….one of our local stores closed, and the one left open does not sell whole bean…of any kind.  Our local Walmart is not dependable – sometimes yes, sometimes no, and when I can find it, not always in his brand or flavor.

So, we received an email from this company, to order directly from their site – with a discount first offer, of course.  And this is what arrived in the mail yesterday – TWO 36 oz bags – humongous bags! – of his brand, his flavor!!  Oh, happy day!

And last night, God spoke to me very clearly about this.  I was frustrated, aggravated, and majorly disappointed as I struggled to find what I needed in the wrong places!  I was also settling for what I could get from them – and not enjoying the full benefits of what I could find AT THE SOURCE.  But now, bliss!  No frustration, no aggravation, and plenty!  Which is SO like my life!  So many times I personally struggle and get frustrated and aggravated trying to fill my needs with what the world has to offer – and I settle too many times for what I can get.  AND YET!  I have a SOURCE of all good things – all wonderful things – all I could want!  And when I go to the SOURCE, I live in a land of peace and abundance, AND there’s no shipping and handling!  I believe I will start receiving from that SOURCE more, and live the way He desires!

image