And The Gold Medal Winner Is....

And the gold medal winner in The Grandma's Figure Skating Competition is Patricia Rice. I stepped proudly into the winner's circle. They placed the Gold Medal around my neck and the National Anthem for the United States echoed throughout the building.

Yes, that's me and my grand daughter, Hayden.  And I'm sure not a gold medalist winner. I'm praying that all my bones are in one piece before the night is over. I had to be crazy. It had been 50 years since I had a pair of ice skates on.

I looked like a little old lady with a walker going around the ice.  When I let go of the walker - down I went. But I was determined. I might never have another pair of ice skates on in my life, but that was FUN!

Sometimes a person has to take chances.  I needed to laugh. Neal said I needed an award for being the oldest person on the ice. I wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not.

It did take a lot of  courage and faith to step out on that ice. I felt like I had jello legs.

As we go through life, sometimes we all need courage and faith to face life's challenges.  Facing a fall on the ice is nothing compared to trials that people face daily. I'm so thankful to God who gives us courage to keep pressing on.   

2 Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; 
but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

The Pits

I hesitate in publishing this post. It's a very personal one and I usually don't publish my private thoughts. But I felt like it would help me to be able to write about it and maybe gain a new respective.

Here it is 10:30 in the morning and I'm still laying on the couch in my pajamas, drinking my first cup of coffee and wondering what am I doing. I use to rise with the sun. Morning time was my favorite time of the day.

I think I realized I'm in The Pits. In other words "I'm depressed."

I have no reason to be. The Lord has blessed me more than I deserve. I have no reason to feel sorry for myself.

I do not like it. It's a dark place, an unhappy place, a place of hopelessness. 

I don't even like being around me.

I have never felt like this. I know it's a real thing and a lot of people deal with it, but like I said I have never been here before.

I would always fight my way out and I wouldn't even allow the word depression to be part of my dictionary. In fact one of my sons has always called me "Pollyanna."

It's like all the things that made me excited, don't excite me anymore. I mean I use to get excited over just little things - a snowflake, a song,  cool winds hitting my face, the laughter of a child, and it seems like there is something missing inside of me.

The bad part is I know all the solutions, all the Bible verses to help - I was a pastor's wife. We counseled people who were going through depression. But here I am. 

 

I've been going over verses in the Bible and I thought how David went through a depressed time in Psalms. He talks about going down into the pit and he would pray and ask God to help him.  And I love Psalm 40:2 where God delivered him from the pit and it's almost like God gave him a new purpose in life.

 Psalm 40:2

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

 

 

 

I Kings 19 tells  about the great prophet, Elijah. He was a prophet of God, who had performed miracles. God would speak to him. Yet he was depressed. Then God came to him in a still small voice. I always think God was telling him to just get up, quit feeling sorry for yourself. Just keep on doing what you need to do and it will be okay. Do even the small things.

 

I Kings 19:11-12

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

 

My husband would have problems with depression early in our Christian life. Our pastor,  Maurice Melton, told him to go over these verses from Philippians. My husband wrote them out on a 3 X 5 card and throughout each day, he would go over and over these verses. They helped him so much through the depression and so that's what I'm doing. Going over these verses.

 

Philippians 4:4-8

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

So I'm going to get up off this couch, take a shower, even put on some make-up and just start in doing some little things. And  I'm going to claim the promises from Philippians 4. And I'm especially going to rejoice in the Lord and His mercy and goodness to me.

There Shall Be Showers of Blessing

Ezekiel 34:26b

...I will cause showers to come down in their season; 

there shall be showers of blessing.

 

This morning I was listening to the rain and thinking of the song, "There Shall Be Showers of Blessing."  

 I thought how much God has showered me with so many blessings. My favorite part of the song - Mercy drops round us are falling, But for the showers we plead.

This song gives us the assurance of God's unceasing blessing on our lives, even during trying times.

Please continue to pray for my son, Mark. He started his chemo today. Pray that he'll stay strong both physically and emotionally.