Does what I feel matter?

This past month has been difficult. Well, really this whole year. I have made it through some trying times. I've found out a lot about myself and learned to deal with it. I've grown closer in my relationship with God and become a more self reliant woman. But does what I feel matter?

I haven't been the easiest person to be around at times. I admit it. But I am working on my flaws every day.

The other night a family member asked me what I was talking about. So I began to tell them. Now if you know me, I am a to the point kind of person. I like to condense information down to what's important. So, about halfway through telling this family member what about the troubles of my day that I tried to keep to myself, another family member interrupted and turned the tv volume up to 40 signaling me to shut up. By this point, I was ignored and in tears. I couldn't help but think "Why did you ask, if you didn't care?".

I tend to keep things bottled up inside. With so much other things going on in the lives of those around me, I try to work through my problems on my own. So it is rare for me to open up about what is going on in my mind.

While wallowing in my hurt feelings, the thought crossed my mind, "Is that how God feels? Does He want to tune me out when I am bringing my troubles to Him?". If my earthly family feels that way at times, does my Heavenly Father feel that way too? Just as soon as the question crossed my mind, God reassured me with His love and patience. He reminded me that my troubles are His troubles and what worries and hurts me is important to Him.

I know that we all make mistakes and have bad days. I know that I've had my share. I just pray that we all take time to listen to what each other is really saying and feeling. It might not interest you or you might not even want to waste your time, but to the other person, just knowing that someone is there makes all of the difference. God is always there for us when we need Him and even at times when we think that we are just fine. Sometimes God answers our prayers by speaking to us and sometimes He answers them by nudging someone to listen and be there for someone else. And sometimes He sends a little one year old to smile at you and say "Hug?".

There is a storm coming. Are you preparing?

There is a storm coming. Are you preparing?

When the weather man warns that a storm is coming, everyone prepares.

We rush to the stores frantic to get the supplies needed for our family's survival. We fight the crowds of people and pay ridiculously high prices because really how can you put a price on survival?

The first three things gone before a storm are ; water and bread to help fuel our bodies and fuel for the generators so that we can have light.

We board up our homes to protect it against anything that might be thrown at it. We help others to board up their homes and prepare as well. Then being as prepared as we can be, we wait...

We listen to updates of the storm on the weather radio. We keep an eye on the sky to see if we are almost out of danger and sometimes we sit in silence and pray that we did everything that we could to prepare ourselves for the storm that we are currently in.

Once the storm has lifted, we survey the damage left around us. We start to pick up the pieces of debris scattered everywhere and begin a hard labor of clearing things away that don't need to be in our yards.

Sometimes when the damage seems to be too much, an insurance adjuster surveys the damage done, reminds us of the price of our valuables and writes a check to cover the damages...

While you were reading this did you see what I just saw? Did it connect?

One announcement of an impending storm had the power to move us to run out and prepare for what was about to come. The three things we grab for first are;

WATER- John 4:14

"But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

Bread- John 6:32-35

“Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

Fuel/light- Psalm 119:105

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

If you don't continue to fuel the generator that powers your light, then the light begins to grow faint and eventually goes out. We must continue to fuel our generators with God's word and help others to fuel theirs as well.

God is the board of protection around our heart. He knew that there would be sin so He sent His only Son to pay the ultimate price because to God, we are all precious in His sight and more valuable than we could ever know. It won't be easy and there is some heavy labor involved to clear out the debris of storms passed. But it is worth it!

There is a storm coming. Are you preparing?

From one stubborn child to another

Do you remember when you were younger and your parents told you to put something down? Reluctantly, you would put it down and then a few moments later you would forget and pick it back up again. They would again tell their stubborn child to put it back down and not to touch it. Now most often they told us this for our own good and so we wouldn't get hurt. It was for our own protection.

Here lately I see myself as that stubborn child. I give something to God and it's like I forget and just pick it right back up again. Then God gently reminds me and I give it back to Him and put it back down.

I'm tired of picking back up what I'm trusting God with. It's a habit that I need to break. Luckily for us all, God is very patient while we learn. 

When I feel myself getting overwhelmed, it just reminds me that I need to give it to God and not pick it back up.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.~1 Peter 5:7

A Broken Pot

While talking to God about the things that had happened recently in my life, He planted something deep down in my spirit. We all have to be broken pots in order for Him to form us into the beautiful pots that He wants us to be. In my conversation with Him, I asked him why did everything feel so messed up and broken at times? Why don't things ever go as planned? That's when He spoke to me about being a broken pot.

During 'Green Corn'(Mvskoke New Year) everything old is done away with and new is made. I've taken pottery classes before and know how much work and detail can go into each piece. That's why I couldn't imagine breaking all of that beautiful and useful pottery just to make new. 

We are all broken pottery. We have to trust God with all of the broken pieces so he can make us new again. Yeah, we were good and useful before, had a few cracks here and there, but somehow held ourselves together. But a broken pot can't hold water. While in our broken state, we can't hold everything that God is trying to give us and things slip through our hands. We have to have courage and faith for Him to break the old worn out pots that we are and make us new.

"As the clay is in the potters hand to fashion it at his pleasure: so man is in the hand of him that made him, to render to them as liketh him best."-Ecclesiasticus 33:13 

While standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I felt myself getting lightheaded. Thinking it may be my blood sugar, I told myself that I would quickly finish what I was doing any get some sweet tea. That's when God spoke to me and said not to ever be too proud or independent to ask for help. As soon as I asked my sister to bring me something to drink, I couldn't hear anything but the buzzing in my head. My vision blurred and I stared at my sister as she handed me the tea and tried to talk to me. I couldn't hear her.

After a few minutes of sitting on the bathroom floor I felt myself slowly coming around and weakly laughed at myself. I thought, "God, you are trying to break me aren't you? You're trying to make me new and I'm being a stubborn old pot.". He also showed me how I needed to trust His plans for my life more.

Imagine that you have spent a lot of time planning something wonderful, then all of the sudden someone swoops in and thinks that their plans are better and completely squashes any plan and idea you had. That's what God showed me. He has wonderful plans for our lives and knows what is best. But because we can't see what is ahead, we make our our own plans and never even think to ask Him.

"There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand." - Proverbs 19:21

Sometimes we find ourselves broken in silence on the bathroom floor, learning to ask for help and trust God with all of the broken pieces. His plans are greater than mine and His work of art is far more beautiful than anything that I could ever create.

Fruit of the Spirit

The past few days God has shown me that instead of getting upset over stones thrown at me, I should use them to build my relationship with Him.

Currently I am researching what it means to be a Christian. What about me shows that I am a follower of God? God tells us that we are to know each other by our fruits. What fruit is God talking about? The fruit of the Spirit. So I looked it up to see what they were.

"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."- Galatians 5:22-23

After reading over that scripture a few times, I knew that I needed to get the definition of each word to get a better understanding of what God means.

This is what I found.

Love: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 tells us the definition of love.

"4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."- 1Corinthians 13:4-7

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Joy: Great happiness. Joy is a delight of the mind from the consideration of the present or assured approaching possession of a good.

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Peace: To be, become, or keep silent or quiet. A state of security. Freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts and emotions.

Peace of God: Peace of which is the gift of God.

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Long-suffering: Suffering for a long time without complaining. Very patient during difficult times.

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Gentleness: The quality or state of being gentle: especially: mildness of manners or disposition.

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Goodness: The quality or state of being good.

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Faith: Strong belief or trust in someone or something. Believing in something you can't see. Complete trust.

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Meekness: Showing a quiet and gentle nature. Enduring injury with patience and without resentment.

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Temperance: The practice of always controlling your actions, thoughts or feelings.

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It really was any eye opener for me. These are the fruit that we are to bear according to His word. I know that I fall short in many ways.

I pray that God helps me work on my fruit this Summer and every day for the rest of my life.

"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit."

- Matthew 7:16-17

Gather in Jesus' name

Not too long ago I had an older man ask me where I went to church. When I replied that I didn't go to a church building, he frowned at me and said I needed to get into church and get my life right. He then invited me to his church. 

I will admit, that it was disappointing for him to automatically assume that by me not going to a "church building" like he did, that I wasn't living my life right. He didn't know the relationship I have with God or allow me to explain what I meant before he disapproved.

When I was younger I went to a church building every Sunday and in recent years, I have visited a few church buildings. What the man didn't allow me to explain is that the modern definition of church emphasizes the organization, the building, and large group worship. The biblical definition of church is the body of Christ. Wherever two or more, gather in Jesus’ name, that is the church.

God and I have conversations all throughout the day. Most times I talk, but here lately I have been listening. I have conversations about God and His word, with friends, family and sometimes strangers. I take God's word scripture by scripture and try and figure out how to apply it to my life and put it to action. I ask God every day to show me things that I wouldn't normally see and to guide my steps.

For awhile, I worried what people thought of me because I didn't go to a church building. Then I realized that as long as God knows my heart and knows that I meet with Him every day, that is all that matters. Going to a church building is great! But what really counts is us allowing God to be in our everyday lives and us meeting with Him daily. Not us just acknowledging Him on Sunday, Wednesday or Thursday. But us allowing Him to be a part of our daily lives and allowing Him to work through us.

How other people view you isn't as important as how God views you. So many times I have seen people hide who they are and what they do from their parents, family and church family, for fear of letting them down or hurting them. But the most important thing that they forget is that God sees all and His opinion trumps all others. He knows every single breath we take. And most important of all, He knows the intentions of our heart.

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." - Matthew 18:20

And well, I just like talking to everybody! :) 

16 facts about Mvskoke People.

Now that Thanksgiving has come to a close, I would like to share some things that you may not know about Mvskoke (Creek Indians).

1. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians started off as 7 family's that migrated from the Wetumpka area to what is now Baldwin county. From there, some migrated and settled into what is now Poarch.

2. Traditionally, our Tribal Council when making decisions are to keep in mind the 7 generations past and the 7 generations to come.

3. We did not live in tipi's. We lived in homes made of logs and clay.

4. The finger-woven belts that are worn were traditionally worn to hold up our wrap skirts.

5. The China berries that we use for our jewelry is something that is only native to Poarch Creek Indians.

6. Mvskoke women only wore their hair down in time of mourning or during a wedding. Traditionally it was always kept in a bun to keep it out of their face and their work. When I see a woman in traditional clothing wearing her hair down, I automatically think that she must be in morning.

7. We were not beading people. Our jewelry pieces consisted of copper, pearls, few beads, China berries, German silver, shell carved gorgets, and trade beads.

8. When one person was done with their work, they helped others in the community to get their work done. Because helping each other out is who we are and it was beneficial to the community as a whole.

9. Three of the main important crops to our people were "The Three Sisters". Corn, beans and squash.

10. Green Corn our peoples New Years. It is called "Posketv", which means "to fast". It is where old things are done away with, new things are made, medicine is taken, prayers are said, dancing, celebration and a time of forgiveness.

11. Clan membership was determined by the child's mother. The fathers clan was respected but he had little role in his child's upbringing. It was the men of the mothers clan that saw to the child's development.

12. Before marriage, a man had to prove himself to be an able provider. Such as planting and harvesting a crop, bringing her a supply of game and providing her with a house. 

13. All of which is now know as Georgia and Alabama, used to belong to the Mvskoke people.

14. We survived and depended on 'community' and the cooperation of all of our people working together for the better of us as a whole.

15. Mvskoke people were deeply respectful of the natural environment.

16. Our language is sadly a dying language. There are very few fluent speakers left and it is up to each individual Mvskoke person to be proactive in learning the language of their people and teaching their children and so on so it will still be around for generations to come.