Dianne Miley's Blog, page 3

3 Sanity Savers of the Season

December 1 is TOMORROW. The insanity of the season is upon us. But it doesn't have to be that way. Let's look at ways to save our sanity during this Holy Season. They are all about SELF CONTROL. A little bit of discipline goes a long way toward enjoying the season rather than becoming quickly overwhelmed.1. SAVE time in our schedule to allow margin for rest, relaxation, and fun! Save dollars in our bank account to allow us to pay bills, cover household expenses, and enjoy an occasional treat....

Killing It With Kindness

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends! So why are we talking about kindness when it's time to be thankful? Ah, think about it. We all know we should count our blessings on Thanksgiving. But when those 'blessings' gather round the table together.....Thankfulness might escape the kitchen faster than the stove fan sucks up smoke from burned-on gravy.This Thanksgiving, when our odd assortment of cranky cooks, grumpy grandpas, and rowdy rugrats require an extra dose of kindness, remember what God says....

Faith over Fear

A lack of faith creates fear. Not just in the religious, God-fearing sense, but in every circumstance, a lack of faith creates fear. "But Jesus overheard them and said..., 'Don't be afraid. Just have faith.'"Mark 5:36No faith that the unseen environment is safe from harm creates fear of the dark.No faith that whatever is under us will protect us from falling creates fear of heights.No faith that the plane will stay airborne and land safely creates fear of flying. Here's the big one.No faith that God will treat us with love and care...one.Noheights.Nodark.No5:36Nofaith.'"Mark

Passport to Patience

Passports give us access to a foreign land. For some of us, patience can be more foreign than Tahiti or Timbuktu. We want what we want, and we want it now. Whether we want the kids to calm down, a coworker to cooperate, or a cruise ship to carry us away, we are worn out from waiting.How do we get our hands on the elusive passport tothe patience we need?Pray.Of course, we know this. But are we doing it? Praying for patience reminds us of our need for change, not for others or circumstances or God to cause change."We also pray...change."Weneed?Ofwaiting.How

Ever Feel Unwanted?

All of us feel unwanted at some point in our lives. Whether it's the invitation that doesn't come, the call that's never answered, or the loneliness that won't go away. Be encouraged, dear friends, for each one of us is WANTED by our creator."God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wantedto do, and it gave him great pleasure."Ephesians 1:5 NLTBut the humans living around us may not be displaying God's perfect will. Although human behavior has no beari...NLTButpleasure."Ephesianscreator."God

Why Can't I Find God's Rest?

"God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it." Hebrews 4:1Life on this green earth requires a lot of mountain climbing. From birth, there are huge hurdles and overwhelming obstacles -- learning to walk and talk, learning to share and later learning reading, writing and arithmetic while learning to make friends. In adulthood, the childhood struggles with schoolwork and social circles takes an abrupt upward turn as we f...4:1Life

3 Great Reasons to REST

"Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28Since the fall that broke my foot and slashed my hands on broken glass, rest has been a requirement for those injuries to heal. Especially at 57, I'm finding more rest is needed than in my younger days. Healing zaps a lot of energy that I'm used to expending through work, meeting with people, errands, and household chores. I've drastically cut back these activities. The first day af...src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/321...

Dodging a Bullet by the Power of Prayer

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20Life has given me lots to write about lately. Last Friday, my doctor scheduled surgery to repair a severed nerve from a serious laceration on my hand. I prepared myself for going under the knife and asked family and friends to pray for me. Apparently, pray they did. Over that weekend, my numb finger started burning. Then feeling began coming back! My husband simulated the doctor's prong test with toothpicks. I was...

Searching for Silver Linings

"These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold -- though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." I Peter 1:7If you read last week's blog, you know we've been talking about suffering. And you know I'm in one heck of a hurt right now, with two wounded hands, a spraine...

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

Part 4 of 4 - Victory from Suffering"You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great." Psalm 18:35Without a battle, there can be no victory.Let that sink in. Victory results from winning a battle. We cannot claim victory until we have suffered -- whether our battles are health hurdles, relationship rifts, lost loved ones, or financial fallout, whether it's sin struggles within self or cataclysmic conflicts beyond our control."Who dares accuse...