Busy, Happy Woman LLC

God looks favorably on the humble. Pride, on the other hand, is something that God warns people to avoid. Proverbs 16:19 says "Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud." Proverbs 29:23 takes it further; "A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit." King Hezekiah is an example of how humility can be replaced by pride, and the staggering consequences that unchecked pride can bring.   In 2 Kings 19:14-20, king Hezekiah's heart is humble. He understands that God is the One who can intervene on his behalf. A strong enemy has sent the king a very threatening letter that demanded the king surrender and pronounced doom if the king resisted. Instead of mobilizing soldiers or turning himself and the people over to the enemy, the king went to the temple, spread the letter out before God, and prayed. Because the king placed his confidence in God, God spoke to the prophet and the pr...

Amazingly enough we are almost at the end of the month of February. I don't know about you but it seems as if time is moving very quickly. It seems like "yesterday" that we were wishing each other a "Happy New Year!" I also don't know what the beginning of this year has brought your way but I do know about supply shortages, rising prices, continued political controversies, violence in the news, and many other things that are not in line with producing a "happy" year. Circumstances can have a powerful impact on our well-being.  However, there is something that can help us maintain our focus and spread happiness even through the tough times: our attitude. "Attitude" is "a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person's behavior (Dictionary.com)." In my January 1st blog, I shared a way of thinking   that can positively affect our personal well-being (Philippians 4: 4...

Recently, one of our church members was involved in a fatal car accident and I was asked to give the eulogy. I dearly loved this woman of God and was honored to speak at her "Celebration of Life." The title of the eulogy was "The Question Is." I put forward and answered questions that I knew were in the mind of several of the attendees: "Why did this happen?" and "Where was Jesus?" were two of the questions.  At the end of the eulogy, I asked everyone a question: "Are you ready?" I explained that the question "Are you ready?" is the most important question all of us have to answer... 1  Corinthians 15: 52 says that a day is coming when God will cause a heavenly trumpet to blow that will be heard around the world. When that trumpet sounds, faster than we can blink, those who died in Christ will be raised up and given a new body. And those of us who are still here, and living for Christ will also be changed and meet the Lord Jes...

No, today's blog is not about personal hygiene. Today we will look at folks who have the annoying habit of pointing out what they believe is wrong with everyone else, without ever acknowledging their own short-comings. Do you know someone like that?  Many years ago a woman, who I had never met before, walked up to me and told me that my hair wasn't the right color for my skin tone and that I should not have chosen that color for my hair. I don't know why I bothered, but I explained to the woman that my hair was not dyed; the color was my natural color. Her response basically called me a liar: she emphatically said there was no way the color was natural and walked off in a huff. She was upset with me because I would not admit my hair was dyed...when it wasn't. The fact that she approached a total stranger (me) with her erroneous opinion made it clear that she was used to telling others what she thought, without considering that what she thought might not be true . Jesus ...

This morning I woke up to a thick blanket of snow on our central North Carolina yard. The snow was so deep our miniature poodle was up to his neck in snow when he decided to very briefly test out the new element. The view of the neighborhood was so pretty. Common things like barbecue grills, trash cans and cars were transformed by the beautiful whiteness. The snow covered every imperfection. As I took in the transformation, a thought came to me: God's love is like that blanket of snow. Imperfections are everywhere. We don't have to look long or hard to find them. In fact, it is almost impossible to go through any given day without encountering some kind of imperfection: instead of the call being transferred the system hung up; at the checkout there is no price on the item you want to purchase; the car tire is flat and you have an appointment; the kids are getting on your nerves and your spouse... God created a perfect world, created the first humans and gave them instructions...

Certain parts of North Carolina are experiencing a winter storm today...I live in one of those parts. The meteorologists have been watching the weather patterns and warnings came out early that allowed people time to prepare. Life is not like that. Life has a variety of storms that pop up: health challenges, financial concerns, family conflict...the list is long. Believers (Christians) are not exempt from experiencing storms. Jesus clearly spoke of what to expect, and what believers will experience, as the time of his return gets closer (Mark 13). Fortunately, Jesus also spoke of what believers can do to be prepared. Matthew 7: 24 & 25 gives us the "recipe" for making it safely through anything that may come our way. "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it wa...

The idea of a fresh start at the beginning of the New Year is very appealing. Reflection on the past year, thoughts of "What could I have done differently?" and a desire for something better, are often the foundation for the "fresh start" focus that often comes along with January 1st. Some people set "resolutions," some set "goals," and some simply say "I'm going to do better this year." All are well-meaning and heartfelt at the time.  However, there is an "enemy" lurking in the shadows, waiting to trip up every fresh focus. The demise of almost every resolution, goal, or "do better" is the "Old You." Most of us know someone (and it may be the person in the mirror) who has changed jobs, changed location, changed relationships, etc. only to find that the day to day has not changed. The dissatisfaction, the nagging discontent, the frustration...the list could go on...is still there; and may be even more p...