Morning Cuppas With Glenys

You are doing well!

If you suffer from chronic pain as I do, do you sometimes feel less worthy as a woman, wife, mother and homemaker because of your illness? At times like these, fibromyalgia/CFS, lupus and heart disease can cause chronic pain, and can become very lonely diseases. And self-fulfilling ones.

It does seem unfair that not only do we have this accursed disease but that we feel obliged to defend ourselves constantly! Sometimes even to doctors! Families can often be the worst with their taunts about being a hypochondriac and demanding we get a job! Why don’t they realise just breathing is a job some days and besides which, your joints and muscles feel as stiff as a statue??

Because I walk in your shoes, may I offer you some advice and comfort? Which I know you need as you bear one of the heaviest loads imaginable: chronic pain and illness whilst trying to be a good wife, mother and home maker.

Are we not the best of loving wives and mothers, homemakers, servants of our family and the LORD? We don’t throw in the towel and give up because we can’t- we have our families and home to look after- but we draw on all our innermost reserves to give to our families what is needed when we just want to crawl back into bed and vegetate. Do we? Not as much as we want!

We show great devotion, endurance, and self-sacrifice with our limited energy and draw closer to God than perhaps most healthy women would do. Why? Because it is harder for us!

Isn't it more valuable in spiritual terms to deny oneself the rest and ease we would love to indulge in, than to achieve the "honour" of having the most spotless of homes etc with relatively little cost as regards personal denial and physical pain?

Kind of like Jesus's parable of the widow's mite- she gave all she had and the others gave of their abundance! Do you not see the correlation? We give our all, not just a little of the abundance of our strength. Surely then for us, are we not more worthy of honour and appreciation? I would say so!

And so I would encourage you to realise that you do not have to take the taunts and demands to heart, nor let it settle in your spirit. You do not have to defend yourself incessantly to anyone, because you are doing far more already than most people of lesser fortitude would do. Furthermore, God hears our sighs and pleas, He knows we are but dust and knows our frame- He most of all identifies with our weaknesses!

Will He not say "Well done Thou good and faithful servant" Matthew 25:21 to us who struggle to serve others every day when our flesh cries out for compassion and being served ourselves? In moments like these, I cling close to Christ and let His compassion and grace wash over me afresh- for without His closeness I would never get up some mornings! With the Psalmist, let us rely on God for our strength as we cry, "I love you LORD my strength!" Psalm 18:1 I pray you feel His loving help. You are doing well!

Habits For a Peaceful Home

I came across this video today and it really spoke to me. With such uncertain times, it's fitting to remember that we as the homemaker, set the temper for the atmosphere of the home. It is up to us to make sure that those we love and care for have a haven that is permeated with love.

I hope you enjoy this video and pray it gives you peace as you implement it.

I am posting this here and in my other blog as I believe it will speak to a lot of us.

Also, here is another post on this...

For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: “ In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15

For His sake put some clothes on!

Once we name the name of Christ, we automatically come under greater scrutiny, not only from the world, but from fellow Christians. Like it or not, one of the first things that is gauged about our commitment to Christ is our appearance. Unfortunately, a lot of us let the side down badly..

How we look greatly effects our witness and confession and clothing that is skimpy or immodest cannot help but reflect badly. It is bad enough that showing everyone great expanses of our flesh comes across as cheap, but it cheapens our witness for the LORD.

Goodness knows, the world sees more than enough of women's busts burgeoning out of their skimpy tops. It sees plenty of navels and thighs and thongs and see-through garments. They have come to expect that sort of cheap titillation. But what they do expect from Christian women is modesty.

Whereas the world won't raise an eyebrow at the immodesty of women, it certainly does do a double-take when it sees women professing faith in Christ who look like a lady of the night. As much as a paradox as it seems, we automatically look for something different in women of faith. That difference is modesty.

Modest dressing is the first thing the world will see of us... the evidence of the fruits of the Spirit and our gentleness that should accompany the woman of faith, is not usually apparent at first glance- but her attire is.

We are called to be separate from the world and to come away from heathen things. We are called to shine our light, not to shine a spotlight on our new body piercing in our navel. We are to show that we follow and love a Saviour Who is coming for a pure and spotless Bride- us. And a woman who is set apart waits in purity for her Beloved.

The world needs to see that there is a difference in a Christian woman. Our skimpy clothing conveys a message that we are cheap and possibly tarnished. We aren't cheap- we were bought with the priceless Blood of Jesus and we are set apart waiting for His return.

Going bra less, showing our underwear and our thighs and our stomachs may turn on the unsaved, but it turns off the One Who calls us unto Himself. Don't dishonour Him by dressing immodestly and looking cheap. For His sake, put some clothes on!

Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing [as] they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts. Isaiah 3:16-17

Letting Him hear your voice!

Mother's Day was last Sunday and I am pleased to report that I heard from all of my children. When I say "heard", two actually rang me and the other two texted me.

With my elder two children just recently newly reconnected, I was especially happy this year. And when my granddaughter texted me as well, my joy was complete.

So what I say next is in no way a grumble but just a statement: it could have been better!

I hear you ask, "in what way could it be better?" By actually hearing their voices...

Looking back at my courting days, I remember the longing to hear from Chris- not just when he texted me, but when he called me. There was something special about hearing his voice. I loved it...

I think this is the way with lovers... to hear our loved one's voice is so sweet. Much better than a text.

Sadly, the way of the modern world today is to text or Private Message on social media as it's the quickest and least energetic method of communication. Send a text for someone's birthday or other occasion, and job's done.

That need to actually hear our loved one's voice is not just a human thing. Scripture tells us that God Himself loves to hear His Beloved's voice too.

Prayer is fine and worshiping God is fine, but I believe God really loves us to be audible at times.Why? Because He loves us!

Sometimes in my private prayer and worship time, I pray out loud, and when I worship Him, I tell Him how much I love Him- out loud.

Obviously, God understands our silent prayers, and when we can't speak, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with words that cannot be spoken- but I believe that allowing God to hear our voice delights Him.

So in knowing this, I make a habit of praying and praising audibly- just because I know He loves me and I long to please Him.

We all are loved by the Lover of our souls- so let Him hear our voice!

O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. Song of Solomon 2:14

Living under God's Umbrella

As you probably know, I write for some Christian Sites as well as my blog, and I have been amazed at the way it has shown me that God's plan for our lives is the right one. His ways are always right.

I have always sought to live my life according to God's Word, and I have tried to encourage other Christian women in their walk. Over the five years that I have written of God's wonderful plan for us as wives, mothers and homemakers, I have been impressed with how the 5 areas of priority in our lives overlap so much that at times I have had to categorise them by adding all the 5 areas to each post. Let me explain.

Just a quick recap of the five areas of service for the Christian woman and wife in order of priority:

God
Husband
Children
Home
Church

We must serve God and have Him first in our life.

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Micah 6:8

Because everything is spiritual in our life, I have discovered that when we serve our husbands, we are serving Christ.

" Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as is fit in the Lord." Colossians 3:18

We are serving God and our husband when we take care of our children.

"For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy". 1 Corinthians 7:14

When we look after our home, we are serving God, our husband and our children.

"I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully." 1 Timothy 5:14

Serving in church or serving in God's Name is important but should not come before all the other 4 priorities are in order.

(Widows)..".Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work" 1 Timothy 5:10

I have found that often I cannot place a post under just one category because it is so closely correlated to the other categories of service. This is because everything in our lives is spiritual. And when we consider the umbrella of God's protection as well, we can see that God's plan for our lives is amazing. We have everything here to guide us as wives, mothers and homemakers. We can be sure that we are living our lives in a way that is pleasing to God and in keeping with His Word.

It is not only comforting to know that God's Word guides us in our daily living, but it is also amazing that we can know with a certainty that God not only approves of us being wives, mothers and homemakers, but that He calls most of us to be!

If God has called us to be a wife with all that entails, then let us rejoice in His plan for our life. In doing so, we can live an abundant life full of blessings as Christ has promised.

Welcome Validation: False Guilt's cousin

Sometimes when I am having a flare of my fibromyalgia, I find that I need to feel validated in my sufferings. Not many people believe that fibromyalgia is real, and when you feel wiped out with chronic fatigue, endless pain and brain fog for weeks at a time, you can suffer from False Guilt. This is a cousin to needing Validation. So, feeling like that, I decided to look up some sites and recap the symptoms of the complaint. Here they are:

Fibromyalgia produces widespread pain, disturbed sleep, and exhaustion from head to toe.1 Fibromyalgia means pain in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons—the soft fibrous tissues of the body. Although the muscles hurt everywhere, they are not the only cause of the pain. Instead, the diffuse, body-wide symptoms are greatly magnified by malfunctions in the way the nervous system processes pain.2,3

Regional muscle pain not related to arthritis or the nervous system also occurs in the majority of people with fibromyalgia.4 Patients describe this as firm knots in the belly of muscles, often causing restricted movement and radiating pain.5 These muscle nodules are myofascial trigger points and some researchers suspect that these painful areas overlap with the tender points used to diagnose fibromyalgia.6

The symptoms of fibromyalgia are unpredictable and most patients are frustrated by their physical limitations and inability to make plans. You may feel as though you have to "push yourself" to get things done.7

Most patients with fibromyalgia say that their muscles feel like they have been pulled or overworked, and sometimes they twitch or cramp.8 Even the skin may feel badly sunburned.9 To help your family and friends relate to your fibromyalgia symptoms, have them think back to the last time they had a bad flu. Every muscle in their body shouted out in pain. In addition, they felt devoid of energy as though someone had unplugged their power supply.

Given that the symptoms may be similar to a viral flu, experts in the field of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome believe that these two illnesses may be one and the same.10 Gulf War syndrome also overlaps with these two conditions.11
Common symptoms:

Pain - Fibromyalgia pain has no boundaries. People describe the pain as deep muscular aching, throbbing, shooting, stabbing, or intense burning. Quite often, the pain and stiffness are worse in the morning, and muscle groups that are used repetitively may hurt more.12 In addition, the severity of regional pains (particularly those in the head, neck, shoulders and lower back) are a strong predictor of a person's overall pain rating.13 The muscles in these painful areas can feel tight, knotted and rope-like. Pressing on the firm, knotted region hurts and often causes the pain to shoot to other muscles when a myofascial trigger point is present.

Fatigue - This symptom can be one of the most incapacitating for people with fibromyalgia. Patients may feel as though their arms and legs are weighted down by concrete blocks and their bodies may be so drained of energy that every task is an effort.7

Memory and Concentration - Difficulty concentrating and retaining new information may seriously interfere with everyday mental tasks.14 This symptom is referred to as "fibro fog" and may hinder job opportunities. In particular, fibromyalgia patients have serious difficulty retaining new information if they are distracted.15

Sleep Disorders - Patients report trouble falling asleep and more importantly staying asleep, but the unrefreshing quality is what makes the disorder much worse than insomnia. Repeat arousals prevent patients from reaching deep, restorative sleep.16 As a result, the night is spent in "quasi-sleep" and patients wake up feeling as though they have been run over by a Mack truck. An overnight sleep study will likely show repeat arousals with bursts of awake-like brain activity occurring throughout the night, but a specific sleep disorder may not be identified.17

Exercise Difficulties - Moderate intensity exercise activates a powerful pain-relieving system in healthy people, but it makes the pain of fibromyalgia worse.18 This is why initiating an exercise program may make you achy and tired. However, if you do not exercise on a regular basis, the performance of normal daily living activities will start to cause more pain. Rather than give in to the increased pain sensitivity related to exercise, patients are advised to do mild exercise in short intervals (such as five minutes at a time) to keep the muscles fit while not over-taxing them. A study in Sweden revealed that half of the fibromyalgia patients found it impossible or difficult to climb stairs and a majority of patients could not run. Just standing for five minutes was extremely taxing to one-fourth of the patients.19

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Constipation, diarrhea, frequent abdominal pain and bloating, abdominal gas, and nausea represent symptoms commonly found in roughly 40 to 70 percent of fibromyalgia patients.20

Chronic Headaches - Recurrent migraine or tension headaches are experienced by 50 to 70 percent of fibromyalgia patients. Most headaches are rated as severe, occur at least two times per week, and often have a migraine component.21 Referred pain from myofascial trigger points in the shoulder, neck, and head muscles are suspected to be responsible for most tension-type headache and also play a role in migraines.22

Jaw Pain - Temporomandibular joint dysfunction causes tremendous jaw-related face and head pain and affects one-quarter of fibromyalgia patients. Typically, the problems are related to the muscles and ligaments surrounding the jaw joint and not necessarily the joint itself.23

Other Common Symptoms - Non-cardiac chest pain, acid reflux, irregular heart beat or palpitations, shortness of breath, numbness and tingling sensations, the feeling of swollen extremities, chemical sensitivities, nasal congestion, premenstrual syndrome and painful periods, irritable bladder, interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia (vulvar pain), difficulty focusing eyes, dry or burning eyes and mouth, dizziness or feeling faint, profuse sweating, muscle weakness and balance issues can occur.24,25,26 Fibromyalgia patients are often sensitive to odors, loud noises, bright lights, some foods, and often the medications that they are prescribed.27

Aggravating Factors - Changes in weather, cold or drafty environments, hormonal fluctuations (premenstrual and menopausal states), stress, depression, anxiety, and over-exertion can all contribute to fibromyalgia symptom flare-ups.12
Fibromyalgia Quick Facts

* Affects 3 to 5 percent of the general population28
* Occurs in people of all ages, even children
* Men develop fibromyalgia too, although more women are diagnosed with it
* Symptoms are chronic but may fluctuate throughout the day
* Roughly one-quarter of people with fibromyalgia are work-disabled12

The general consensus here in Australia is that fibromyalgia is all in ones' head and that the sufferer is a malingerer. Certainly this exacerbates False Guilt and invites his cousin, Validation into the scene. Although I am aware of false guilt leading to me wanting to feel validated, I still succumb to it at times of prolonged flares such as this one I am experiencing at the moment.

I have *every* one of these symptoms, so I feel validated. So welcome Validation: hopefully he and his cousin won't be staying long!

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24

Our Prince of Peace Forever

So many years ago, the earth saw a miracle that blessed humanity for all time...

The earth that saw Jesus' birth 33 years before, drank in the Blood that flowed freely.... freely running, freely given, freely pardoning, freely saving unto eternal life anyone who would only believe in Him.

The same earth that is Gods' footstool, trembled at the cross alongside the centurions and soldiers and those few of Christs' followers who remained or who watched from a distance....

Unable to withstand the magnitude of atonement and celestial grief, it swayed in its power, reeling as someone in shock...

And utter darkness covered the earth as it shook, highlighting the terror as God turned His Face away from His Son, unable to look upon the sin of mankind that His Son had taken upon Himself...

It violently heaved in the aftermath of a crucifixion that saw the greatest gift of redemption the earth would ever know, releasing resurrection power to many who had died and tore the Temple veil in two.

Then hastily the earth swallowed the body of Christ into its maw of hewn rock, as it had done to men since Abels' untimely death until this day.... yet no ashes to ashes or dust to dust: no decomposition...

And another Sabbath passed, not shrouded in joy and welcomed since the birth of the Jewish people, but bringing with it a desolate cloak of disbelief, shock and despair that threatened to engulf the little band of believers who had trembled at Christs' words... unaware that triumph was already His. And theirs.

Beneath, the earth reeled as Christ stripped Lucifers' hopes of victory against a God Who now presented Himself King of Kings and Everlasting God.- Light of Light, Holder of the Keys of the Kingdom, destroyer of death and sin.... and Lucifer and his minions trembled.

The earth marvelled at the intensity of the Power of Resurrection... molecules and atoms infused with Life, vibrant in a way it vaguely remembered at its birth so many aeons ago.... magnificent creative force, God breathed life and Power.... Pulse of God.

Was ever there a time like this as Creation remembered Diety's Touch, revelling in His Footprints as His pierced Feet swung from the burial ledge, and His Hands that held the weight of the world folded the shroud so hastily bound around His lifeless Body 3 days ago?...

An almost forgotten thrill caused the earth to shudder as the Power of Gods' angels rolled away the enormous stone that blocked the burial chamber....

And it sang in ecstasy as the Feet of its' Creator once again walked amongst men.... victorious King, conquering Saviour, merciful God, everlasting to everlasting Prince of Peace.....

"He is not here; he has risen!" Luke 24:6-7

Her Kinsman-Redeemer

Through new-born eyes the infant King stares at Mary's face,
Her deep brown eyes drinking in the sight of Him-
His tiny hand clasped strongly around her finger-
The first touch of God incarnate amongst man.
He is God's own Son-
Her Kinsman-Redeemer.

Through pain-filled eyes the crucified King stares into Mary’s face again,

Entrusting her into John’s care-

Longing to reach out to her with His pierced hands

To bring her the comfort of God -

He is her own Son-

Her Kinsman-Redeemer.

In death His glazed eyes still behold her and all mankind for whom He died,

His bloodied hand now resting on Mary’s shoulder

Comforting her as she cries in her grief –

Even in death loving her,

Her victorious Saviour and evermore

Her Kinsman-Redeemer.

“When Jesus saw His mother, He said, ‘Woman, behold your son!” John 19:26

Called to remember

Today is Maundy Thursday. It was on the night Christ was betrayed by Judas Iscariot. He had a Seder or Passover meal with His disciples.

Knowing that He would be betrayed, Jesus donned an apron and washed the disciples' feet, showing that the greatest would be a servant.

Later He instituted the First Communion or Eucharist, asking His disciples and prophetically, all believers to come, to remember Him until He comes again.

I have been reflecting on how believers these days generally think of these sacraments at Easter. Many these days do not go to church, let a lone remember Christ by taking Communion.

Although I can no longer attend church per se, I will be worshiping Christ and remembering Him by taking Communion at home.

Perhaps you could consider taking Communion at home if you cannot attend church this year. I think it's important that we aquiesce at least by remembering Christ and taking Communion with the Body of Christ whether corporately or alone.

It's the least we can do for Christ Who asked very little of us, except to remember Him, on the eve of His betrayal and subsequent crucifixion.

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." Luke 22:19

Not ours to write

It is said a mother will raise a child for 18 years or so. What is not told you is that with each child, a mother’s heart is fragmented and not only will she give that child a Life Story at birth, but she will also give it her heart forever. Throughout the rest of her life she will be her child’s biggest influence, inscribing values and skills in its Life’s Book.

Every Page of that child’s life will be scrutinized and lived through. Every word, every full-stop measured in feeding progress, weight gain, colic and diaper changes. Every sentence will be measured in her child holding up its head, smiling, grasping and focusing. Each early Chapter will read as accomplishments in teething, crawling, sitting unsupported, first words and walking.

Shortly, a mother will become an avid Reader of the Book of her child’s life and will pore through it with rapt attention. She will often re-read the previous Chapters, seeking reasons for the present Story unfolding in the most recent Page of her child’s sojourn through life. Quite often this will be a fruitless exercise as she cannot re-write the Chapters. However, she will certainly be able to enhance the outcome of future Chapters by passing on her foresight and life skills to her child.

As the Reader and not the Writer of this Book, the mother will find that she becomes absorbed in every Chapter as it unfolds. Often against her will, she will find that she lives every hurt and disappointment, every heart ache, every pain and illness as if it were her own Life’s Story. And often, being a loving mother, she will wish that the sad Chapter was her own and not her child’s….but she is only the Reader.

Every accomplishment, victory, honour or triumph will become personal as a mother reads and lives her child’s Story. Indeed many mothers will find kudos in their children’s unfolding Life Story, especially if that child is successful. However, successful or not, a mother will still remain a loyal and enthusiastic Reader.

It is not unheard of for a mother to question the Writer of this Book whilst at the same time yearning for the Writer’s direction. But try as she might to become the Writer, this is a Book that she cannot write. She can and should, enquire of the Writer for guidance but in doing so, she must accept that the Editor’s decision is final.

It is interesting to note that just as a mother thinks she may be coming to the end of this Read, that she will find there is a Sequel which is just as compelling as the original. This comes in the form of grandchildren. After one glance at the Prologue, she will find herself giving yet more of her heart as her mind relives the first chapter of her own child’s Life Story.

With shaking hands and teary eyes, she will scan the Page eagerly, knowing that she will be a reader of this new child’s Life Story for many chapters to come. And she will undoubtedly thank the Writer as she lovingly fingers the new Page.

He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD. Psalm 113:9