Tag: Prayer

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I Need You to Just “Be”

Psalms 40:1
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.

I sat and listened as my friend poured out her heart and soul.  She was devastated, frustrated, angry and felt totally alone.

I remember a few years back this same friend had come to my rescue.  After a simple phone call at 10:00 at night, she showed up on my doorstep.  She wasn’t there to fix anything.  She was there just “to be”!

This concept of not fixing something can be very difficult for some people. Not to sound sexist or anything, I know for men it can be extremely difficult.  They are naturally born fixers and problem solvers.  However, there are many times we women don’t need “fixes” or even solutions.  We just need someone “to be”.

There are many times in life where there are no words to fix things. I am reminded of a song by Jason Gray, Not Right Now.

Don’t tell me when I’m grieving
That this happened for a reason
Maybe one day we’ll talk about the dreams that had to die
For new ones to come alive
But not right now

While I wait for the smoke to clear
You don’t even have to speak
Just sit with me in the ashes here
And together we can pray for peace
To the one acquainted with our grief

I know someday
I know somehow
I’ll be okay
But not right now
Not right now

This song always reminds me of Psalms 40:1. There are many times I wait for the Lord because I just want him to listen to my cry.  This verse tells us he turns to us and listens.  He is just there. We are not alone.  We are not forgotten.  He is listening. He is just “being”.

My response to my friend was simple.  I told her I was sorry. I wish I could fix it, but I know I can’t.  I could give her a million “Christian” things to say and verses of encouragement, but I knew they wouldn’t help, right now. So, I offered to just listen and empathize with her. I told her when she needed me to be her cheerleader and encourager I would, but today I was just going to sit with her and be miserable with her so she was not alone.  I was just going “to be”.

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Copyright © 2017 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

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WWJD

Deuteronomy 31:8

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

The WWJD movement is so cliche now that it is almost cliche to say that it is cliche. That made so much more sense in my head ;o)

What would Jesus do is a question or phrase we often pass around when we don’t know what else to say. How often do we REALLY ask that question and expect an answer or seek an answer?

Have you found yourself in a painful situation and seriously stopped and asked what would Jesus do if he were in my shoes right now? Well, let me tell you what he would do.

He would feel pain (John 19:1 & 2)

He would feel sorrow (John 11:35)

He would feel betrayal (Luke 22:48)

He would feel fear (Luke 22:44)

He would feel anger (Matthew 21:12)

He would feel alone (Matthew27:46)

What do all of these things have in common? He would FEEL! It is Ok to go through something and feel pain, sorrow, betrayal, fear, anger or alone. Jesus felt these things also.

Today, he is feeling them with you. He is going before you. He is walking along beside you. He is not going to leave you and he certainly will not forsake you. Feel your feelings. Walk through them. Don’t be afraid of them and don’t get discouraged with yourself.

Next time you are going through a rough patch in your life, ask yourself what would Jesus do. Then remember what he would do. He would feel and keep on moving!

Copyright © 2017 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

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Keep it Up! Reap the Harvest!

Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

“I give up! I can’t do this!”

As a teacher, I often hear these words. Introduce anything new to a class and the meltdowns begin. I don’t care what age group you teach, no one likes to struggle with something new. I shake my head and try to explain (once again) everything is always hard at first. That is why I am teaching you how to do it. If you just stick with it, before long you will able to teach someone else.

I wonder how many times God is shaking his head and saying the same thing to me?

How many things have I given up on just when I was about to have a breakthrough?

How many harvests have I missed out on?

Struggling always come with some pain. No one likes to struggle. Sometimes even everyday things that you know how to do can become so mundane you feel like you are burnt out and can’t do them anymore. You are ready to give up!

That is the exact time you need to press harder. When you find there is something you can’t do or can’t do anymore, look at what you can do. Concentrate on that part of the problem. What can I accomplish right now?

Right now in my life, I am working on my doctorate degree. I am preparing to take my exit exam. It consists of two papers. When I read the first scenario I wanted to run! My brain was so overwhelmed with what in the heck they were asking I wanted to give up. I heard a small whisper in my spirit telling me to take a deep breath and do what I do best. Write!

I grabbed my notebook (paper not electronic) and a pen. I read through the scenario again and wrote down ANYTHING that popped into my head. Before I knew it, I had a plan of attack.

By not giving up and concentrating on what I could do, I had a harvest!

 

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Galaxy Quest 1999

 

I know there are days and tasks to come that are going to rock my world. I also know that some of them I am going to probably just melt down and quit. However, I hope and pray that I will at least try to remember to keep on going and not give up on all of them. I want to continue to do good and reap a harvest!

Copyright © 2017 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

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H.U.G.S

Psalm 119:130

The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

That is me…S-I-M-P-L-E…simple!

I like the straightforward, easy, uncomplicated, uninvolved, effortless, painless, undemanding, elementary, candid, frank, honest, sincere, plain, absolute, unqualified, bald, stark, unadorned, unvarnished, unembellished, unpretentious, unsophisticated, ordinary, unaffected, unassuming, natural, honest-to-goodness, and some might even say country-fried.

So why is it life never seems to be any of those?

I think one reason is we tend to try so hard to make it simple, but we just end up complicating everything. For instance, have you ever thought of just relaxing? Sounds simple enough right? BUT….

Where am I going to relax? Stay at home? Which room? Living room? Couch or chair?

What am I going to do to relax? Read a book? What book? Where are my glasses? Maybe I will watch TV? Netflix? Hulu? Amazon? Vudu? Maybe I should rent a movie? What movie? Do I go to Redbox? Video Store? Back to Amazon?

What should I wear to relax? Am I in a PJ’s mood? Sweats? Jeans? Is it hot or cold? Do I need a blanket? Which blanket?

What should I drink? Do I need a drink? Coffee? Tea? Hot? Cold? Soda? Water? Which glass?

Do I turn my phone off or ignore it? What if it is an emergency and someone needs me? Maybe I should just silence it.

Seriously, I think it might be easier to order a cup of coffee at Starbucks! One venti, double shot, extra cinnamon dolce latte with almond milk, hot, please!

Believe it or not, according to various internet sources it is estimated that an adult makes about 35,000 remotely conscious decisions each day. How can anything ever be simple if we average that many decisions just to make it through one day?

Well, I might not be able to help you make everything simple, but I can help you find your answers. It is as simple as turning to God and His word.

The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple (Psalm 119:130 NIV).

God has said we can come to him with every decision. Yes, you read that right EVERY decision. He is there and wants to help us with all of life, not just the big “Christiany” things.

So instead of K.I.S.S – Keep It Simple Stupid, let’s shoot for H.U.G.S – Help Us, God, to Simplify!

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Copyright © 2017 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

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Greater Good, Hypocrite, or Sinner

I Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

I am once again drawn to Dr. Strange today. In the very beginning, we see the “bad guys” coming to steal forbidden ancient magic.  When the Ancient One attempts to stop them they call her a hypocrite. ***SPOILER ALERT**** We find out later the Ancient One has been alive for a VERY long time because of using forbidden ancient magic.

It is the beginning of a new school year and we have passed a new school rule.  No Cellphones in Class!  If you are seen with a cell phone you are sent to your dean where they will confiscate the phone until a parent comes to get it.  On the first day when this was announced you would have thought we were taking their lives away from them.

I look around the many classrooms and students, for the most part, are complying. We have the occasional text peaker.  When they are caught most teachers give them the warning and it is put away.  However, we have a few who are pressing every limit they can and get sent to the dean.

I had to laugh a little when I heard the teachers getting so angry over the students who try to peak or even all out start texting in class.  I set in meetings all of the time and look around and see lots of peakers and all out texter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest checkers.  The same complainers!

Now, before you think I am going all “I am so Holy” and pointing fingers please know I am typing this when I should be in a meeting.  So, no judgment from me!

We all tend to use “yeah but” excuses when we try to push the limits.  Many times we start out just rubbing up against temptations.  Then we stick that toe out.  Before you know it we have jumped the line and are full out sinning.

Like the Ancient One, we may say, yeah but we did it for the greater good or didn’t think it would hurt anything.  Only later we find out it not only hurt us but others as well.  For the Ancient One, it hurt lots of people and even lost a faithful follower and friend to the dark side.

I am going to try harder to remember there are always eyes watching and small things quickly snowball into big things.

I can guarantee if you give Satan an inch, he will take a mile!  So let’s stop before the millimeter instead!
Copyright © 2017 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

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Light My Way

Psalms 119:105
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

“Father God,

I thank you for the light of Your Word. Let Your Word be what I run to and cling to when I find myself lost, drifting, and compromising with the ideas of the world. Help me to remain on the lighted path that You have laid out before me. Allow me to be a light to others who need you as well.”

These are the words I read today during my devotion time. They hit me very hard. This past summer I had been praying so hard for God to intervene so I would not have to return to my teaching position. I wanted so badly to stay at home and write for a living and finish my dissertation. My answer was no.

God has a path for me to travel. He lit that path very brightly and it took me right back to my job for now.

So, I turned to my bible again and prayer and looked for everything I could find about calming the child or calming the storm. I found so many verses about God having plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11) and continuing to ​perfect and complete the good work he has started in us (Philippians 1:6). I even found a new favorite about trusting the Lord and leaning not on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

I prayed for the Lord to help me continue down his path. I promised to follow his light. You know what? God intervened! No, ​I did not get to quit my job, but I found myself not minding. As a matter of fact, the first few days were very enjoyable. There was a new spring in my step.

I am not naive. I know there will be days to come that I will still struggle. However, I know on whom I can depend to get me through. I know if I just keep looking toward the light and picking up my lamp I will find the right path.

Copyright © 2017 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

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Go With The Flow

Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Did you ever notice just how busy we really are all the time?

Let’s be real here.  We are all extremely busy people. I am not sure we even know how to slow down.  Even our vacations seem to get packed with must see’s or must do’s let alone everything it takes to get ready for a vacation. Oh, and don’t forget all the stuff waiting for us when we get back.

Recently, my husband and I went up to Wisconsin for my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary.  It was a weekend getaway.  Easy right?  One would think so.  Just grab a few things and get out of the house.  However, when I got home from work Friday night I still needed to pack and my work schedule that day seemed overwhelming.  So, I felt frantic.

When I walked in the door I was met with a frantic husband.  He had been home that day making sure the house was cleaned up and animals all taken care of for our house sitter.  Only thing was life had gotten in the way of all of his plans as well.  So, meet Mr. & Mrs. Frantic.

I should mention right now that we decided to take our not quite two-year-old granddaughter with us.  This was her first five-hour road trip. No one was quite sure what to expect.  I certainly didn’t expect to learn a very valuable lesson from her.

God tells us clearly to guard our hearts because everything flows from it.  Getting tired and overwhelmed is not good for our flow. When we don’t learn to recharge our bodies and our minds that nice quiet flow can turn into raging rapids.

You could say my husband and I were trapped in one of those raging rapids by the time we hit the road. Then, I saw my granddaughter.

During our trip, she laughed, pointed out the cows, the windmills and waved hi at everyone who passed. She played with her toes and sang her ABC’s. Then every once in a while she would yell Mawmaw! Mawmaw! To jibber jabber about something that caught her attention.  She was taking the time to enjoy the ride.

Five hours later, we pulled into our hotel. My husband and I were exhausted but she continued to smile.  We got to our hallway and ran into cousins she had never even met and she began sharing her cookies and laughing with them all.  After a long ride, she played hostess and made sure everyone got some love.

We walked into the room and she ran to one of the beds laying claim by putting baby and blanket promptly on top. I got her and I ready for bed and she climbed in, turned around, and flopped in the middle of all the pillows. She pulled the fluffy comforter up to her chin. She snuggled deep down and let out a great big mmmmmmmm!

My little baby bop didn’t let life dampen her adventure. She didn’t let five hours trapped in a car seat get her upset.  She didn’t hesitate to share love and joy with everyone around her. And at the end of the day, she sank in and let herself get swallowed up in the comfort of a great big fluffy bed. Without realizing it she was guarding her heart and love was flowing out.

For the rest of the trip, my husband and I took the time to just go with the flow. It is amazing the new tricks a not quite two-year-old can teach these two old dogs!

Copyright © 2017 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

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Let There Be Light…the End

Psalms 97:11
Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.

So I began this journey talking about PTSD, anxiety, and depression. I then moved on to my seizures and two wonderful pups that were placed in my life. How do I connect all of this together? That is easy, God!

Only one of my seizure ever came back as epileptic. For many years, I was told my seizure activity was made up. The official term was pseudo-seizures. I had several doctors who truly made me feel like I was making it all up for attention. It wasn’t really their fault. Little was known about seizures at the time.

A few years ago, some new studies came out that linked pseudo-seizures with stress levels much in the same way they link migraines. As a matter of fact, I also suffer from migraines and my doctor said very often instead of coming out as a headache, sometimes my migraines were coming out as seizures.

These stressors can come in many different packages. I have environmental ones like certain foods I am allergic to as well as seasonal allergies. My body getting run down because of being sick or lack of sleep can become a trigger. Then there is the biggest one of all, life!

Annie was very good at noticing when I was getting stressed. She would often walk up to me and get me to pet her to take my mind off things. It was very calming and I can’t tell you how many seizures she helped me avoid by just calming me down. However, when those really difficult moments came and my PTSD kicked in I would get lost in the darkness. Even Annie struggled with how to bring me back.

I don’t know if it was because of the life he endured or if God just decided to equip him with a little extra light, but Meshach knows exactly what to do. Meshach runs to my side when he feels those anxieties creeping up inside me. When I am so frightened, reliving each and every moment of torment, he doesn’t let me walk alone. He cuddles me. He licks me. He simply stays right by my side and never takes his eyes off me. Just like when we first met.

God sends him to light the path for me. He is there to let me know I am not alone and we will get through this together. In the military, it is often referred to as “he’s got my six.” The really cool thing is I have his too. There are times when he leans into me when we are in a big crowd. I reach down, place my hand on his head and he looks up at me with those big brown eyes and I remind him, we are in this together. He lets out a slow breath, stands a little taller and we go on.

I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds my future. Right now God has chosen to show me his love and light through four big paws and a very wet nose.

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Copyright © 2017 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

 

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Let There Be Light Part 3

Job 22:28
What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways.

We met at a shelter.

When he escaped the man who was trying to put him back in his cage and came and sat in front of me, I knew we had a destiny. I heard several different variations of his back story.  None of them were very nice.  All of them ended with him being at the shelter nearly starved to death at only 4 months old.  He was now 7 months old, very sweet, but he was very timid and didn’t trust people.  As a matter of fact, everyone was just as shocked as I that he came up and just sat in front of me the way he did.

The nice young man came and got him, apologizing to me.  He gently pushed the puppy into his cage and shut the door.  I walked past and then back again.  It was like watching one of those paintings that seem to follow you everywhere.  He would not take his big brown eyes off of me.

My husband thought I was joking and tried walking by to see if he would look at him instead.  All the little pup did was turn his head to try and view around my husband to get another look at me. I was his world and the exact person he had been waiting for.

We got him back out and played with him for a while.  We even took him out to romp in the yard.  He took me to all his favorite spots, stopping every few steps to make sure I was following him.  He brought me various toys and responded with sits and waiting patiently as I looked over each gift.

I left him at the shelter that day because we had several other dogs to look at but I have to say I felt just like him.  With every dog we went to see, I would look around them to see the vision I still had of that cute little boy etched in my mind.

I spent the next morning going over the three dogs we had narrowed it down to.  I explained each one to my mom as we went for our daily walk.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but I really wasn’t giving her much detail about the other two.  As a matter of fact, I would make a comment about them and then say something to compare them to that cute little boy.

I remember my mom looking at me when I was done and saying, “I think you made up your mind and will be heading back to the shelter when we are done here.”  Did I ever tell you my mom is a very wise woman?

I took the paperwork and called my husband on the way to the shelter to let him know I was going to pick the puppy up.  When I got there everything fell into place like God himself had already laid out every step and was shining his light on the path.

What normally takes a couple of days to get approved, took me a couple of hours.  When they brought him out he sat across the room and smiled at me and wagged his tail in delight but he would not come to me at first.  I called him by his name they had given him but he stayed put.

Once again the Holy Spirit intervened with a loving but well-placed thump to my head.  He lovingly reminded me how we always said if we ever got a boy dog we would name him Meshach. So, I looked into his big brown eyes across the waiting room and smiled and said, “Hi, Meshach!”  He broke free from his handler and ran top speed right into my arms.

So about now I am guessing you are wondering about the seizures.  Well, if you remember I had been walking with my mom that morning and we had put in six miles.  I had not eaten much for breakfast and it was now nearly one in the afternoon.  Needless to say, my sugar levels were dropping.

I was sitting on the floor in a little room with Meshach while they finalized the paperwork.  He was entertaining himself by watching the kittens through the glass.  He stopped all of a sudden and walked over to me and put his paws on my shoulders and went nose to nose with me.  I started to shake all over and he just sat on top of me and started licking my face.  Once again God had equipped a dog with the power to know when my seizures were coming and how to best handle me.

What I didn’t know was God had equipped him with so much more!

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Come back tomorrow to read more of our story!
Copyright © 2017 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

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Let There Be Light Part 2

Psalms 67: 1 & 2
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.

This was not my first service dog. As a matter fact, my first answer to prayer had come eleven years before. Let me back up a little.

It was September of 2006. I had spent the last thirteen years going from doctor to doctor and trying a long list of medicines to control my seizures. Nothing was working and I had enough. I gave up all meds and decided to try a totally different avenue.

After lots of research and prayer, I chose to seek out the assistance of a service dog. My doctor at the time refused to sign off for me to get one from a company who trained seizure response dogs. As a matter of fact, he didn’t believe in them and told me he thought it was a bunch of “Hooey” and yes that was his professional opinion!

With the help of the company and lots of lessons from other sources, I learned how to train service dogs. So, we went on a search for the perfect dog. We called it operation Annie. My mother-in-law’s best friend had passed away and she was all about children and animals. I wanted to honor her memory.

My husband and I walked into a local shelter to just take a look. I remember I was on the phone with a friend walking around when my husband stopped in front of me. I heard him laughing. He had tried to walk by a cage and a cute little puppy reached out and grabbed him and wouldn’t let go.

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We escorted the little bundle of brown fur to a play area. She was all over my husband and would have nothing to do with me. I thought there was no way this dog was going to make a good service dog for me. However, my husband was in love and there was no telling him no.

So as he went to sign the papers and pay, I was left sitting in a little fenced in area. It was a showdown. We stared at each other. I hated the name they had given her. I sat there trying to decide what name we should give her. I swear I felt the Holy Spirit hit me upside the back of the head and say, “I don’t know what about Annie!” I felt like an idiot, but I looked at her and said, “Hi, Annie.” She leaped across the space between us and fell into my lap giving me the facial of all facials. That was just the beginning of many miracles yet to come.

Within the first week of owning this 6-week old chocolate lab/German pointer mix, she alerted to two seizures. Now let me explain something to you. You cannot train a dog to alert to a seizure. It is a rare thing for them to be able to pick up on them ahead of time. When you train a dog, you simply train them to respond once you start having one. This little thing dug her heels and would not walk another step, turned and jumped up on me before I had a seizure. I can only explain this with one word, God!

Over the next ten years, she served me well. She not only would give me a 15 to 30 minutes heads up, but she also learned how to make me start breathing again. It happened when she was quite small. She watched my mother push in on my diaphragm when I quit breathing during a seizure. The next time it happened she jumped on me trying to push in the same spot. When she realized it wasn’t working, she got frustrated and she bit me. It shocked me right out of it and I began to breathe again. Again, I can only sum this up as God!

Annie was a blessing to so many people. God truly shined his light through her everywhere she went.  She worked with kids with emotional issues as a therapy dog. She alerted to not only my seizures but also a student of mine’s, a substitute teacher’s I worked with and my son’s. She helped educate our community about service dogs and spent many hours in hospitals and nursing homes comforting people.

In 2015, Annie became very ill. When she finally bounced back she wasn’t the same dog. Her ‘get up and go’ was a little slower, her tail wagged a little less and she began to bump into things. Annie was going blind. We both knew it was time to find a replacement, but how was I ever going to replace her. The love of my life. The saver of my life many times over.

It would take lots of prayers, lots of dogs and seven months of searching. To paraphrase Bogart in Casablanca, “Of all the shelters in all the towns, in all the world, I walked into his.”

Come back tomorrow for more of my story.

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Copyright © 2017 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.