It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

It came upon a midnight clear, the beginning of  to a classic" Christmas carol" on that faithful night a child was born, not just any child but one who would come to save man from sin.

When the "Christ child came into this world, he came to forgive sin. To teach man to walk uprightly before "God. He taught us many lessons on forgiveness, and love.

Yet for many this is the hardest lesson to learn, some may never truly understand "God's deep love for his spirit children. As they struggle with their past, letting go of the mistakes they have made almost seems impossible.

Man is hell bent of punishing himself for his mistakes, where "God is so forgiving, we humans can't seem to grasp that concept it's ok to let go of yesterday! Today is a whole new day filled with new beginnings.

You can't change yesterday you can only work on today the here and now! We spend far to much time punishing our selves over things long gone it's time to embrace the person you are today and move into the future of tomorrow.

"Tiss the season of giving, give yourself the gift of forgiveness, you will be happier and healthier for it Spending time in the past is not where you need to be, the only thing one should take from the past is the lessons learned and apply them to your life to help make you a better person than you were yesterday.

Every new day is a new beginning, focus on that instead of spending time and energy on beating your self up. The person that you were a day ago or even a week ago is not the person you are today, hopefully you are a better person the kind of person you would love to hang out with.

If by chance you are not that person then perhaps you should work on being that person.Take what yesterday had to offer and perfect the person you wish to become, use your mistakes to  your advantage instead as a tool to beat yourself up with.

It's not "God's way to keep on punishing us on a daily bases! That is not his way but we all know who loves to see us torment ourselves daily! You got it that master of trickery! Oh how he loves to see us, reliving our mistakes over and over again till we can't stand to be around our own selves!

The only problem with this is, we can't get away from ourselves. Nope we are stuck with us! So how do we move forward? The first step is to forgive, forgive yourself for the mistakes you have made. You can't change them but you can make sure not to repeat them after all you know first hand how they made you feel.

The second thing you must do is learn to love yourself! So many people have no idea how special they truly are. They have never looked into their own soul to see the beauty that lays deep with in. Once you have learned to love yourself you will see how easy it is to love others.

"Christ came upon a midnight clear, He came to teach us how to love one another as well as ourselves. He didn't come to remind us of our past mistakes but rather He came to show us Mercy and Forgiveness. And if He can look past our sins' to see the beautiful soul that lies with in, who are we to see only the scars of yesterday?

The gift of forgiveness is ours for the asking all we have to do is let go of the past so that we can see the beauty of today and tomorrow will be a new day filled with wonder and excitement of the person you will become the kind of person that you have been longing to know, the person you were meant to be!





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Photo: From my personal album
Author: Victoria E. Miera

On the Outside Looking In

Recently I have been tossed into a situation, one that I find to be very uncomfortable to say the least! Yikes how did I find my self here?

 I have always been the kind of gal that can handle just about any thing that is thrown my way, but lately I find that to be less then true!

My chosen field is caring for the sick of both the body and soul its not a job for the weak of heart nor stomach if you get my drift.

Now on to my story of woe, yuppers  I have found myself on the outside looking in, looking into what is now my reality! My parents are aging no surprise there, what has taken me by surprise is how Ill-prepared  I am! Oh mercy this is going to be a ride I was not buckled up for! Nope I was taken for a joy ride that is far from joyful! 

It all started a few months ago when my dear mother started having some health issues, on to the E.R we went and into the hospital for a short stay, then into a rehab facility for physical therapy to help her regain her strength. This is when I found my self to be at a loss! That in it's self has taken me by surprise, I had that deer in the headlight look seven twenty four, I would say I want my mommy, but mommy dearest was in no position to assist me!

My parents have always been so strong, they weren't suppose to get sick and need me, no this isn't in the daughters handbook! Yet here I was caring for my aging mother who was now dependent on me, depending on me to pay her bills to feed her cat to take her library books back, and take out the trash not to mention winter is on its way which means; take the water hose off the spike-ts and put them away and take her air conditioner  out of the window. Oh the countless things one must do before heading off to work!

Oh the joy of trying to hold down a full time job while running back and forth to the care center to either drop off the laundry or pick it up. I know this sounds like a lot of complaining. I want to paint you a picture yes indeed one that you may one day find yourself in if you haven't already tasted this bitter cup.

It was during this time that I realized I wasn't ready for this kind of parent child relationship, no this definitely was not part of the deal and it wasn't in the daughter handbook if it was I missed it! Oh I would so love cal-gone to take me far,far away, but then  I would have to return and start all over again!

One of the ten commandments is to "Honor thy Mother and thy Father" no matter what shape they are in, weather it be in good health or bad "God didn't say to "Honor them when they are in their youth and able to care for themselves, no my darligs he meant for us to Honor them always' and that includes in sickness and health. Yeah this isn't only meant to be for wedding vows.

Even though I found myself in a situation I was not ready for or at least I didn't think I was,"God has been preparing me for this journey long ago when it became my chosen field to care for the sick. With every step that I take I know I don't go it alone "Christ is with me every step of the way and when I can't seem to take one more step I know it is then that "Christ carries me.

This ride is not for the faint of heart, buckling up is a must the ride is bumpy, and filled with many twists and turns.I am never sure what tomorrow will bring, but I don't spend my time worrying about it either, I only focus on one day at a time!

I may be on the outside looking in, but I get to look into the hearts of all the families of the many patients I have cared for in the past and I shall have a better understanding for the one's who will be placed in my loving care. What started out to be a tale of woe, has turned out to be a true blessing.






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Author: Victoria E. Miera
Photo: Personal Photo

Knock and it shall be opened

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you: Matthew 7:7
In today's busy world we so often forget these simple words, we get caught up in work and meeting demands of every day life.

As I was browsing through the social net work and reading the many post on my screen, I wondered just how well do we know the other person on the other side of the screen?

We so often connect with them on a daily bases at times they are the only person some will connect with for the entire day. For so many people on the social net work sites  many of the folks on the other side of the screen have become closer to them than their own families.

What about the people we work with how well do we know them? Do we even care enough to get close to them? I have to wonder as I was thinking about the many folks who come in and out of our lives every day how well do we know them?

Every day we come in contact with others but yet we are disconnected in many ways! We get caught up in our own selves that there is simply not enough time to let another soul in. We go to work we run to the gym we try to fit family life in that there simply is not enough hours in the day to connect with others.

Have you thinking doesn't it? Well it should do you know that for so many of us  we spend approximately 160 hours a month with co-workers and know very little about them! Just thought I'd point that out. As for our own family how well do we know them? Do we know their favorite foods or movie how about their favorite color?  

We know so very little about the people in our lives and they know little about us as well, again just food for thought.Now let me take it a step further, what if "Christ was to busy, to get to know each one of his brothers and sisters? Scary thought there isn't it?

I would hate to think that "Christ didn't care enough or was too busy, to get to know me! But blessed that  we are we have nothing to fear on this issue He is never to busy and He knows more about me than any one will ever know! He has taken the time to reach out to not only myself but to you as well. He wants to get to know us on a personal level.

He has sent out many invitations to come unto Him, to get to know Him on a personal level, He is never to busy to take the time out to listen to you. He keeps no secrets from us, He invites us to ask; to knock and He will answer to seek Him out and we shall find. What an incredible invitation He extends to all of man kind, you won't get a better invitation ever in your life time!

I invite each of you to take the time out of your busy day to connect with your brothers and sisters in your busy world, and you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you have a lot of things in common, you may even get a new friend out of the deal. And to help get the ball rolling I will share a little tid bit about yours truly my favorite flower is not a rose but rather a daisy.

The daisy is simple yet elegant its fragrance is never over powering it is one flower that is over looked, its over shadowed by the many other beautiful flowers out there and now you know a bit about me! Enjoy the tid bit.


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Writer: Victoria E. Miera
Photo: Courtesy of Photo Bucket

 

 

Finding Hope

Finding hope in a hopeless situation.Life has a way of taking us by surprise. It will take us off course just when we thought everything was going our way.

Life is full of twists and turns,ups and downs and many hills to climb with an occasional valley to find a bit of peace from all the craziness.

Recently I heard a child say they had nothing to hope for, this troubled this gal to the very core of my soul.

Life is hard enough with out our children losing hope, hope for a better tomorrow. With out hope what is there? Children are like plants they need to be nurtured and watered.

Like the little sponges that they are they will absorb the environment that they live in.If the adults in their lives loose hope, the child will also see life as hopeless. 

Hope is the sister to Faith, with out one the other can't move mountains alone. Hope gives faith wings to fly, she is the wind beneath her wings. Hope is what dreams are based on, and faith takes it a step further when hope can't go it alone.

Faith steps in and carries out the dreams that hope dared to dream. Children need to believe in dreams and like little children we too need dreams, no matter how crazy life gets. We owe it to our children, and we owe it to ourselves the Savior said to be as little children.

What did he mean by this? Simple children are innocent they are trusting, they believe with out question, we too need to be as innocent and trusting believing even when it seems as if hope has run out of dreams and faith has no wind under her wings to carry her any further.

Life is hard there is no magical remedy to get us through the storms that will surely come, but there is one who will see us through. We just have to believe and trust that He is there watching over our very steps.

Keeping hope alive having faith to see us through even when things look bleak. We need to dig deep with in ourselves to find that dream that hope has been waiting to share with faith. Let faith take her flight, let her soar to make your dream of a better tomorrow a reality.

Don't give up! Together Hope and Faith can move mountains be as little children and believe in miracles, trusting that "Christ is opening doors on your behalf and watch as faith opens her wings as hope sends her soaring high above the storm clouds. 




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Writer: Victoria E. Miera
Photo: From Personal file.

Our Daily Bread

 Recently I heard a sermon on how we should be claiming our daily bread.

This grabbed my attention, as I listened intently I found my self thinking about what the preacher was saying and wondering how does one go about claiming this bread from heaven!

As I was pondering this a light went off! I have to agree with the preacher on this one, we should be asking for our daily bread every day and we should be expecting to receive it on a daily bases. 

We so often feel like we are not deserving of the blessings that "God has in store for us that we simply just don"t ask for more than what we get through out the day. We really need to change our way of thinking, and simply start asking and expecting the bread to fill our every need.

"Jesus taught His disciples how to ask when He taught them how to pray," give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6:11  "Jesus did not teach His disciples to ask for their daily bread from time to time, but rather to ask for it daily. 

By setting this example for His disciples shouldn't we too be asking for our daily bread as well? Not only should we be asking we should be believing that we will receive. "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Psalm 68:19

The "Lord is willing to load us daily with all that we stand in need of, its up to us to ask upon arising,  more importantly we should be believing that "God will deliver on his promises. Before your feet hit the ground in the morning make it a habit to ask for your daily bread, ad believing that you will receive.



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Writer: Victoria E. Miera
Photo courtesy of my personal album

The lost shall be found

 

Oh little flock of sheep how my heart does break and my soul weeps for you, you have lost your way. You fell for a lie one given to you when you were at your weakest!

Such sadness fills my heart, knowing you had a choice to make and you wondered off on a path that was all wrong for you, my heart is filled with sorrow.

Oh little flock you did not know your shepherd? You did  not see him standing there?

 He was with you all along, he never left your side, he whispered in your ear you didn't hear him calling. Come home little lamb the path you are about to take, will surely lead you down to the gates of hell! Oh how the evil one tricked you with his cunning ways, you didn't see through his lie.

He told you that the shepherd didn't care, oh little lamb of the Most High if you only knew just how much your shepherd loves and cares for you.


What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? Luke 15:4

And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  Luke 15:5

And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me: For I have found my sheep which was lost. Luke 15:6

Oh how my soul weeps for the lost lambs, children of the Most High, what evil has befallen you? May the lost find their way back into the fold of the "Good Shepherd." so often we are like the lost lambs who has wondered off, the adversary uses our weaknesses to trick us into thinking that the Good Shepherd doesn't care about us.

He is so cunning when he feeds us his lie! He leads us into thinking it is our own thoughts, when in reality it is his way of leading the flock astray. "God cares He will come looking for his sheep, He knows them by name.





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Writer: Victoria E. Miera
Photo Courtesy of Photobucket.com

Because He Lives

Because He lives I can face tomorrow,no truer words could there have ever been spoken! A line from a gospel hymn "Because He Lives" This past month has been especially hard on my family, we have lost a few of our family members, yet as hard has this storm has been our faith has seen us through.

 Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone. "Because He has broken the chains of death we find hope in knowing that we too will be reunited with our loved ones" it is through the atonement of "Jesus Christ that we can face tomorrow knowing death is not the end.

Recently while talking with a good friend, I mentioned the impending death of a family member. It was during one of my last visits with this lovely soul, that my mother had asked me to go in to say my goodbye! When I informed my mother that I never say goodbye,because I don't see it as final! "You may have the same look upon your face as my mother did" (chuckle) not to worry my friends, hang in there I will explain my reasoning. You see to me death is all part of living, we are born we live we die! No big surprise there my loves, its the living that we have to pay the most attention to.

 There is no getting past death, no magic pill no fountain that you can  toss a coin into,  you  can not  go from life into the realm of eternity, no my friends we all have to cross this bridge that connects this life into eternity. I like to view life as that of a good book, a book that the good "Lord has written every page has been numbered, each one filed with ups and downs adventure sorrow happiness ect... its all part of who we are every detail is penned by the Master himself. 

Birth is the first page, from there is childhood, adulthood ect.. until we come to the last chapter in life and that is death, but death is not the end its  just the end of this book we call life. The second book in our spiritual journey and that has also been written by the Master, its in death that we continue on, our physical bodies must rest the spirit lives on.

In the next book we live with out pain and sorrow, our spirits continue to grow in happiness, we are reunited with  loved ones. All the cares that we have faced here upon this earth is no longer a burden that we must take with us. You may wonder how I can say such a thing! What proof does this gal have that any of this is true?

"Christ speaks of eternal life as He teaches the multitudes, if this were not the case "Jesus would not have said it to be. I know many don't believe this to be the case, sadly these are the same folks who don't believe that there is a "God nor that "Christ lives and that is a subject for another time.

Now please do not get me wrong I will indeed miss those who have gone on before me, but knowing that the chains of death are a thing of the past I can look forward to the day when I shall see them once again. It was through "Christ that the door to eternity was opened. Victory was won when "Christ rose from the dead, and an empty grave is all the proof that this gal needs.

"He lived and died to buy my pardon, an empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives! Lyrics to a gospel song one that brings comfort to all in need, yes our "Savior Lives" and because He lives we too can live in peace knowing that eternity is a whole lot sweeter with all our loved ones by our side.





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Writer: Victoria E. Miera
Photo courtesy of Photo Bucket.com

Little Ship

"Lord I know you see this little ship, this little ship "Father is being tossed to and fro, in this big Ocean we call life. The rocks are sharp they scrape the sides of this little ship, as the waves come crashing over the sides and spilling into this little ship, threatening to sink her to the bottom of the ocean!

At times its all this little ship can do to stay afloat! As it makes its way through the muck of life, avoiding the sharp rocks that threaten to claim her! The winds blow her to and fro, "Father this little ship looks to you for guidance to help it sail the seas. As wave upon wave toss her about still it sails trying to stay the course set by you! "So often we feel like this little ship, when we face our storms, as we are tossed to and fro, temptation tries to sink us. The adversary tries to claim us as his own to bring "God's children down to the pits of hell.

 It is during are storms that we must look to the light house to guide our way." God is that light house! He will guide us through, our storms as the waves come crashing over the rails "God will keep us on course if we but ask and seek His wisdom. He has us in His sight it is through faith that we will over come life's temptations. Keep your eyes upon the "Lord He will see you through your storms as He guides you safely home. I thank "God for the light house, that see's me safely home, "God is that light house He has me in His sight!





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Writer: Victoria E. Miera