Here's a Blessing for YOU!

 HORAY!!!  Our guys finished seeding!!!!  Thanks a million to all of you who prayed for the rains to stop so that we could get into the fields.  I'm still praying that for a few of our neighbors who haven't finished yet but there have been LOTS of tractors and planters going in the fields all last week.  YAYYYY!  This is a picture of our 3 guys seeding on our son's land last week.  

I think of my readers often.  I love to see what parts of the world you come from.  I want to bless you all for how you pray for me and my family.  When I am heavy in heart, or in lots of pain from the MS, I come here to ask for prayer.  Often within hours I feel so much better so I KNOW that you have prayed.  Now I want to return the favor.

Father God--Lord Jesus--Holy Spirit, you know each one who will read these words.  You love them so much more than any human ever could love them.  They came from you!  Their home is in Heaven.  Their lives are acts of service to the Unseen One who made them.  They seldom think of their wants but what the needs are of all those around them that they can help to fill.  You know how their smile fills those around them with joy and hope. You know how their gentle touch brings a comfort that money can't buy.  You know how happy it makes them when those they love are happy.  You know how much they are LIKE YOU and you love them for it!!

My God, whom I have served for 53 years, you bless us constantly!  You GIVE US LIFE!!!  You give us our families!!!  You give us our strength to work and do good as you show us the way.  You are EVERYTHING good!!!!!!!!!!!!!  You are our Papa!!!!!

Please bless every man, woman, or child who has prayed for me in the past and those who will pray for me today.  Please bless these, who keep me going, with ALL of the desires of their hearts.  Please bless them with a clear understanding of how BIG your love for them really is.  Please help us ALL to remember what is written in Romans 8:35, 37.  In Jesus's (Yeshua's) name, AMEN!!

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  Nay, in ALL these things we are MORE than conquerors through HIM that LOVED us!!

Amen?  OK  I was blessed with this word just now.  I share it knowing that it will bless all who read it and who do it.  This will take some alone time with God but I'm sure it will free us up to serve God more!

May God bless you all!!

Dawn

PS.  Then, way at the bottom of this post, I share one of our family's very favorite songs about God's love for His people!!

             "Are You Ready for Some                             Spring Cleaning?"

La Vonne Earl, Newport Beach, California

Spring is here! A beautiful season the Lord has given us to show through creation that He continually makes all things new! Praise Him!

"Stop dwelling on the past. Don't even remember these former things. I am doing something brand new, something unheard of. Even now it sprouts and grows and matures. Don't you perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and open up flowing streams in the desert." (Isaiah 43:18-19 TPT)

Are you ready to partner with the Lord and do some "spring cleaning"? God desires to lighten your load. He will help you clean out whatever does not belong in your life so that you can flourish! Start fresh with the Lord and ditch all the things that are weighing you down.

Here are some tips to help you "spring clean" your life.

Personal Audit

"God, I invite Your searching gaze into my heart. Examine me through and through; find out everything that may be hidden within me. Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares. See if there is any path of pain I'm walking on, and lead me back to Your glorious, everlasting way – the path that brings me back to You." (Psalm 139:23-24 TPT)

In our ministry we utilize the Circle of Personal Perspective to take a personal audit. The Circle contains the six key areas of your life: Spiritual, Relationships, Emotional Wellness, Physical Wellness, Career and Finances.

Using Psalm 139:23-24, go through each area and ask God to show you what you need to eliminate and what you need to add to live your very best life for Him! Much of the pain that we go through in life is self-imposed. (Photo via Unsplash)

We please God when we are doing what is right in His sight. Therefore, if you are to suffer, do so because you are doing what is right. There is no reward for suffering from your own wrongdoing.

"You find God's favor by deciding to please God even when you endure hardships because of unjust suffering. For what merit is it to endure mistreatment for wrongdoing? Yet if you are mistreated when you do what is right, and you faithfully endure it, this is commendable before God." (1 Peter 2:19-20 TPT)

If we are suffering, we would be wise to take inventory of our life to find out where the problem lies. It may be that we aren't walking in the wisdom that God has set out for us in His Word. Be honest with yourself and God and allow Him to direct your path.

Audit Your Relationships

One of the things that causes the greatest pain in our lives is relationships. Therefore it is imperative that we take inventory often.

"Don't continue to team up with unbelievers in mismatched alliances, for what partnership is there between righteousness and rebellion? Who could mingle light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14 TPT)

We only have so many hours in our days, and we want to make sure we are stewarding our time well. We should be purposeful in our relationships and have both an inner and outer circle. Our inner circle should contain the relationships that feed our souls and encourage us to continue to run the race for the Lord. These relationships are our close family and friends who are Believers.

We also have an outer circle which contains the relationships that we influence. This is usually our ministry and charitable work, our coworkers, and acquaintances. They aren't necessarily Believers; they are those that we seek to have a godly impact on. (Photo via Unsplash)

As you take note of your relationships you may find that there are draining or toxic relationships that need to be moved to your outer circle. You may need to love them from a greater distance. Seek the Lord and His guidance, allowing love to motivate your decisions. The greatest love that we can offer others is to give them the opportunity to grow into who God created them to be.

Healthy Boundaries

As you go through the six key areas of your life, remember that healthy boundaries will create growth. As you set healthy boundaries for yourself and others, greater peace, more joy, and godly growth will be the result.

One of the most important boundaries that you can set on yourself is in your mind.

"We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One." (2 Corinthians 10:5 TPT)

As you "spring clean" your life, be determined to clean your mind by throwing out old ways of thinking. Setting this new healthy boundary on your mind will bring forth the joy you are seeking! Your mental health will improve as will each area of your life. Setting healthy boundaries on your mind will allow God to give you His vision for your future. You will find yourself thinking more like Christ growing from glory to glory. In this way you will be united with Christ and agreeing with Him as the two of you take control to make all things new!

Happy "spring cleaning" to you, my friend! Keep improving; keep growing more and more into the likeness of Christ!

Whatever you do, don't miss another ELIJAH LIST email! Subscribe at this link: elijahlist.com/subscribe.

(Article used by permission from The Passion Translation blog.)

La Vonne Earl
La Vonne Earl Ministries
Email: LaVonne@LaVonneEarl.com
Website: www.LaVonneEarl.com

La Vonne Earl is a Believer, wife, mom, speaker, and an emotional wellness coach. She has spent the past 12 years helping people overcome life's trials. She knows that emotional pain can be very distracting, and even debilitating, and seeks to help others to overcome with God's Word! She believes that everyone deserves a sound mind and a happy life!

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Have you tried this for pain?

 So much is going on in my life that is overwhelming.  We're a month behind with seeding due to an April blizzard and so much rain since then.  It feels horrible to pray against rain but, if the seeds don't go in the ground, there is no harvest.

  Yesterday we made a lot of progress in the fields around here and the corn is finally all in the ground.  Now on to soybeans.  We're about half done with seeding now but PLEASE pray for good weather; good equipment functioning; and a bit of sleep for my guys.  We ate suppler last night at 11:00 and Robert was out the door at 6:45 this morning. They're sure dragging..........

  Please pray for my health too.  With MS, stress is the worst possible thing.  I haven't put a single seed in my garden either and now I'm dealing with a tumor again.  UG  I am so very thankful for castor oil packs as they suck the pain and inflammation out so quickly.

  I'll take just a minute to share how to do one in case someone else is in need today.  

1.You spread Castor Oil over the painful area.  

2.Then get a washcloth hot by running hot water over it for a couple of minutes. 

3. Wring out the water and put over the castor oil.  

4. Then put a hand towel over it and set the timer for 20 minutes.  

5. Take the washcloth and towel off then so the area can breathe.  

6.  Repeat throughout the day if the pain persists.

I don't know what I do without this knowledge.  Many many many days I have gotten through with very little pain by doing this first thing in the morning. I am so very thankful to know this healing tool!!  Today I did it on my legs AND my lower back as that's where the pain was.  All together it took about 45 minutes but now I can function!  PRAISE THE LORD!

I'm sharing this song to honor the one who gives us natural remedies!!!  

Hugs,

Dawn 

I Covet your Prayers!

 Dear readers,

  How are you doing today?

  I must admit that I am nervous.  I am in charge of leading out neighborhood Bible study this afternoon.  I cannot deny that the enemy has done his creepy best to shut down this group for a couple of years now.  

  First there is the controversary over the covid jab.  Then there are strong political differences in our group.  There are those who aren't in love with children participating and learning alongside of us.  We seem to nearly continuously have a case of "Pregnancy brain."  There are religious differences and we lost one of our leaders because of this "Excuse" it would seem.  

  God must want us to continue as we just started another book.  I want us to continue as good things have come out of our studying the Bible together in the past.  Our leader, who has led Bible studies for decades, is going blind so it's up to us less experienced ones to lead now.  Like I said, I need prayer.

  I also am asking for you to keep the farmers of the MidWest in your prayers.  For the past 2 years we hardly got crops due to drought.  Now it won't stop raining.  Please pray for God to hold the rain until we can all get our crops planted.  The weather man is talking rain for the rest of the week.  We're very thankful that we've been having some rain but it needs to stop for awhile so the tractors can get in the fields.

  I appreciate your prayers so much.  Many times I've asked for prayer here and things changed so I know that you've prayed for us.  May God bless you for it.  

  Dawn

  PS  Father just said to bless you with the song I'll share below.  May you feel His sweet spirit continuously!

What's a Good Mom?

  I can only say that the book TOXIC PARENTS is what helped me to have a tolerable 6 months with my mother before she died.  This article, like that book, has some good advice for those of you with toxic mothers.

 Now, as I've gotten older and have come to understand my mom a little better, I've had to ask myself, "In what ways have I been toxic to my children?"  "Is that why they don't want to spend time with me--because I'm toxic to them?"

  WOW.  

  IS THAT THE TRUTH?

  Now THAT'S something to think about this year on Mother's Day.

  Lots of love to all of you Moms out there.  It's so hard to be a good Mom, isn't it?

  Dawn

How to celebrate Mother's Day if you have a toxic mom, according to experts

 by Carolyn Steber

Updated May 04, 2020 @ 1:49 pm
For many people, Mother’s Day is a whirlwind of buying flowers and making loving phone calls. On this holiday, almost everyone participates by showing their love and appreciation to their moms—and expectations run high. So what are you supposed to do on Mother’s Day if you have a toxic mom and can’t or don’t want to reach out?

Of course, every situation is different, but toxic parents are difficult to deal with on the best of days and straight-up impossible on the worst of days. If you have a toxic mom, chances are she’s pushed you away, guilted you, shamed you, blamed you, and engaged in gaslighting and passive-aggressive behaviors—or maybe worse.

The relationship can be stressful, and you might even get to the point where you no longer want to have contact with her. Whatever the situation may be, sending a card or flowers can feel uncomfortable, and making a phone call or meeting up in person runs the risk of putting yourself in a bad emotional spot.

It’ll be up to you to decide the best course of action to take based on how you feel about your mom and how toxic she is. With that in mind, here are a few tips to get you through Mother’s Day, according to experts.

1Focus on what feels right for you.

Before you send a card out of guilt or brace yourself for a stressful phone call, stop and listen to your gut. Are you acknowledging your mom because you want to or because you feel like you have to?

If the latter is true, there may be a scaled-down way to celebrate Mother’s Day that feels better for you—and that could include not recognizing it at all, Kate Loewenstein, LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker, tells HelloGiggles.

“If you’re feeling uncomfortable about reaching out to [your] mom this year,” she says, “there is likely a valid reason.” Maybe you haven’t contacted her in a while and don’t feel comfortable or don’t want to hear her complain. Whatever the reason may be, look out for yourself. And if that means ignoring the day altogether, that’s completely okay.

2 Send a quick text.

If you would like to acknowledge your mom but aren’t quite sure what to do, a quick text will likely be your best bet. Unlike a phone call or a social media post, a text allows you to be more in control of any communication that follows, should you want to avoid having a longer conversation, she says. “Keeping it short and sweet will prevent you from having to offer well-wishes that don’t feel genuine,” Loewenstein adds. Distance is key when it comes to dealing with toxic people, so use it to your advantage and send a simple “Happy Mother’s Day” text and see how it goes.

3Celebrate someone else.

Mother’s Day doesn’t have to be about a biological person who raised you. Instead, you can focus on the other important people in your life. “If you have someone who was like a second mom, celebrate her,” Nikki Winchester, a clinical psychologist and owner of the Cincinnati Center for DBT, says. “If your dad took on more of the role of your mom growing up, celebrate him!”

It can also be another family member, a person who has offered guidance, or even someone you look up to. Whoever stands out, send them a card, give them a call, and let them know what they mean to you.

4Talk to your siblings.

If you’re looking to make a family connection, consider reaching out to siblings or cousins. You may be able to plan a meetup where you celebrate the holiday by yourselves, talk about what you’ve been through, and reconfirm that you’ve got each other’s backs. Or, you can simply eat brunch and not talk about your family’s problems at all.

“When you have others in your camp, you can find some comfort and even humor in the madness,” Dr. Christie Jenkins, a faculty member from Walden University’s MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, tells HelloGiggles. Chances are they know exactly what you’re going through and will be grateful for the invite.

5Treat yourself.

If all else fails, make the day about you. “Buy yourself flowers, take a bubble bath, give yourself a foot massage, or write yourself a thank-you note for being a strong and supportive presence for yourself,” therapist Kristen Genzano, LPC, NCC, tells HelloGiggles.

If you grew up with a toxic mom, you’ve probably had to be a bit of a mother figure for yourself anyway, Genzano says, so “recognize this work you’re doing and honor it by being loving and generous with yourself.”