Carmen Horne

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A Prayer of Comfort For Anxious Times

by Carmen Horne 2 Comments

As I type this, we are in our first full day of a national emergency. Who would have thought that the nation would be struggling to maintain toilet paper inventories? 

We are also in a crisis of emotion. Anxiety and fear wait on our porches, and most of us have opened the door wide for them to enter. I resisted the compulsion to turn on our TV this morning. I saw a meme this week that said, “Wash your hands and turn off your tv!”

As I ponder, I wonder how this crisis might be for our good as a people and nation? I am not God (as much as I try to help Him and play jr god), but may I share my thoughts?

A few things I feel confident in declaring

Our nation and our families are facing the challenge of learning essential steps in emergency preparedness, and our hearts are more in tune with the knowledge that we are not in control. Both of these will help in the next challenges we face. And, there will be future challenges.  

It also seems that in times of crisis, we seek conversation with the One we know has sovereign control. This drawing to God is always a good and welcoming experience. We need our Abba Father more than ever, right?

With the Holy Spirit leading, I want to offer you a prayer to build our faith as we take steps to build our supplies and knowledge. 

Heavenly Father,

I look to those in places of power and ask myself — does my help come from them? Lord, my help comes from You. You are the Creator of heaven and earth.  As I turn to You, Lord, the One who never sleeps, I am assured that although I am shaken, I am not overwhelmed. The health and economic challenges I face will not cause me or my family to slip into fear and anxiety. You, Lord, Yourself, watch over us! We gather under Your protective shade. The heat of trials nor the darkness of despair will destroy us. You, Lord, keep us from all harm and protect our life. Based on Your Word, I believe and declare that You, our Sovereign God, will protect us, both now and forever! Amen!

{Based on Psalm 121}

Take a deep breath. We are okay. We will weather this storm under our Father’s umbrella and be wiser and more compassionate. As we love our neighbors, we experience love as God intends. 

Blessings, my friend,

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Unrealistic Expectations and Scratchy Wool Sweaters

by Carmen Horne 8 Comments

I think there is a reason we are told to approach Jesus as a little child. There is a freedom in being uneducated in pomp and circumstance. With a child-like attitude, we come to Him with vulnerability and authenticity. Concerning ourselves with the rightness or the wrongness of our approach is far from our minds.

When I began my writing journey, I knew so little about how to write. I had to google “blog” to find out what a blog is. I wrote for the joy of writing. Putting my thoughts and learned life lessons out there for a few in the big wide web to read. Then, I began to educate myself on how to write. Once the concept of doing it correctly entered my perfectionist mind, the joy of writing tried to leave my anxious heart. I continue to fight feelings of inadequacy. Do you ever feel inadequate?  

Wool Thread

Unrealistic expectations feel like a scratchy wool sweater. We are wearing them, but they are itching like the dickens. We squirm and tug and wish we could pull them off. Jesus does not place those kinds of expectations on us. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. (Matthew 11:30)

Going forward, I want the emails you receive from me to be communications between friends. You might not notice a big difference, but my heart will. Gosh, I want our conversation to be easy, you know? Working at conversation is not something I usually need to do. I like to visit. When did I decide to make writing so hard? Let’s visit on our “screen” porches, support each other, and hopefully, learn some things together.

Just this morning while praying and pondering, I was reminded of the seeds of negativity planted in our hearts. Last fall we did a remodel of our front landscaping. We replaced some scragglers with healthy plants. Y’all, the unhealthy plants left seeds behind, and I have fought those invaders every day since. 

For most of us, seeds of negativity were planted in abundance, early,  and many around us fertilize them. We also feed them regularly with our unhealthy script.

What can we do?

We can stop internalizing unhealthy words spoken by others, and we can stop them in their tracks as they come out of our mouths. Every time we hear ourselves rehearsing the negative script, stop it. I do it all the time. Carmen, stop it. What you are saying is not true. Notice, I said I do it all the time. Yep. Them seeds are sown deep within me. I have allowed others to fertilize them, and I have dumped a big ole scoop of miracle grow on them myself.

We can ask God to pull bad seeds up by the roots. “He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.” (Matthew 15:13 ESV) That’s a good prayer, right there. Lord, pull up every seed not planted by you out of my life.

Unrealistic expectations might feel like that scratchy wool sweater but the freedom we receive daily through God’s grace and mercy slips on like a soft, well-worn pair of jeans. It just feels right.

Photo by Anna Auza on Unsplash

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What Others Are Saying...

"Carmen spoke to us from her heart.  She encouraged us be women of faith. Carmen is very genuine in her love of God and people. Her heart for God is evident in her devotion and also the life she leads."

Deana G.

Carmen Horne, Life Coach
5
2016-06-25T01:28:02-05:00

Deana G.

"Carmen spoke to us from her heart.  She encouraged us be women of faith. Carmen is very genuine in her love of God and people. Her heart for God is evident in her devotion and also the life she leads."
https://www.carmenhorne.com/testimonials/deana-g/
"Carmen always has a word of encouragement for everyone. She makes you feel good about yourself by just being in her presence. She loves Jesus and wants all to know Jesus; the broken, the wounded, the desperate, the empty and the guilty."

Norah A.

Carmen Horne, Life Coach
5
2016-06-25T01:27:16-05:00

Norah A.

"Carmen always has a word of encouragement for everyone. She makes you feel good about yourself by just being in her presence. She loves Jesus and wants all to know Jesus; the broken, the wounded, the desperate, the empty and the guilty."
https://www.carmenhorne.com/testimonials/norah-a/
"It takes a depth of pride to accept our way might not be the best way or the only way...' If Carmen had not already made me a follower of her blog, that one sentence would have had me hooked. It's not always easy to find someone who writes in ways we can relate. Carmen makes me stop and take a deep long look at who I am and where I want to be in my walk with Christ. I trust her to be a truth teller and a peace maker. Not only has she encouraged me so many times, but often my heart is pierced to make a change."

Judy H.

Carmen Horne, Life Coach
5
2016-06-25T01:26:03-05:00

Judy H.

"It takes a depth of pride to accept our way might not be the best way or the only way...' If Carmen had not already made me a follower of her blog, that one sentence would have had me hooked. It's not always easy to find someone who writes in ways we can relate. Carmen makes me stop and take a deep long look at who I am and where I want to be in my walk with Christ. I trust her to be a truth teller and a peace maker. Not only has she encouraged me so many times, but often my heart is pierced to make a change."
https://www.carmenhorne.com/testimonials/judy-h/
"Carmen writes from her heart and her own life experiences. What she says is always spot on for me. She is a gifted teacher and her love for the Word shows. Carmen is easy to understand and her words always leave me with a deeper understanding of God's love and grace. Her wit and charm make her a joy to listen to. She speaks truth, even when the truth is hard to hear and does it with understanding and compassion."

Karen S.

Carmen Horne, Life Coach
5
2016-06-25T01:23:50-05:00

Karen S.

"Carmen writes from her heart and her own life experiences. What she says is always spot on for me. She is a gifted teacher and her love for the Word shows. Carmen is easy to understand and her words always leave me with a deeper understanding of God's love and grace. Her wit and charm make her a joy to listen to. She speaks truth, even when the truth is hard to hear and does it with understanding and compassion."
https://www.carmenhorne.com/testimonials/karen-s/
"Rarely will you find a woman with such a servant’s heart as Carmen Horne. I have had the pleasure of attending many church events, trips, and girl lunches with Carmen over the past sixteen years. She continues to be one of my favorite mentors whether in North Louisiana or on the beach in Florida, which is probably OUR FAVORITE place! She uses her kind and faithful heart when giving advice or mentoring others. Carmen is truly a light to many and guides you to find the light in yourself no matter how faint it may be. Hebrews 13:7"

Dianne A.

Carmen Horne, Life Coach
5
2016-06-25T01:22:56-05:00

Dianne A.

"Rarely will you find a woman with such a servant’s heart as Carmen Horne. I have had the pleasure of attending many church events, trips, and girl lunches with Carmen over the past sixteen years. She continues to be one of my favorite mentors whether in North Louisiana or on the beach in Florida, which is probably OUR FAVORITE place! She uses her kind and faithful heart when giving advice or mentoring others. Carmen is truly a light to many and guides you to find the light in yourself no matter how faint it may be. Hebrews 13:7"
https://www.carmenhorne.com/testimonials/dianne-a/
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Carmen Horne, Life Coach

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