Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day, 2010.

Definition of "memorial" -- something designed to preserve the memory of a person, event, etc., as a monument or a holiday. Of or pertaining to the memory.

Memorial Day is a day set aside on the last Monday in May in most states of the United States of America for observances in memory of dead members of the armed forces of all wars.

While we remember those who have given their lives for us, and for this country we must not forget the most important One who gave His life. He died fighting a war against sin, and He did it willingly because He loves us that much.

In John 16:16, Jesus says, "In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me." He went forward not with the fear that He might be killed, but knowing that He would.

Many of us may keep a cross as a memorial for this act of love.

What do you do as a memorial for your fallen war heroes? Do you wave a flag? Do you have medals displayed? Do you keep old letters? Do you have photographs of them in uniform?

Do you have family members or friends who are still fighting for our freedoms today?

Though this day, Memorial Day, is officially for remembering those lost and gone, and we should take some time to think of them and pray for their families, I would also like to take a moment to appreciate those still here with us and those who continue to give of themselves to serve, often not knowing what will become of them.

My father served in the United States Navy. One of my brothers served as a Lieutenant in the Navy and was stationed at Japan during Operation Enduring Freedom - Philippines. Another brother served in the United States Army as a Gunner on a Hum-V at Iraq as an E-4 Specialist and returned home wounded, yet very much alive. My husband's father served in the United States Marine Corps.

Will you be flying an American flag today? Remember that you should raise the flag to the top of the pole and then immediately lower it to half mast for Memorial Day to honor those who have given and lost their lives.


God bless the United States of America and everyone who has done and continues to do what they can to make it a great country of freedom. I have heard it said that if you do not stand behind our military personnel, then you are welcome to stand in front of them.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Friday, May 28, 2010

Fun Fridays?

This week has been a rough week. This morning I was thinking about how we all need a "mental break" from time to time. Even here on the old interweb, it is nice to take a break and do something mindless once in a while. I know, I know...some of us have Facebook for that. LOL.

Since people had such fun with One Sentence the other day, I thought that it might be neat to do something like that each week. What do you think about Fun Fridays? Each Friday I will [try to remember to] post an interactive activity just for some smiles.

Here is one for today. Twenty Questions. You have twenty questions to figure out what is the item about which I am thinking. The rules are that you can ask a yes or no question, and I will answer it. You cannot ask two questions in a row. You cannot make two guesses in a row. In other words, if you make a guess, then you have to wait for someone else to make a guess before you can guess again. The person who guesses correctly with no more than twenty questions asked will be the winner.

You might want to encourage your friends to play along to get this game moving!

I will ask the first question to help get you started.

Is it a person? No.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Trust

Someone posed a question recently asking how we can learn to trust people. The answer may or may not seem obvious since we each see things in different ways. Here are some of my thoughts about trust.

First you must trust God, and then you must trust that God will take care of you no matter what people do.

In God have I put my trust and confident reliance; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? -Psalm 56:11

He who deals wisely and heeds God's word and counsel shall find good, and whoever leans on, trusts in, and is confident in the Lord -- happy, blessed, and fortunate is he. -Proverbs 16:20

Second, you must be trustworthy yourself. Can you be trusted? Only you know the true answer to that question. If you can be trusted, then you may find it easier to believe that others can be trusted. If you cannot be trusted, then, by nature, you may be skeptical of others.

He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy and faithful in spirit keeps the matter hidden. -Proverbs 11:13

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own? -Luke 16:10-12

Third, remember that not everyone is the same. If anyone has shown themselves to be untrustworthy, do not punish other people by not giving them your trust. In other words, do not not trust person B because of person A's mistake(s).

What, you may ask, about person A? How can you rebuild trust in them? This one may not be more difficult, yet it can be done. You need to forgive the person because you will not be able to move forward if, in your heart, you are clinging to a grudge. That is not to say that you need to forget whatever happened because we can learn and grow wiser from others' mistakes and our own.

Go to the person and talk about whatever happened with them. Be honest, yet be fair in what you say. You may be amazed at what can be accomplished with talking.


If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. -Matthew 18:15-17

Fourth, look back at the first.

A friend from our Life Group pointed out a quote that said that people will trust a chair more than they will trust God. In reality, though, God is our support in this life.


I can do everything through him who gives me strength. -Philippians 4:13

Was that helpful?

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Officially Toddler Parents

This post is from an old blog and was dated exactly one year ago. We have come so far with our precious, wonderful, amazing, funny little guy, and I am reminiscing, the thought to share this occurred to me.
*******

Yes. The day has arrived. We are officially parents of a toddler. While he has been walking since nine or ten months, and he has been progressing and learning and playing the age appropriate activities, and we considered him a toddler, only this past weekend did he make it official for us. We are Toddler Parents. You cannot argue with us because we have proof.

We have blue marker on our tan wall.

If you have not had a toddler yet, you may be sitting there with your jaw on the floor and displaying what we like to refer to as optical poptitude. Those of you who have children, though, are probably shaking your head up and down with a knowing and understanding look on your faces.

Do not pity us, though. We have spare paint for touch ups!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

One Sentence

Okay, okay, I admit that I am just having fun today. Will you join me? Read this post, and then read any comments that follow it. When it is your turn, add one sentence to continue to tale. The idea is to tell the story of what happens in a day, yet it will be told from the perspective of several people. In the end, it might be neat to read...or it might seem like a ridiculous bunch of jibberish. Hehe.

I will start.

"This morning I woke up feeling refreshed and ready for a new day."

Your turn!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Why Regret?

Remorse. Anguish. Upset. Self-disgust. Affliction. No matter what you call it, regret affects so many people. Why, though? Is regret helpful? Does it benefit us in any way?

Personally, I do not believe in regret. Do not get me wrong, I have made mistakes and have done things that I should not have. The fact of that matter is, though, that my life today is the culmination of every thing that I have done and every decision that I have made until now. I am good with that.

We all do things for which we are sorry. We may even wish that we had never done them (not that wishing ever got anyone anywhere). Hopefully we learn from them.

"Just because someone messes up once does not mean that within time they cannot find a way to change for the better."

Do you ever let your mistakes consume you? Do you let regret overwhelm you? Destroy you? Judas Iscariot made a mistake when he betrayed his Lord, Jesus. That was not his only mistake, though. Devastated by regret, Judas went so far as to commit suicide. He hung himself. Regret overtook Judas, and his final mistake was not "going to the cross" to ask for, and receive, forgiveness.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. -John 3:16-17

The fact is that you are born, you die, and you make a lot of mistakes in between. My advice? Do not beat yourself up over the past. You cannot change it. Instead, apologize and hand it over to the Lord. Jesus will take those burdens from you so that you can be at peace and move forward enjoying your life free of regret.

Does it seem simple? Maybe it is. Why not give it a try?

Saturday, May 22, 2010

My Husband is a Dog

"All men are dogs." Whoever came up with that saying and decided that it would be an insult to men has me baffled. It seems to me that that would be a compliment.

Dogs that I have known in my day have been full of excellent qualities.

Dogs are loyal. No matter what happens or who comes along, a dog knows who his family is, and he sticks by them.

Dogs are nurturing. When someone is feeling sick or blue, a dog can sense it. He may make his way over to your side and rest his head on your lap just so that you know that you are not alone and that someone cares.

Dogs are protectors. If his family is threatened, a dog can be the bravest of all of you and stand up to the danger.

Dogs are playful. Whenever you decide that you are ready for some fun, a dog has been ready and waiting to exercise with you, play with you, make you laugh.

Dogs are cuddly. If you ever just want to feel someone close, chances are that there is a dog who will lay with you and give you company -- or even be your pillow.

Dogs are forgiving. If you are cruel to a dog, he will continue to love you and be right there when you finish being angry as if to say, "I forgive you, and I am still here with you."

There are certainly more great qualities amongst our canine friends. Frankly, dogs may be more like what we humans should be than many of us are, and it comes naturally to them. How can that be? Maybe we should look to a dog for a roll model.

With all of the truly wonderful qualities that dogs have, why would you disrespect dogs by using the word "dog" as an insult for men that have displeased you? Why should "dog" not be a compliment? After all, knowing what I know about dogs, I am happy to call my husband a dog.

Now, what kind of dog would he be?

Friday, May 21, 2010

My Testimony

Sooo.... For the first time ever, I shared my testimony in its entirety yesterday. Outside of my husband, no one in the world has known all of the pieces to the puzzle. Now they do.

Many of you know that this is something that I have been battling for quite some time. I did not want to expose myself this way. However, in recent weeks, it has become pretty clear to me that I need to do this.

God has big plans for Richard and me with our testimonies, and I am nervously excited for how they will pan out for His glory.

My thought was to share my testimony on my blog or online in another way to share with some people, but after prayer and conversations with Richard and getting some thoughts from people last night, I realize that that is not what is meant to happen right now. (Sorry, Peeps.)

There is also someone from my past who I would like to know my story in the hopes that it might help him realize that things did not happen as he thought and that it may help him come to terms with a hurt that he thought that I gave him. However, I am not sure how that would be possible right now.

Someone last night very quickly told me that she has someone in mind with whom she wants me to share my testimony. GULP. God sure does work fast, eh?

There is more that I want to say, but I am going to wait for now.

I know where this is supposed to ultimately lead, yet I do not have a clue how we are going to get there. We know that it will be revealed to us when it is supposed to be. God is so good, and I am thrilled to be able to prove it!

ABCs of ?

Admirable. Beautiful. Caring. Delightful. Exciting. Fascinating. Genuine. Happy. Inventive. Jovial. Kind. Loving. Magnificent. Nurturing. Original. Pulchritudinous. Quality. Ravishing. Supportive. Thoughtful. Unparalleled. Visionary. Winsome. Xenial. Yealing. Zippy.

What am I describing?

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Hiccups

Do you know how long hiccups last?

One fifth of a second.

That is it.

Think about that. If you have ever had the hiccups, then you know how it feels like they go on and on for the longest time. Really, though, they take up such an insignificant part of your time.

Do you ever have "hiccups" during your day? These "hiccups" can be negative thoughts, feelings of discouragement, loneliness, feelings of failure, or something else. Mind you, they are only hiccups, and they can only consume your day if you let them.

Here is an illustration of how insignificant hiccups can be: I heard a story of a man who actually had the hiccups for twenty-one days! Even over twenty-one days, at one fifth of a second each, he only actually had the hiccups for a total of about four minutes.

When you experience "hiccups" in your daily life, how do you handle them? Do you let them consume you, bring you down, eat away at your spirit? Do you let them become the thing that ruins your whole day?

...or do you treat them as just what they are? Hiccups. Momentary glitches in your normally positive, happy, uplifting self. Do you shake off those "hiccups" and put a smile back on your face?

Those little things in life that have the chance of bringing you down, that have the chance of making you unhappy, that have the chance of having any negative impact on you, can only have that negative impact if you choose to let them.

YOU have the choice. You can let the little "hiccups" in life get to you, or you can simply say, "Excuse me," and move on with a positive attitude.

What is your choice?

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Life As a Talk Show Guest

People laugh when it comes into conversation that I have been a guest on various talk shows because, at first, they wonder if I am kidding. Then they almost always ask the same question: What were the topics?

A couple of friends and I sort of made the rounds of a few talk shows back in the mid-90s. None of the shows were serious, and most of them I would not likely do again, given the opportunity. Participating on them, though, was an interesting experience. After all, we all know that if it is on television, then it must be real, right? ::cough::

Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.

The fact is that, from my experience, much of what we see on television talk shows is -- brace yourself -- not real. It is embellished for effect, it is exaggerated for interest, it is sometimes even scripted. One time, I even agreed to appear on a show that was one topic, and then it aired as a different (unflattering) topic. Ooh, that one ticked me off.

A funny thing about talk shows, at least back then, was that people were not being real. Some of the "guests" were, in a sense, actors. As a matter of fact, the producers would bring more people to the show than they needed, choose their picks, and let the rest sit in the audience. Then, if the producers did not have all that they desired, they would sort of groom some of the guests into what they wanted each of them to be.

Do people ever try to make you what they want you to be? Do you ever try to make people fit into what you want them to be? How about the reverse? Do you ever go into a situation and try to be what you think you need to be to fit in or to be accepted? How far do you go?

He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away. -Raymond Hull

On one talk show, the guests were told to dress sexy but to dress in clothes that they wore normally. Two sisters put on their clothes, which, if I remember correctly, were denim overall shorts. The producers went into the dressing room to check on everyone, and absolutely did not like what the sisters were wearing because it was not sexy enough. After the producers rifled through their suitcases, the sisters wound up wearing teddies (yes, lingerie) and stockings and had to act like that was what they wore normally to go out in public. Seriously?! Yes. Did they? Yes.

Have you ever gone so far outside of yourself to be what someone else wanted? Why do you think someone would? How must someone need to feel to want to fit in so badly that they would pretend to be something that they are not? If you are fitting in as something that you are not, are you really fitting in?

It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for something you are not. -Andre Gide

Do you ever feel out of place, like you do not fit in anywhere? Maybe you have not gone to such an extreme to fit in, yet maybe you have done something that was not true to yourself. Did you pretend to like something that you did not because someone else did? Did you pretend to be interested in something that you were not because you thought that it would impress someone else?

Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else. -Judy Garland

The fact of the matter is that you are you. You are unique. Me, too. Each of us has different traits, personalities, styles, tastes, talents and opinions, and there is something about that that we all need to remember: It is okay!

You were born an original. Don't die a copy. -John Mason

Even though there are times or situations that can make it seem difficult, being true to yourself is the only real way to know who is being true to you.

Have you ever watched some of those talk shows and made fun of the guests and thought that they seemed so unnatural that it had to be fake? If you are trying to be something that you are not, then you could ask yourself, Has anyone ever thought that about me?

Be true. Be real. Be yourself. You are who you are for a purpose.

If God had wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise. -Johann von Goethe

Sunday, May 16, 2010

A Grateful Heart

Each new week brings us an opportunity to start afresh. For that matter, so does each new day. As I am tired of all of the negativity and complaining and grumbling around me in this world, I am making a focused effort to focus on the positive things, the things for which we can be grateful, the gifts that we are given in every moment. Husband, Son, family, pets, friends, home, food, love. Everything that is needed in this life, I have it and more.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." -Philippians 4:8

There is a song that I have liked for years, and I make an effort to truly live my life along these words. The song is by a band called LUG (Life Under Grace) which is no longer around as I knew it, yet I still very much enjoy the music. Some of you have heard me singing it from time to time but did not know what it was. I am sharing the lyrics, and I hope that it makes you think today. Here it is!

"MARVEL US"
Everyday I wake up and marvel at the miracle that is life
Realizing there's a blessing everywhere in sight
You know that there's a reason for the gift of a human soul
Not gonna waste it on a million of my selfish goals
Gonna live my life for my Lord
Gonna do His will and live on faith
I want to get started, you know I can't wait

So you wanna know why it is that I believe in the Lord above
It's simple really when you know His unconditional Love
Is always there when you need it the most
Forever living up to His name, The Holy Ghost
Showing mercy of which I'm not worthy
With the promise of the resurrection
Won't you join me in showing Him affection?

I'm gonna praise Him -- Yeah!
I'm gonna serve Him -- Yeah!
I'm gonne live it -- Yeah!
The words in The Book

I got a new life when I learned the truth
Nothing in this world can make me feel what I feel in Him
Everywhere you look, everything has a Maker
It is by His grace that we're alive
And I won't live my life like it's an accident

I'm gonna praise Him -- Yeah!

*******
For what are you thankful today?

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Win a FREE Chocolate Treat Pack

It is wonderful that so many people are reading this baby blog that is not even a month old yet! I am excited each time someone posts a comment or says something to me about it. Those of you who know me know that I relish your comments, sooo....

As a small gesture in an effort to encourage more people to post comments, I am offering a FREE Chocolate Treat Pack to someone that will include a Frosty White Chocolate Blended Beverage Mix, a Java Chip Chocolate Blended Beverage Mix, and a Mousse Mix. Each of these could be a delicious way to cool off as the warmer weather moves in, and the winner could be you!

Get an entry for each post on which you comment dated from today through May 31st, 2010. (Your comments should be dated from now until May 31st, but please feel free to comment on older posts!) Get an entry for "following" this blog. Get an entry for each time you share a post on Facebook using the link on the right side of the page, and I see it. (If you want to be sure, you can send me a
private message and tell me.)

In an effort to respect people's privacy, the winner will be posted on the blog on or about June 1st, 2010, with a way for you to contact me. If the prize is not claimed within forty-eight hours, then a second winner will be chosen, and so on.

Thank you to
Carrie for help with the idea!

PS You can scroll to the top of the page and click Words from DUG to go to the blog home page and see other posts!

Morning

It is morning, and I am not a morning person. Something woke me at insane o'clock morning, and here I sit at six something, ready to go back to sleep. However, as I sit here, I am given the opportunity to see the sunlight brushing the treetops and illuminating the colors in such a glorious way that it reminds me of how incredibly awesome God is.

You know what I mean. Sometimes a scene catches your attention, and you stop to look at it and think, "Wooow." How much beauty is all around us every day that we miss? Do you ever stop to purposefully look at each petal on a flower, the shape of a tree, the intricate detail of a spider web, the algae on a forest pond, a field of wheat, a bunny rabbit hopping across the yard, a deer in the night? The Lord blesses us with so much visual joy every day.

There a program on television once in which one of the characters was God in human form. Someone asked Him to prove that He was God. He pointed. In a mocking tone, the human said, "It's a tree!" God replied, "Let me see you make one." Hehe...that still gives me a chuckle.

My challenge to myself today is to try to notice as many visual gifts from the Lord that I can. Will you join me and challenge yourself to the same thing?

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

A Story of Grace

What is grace? One definition is: the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God. Some people say that grace is getting what we do not deserve (while mercy is not getting what we do deserve).

Some time ago, I heard a story about a young girl that I made a point to remember because it is such a fine example of grace. I call it....

A Story of Grace

There was a young, teenage girl up in Traveler's Park who was having a big fight with her father one night. She stormed into her room and slammed the door in her father's face shouting, "I HATE YOU!"

The father was heartbroken but did not know what to do and decided to leave her alone and give her a chance to calm down.

Inside her bedroom, the girl took action on a plan that she had rehearsed many times over. She took a bag out from under her bed that was already packed, sneaked out of the first story bedroom window, and ran away.

The girl was trying to decide where to go, and she tried to think of a place where her parents would not look for her. She remembered people always saying how dangerous Detroit was and thought that that might be a good place to go. Her parents would never think to look for her there since it was not the kind of place where a young girl should be going alone. Florida, California, sure, they might think to look in places like that, but not Detroit.

When the girl got to Detroit, she did not know anybody and was not sure what to do. She was standing on the sidewalk when a man pulled up in the biggest car she had ever seen. He was such a nice man, and when he found out her situation, he put her up in a hotel and got her something to eat "just to help her out." This nice man even gave her some pills to help her feel better.

After a few days at the hotel, the girl was thinking that this was great. Her parents must have been lying to her because her life had never been better than it was then. She was staying in a fancy hotel. She got to order whatever she wanted from room service whenever she wanted, and if she needed anything, that nice man took care of it for her.

After a while, the man started teaching the girl things. After all, she was a woman on her own now, and she would need to know what kinds of things men liked.

The girl was making her own money, and things were going great -- until one day when she was eating a bowl of cereal and saw her picture on the back of a milk carton with the caption, "Have you seen this child?" over it. She quickly dismissed it, though, because she did not need her parents. They had lied to her anyway.

As time went on, the girl worked more and more. After all, people paid a premium for young girls. Over time, though, she was becoming run down and less and less appealing. Then she got sick, and that nice man became very mean. She could not believe how mean he was. If she was not working, then she had to leave.

Out on the street, in the cold, the girl, with no money in her pockets, realized that she had nowhere to go. As she was sitting on a grate with her knees folded up to her chin, trying to keep warm under the newspaper that she had put over her jacket, the girl realized that this place was scary and that she did not want to be out here alone.

She thought about her home back in Traveler's Park with her big dog running through the yard playing. Her stomach growled. She was hungry. It was then that she realized that her dog back home was eating better than she was. She wanted to go home. Could she go home, though? By now her parents may have written her off for dead.

The girl went to the bus station and finally convinced herself to phone her parents. She got the answering machine, and she hung up. Then she tried again and got the answering machine, but she could not leave a message. Finally, on the third try, she mustered up enough courage to leave a message. "Dad? Mom? It's me. I want to come home. I am going to get on a bus that will arrive in town at about midnight tonight. If you want me back, then you can meet me there. If you are not there, then I will know that you do not want me anymore, and I will just get back on the bus."

Then the girl got on the bus and prepared herself for the seven hour drive back to Traveler's Park.

As she was riding the bus, she watched the sun go down and the sky turn dark. After a while, she started thinking that maybe she should not have left that message. Maybe her parents were on vacation and would not even get the message. Even if they did, would they come? Would they still love her? Would they even recognize her now with her bleached hair and body piercings?

She rehearsed what she would say to her father when she saw him. She would tell him how sorry she was, and that she didn't mean it, and a whole bunch of other things.

It was getting late. She looked out the window. It seemed pitch black. She had forgotten how dark it gets out here in the country at night. Then she saw the bus station up ahead. Would they be there? She took a compact out of her purse and tried to straighten her hair and wipe the lipstick off of her teeth.

The bus driver's voice came cracking over the loudspeaker, "This is Traveler's Park, and we will be here for fifteen minutes. That is it, Folks. Fifteen minutes."

The girl did not know what to expect. She slowly climbed down the bus stairs and went into the bus station. She stopped in her tracks. She did not know what to think. Not only did her parents actually show up to wait for her, but they brought her brothers, her aunts and uncles, her cousins, friends -- even Grandma was there!

After she caught her breath, she went right over to her father and started the speech that she had been rehearsing for hours. "Daddy, I am so sorry! I just-"

"Now, now, we do not have time for that. You are late for the party." It was only then that she saw, up on the wall, a big banner that someone had made on the computer that said, WELCOME HOME!

*******
Wow. If you got misty-eyed toward the end there, then you may appreciate the power of that girl's story. True love. Unconditional love. The kind of love where no matter what you do, in the end, it does not matter...you are still wanted and loved. That is the kind of love that was shown to the girl by her father and family, and THAT is the kind of love that we are offered by our Heavenly Father.

Do you know people who hold things that you have done against you? Do you know people who only want to be around you when times are good? Do you know people who get angry and do not seem to get over it? Do you know people who only want you in their life if you are what they want you to be? Can you imagine having someone in your life who is none of those things?

You can.

I am going to stop now, and I would like to invite any Christian friends to add some additional thoughts here.

If you are reading my blog and are not a Christian, then I invite you to ask any questions that you may have about God, grace, and how to find unconditional love and acceptance.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

A Testimony

Lately I have heard some testimonies that have been so inspiring, and I thought that it might be neat to share a few people's stories. Here is the first one.

You may remember me telling you about the young gal who spoke at Christ Community Church of Mooresville a few weeks ago after serving with YWAM. If you were not there or have not had a chance to hear Jackie speak, then I invite you to surf over to the church web site and watch or listen to what she had to share. (Actually, if you choose to watch, then you should probably still listen.)

Sometimes we think that our testimony is not exciting enough. Sometimes a testimony can be simple and seem to be nothing special. However, when you see how God incorporates each of our lives into the bigger picture, then you can see that each one of us really has a purpose.


It is so amazing to see someone so young have such a passion for the Lord. When I was her age, I was sooo not focused on His direction for me.

Oh, and Jackie's sermon was surely good for my spiritual fitness, eh?

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Opportunity

I am going to tell you a story about a man. While I know that some of you have heard about this man, I am sure that a lot of you have not, and it is a really good story.


There was an horrible storm, and the rains came so intensely that they started to flood the small town where he lived. The water got so high that it was almost up to his front porch, and people were doing all that they could to get to higher grounds.

The man was sitting on his front porch when a neighbor came by in a canoe and offered him a ride. "No, that is okay. I have faith in God, and I know that He will take care of me. I will be all right."

"Are you sure?" asked the neighbor. "I have room for you."

"No, that is fine. Thank you, anyway, but I will be fine."

A while later the floods had gotten so high that the man had to go upstairs in his house. He was at a window when a few people in a row boat came by and offered to get him out of there.

The man said, "No, thank you. You go on and save someone else. I have faith in God, and I believe that He is going to take care of me, so I will be okay."

"Man, the flood is getting higher and higher! You need to come with us now!" was the reply.

"No, no. I will be fine. Thank you, anyway."

When they could not talk him into getting on the boat, they left to find safety.

Later on, the floods were so high that the man's house was almost completely under water, and he was actually sitting on the top of the chimney to try to stay safe. A rescue team came by helicopter, and someone dropped a ladder to the man. "Grab the ladder and climb up!" they yelled down to him.

"No, thank you!" he yelled back. "I am going to be okay. I love God, and I have faith in Him, and I know that He will take care of me!"

The rescue worker said, "Buddy, be reasonable! The flood is over your house, and you have nowhere else to go! Grab the ladder, and we will pull you to safety!"

"NO! I will be okay! GO find someone who needs you to rescue them!"

Finally, the rescue workers had to move on because the man refused to go with them, and they did have to see if there were other people needing help.

Well...after all of that...the man did drown.

When he got to Heaven, the man went right up to God and said, "God, I do not understand. I did what I was supposed to do: I had faith in you, and I believed that you were going to save me. You did not, though. Why did you let me die?"

Then God said to the man, "My child, I send you a canoe, a rowboat and an helicopter. What more did you want me to do?"


Has the realization hit you yet? Life is so full of opportunities. Every time you turn around, there is another opportunity. How many opportunities do you think that you miss, overlook, or just pass up? Do you even realize all of the opportunities that are given to you?

Sometimes we miss an opportunity because we are too self-involved at the moment when it is presented. Sometimes we miss an opportunity because it shows up in overalls and calls itself work. (Thomas Edison.) Sometimes we miss an opportunity because we think that it is intended for someone else. Sometimes we miss an opportunity because it is not what we want at the time. Sometimes we miss an opportunity simply because we are not looking.

If you feel like something is missing in your life, I encourage you to make a point to not waste your time doing nothing because you expect nothing. Do not miss opportunities because they are not what you expect. Instead, see each opportunity for what it is.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Whew!

Yesterday I was sweeping the floor, and Boy asked, "Cleaning, Momma?"

That is right. If you have been reading my blog, then you know to what I am referring. I feel better now. Life is good. Hehe.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Busy Morning

Woke up. Got off of the bed. Pottied. Showered. Washed laundry. Unloaded dishwasher. Loaded dishwasher. Put laundry in dryer. Cooked breakfast. Fed Boy. Fed Hubby. Washed pots and pans. Unloaded dishwasher. Loaded it again. Gave Hubby a big hug and a kiss. Sent Hubby to work at home office. Gave Boy hugs and kisses. Sent Boy to play with toys. Made a cake. Put it in the oven. Asked Hubby to keep an eye on Boy. Went outside. Mowed lawn. Edged. Trimmed hedges. Raked and blew excess. Went back inside. Folded laundry. Put laundry away. Went back outside. Washed car. Washed truck. Hosed off driveway. Went back inside. Poured a drink of water. Sat down at table. Heard oven timer. Woke up.

Hmm...I guess it was not the oven timer buzzing. I feel so good that I got so much accomplished before I even woke up, though, that I think I am done for the day.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Perspective

Today was Saturday, and instead of getting to have a day to myself, we had to go help yet another person. This weekend, it was helping someone move. Ugh! We have not even known this person very long, and we had to drive, like, half an hour away to get to her house, and then another half an hour to get to her new place. Meanwhile, she made us make a stop along the way, where the trailer that we were pulling fell into a ditch on the side of the road. Gah! The furniture had to be taken off of the trailer, and we had to block the whole road to tow it back out. What a hassle. When we finally got to leave, it took us almost and hour to get home. By then it was around 3:30 PM. What a waste of a day!

Haha! GOOD GRIEF! Could you imagine if I was really like that?

Here is what actually happened.

There is someone who we met not too long ago who we have gotten to know through church and through our Life Group. We have all enjoyed getting to know her, and she recently was able to find her very own place. Woohoo! She asked us to help since we have a truck, and, of course, we did.

We started the morning with a yummy breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon and pancakes with my brother and his wife (who had spent the night Friday) and our friends, Phil and Allen, who are also from our Life Group and came to help with the move.

After breakfast, we went outside and noted what a beautiful day it was. Phil had brought his trailer, which the guys hooked to the back of the truck, and then we hit the road. We had a good time of fellowship and laughter on the way. Our friend only had a few things to move, so we were in and out of there very quickly...even including a trip for Boy to the backyard to see the chickens! (Bummer that we did not have a camera handy for the photo-opp.)

Back on the road, we headed toward the new place. We stopped along the way to pick up a coffee table. Since we pulled up to what appeared to be a long, narrow driveway, we decided to leave the trailer on the road in case there was nowhere to turn around once we got to the top of the driveway. It turned out that that was a good idea because there was nowhere to turn around the trailer. Allen hopped out of the truck to go keep Phil company at the road while Richard, Boy and I followed our friend to the house to get the table.

With the table in the truck, we drove to the end of the driveway to find that the trailer was in a ditch with the hitch pointing toward the sky. What? LOL...apparently the ditch was out of sight when the trailer was being pushed off to the side of the road. No worries, though. The guys got the couch off of the trailer, we got the trailer back on the truck, they put the couch back on the trailer, and we were on our way again. In the truck, we were all laughing and talking about the Bible verse that says that two are better than one. It was a good thing that we were all there together because one person would not have been able to get the trailer out of the ditch.

We followed our friend to her new place, got the truck, trailer, and her car unloaded, and went inside to visit for a few minutes. What an adorable place she has. I can imagine the fun that she is going to have "making it her own."

After that we all HAD to go to Mamma's Pizza & Pasta since we were nearby. The food there is sooo good, and the two brothers who own it/run it are old friends of mine from New York, so we try to support their business. The six of us ate, we talked, we laughed, we had a great afternoon. We bid our friend farewell for the day and headed back home.

What a great day we had with our friends today, those old and those new. It was such a blessing for us to be able to lend a helping hand. We enjoyed the time in the truck together joking around and laughing. Our friend got her move finished and can relax about that. We all made it safely through the activities of the day. Oh, and Richard, Boy and I got to spend the evening at home relaxing as a family. How spectacular is that?

The Moral of the Story: You can choose your perspective.

You can look at your situation and decide how to react to it. You can have a negative attitude or a positive attitude about anything. If you have a negative attitude, are you accomplishing anything besides making yourself miserable? The next time that you find yourself in a situation where you just feel the bad attitude creeping in, stop. Take a deep breath. Think. Is it really that bad? Can you look at whatever is bothering you or annoying you and see that it is possible that the only reason that it bothers you is because of your attitude?

*******
By the way, Phil looked it up later, and the Bible passage that we were discussing was Ecclesiastes 4:9 and 10.


That certainly suited us today -- in many ways! Hehe.

Sometimes I Fail

Soooo...it has been a few days since you have seen my smiling face. Here I am! Sometimes life just seems to go by so fast. This week has been interesting for me. I keep finding myself in places where I am being tested. I do not always pass the test. Here is one example.

Boy and I went to WalMart, and we found a car leaving. I parked the truck near it, put on my blinker, and waited while the car pulled out. I put the truck in reverse and proceeded to back into the parking spot. Someone came driving down the aisle from the other direction, zipped right in behind me, and "stole" my parking spot. What?! It could not have been better choreographed if it was in a comedy movie.

Then I opened my window and waited for the mystery person to get out of their vehicle. Hmm...were they going to get out? What was I going to say, anyway? Who knows. After a short wait, I left to go find another parking spot. After I drove away, I saw (in the mirror) the man get out of his vehicle. Was he waiting for me to leave, or was he just really slow? Who knows? I found a spot, parked the truck, got Boy out of his seat, and we went inside. As we walked, I thought to myself that if I saw that man (and I hoped that I did), then I would tell him that that was not a very nice thing that he did.

Boy and I got a shopping cart, and we went inside, and the man was right there! It was like he was being handed to me. I justified myself confronting him by thinking to myself that I was not going to be nasty; I was just going to point out that we he did was not a very nice thing. However, when the opportunity arose, I decided that it would really not accomplish anything except to maybe make what I now saw was an old man at the pharmacy feel bad or even confused. Boy and I continued walking right past the man, and I said nothing.

That was a good decision, right? I think that I passed that test!

Well....

I was still a little bit annoyed. A few minutes later, I happened to be turning the shopping cart down an aisle that someone else wanted to go down, and apparently it was important that they be in front of me and not behind me. Maybe it was an emergency. Perhaps something in that housewares department was going to attempt to commit suicide and jump from the shelf, so those people had to get there to position a shopping cart to save that mystery item from certain death.

I happened to be on the telephone with Richard, and I said something that I do not even remember about not being able to find what I needed, which was something to clean brass drawer pulls. A WalMart employee, who was helping the need-to-be-in-front-of-me-culprit, finished with them and asked me if he could help me find anything. "I doubt it," was my snippy retort.

Whoa! What did he do to deserve that?

I carted Boy off in a huff while still not being able to find what I wanted. As I was walking up and down the aisles of housewares, I felt bad. There was no reason for me to take my frustrations out on that WalMart employee. Then I started thinking about how one negative experience can throw off someone's day. After all, I was in a great mood and having a good day until the parking lot bandit robbed me of my parking spot. What if I inadvertently broke down that WalMart worker's happy mood?

My guess is that I failed that test.

While boy and I were walking around, I looked for the WalMart worker. I even walked back and scanned the aisles of the housewares department (even though we had since moved on to the chemicals department on the other side of the store). I wanted to apologize to him, but I did not see him.

What is my point to this whole thing? It is nothing revolutionary, but sometimes we need to be reminded. We includes me.

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. -Matthew 7:12

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. -Galatians 5:22-23

We need to think before we act. We need to be in control of ourselves. We need to be responsible for being the kind of people that have a positive effect on others. We need to treat others as well as we would want them to treat us.

We have a pillow that says, "My goal in life is to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am." Dogs see us as loving and good people, and they show us love and adoration daily. Can we not treat one another as our dogs do?