Taking for Granted or Blessed to be Granted?

My husband took a picture of our closet. I am not sure why. Maybe he was playing with the camera. Looking at this picture afterward, though, it make me think. Wow. I told Hubby that this photograph made me think of a topic about which I should write.

Do we take for granted what we have, or do we know that we are blessed to be granted what we have?

We have two walk-in closets in our bedroom. This is the smaller of the two.

I measure it and discovered that this closet is approximately 72 square feet. How does that fit into the perspective of being blessed?

There is a family of six at San Antonio de Palopo, Guatemala, who live in a 216 square foot house. That is the size of my closet three times. We barely have enough room in the closet for our clothes, and there is a father, a mother, and their four children living in something equal to just three of this closet. If you live in the United States of America, chances are that your bedroom is larger than this family's home. Are you blessed?

I was reading something written by a woman who was excited by the opportunity to get a rental car. She and her son usually ride buses and trains to get where they are going. She mentioned that riding on a bus can be uncomfortable and loud and put you around rude people and in uncomfortable situations. She mentioned that being in your own car gives you peace.

When you are riding in your car, do you consider it a place of peace? Do you appreciate it? Do you instead complain about the traffic, the cost of fuel, something else? If you have one, do you realize how blessed you are to have a car? Two? Three?

Do you get out of bed in the morning and take a shower? Do you ever soak is a relaxing bath? Is there a faucet where you can pour yourself a glass of water? Do you have a washing machine, or can you go to a laundromat to clean your clothes? Do you cook with water? Do you appreciate how blessed you are to have available, clean water to do all of these things and so much more?

Do you know that there are people who do not have access to clean water? Can you imagine drinking, bathing, washing your clothes, etc. in filth -- and to top it off, having that be normal?

While searching the internet for a photograph to use, I came across the web site for Living Water International. That is not where I found the picture above, however, I am sharing a link with you because it is an interesting web site and well worth checking out.

It is time to start getting ready for church, so I am going to finish this post. Oh. Church. The privilege to go that so many take for granted and so many others do not have. Yet another thing with which I am blessed. What blessings do you see in your life that you may take for granted?

Failure

You know that it has happened to you. You failed. You got discouraged. Maybe you even quit. Better yet, maybe you did not. People think of failure as a bad thing, and in that moment it may be. Here are some examples of famous people who failed, and then I will expand on that.

- Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks opened an animation studio in 1920, and the business collapsed after just one month.

- Jennifer Aniston auditioned to be a member of the Saturday Night Live cast, but she did not make the cut.

- Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team because of his "lack of skill."

- Marilyn Monroe was dropped, just one year into her contract because her producer thought that she was unattractive and could not act.

- Henry Ford had two automobile companies that failed before he incorporated Ford Motor Company.

- Barbra Streisand made her stage debut in a show that closed after one performance.

Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Soichiro Honda, Fred Astaire, and so many more people about whom you might know failed -- and failed big -- at some point in their lives. There is one thing that you may hope to have in common with all of these people, though. They tried. As a matter of fact, the only possible way for you to fail is to try.

If you do not want to fail, that is easy. Just do not try. Think of it this way: Thomas Edison is said to have done over 9,000 experiments before creating a successfully working light bulb. Do you think that he did the same thing over and over again? No. Of course not. He learned from his experiences, tried different things, and kept going.

YOU can do the same thing. When you fail at something, figure out why, learn from it, try again, and keep going. Failure means that an effort was made, that you are doing something to hopefully work toward your success. Good for you! Keep going.

Fun Friday - Sharing News

At a local moms web site today, someone asked if anyone had any funny or cute stories about how they shared the news that they were pregnant. I do have a cute story about how we shared the news at church.

We did not "tell" people, per se. We chose a feminine, long-sleeve, cotton shirt and had it embroidered high on the one side (where you might see a business logo or a shirt pocket) with Psalm 127:3. Whenever anyone asked what the verse said, we played dumb and waited for them to look it up. Hehe. People who got it had the best expressions and reactions. A couple of people were a little bit lost but eventually came around.

Then, some time later, Hubby and I were doing a drama of the Lord's Prayer that is an interactive conversation with God. Here is what I mean.

Me: Our Father, who art in Heaven-
God: Yeess?
Me: Do not interumpt me; I am praying!
God: I know. You called me.
Me: Called you? No, I did not. I am praying. Our Father, who art in Heaven-
God: There. You did it again.
Me: Did what?
God: You called me. You said, "Our Father, who art in Heaven." Here I am. What do you need?

Then it went on and we continued the conversation as I said each part of The Lord's Prayer. Then, further down....

Me: And give us this day, our daily bread.
God: You should probably lay off of the bread a bit, too, because you are gaining some weight.
Me: What?! I am pregnant!

Ha! This got some interesting reactions from people who did not find out the first time.

We like to do things with a fun twist whenever we can. Maybe one day I will tell you about the garter at our wedding.

Do you have any cute stories that you would like to share just because they are fun or just because they make you smile? Go for it!

Letting Yourself Enjoy Life

We took Boy to the swimming pool the other night for the first time this season.

During his first summer, Boy enjoyed the swimming pool and even learned to float. We floated along the lazy river with him. We played in the children's area with him. He was even starting to learn to kick. He was comfortable with the water.

During his second summer, Boy did not want much to do with going into the pool water. He would put his feet at the edge -- a little bit -- and he would run around the pool and play outside of the water, yet that was his comfort limit.

This is Boy's third summer, and he was cautiously playing at first. Then he was all about the fun! He jumped into his Poppie's arms. He kicked his legs while we held him. He played with water toys. He climbed up the ladder and down the stairs. Boy even willingly went under water with me a couple of times while I held his nose. He was having a happy time.

Does this pattern of behavior seem familiar to you (minus the pool hair)?

Think about it. Do you ever discover something new and not really think about it at first? For whatever reason, you just accept it. Then, later, when you take the time to think about it, you are unsure if you are comfortable with it. You shy away. Finally, when you have more time to learn about it and "test the waters," you decide that it might be okay. Oh, and having someone by your side does not hurt.

A small child is learning about the things of this world. When a child discovers something, it may take them a while to understand it and accept it. As adults, we have an advantage because we have lived for many years and [hopefully] learned from many experiences. Sooo...what is our excuse for being so apprehensive when it comes to new and exciting possibilites?

Do we lack faith? Do we lack trust? Do we lack self-confidence? Why would we when we have someone who is with us and watches over us wherever we go?

My prayer for Boy is that my husband and I will raise him to know this and that he will feel confident in himself and secure in the Lord on whatever path he takes.

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. -Proverbs 22:6

You Are Not Good Enough

Do you ever feel like you are not good enough? Do others make you feel like you are not good enough? Why?

Who are you?

If you are not sure of the answer to that question, let me help you. YOU are a child of God. God. There is no one above God, and you are His child. Would you dare to tell God's child that he or she is "not good enough?"

Then why would you believe that about yourself?

You are right. You are far from perfect. So am I. It can be confusing at time to believe that God would want anything to do with any of us. However, when you read the Bible, you will note that God loved and used many flawed and imperfect people to accomplish His works here on Earth. If you do not know the Bible very well, or at all, and are curious, here are two examples.

King David lusted after and had an affair with Bathsheba, who was married to Uriah the Hittite. King David decided that he wanted Bathsheba for himself, so he had Uriah murdered. Gee, he was a swell guy, eh?

Rahab was a prostitute. Enough said?

Would you agree that these two people were not perfect? Of course! They have "mess" written all over them. They were still God's children, though, and they were part of God's plan in a variety of areas. (You may remember the story of David and Goliath.) Most importantly, though, David and Rahab, and plenty of other imperfect people, were part of the lineage that brought Jesus Christ to Earth.

...and we can do all things through Christ, sooo...

Stop thinking that you do not have the right education, you are a slow learner, you are not good looking enough, you do not come from a good enough family, or any negative thing about yourself.

Were David and Rahab "good enough?"

You are a child of God, and that makes you special, beautiful, capable. If it is your purpose to do something, then you can bet that you will be good enough to do it. Do not bring yourself down with self-doubt, and do not give anyone else the power to bring you down.

Now lay your right arm across your front and put your hand on your back. Then put your left arm across your front and put your hand on your back. Did you do it? You have just given yourself a hug. I bet your feel better already!

Fun Friday - Weekend ABCs

Using the next letter of the alphabet, share something that you would like to do this weekend. Whether you are actually going to do it or not is irrelevant. It is all about what you would like to do, so have fun with it!

A = This weekend, I would like to AVOID the heat!

Thankful on Thursday - People

Who is someone for whom you are thankful and why? I am not referring to the obvious people who are important to us every day, like firefighters and soldiers and doctors. I am talking about a regular, every day person who may normally not even come to mind.

For example, I am thankful for the person who bag groceries at the supermarket because if I had to get every little thing into the car and drag every big thing without handles, it would be quiet the hassle. Imagine how many trips back and forth to the car it would take just to bring your food and supplies inside when with bags, it could be done in one trip. It is a small thing, I know, but that is the point of this week's Thankful on Thursday.

I am thankful for the person who cleans the bathroom wherever we go. That is, assuming that the bathroom is actually clean. Eww...you know what I mean. For those who do, you have to admire them. How many people would want to wash a public bathroom?

I am thankful for the person who makes socks. Even in the summertime, I like socks. They can make my feet feel cozy.

So many things that are done for us each day are done by people we do not know or may never meet, yet they are no less important. When was the last time that you thanked someone for doing their job? Do it, and I believe that you will surprise some people and give a smile to others.

For what everyday people are you thankful?

Right Lane Living

As the day progressed yesterday, I thought from time to time about blogging. Obviously, I did not get to it. I did not get to much. For a long time now, I have not gotten much sleep. I am physically exhausted. I drag myself through each day, sometimes getting little accomplished. When I do get things accomplished, it is often for someone else and not for me.

Yes, I know that I am usually positive and upbeat, and I make a point to enjoy life. However, I am entitled to not be "up" once in a while. Now is one of those times. In additional to being physically exhausted, I feel mentally weary. (They probably go hand-in-hand.) I feel like I am always going, encouraging, supporting, reaching out to others...but who is there to reach out to me and my family?

I know, I know. It is better to give than receive -- and I (we) believe that -- yet sometimes it is lonely feeling like no one cares back. I know, I know. Lots of people care. Blah, blah, blah.

Sometimes I miss the days of my youth. Neighbors looked out for one another, friends stopped by, people invited you to their place for dinner or to visit.

Growing up, we lived on a circle, and almost everyone on the entire street knew each other. The children played together. The parents knew the other children and their parents. It was a community. These days, though we know the neighbors directly around us, we do not know many beyond that. To those that we do know, we may wave in passing, if that. There is no community.

Growing up, we had friends. Friends would ring your doorbell and ask if you wanted to go outside and play. Friends would invite you to their home for dinner, to watch a movie, to play games, to just enjoy one another's company. These days, if you are blessed enough to even have any friends, they are often too busy. Life has gotten so rushed. People take on so much and are often scurrying to get to the next thing.

I think that I am going to coin the phrase "Right Lane Living." (Unless anyone beat me to it?) We need to get back into the slow lane, relax, see where we are now and not be in such a mad, tense hurry to get wherever we think we are going.

Why are we in such an hurry, after all? Is it really so important that you are two car lengths farther up the road that you need to cut someone off? Is it really so important that you arrive ninety seconds earlier that you need to run that red light, potentially putting your family and others in danger? Is it really so important that you say what you want to say that you cannot wait until the other person finishes their sentence? Is it really so important to get through your day that you you cannot pause to realize that you are not the only person in your day? Is anything really so important? (I mean, unless you drive an ambulance or a fire truck.)

Maybe you agree with me. Maybe you think that I am just whining. Either way is fine.

The Umbrellas and the Key

We headed south this past Friday evening to do a few things at the beach house. When we got around seventy miles down the road, we realized that we did not bring a KEY to the beach house.

For a few moments, my husband thought that I was kidding. I was not. I had forgotten the key.

I laughed. He got angry.

When we left home, I went back inside two times for things that we had forgotten. As I was leaving (for the third time), I told the house/pet sitter that we were leaving and that if we forgot anything else, it was our own problem. Ha-ha! Little did I know what I was saying.

You see, we always forget something. It is like there is a scientific law for us: The Law of Taking Trips. This time, tough, I realized that I forgot Boy's beach umbrellas. Bummer! Knowing that we forgot the beach umbrellas, though, we should have been safe.

WRONG.

Seemingly, the Law of Taking Trips was faulty. All of these years, knowing that we would always forget something, it turned out that we could, in fact, forget some things.

I phoned a friend of ours, who also happens to be the person who cleans the beach house. You know what that means, right? Yes! She has keys to the house. I got her voice mail and left a message.

For a short while longer, while driving down the highway, my husband was agitated and irritable. Then he turned on the right blinker and drove off of the next exit. When I asked him what he was doing, he said that there was no point to drive all the way down to the house without a key. I said, “We can stay at an hotel.” That did not go over well.

“Sure, because we are made of money!” Let me clarify this for those who do not know us. We have close to half a million hotel points. Money was not the issue because we did not have to spend money to get a hotel room.

Whatever words were said next, I do not remember, but Hubby got back onto the highway and continued driving south. A few minutes later, a different friend from down at the beach phoned. When I told him what happened, he immediately offered to let us stay at his and his wife's place. What a blessing it is to have such an hospitable friend.

After thanking our friend and assuring him that we would phone him if it came to that, I finished the telephone call and looked at my husband. “May I ask you to just choose not to be cranky and to see the humor in this and think of it as an adventure?”

I think that my husband, though frustrated, realized (after I pointed it out) that being angry or upset was not going to fix anything. It was not going to make the key suddenly appear. His jaw seemed to unclench, and he relaxed a bit. It was getting to be that calm and quiet time of the day when the sun sets, yet it is still light outside. I took off my sunglasses and opened the center console to put them away. When I looked into the console, I saw something buried in there which I then felt compelled to grab. It was another set of car keys.

We do not leave keys in that car. Duh. Somehow, though, this set had gotten left in the car. After a quick examination, we saw that this particular set of keys happened to have a key on it that we thought went to the beach house.

How funny is it that as soon as my husband let go of his frustration and made the decision to not be cranky about the situation, it was almost instantly resolved? Yes, when we arrived a few hours later we discovered that that key was for the house. (Thank the Lord!) At around midnight, we entered the house and were able to relax from our journey.

We know that God took care of us Friday night and showed use where there was a key that we needed. How interesting is it that the one time we forgot to bring the keys in the house and left them in the car, it turned out to be part of His plan? He knew that we would need them.

Now I am able to report that the Law of Taking Trips still holds its definition. Thankfully, the beach umbrellas really were all that we were missing, after all. Of course, under the hot, summer sun at the beach, those would really have come in handy.

Label Sphere Help

It came to my attention that not everyone knows what is the Label Sphere or why it is on my blog, so I am posting now to tell you. Isn't that nice of me?

On the right side of my blog there is a short paragraph about me. Under that there is a box where you can click to share the page of my blog where you are right now on Facebook (Share it now.) or on Twitter (You know you want to.). Under that is a Label Sphere.

I put the Label Sphere there to help people be able to find a specific post, or kind of post, more easily. When you scroll your cursor over the sphere, it will rotate. You can then click on whichever category you want to visit, and it should bring you to a page with only the posts from that category. As of today when I post this, the categories are:

a message -- sharing a message that I hope will speak to some
personal -- self-explanitory
personal plus -- a personal post with a bit of a message included
for fun -- fun posts, including Fun Fridays
testimony -- sharing of people's testimonies or stories
holidays -- posts on and about Holidays
contest -- announcing or related to contests

miscellaneous -- this post?

I hope that this has been helpful for those who did not know. 8^)

Good Morning, World!

Today is Sunday, and it is a beautiful day! No, I have not been outside yet. I know that it is a beautiful day simply because I decided that it is. Now put on a happy face, and make today the best that it can be. You know that you want to.

My Promise

There is a web site across which I stumbled this week that I want to share with you because it is a special kind of web site.

The web site lists a promise from God listed for each day.

For the fun of it, I decided to look up my birth date. The promise from God for March 5th was 1 Peter 2:9b, and it was a jaw dropper.

If you know me personally, or if you have been following my blog, you may know that I have been struggling with being lead to share my testimony. At first I was resistant. Then I finally felt comfortable sharing it with our Thursday small group and our pastor. Now I am ready to go out and tell the world.

There is another piece, though. It seems clear that my husband and I are intended to share our testimonies together. What a crazy and interesting story our lives have weaved together. I imagine that even the people who know us best would not believe it. It is beyond amazing to see how the Lord has worked in both of our lives individually and then in our life together that we hope that we can glorify Him with our collective testimony.

In case you are wondering what the Bible verse that was listed as God's promise for March 5th says, here it is.

God has brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now you must tell all the wonderful things that he has done. - 1 Peter 2:9b

Pretty incredible, right?

You can check out www.365promises.com to see today's Bible verse or to see any date's verse. You can also pick up a Bible and open it and start reading. you never know what the Holy Spirit might show you.

Oh, and if you do not have a Bible, feel free to ask me for one.

Favorite Jokes

There was a mama tomato rolling through the garden with one of her little tomatoes behind her. The little tomato was dilly-dallying and was starting to lag behind, so the mama tomato turned around and bopped the little tomato on the head and said, "CATCHUP!"

Today is Fun Friday! This week, I think that it would be fun to share some things that make us smile, that make us laugh. When you comment below, please share your favorite joke. Actually, share any joke that you think is fun. Mind benders, word twisters, or just plain silly jokes are all welcome. Keep it rated PG is all I ask.

A frog hopped into a bank, hopped over to a loan officer's desk, and hopped up on the chair. "May I help you?" asked the woman behind the desk.

Seeing that her name was Patricia Whack, the frog replied, "Yes, Ms. Whack. I would like to apply for a loan."

Ms. Whack was a bit taken aback because there was a frog sitting at her desk asking for a loan. "Sir, may I ask your name, and what kind of collateral do you have?"

"My name is Reginald Jagger,and I have this for collateral," he replied as he put a small, pink, ceramic elephant on her desk.

Confused, the loan officer excused herself and told the frog that she would be right back. She went to her manager's office and said, "I am not sure what to do! There is a frog at my desk asking for a loan, and he gave me this little, pink, ceramic elephant as collateral."

The bank manager leaned over to look out his door so that he could see her desk, and then he abruptly sat up and said to her, "It's a knick-knack, Patty Whack, give the frog a loan. his old man's a Rolling Stone!"

Thankful on Thursday

Our Life Group played a game recently during which we had to quickly name things for which we are thankful. When one of my turns came, I said, "Blood."

A few people laughed at me and said, "Blood?!"

Okay, then "the blood." When referring to the blood of Christ, they accepted my answer. However, why not be grateful for blood? Blood is important to our bodies. Blood has:

• red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body
• white blood cells, which fight infections
• platelets, which are cells that help you stop bleeding if you get a cut
• plasma, a yellowish liquid that carries nutrients, hormones, and proteins throughout the body

That is certainly something for which to be thankful in my book!

I am also thankful for drapes. Yes, drapes, not curtains. Yes, there is a difference. No, I am not a decorating fanatic. Drapes are functional. Honest, they are!

I do not get as much sleep as I would like at night. I can rarely sleep with daylight, and we have a lot of windows. If we were not able to close the drapes and darken our bedroom, I may not sleep much at all.

Also, I am grateful for oil. I know that these days, with the oil spill, and the damage happening with that, people are calling for boycotts and are committing to avoiding a certain company. However, this horrible accident withstanding, we depend on oil. I am not talking about the fact that it fuels our vehicles so that we can get from point A to point B and do what we need to do to live our lives. In fact, many people may not realize just how much we depend on oil.

Do you know those plastic hangers on which we hang our clothes? Made with oil. Do you know those clothes that you wear with the special wicking to try fast and help you stay cool? Made with oil. Do you know those disposable razors that you use to shave before you get dressed? Made with oil. Do you know those swing sets in which our children play? Made with oil. Do you know those photo albums where we put the photographs that we took of our children playing on swing sets? Made with oil. Do you know that mosquito spray that you put on your children after they have been playing outside on that swing set? Made with oil. Do you know that laptop on which people type to complain about a certain oil company? Made with oil.

Today I challenge you to take note of things for which you are thankful that you might not notice or consider every day. Appreciate the things that we may normally take for granted. Will you share with the rest of us three of those things? Maybe we can each see through one another's eyes to remember allof that with which we are blessed every day.

T.H.I.N.K.

Have you ever heard the expression Think before you speak? A long time ago, I learned it in a different way. I learned to truly T.H.I.N.K. When you are about to say something about which you are unsure, take a few seconds to run it through your mind.

It is True? Do you know that it is the truth? Is it gossip? Are you embellishing to make something else seem more interesting?

Don't be in any rush to become a teacher, my friends. Teaching is highly responsible work. Teachers are held to the strictest standards. And none of us is perfectly qualified. We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you'd have a perfect person, in perfect control of life.

Is it Helpful? Will it benefit anyone for you to say this?

A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!

Is it Important? What is the reason that you are considering saying this?

It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.

Is it Necessary? Does it really need to be said, or do you just like to hear yourself talk?

This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue—it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!

Is it Kind? Will it hurt someone if you say it? Will it lift up someone?

My friends, this can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?

If you run through the list, and you cannot answer yes to any of these questions, then why would you say it? Should you say it?

True

Helpful

Important

Necessary

Kind

Bible verses quoted from James 3 in The Message.

My Son's Eyes

Do you enjoy life? Seriously. Do you see things with wonder? Do you smile at nature? Do you take a moment to soak in good experiences?

Or....

Do you see things as someone who is always rushing and trying to get to the next thing? Are you too harried to enjoy life as it happens? Are you too bitter or jaded to really "see" life happening?


This weekend, we took Boy to Tweetsie Railroad to see Thomas the Tank Engine. We took him on the train ride, and it hit me how he sees things through such positive and appreciative eyes. This was his first time riding on a real train, and he was so happy that, for a few moments, it seemed like he was not physically able to close his mouth. His jaw dropped and hung there from the wonder and thrill of riding the train.


As I was sitting behind him with the camera, and Poppie (Hubby) was sitting next to him, there were two little boys sitting in front of him who had season passes. Those boys seemed to have been there a lot and felt compelled to show off what they knew. They kept telling us what was going to happen and what we were going to see and who was the actor portraying the Indian Chief, etc. Each time they did it, I had a small twinge of annoyance. I did not let it bother me too much, though, because I realized that they were excited...yet they would not stop -- even after I asked them to. (I would certainly not want to watch a movie with those two.)

Boy, however, seemed to not even notice as he looked out the side of the train and enjoyed what he saw. Boy smiled. Life was good for him. He was happy.

If you were on that same train ride, what would you see? Would you see the crowds? Would you see the dirt and weeds and mess of the forest? Would you see the annoying children in front of you? Would you see the cheesy horse and buffalo statues and wonder how much longer it would be until the ride was finished?

Or....

Would you see the amazing rocks formed off the side of the mountain? Would you see the exciting imagination of the sites and story of the cowboys and Indians? Would you see the beautiful mountain views in the distance? Would you see the genuine happiness of a small child?

Would you see everything with the wonder of a small child?


The next time that you find yourself hurrying or frustrated by unimportant things or just not in a good mood, will you think about my sweet boy and his innocent and appreciative way of seeing things around him? Will you remember that there is wonder and beauty in everything if you just open your eyes to it?

Or....

What would you say?

I saw someone post on Facebook that she was feeling down in the dumps, and people responded by telling her that other people had it worse than her. One person even listed other people who were having "real" problems. This made me pause and think about the fact that people's first reaction seemed to be to criticize her rather than comfort her. She was feeling bad. Were her feelings not valid?

No matter how bad you have it, someone always has it worse. You have heard that, right? Why do people say that? Is that meant to be comforting? Yes, I know that your dog died, and your mom is in the hospital, and your husband has not worked in a year, and your kid has the flu, and you sprained your ankle, and someone ran into your car in the parking lot, but remember that no matter how bad you have it, someone always has it worse.

HUH?!

Have we so little compassion as a society that we will not say, "I am sorry that you are feeling bad. Is there anything that I can do to help you?" Does it take too much more effort to ask why someone is feeling bad or what happened to make them feel that way than it takes to tell them to get over it?

Compassion is defined as a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

Imagine all of the greatness in life that we would not experience without compassion. Imagine what a miserable life (or death) we would have if the Lord showed us no compassion. Imagine how alone we would feel without giving or experiencing compassion.

Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. -Thessalonians 5:11

I encourage you to make an extra effort to be compassionate this week. If someone is hurting or having a bad day, do not be quick to criticize them -- or avoid them -- but instead take the time to care.

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. -Galations 6:2

New Contest!

This contest will be in two parts.

1. Comments. The person who comments on the most posts will be a winner. Comments must be dated from June 4th through July 31st, yet they can be on any post as far back as you want to read.

2. Referrals. The person who refers the most friends who become followers and post comments will be a winner. The friends, after following this blog, must comment on this post and say that you referred them. First names or screen names are fine.

There will be TWO different prizes for this contest. One of the prizes will be a gorgeous, handmade, quilted tote from BRB called "Stars R Stripes" -- picture coming soon! The second prize will be announced. Since a few people have asked me about the contest, though, I wanted to get it posted so that those who want to can start competing. Hehe. Yes, this contest is a shameless ploy to try to grow my little blog some more.

Thank you for stopping by, and I look forward to seeing what is in store for us these coming weeks!

Thunder

Wow, that one was loud and sounded really close to our bedroom window! At around 5:30 PM yesterday, with a start, my mind was suddenly on full alert. Then, almost right away, I thought, "Hey! I can write about thunder!"

To start, so that we are clear, I do not believe in superstitions. With that in mind, I thought that it might be interesting to look at some of the many things that people associate with thunder.

- Mistletoe in the house protects it from thunder and lightning.
- Thunder following a funeral means that the dead person's soul has reached heaven.
- Thunder in February is thought to indicate snow in May.
- Every day that it thunders in February, it will be cold enough to frost the same day in May.
- Back in Roman times, bay leaves were thought to protest from thunder and lightning, ill-fortune, and witchcraft.
- If it thunders before 7:00 AM, then it will rain before 11:00 AM.
- Winter thunder means snow within ten days.
- Church bells were pealed during thunderstorms to prevent damage by lightning and to protect those within hearing range.
- A Japanese superstition says that you if you hear thunder, hide your belly button or the god of thunder will eat it.

When I was younger, I can remember saying that thunder was the angels bowling, and lightning was when they got a strike. Hehe. I still like to think that that is a good explanation for the thrilling phenomenon.

What is thunder in the scientific sense? Thunder is the sound that lightening makes. I am not going to get into a whole science lesson here, yet here is a neat web page about it.

Do you have any stories or thoughts about thunder that you might like to share?

You Tell Me

Though I am working on writing something, this afternoon I decided to pause and ask you, my copious readers, about what topics you might like to see me write. Make any suggestions that you want: serious, curious, maybe even silly. I will accept comments for the next couple of days and then choose one or two (or more) and start thinking. Thank you, and I look forward to seeing what you crazy kids decide to suggest.

May Contest Winner

What an enjoyable time I have had writing my blog and reading your comments and seeing my followers list grow and seeing other people post my blog on Facebook to share with their friends.

This brings us to the day when I announce the winner of the Chocolate Treat Pack! Can you believe that there were eighty-five entries? Not too shabby for a baby blog, eh? I am happily anticipating what June will bring. For now, though, without further ado, may I get a drum roll, please?

The winner of the Chocolate Treat Pack iiiiisss....

BONNIE!

Congratulations, Bonnie, and be sure to contact me within forty-eight hours to claim your prize.

You know me, though, and I like to go that extra step for people. Hehe. I have decided to offer a second prize of a Blended Beverage Mix to the person who had the most entries. Was that person you? I do not know. Is your name HEATHER? Woohooo, Heather, and thank you for supporting my blog! (Keep doing that!) Hehe.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who is commenting on my blog and helping it grow. I love feeling the love from you all, so please keep it coming.

Now for the announcement of the next contest for my blog. Are you ready? Not yet? Okay, then I will wait. Be looking for the post about it later!