One Voice

Broken Hallelujah

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 11:37:00 +0000

"Take the hand of the person next to you and let's pray." It was a baby dedication at church, but with those words, the dam broke. The whisperings I couldn't identify and fears I fought to validate by acknowledgement, rushed unbridled through the canyons of my heart. And again, tears.

I'm part of our church worship team. Often as I sit and look out at my church family and feel thankful for people who worship unashamed, empathy for families who have suffered loss, encouragement from those who are living above their trials through the strength of God. Last Sunday, I felt naked.

The worship set started. We took our places and began the first chorus. I tried to push my torment down, but my voice soon faltered. Strength evaporated and by the third chorus, my voice fell silent. I prayed. God, this is all I can do right now. I'm here, before You. This is all I have for You today.

When a broken hallelujah all you have,
that is all God wants.

Without Words

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 03:39:00 +0000

"I just can't believe that is what God means.

I can't believe that is what God wants."

Cloaked in the comfort of a dark evening, words flowed, weaving the uneven rhythm of a searching heart. Stories of people with a law-based belief and people, who name God their own, but live like He is not; church pew Christians who leave God behind at the last Amen, and blend seamlessly with the world. He said, “It is a confusing message.”

I didn’t hear about what people said to him. I heard about what he saw.

"It is no use walking anywhere to preach

unless our walking is our preaching."
Francis of Assisi

Our testimony is WITHOUT WORDS.

We try to live in such a way that no one will be hindered

from finding the Lord by the way we act,

and so no one can find fault with our ministry. 2 Chor. 6:3

He recognized something not right. Of that I am glad. I wondered though, has he ever seen enough of the real Jesus to fully understand a counterfeit?

His words urged me. Search.

How can we who call ourselves believers of God, Christians, lead people from the truth? How is it possible that we can give such an altered impression of God that people lose desire to know Him for themselves? How can I? Many times, my actions don't line up with my words.

I am on the worship team at church. I can think of more than one Sunday helping lead worship and wondering if my daughter might be thinking What a fake. It was difficult to remember the fight we had the day before or even that morning and then stand there and worship as if my heart were pure. Thankfully, worship purifies.

How about the new guy at work, who is developing a dislike for me because I am not very kind and patient with him. And then there is family. I wish I could look past my lack of grace toward my family. But I can't. Why is it so challenging for me to be loving, open and accepting with them? Lord have mercy.

For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved

and those who are perishing. 2 Chor. 2:15

Sometimes I get it right. Sometimes I get it wrong.

I don't want to hinder. I want to be a fragrance.

A fragrance Without Words.

For more impressions on this quote see our host Tami at The Next Step and Writing Canvas.

Hide in Plain Sight

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 10:30:00 +0000

I knew when I typed. I wanted to make her real and It always costs me something in my last post, I was in for it.

Welcome to the tennis match of God's workshop. Into my orderly life He lobbed a seemingly innocent stint on stage followed by the cross court backhand of my friend's post The Best Way To Hide and rushed the net for the kill shot by throwing me into a situation I haven't allowed in years. Years!

Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Psalm 61:1-4

I learned early to run to God's comfort and security. He is the only true and safe place when any of us face what is bigger than us. But, had I taken it to a professional level? Instead of hiding to dwell with Him, was I just hiding?

When it comes to acting, I work hard. If the character isn't real, people will not relate. A character without layers is not real. Thus my predicament. To achieve a depth of layers, I have to dig deep into my own. Trust me, they are many and deep and have been hidden for a long time. This is where the cost comes. When the script is placed back on the shelf, the pesky tools I dug around to find are not so easily returned. They demand the attention of reality stripped of any character I conjure in my imagination.

Our church Christmas program this year was about loss. I thought I had escaped digging into my past, when I was asked to be the Assistant Director. One night, we worked a key scene again and again. Everyone was exhausted and the actors, though amazing, were struggling to understand what the director wanted. I sat there on the front row, heart pounding, bargaining with God. Don't make me go there! Please, don't make me talk about it. I obeyed and forced my biggest skeleton out of hiding. Telling them what it felt like to have an unfaithful husband was as excrutiating that night as the day I found out. Although I was a mess for weeks, God replaced what I released with another healing step forward.

Compared to Christmas, I breezed through my next play even though God continued His relentless baseline volley. This time the lessons were offstage. I wanted to put the tools safely away. I wanted to say. Let the retreat begin! He said, No. You have to quit hiding it. If you want to be mine, you can't keep hiding from pain. You have to be willing to hurt again.

The ball is in my court. Now what am I going to do about it?
This is for me.

This is for you. Are there things you would rather hide? Please don't let me think I'm the only one. The ball is in your court. What do you want to do about it?

The Stage of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 04:05:00 +0000

Sunday wrapped up performances of Annie Get Your Gun. I played Dolly, a silly character who ended up on the short end of many jokes. Poor Miz, Tate indeed! But, I didn't want to just provide punchlines, I wanted to make her real.

My adventure had it's final bow and I wrangled my last gun. Why, when I know how behind I am on projects for my soon to graduate daughter and work is on overload, don't I feel total relief? Afterall, my life that went into a holding pattern is now screaming for attention.

Even though I was pushed reluctantly into this production, I loved it. Some people don't get why I do theater. Sure it is an escape from daily life, but there is so much more. Putting myself into something like that is thrilling, exhausting, scary, tons of fun and it always costs me something. By Sunday night, the stage was bare, the theater cleaned and the goodbyes said. My emotions crashed against each other and I was in an exhausted heap.

God, what was that all about? How can something be so fulfilling and leave me empty at the same time? Why do I do this?

Creation. The excitement and applause of performance are nice, but what I love, love, LOVE is the process of creation. I am fascinated by discovering a character, learning what makes them who they are and bringing them to life. There are bits and pieces in the script and clues in what other people bring to the process, figuring out where my character is going and how it fits into the big picture of the story. Then gathering all the little shards, pressing them together and molding them into something real, relatable. I'm not saying I'm great at it and I'm learning more every time, but that process is what I love.

It is what real life is about. Creation. God gives us a script, the bible. He puts people and things in our lives who shape the process. He has a big picture plan for each of us, and a journey we are on. Our lives are His stage.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

God, keep me focused and passionate in pursuit of the me You created. Help me discover, be drawn forward and molded by You so I can be ready for good works and worthy of whatever stage you choose for me.

Again

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 04:05:00 +0000

If I made a list of my favorite years, years upon remembering bring a smile to my heart, 2010 would not be on it. There was no catastrophic event, when once survived, I could pin a badge of courage. It was simply the accumulation of life. Family loss, business changes, work stress, overwhelming demands, health challenges. I would be embarrassed to divulge details because any one of these are small potatoes compared to the suffering some faced. Nevertheless, I was worn down.

By mid-December I was checking off days until I could turn the calendar, close the lid on a tough year and tuck it on the back shelf. I know there isn’t anything changed on the 1st than there was on the 31st, but it just feels different. A clean start. With much of the muck resolved, I hoped 2011 would be a year of ease. Boy, was I ready for ease. I peered into the months ahead and I knew they would times to embrace and savor.

Christmas week, our business got a bad report. My spirit slumped. In the following days, the breadth of the situation widened. Business was brought nearly to a complete stop while we assessed, regrouped and planned. This problem will negatively impact our business until long into 2012. My hope of ease vanished.

God, do we really have to do this AGAIN?

" . . . to refuse to bend our shoulders to carry a load

is to miss a new opportunity for growth."

J.R. Miller from Streams in the Desert

Yes, AGAIN. He said

I sat before Him in silence. I should have felt despair, panic, anger and sure, I felt some of that. But those emotions came like a faint whisper. What came boldly was comfort from all the challenges God has brought me through. That knowing swept over me.

If I had not chosen to bend to those loads in the past, despair and panic would still rule. But I did bend and God bent with me. In choosing to bend, God strengthened my resolve, my dependence and my knowing Him.

This year will not be easy. I can't say what life will look like as it wanes. It may not look pretty, but I know it will be allright. Facing the heaviness of burdens is easier now because I chose to bend. Of course there are plenty of times I chafe from the strain. Times my focus falters and I blow it. But, every time I choose to bend again, so does God.

He who listens to me shall dwell securely

and shall be at ease from the dread of evil.

Prov 1:33

This year will be a different kind of ease.

I choose to bend. AGAIN.

You Kissed My Scar

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:55:00 +0000

You kissed my scar.
Me.

A slumdog.
And You bent down.

You offered me shelter when I was lost against the elements.
You relished my companionship, stirring hope.
You encouraged me to run, be free.
You never forgot.
You found me. Again and again.
You pursued me relentlessly.

Me. A slumdog.
When I was battered by the world, You defended me.
Tarnished and stained by evil and You saw me.
When I was bitter in my unworthiness, You kept coming.
When I was trapped, You never gave up.
I dared to allow hope to flicker and You called me.
You kissed my scar.

Every time I watch this movie, it won’t let me go. Lingering in my depths, I am brokenly aware of never ending, never failing love. Gratitude overwhelms.

God, You see me. Me.

And with the insistence of water carving canyons, You open my soul.

This is the way God put it:
"They found grace out in the desert,
these people who survived the killing.
Israel, out looking for a place to rest,
met God out looking for them!"
God told them, "I've never quit loving you and never will.
Expect love, love, and more love!

The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying,
"I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.

I am overwhelmed and undone by your pursuing, unrelenting love.

I hope.

As the canyon widens, I learn.

You kiss my scar and my brokenness is undone.
You kiss my scar and in Your love, I am a millionaire.

Sacrifice and Sweetness

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:40:00 +0000

Today, I flew through Chicago. I sat next to a soldier who had just finished his tour of duty.

"It was a long year," he said. And now his journey home. Iraq, Kuwait, Germany, Maine, Indiana, Chicago. A travel weary young man, yet we had a pleasant talk.

As the wheels touched the tarmac of his hometown I said, "Welcome home."

He nodded and a smile welled like a natural spring to light his whole being. "Thanks."

We were strangers, but with those simple words, we shared a moment entwined with the sacrifice of service and the sweetness of home.

It was a privilege.

Love Overcomes Loss

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 14:48:00 +0000

Christmas day. I wonder at the unexplainable.

A young couple barely married a year, expecting their first child, looking for a new house to call home and welcome their expanding love. They are ready to share a holiday of brimming hope. Instead of preparing for the tiny blessing on it's way, they face a very different task this Christmas. Planning the funeral of their precious little girl they will never get to hold. A tiny life designed and chosen by God, lost before her first breath. This should not be so. I cannot imagine their pain. It is unexplainable.

Another young couple facing the scorn of the pregnant unwed. Searching for a place to welcome their child. Her child. Determined to be a family, they plan. They hope and love grows. This tiny miracle, the most magnificent in all history enters our world with a cry. Breathing in our frailty. Does he know, even then? A moment before he was God, infused with power to do anything, to know everything. What did He lose to give himself to us? God designed and chose every moment. I can't imagine the depth of grief in giving His child to die. It should not be so. But it is. He chose to give.

It is unexplainable. All I can think is:

Love Overcomes Loss.

Today I have two prayers. One for the baby lost, that love will overcome in the grieving family. Another, for the baby given. Love born. Let Him overcome our hearts.

Operation Buy Wheels-The Plot Thickens

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:45:00 +0000

AAAAKKK! Someone pulled the grenade pin and lobbed it! I'm doing this car buying thing slowly and methodically, dare I say wisely, and they have the audacity to announce the deadline is only FOUR days away. Kaboom. No more $4,500 dollar scrap metal.

I can't even put Step 5 into action by Monday. Wait you say, I'm counting and what happened to Step 4? Ok for the few of you who read my last post on car buying and noticed, THANK YOU. I'd send you a free book but I'm not currently in with any publishers. I do have a delectable can of black beans in the cupboard. Interested?

Ok fine.

Step 4 isn't that much fun anyway. After test drive Saturday, Sunday came-church. Well, church was totally fun, but I mistakenly mentioned my escapades to a Pastor's wife. The Pastor's wife who I sat by during Financial Peace University with Dave Ramsay. Yes, her husband led the class. Oh the things that pass my lips. With both index fingers pointing and thumbs cocked like handguns, she jumped into protect your sister from a HUGE mistake mode. (She is as sweet as can be and I love her, but. . . I want a car). It gets worse.

Pastor was teaching on 1 Chorinthians and smack in the middle of his sermon he launches this rocket. "A lot of people are excited about buying a new car in the government program. I don't care if you're getting $4,500. If you can't afford the payments, don't do it. I didn't say that in first service, there must be someone here who needs to hear that." UGH! Service ended and I tried to make my tactical retreat when I was intercepted by the aforementioned Pastor of Finance. (I just gave him a new title) "I hear you need to listen to a lesson from FPU again. I'll get you the DVD's."

Throw up the white flag. I gave up and meekly followed to the office for the dreaded DVD's of reason. You'd be proud of me I listened-twice and an extra lesson to boot. I even pulled out the car cd's and listened to the savings lesson. It's coming back to me now.

Think!
The economy.
The budget.
The need.
The desire.

Strike the desire.

I decided to take a break and pray more, listen harder. My verse this month has been Prov 1:33

He who listens to me shall dwell securely.

He shall live at ease from the dread of evil.

I guess Step 5 will have to wait until tomorrow. I'm hyperventilating tonight.

Operation Buy Wheels

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:05:00 +0000

I'm trying to make a decision. The bigger the decision, the more I research. The more potential impact, the more I seek advice. The bigger the consequence of making the wrong decision the harder I pray.

Research, seek advice and pray - sounds like a wise combination.
Right?
And everyone said, "Amen".

Should I get a new car through the government trade in program? We need a car. Seriously, we do. Our '78 Caprice Classic doesn't qualify and I want to keep our good car, a previously wrecked '96 Buick Regal. It ain't pretty, but the engine has a lot of life left. I dismissed that option. I thought about our business van. It isn't worth more than the price of scrap metal. It has been in an accident so the front end is messed up and it will not shift out of first. Even so, I let the idea slide.

Think!
The economy.
The budget.

Then temptation, or divine intervention or the devil stepped in at work. I still haven't decided which. I spent a week listening to several people telling me to trade the business van. Absolutely 100% do it and do it now. They totally ganged up on me. They were car shopping and advising and thoroughly messing with my head, filling it with a whole other set of options. So I dove into the project again.

Some decisions stress me. Especially when it involves large sums of money and long-term implications. Call me a pansy. I prefer prudent. Time to apply decision making strategy.

Step 1 Wait before I get to step 1, for the record, prayer goes with every step. Don’t forget prayer.

Back to Step 1. Research. It is wise to have the right information to make the right decision. Problem is that information overload can work against me and give so many ok options that the best option gets lost in the shuffle. I drive myself nuts with whishy-washy indecision but, I avoid rash decisions.

Impulsiveness can do a person in faster than scat. Impulsive I'm not. Well, most of the time anyway. Debating the pros and cons and calculating the potential impact of the decision is important. Don’t I sound so wise? Except I can debate myself in circles, take the side of either pro or con and routinely flip sides-on a daily basis. I have turned my brain to mush trying to wade through the muck of options.

Think!
The economy.
The budget.
The need.

So I wade through Consumer Reports dissecting the information like a seasoned covert agent. Isn’t car shopping a little like sleeping with the enemy? I’m entering guerilla warfare. I consider this boot camp. Eliminate high maintenance cars get a short list of trusty reliable models. I'm loyal. When I pick something, I want to have it for a long time. I'm talking this car should see me into my card carrying senior discount years. Note Item #2 in my last post. Oh my, I'm doing the math, that's so true and completely depressing! I'm getting up there in years.

Step 2 My financial adviser. He has patiently answered my myriad of questions and helped with excellent information about car expense. However, he's being a good “adviser” (key word) not making the decision for me. I walked in there expecting him to say, Are you crazy? Instead he said there are times when a need is real and this might be the time to buy. I hoped someone would tell me NO and save me the agony of the decision process. Drat.

So step 2 continued. I took a hard look at my budget, studied some areas I could adjust and came up with an amount I felt I could spend on a car. Yeesh, I hope I’m right. I wanted to be fully prepared when I put operation Buy Wheels in action. I could see it the lean, mean negotiating machine. Salesman? Finance manager? Bring it on boys. I know my numbers. I’m ready for the challenge!

Step 3 Test drive the short list. This brought on more than a little anxiety. I’m not mean. I’m totally NOT lean. Negotiating machine? I’m wilting. My last trip to a dealership was a horrible experience and I haven't set foot in a show room since. Sure it was 20 some years ago, but trauma remains.

I knew the lure of the shiny-smells new-feels good test drive was dangerous, but I drove on the lots with steeled resolve. Almost. Oh, they are soooo nice. Not much for acceleration, but flies quietly at 65. It even has a cup holder. That’s an issue in our current car. Can you believe not one cup holder??? Hey, the windows don’t constantly grind and rattle either. By now I'm not sure I want someone to tell me no. I’m in agony. I have seen the enemy and the enemy is me. And that finance manager poised for my takedown? Not in the negotiating mood. What’s up with that?

Think!
The economy.
The budget.
The need.
The desire.

Brake lights. Screeching tires on pavement. STOP. Drive awaaayyyy from the lot. Resist temptation. Time for a tactical retreat but the battle is far from over.

Quick Takes - Take 7

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 04:01:00 +0000

1. Occasionally I hope and wish and actually dare to believe a really cool is blessing is just around the corner. Like when I was one of the final callers to win a cruise. But didn't. Like when I'm hoping God will help me find and get a new car. So far, nada. Like when an insurance claim may, just may pay for much needed siding for my house. Should I get my hopes up? Even without the free cruise, even if I keep my clunker, whether I get the siding or not, I'm still blessed.

2. I had a first this week and it wasn't a good one. I was paying for wedding shower supplies at an innocent enough looking store and the clerk timidly asked if I had the 55 senior discount. WHAT!?! This place is a wolf in sheep's clothing. How bad do I look today? Where's my wrinkle cream? Are the bags under my eyes the size of freight containers? How utterly deflating. Maybe that is my problem. I'm deflated. . .

3. A picture is worth a thousand words and a friend's simple gesture is priceless.

Thanks friend!

4. My mom went in for a routine stint replacement. Unfortunately nothing is ever routine for mom. I feel so bad for her. A procedure some get on out-patient basis is stretching into the following week. First she had to go early for extra treatment to prepare for surgery. Then although the stint went fine, the artery they used in her arm would not clot and close. She spent a very painful night then was blessed with another surgery to stitch the artery the next day. Now five days later, her arm is still so sore from the bleeding and bruising, everyday tasks are next to impossible. She's a trooper though. Were are treating her to a movie night tonight.

5. Speaking of a wolf in sheep's clothing. I spent a lot of time last week car shopping. Wow is that stressful! Decisions are sometimes agony, sometimes easy. With me money decisions and big ones to boot are always agony. I've been getting some great advice and slowed down, way down. When my newest car is 13 years old, I have to admit, I really would like a new one. Check back soon to see me decision escapades and if I'm totally nuts. I almost declared myself so.

6. I keep catching my daughter in the act. I've been able to do it plenty lately and every time I have to smile. More and more frequently, I find her in her room studying her bible. AAhhhh! There is a growing number of sticky notes above her bed of bible verses she wants to remember and there are two on our computer monitor. I love it!

7. School has already started in our house. Volleyball conditioning at 6:30 a.m. is a tough adjustment. What a rude awakening! That switched to afternoons next week, but play practice takes over three mornings, at 6:30. Yowsers. I hope we get to bed better than we did last night.

Read more snippets of life in action at Conversation Diary. Have a great weekend! Do something wonderful for a friend.

Overlooked

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:12:00 +0000

Every little girl dreams of being Cinderella. We've dreamed of entering the royal ball and felt the excitement of everyone turning to watch us glide down the grand stairway. Ah, the center of attention. Feels special doesn't it? For some yes, it's what they live for. But others cower at the very thought. Center of anything? They would rather be the fly on the wall.

As a child, recess brought anxious hope that I would not be last when sides were chosen for kick ball. Wait. High School ushered in wallflower years and disenchantment as I was passed over for honors. Withdraw. College brought the feeling of being way in over my head to the point that I switched my major. Fear. Adulthood gnaws that I'm squandering opportunity. I'd love to be God's go to girl, but He doesn't always choose me for assignments. Restlessness.

It isn't pleasant to feel overlooked. It's a frightening feeling to feel live is passing us over. The past emerges and points fingers of frustration, defeat and inadequacy. Lies. All of them. But I too often buy what they are selling. Until I read the resume of the applicant God chose for a whopper of an assignment.

Wanted: Leader for a stubborn, unruly nation. Someone to fill the massive shoes of Moses. Must exert decisive action while conquering a land of giants and fortified cities. Ability to sieze opportunity and unify the people under one purpose is required.

Applicant: Joshua

Only he never formally applied.

Born a slave. Bad start. Member of the wrong class. Before the exodus, he received army training in Egypt. He was working for the wrong side. Younger than most, without evidence of a strong father figure, Moses selected him as a helper. Living in the shadow of this leader could have made him envious. Skill acquired: Learned to receive instruction and obey wholeheartedly. Benefit: Got an inside view of the workings of leadership both the good and the bad.

Received his first big break when selected to the scout team for the final home of the nation. Because of his youth and discenting opinion, Joshua was not taken seriously when he advised moving forward immediately. Sadly overlooked, he could have felt disrespected. Through no fault of his own, he was forced to endure 40 dreadful years in the desert. Result: Aimless and wasted years they weren't. Benefit: When many of the people were laid low in the wilderness, the conditions toughened Joshua and strengthed his resolve.

The seeming pinnacle of his career came when he accompianed Moses to the mountain. For nearly a year Joshua camped close to The Most High, but Moses got to continue all the way to the peak and right into God's presence. Joshua didn't get the full privileges of Moses' personal contact and converstion with God. Joshua could only sit and wait. He might have felt shortchanged. However, he steadfastly waited for his leader to return. Outcome: First witness of the glory of God shining through Moses. Benefit: Undoubtedly building a belief that can not be shaken.

Continuing experience and qualification. Not much remarkable to say. Certainly he doesn't fit the typical mold of the fast track to stardom and power.

Interesting applicant. In all those 40 years Joshua only followed and assisted. He never gave orders and never was given control. Joshua only responded. He was overlooked by everyone. Except God.

Eventually, at just the right time, Joshua was commissioned publicly by Moses as the next leader. I don't get the impression that he was expecting to take over the nation. If so why would both Moses and God continually encourage him to be strong and courageous? Will those moments from his past point their finger of insecurity? Decades of having people overlook him could have eroded confidence in himself.

We have all been overlooked. I know it is too easy to fall into the temptation of believing the lies produced by feeling undervalued. I'm so encouraged by Joshua. God did not overlook and Joshua responded.

God trained him for battle. Joshua learned skills as an army slave to later conquer a land.
God gave him a teacher, Moses. Joshua gained a father figure and learned the right and wrong way to be a leader.
God gave him vision. Joshua saw what could be when he scouted the enemy territory.
God gave him examples. Joshua watched the people and learned the cost of disobedience and faithlessness.
God gave him steadfastness. Through trials in the desert, Joshua learned to buck the trend and trust what God says.

Hurts growing up can be assets today. I still feel overlooked sometimes, if I'm looking around and not up. I understand the learning process better. Maybe no one else notices, but God does! I'm not expecting to become the leader of anything. I want God to know He can rely on me to be His go to girl.

Cinderella relished every moment of the ball, but planned to sneak back to her everyday life. She had no idea what was ahead for her. I don't live in a fairytale. But I also have no idea what lies ahead. I only know I'm never overlooked by God. That is enough for me.

Absorbing Verses Takes the Daily Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:15:00 +0000

Do you ever have one of those days when your curled up early in your favorite chair, sipping coffee and wholeheartedly wanting to meet God and absorb (my new banner and favorite word) some scripture to live by that day and then you read the verses and think, Oh dear, what's going to happen? That was my morning.

I'm studying James this summer. It is a great book chock full of so many things I would like to get right. So this morning I'm happily reading along and then,

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.

James 3:17-18

Now I'm looking at these verses and I'm thinking I got trouble with a capital T. I can usually feel the days my reading will get specifically challenged. Satan loves trying to whack me in the knees with exactly what I just vowed to God I would get right. To bolster my resolve, I read it several times and took off for the day in prayer.

Work went smoothly most of the day. So far so good. Days now are somber and quiet. In the struggling economy, we are particularly hard hit. We have gargantuan problems to solve. I am not in charge and those in charge are not necessarily decisive or people of action. We have been thinking about the problems too long in my opinion. My challenge: Keep my place. Support. Be patient. Pray. Be respectful. Should be easy. Except there are days I want to shake someone and scream, Let's just get on with it. Do something!

Anyway, Satan lurked in the background until mid-afternoon when I typed a letter for my boss intended to go to some people he feels aren't doing enough to help with the situation. Nero Fiddles While Rome Burns. Oh my goodness. James, remember the verses, pray, pray harder.

I typed the letter thinking this is a mirror of us. It made me really frustrated so guess what I did. I copied the letter and edited it so instead of pointing the finger at someone else, it brought the focus right back to us or more pointedly him. Yep, the message was pretty clear. I printed it, I prayed, I hand wrote an encouraging note at the bottom. I let it sit at my desk for a while to "cool off" and then I laid it on his desk. Done.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure.

Were my motives pure? No.

It is also peace loving.

Do I want to cause discomfort to spur them to action? Yes.

Gentle at all times.

Could I have expressed my feelings in a different way? Probably.

Willing to yield to others.

I am not in charge. God will take care of this. Not me.

It is full of mercy and good deeds.

Did my action encourage or bring down?

Well I tried to encourage. I doubt it was received that way.

It shows no partiality is always sincere.

I was sincere, but I didn't choose a good method.

And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.

I'm not feeling very good right now. First thing in the morning, I need to absorb these verses again and then have a heart-to-heart with my boss. In case that sounds odd, my boss is also my dad. Yeah, I know that's a whole other dimension I just goofed up. I'll keep you posted.

Absorbing Life

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 02:34:00 +0000

I started watching Titanic tonight. I haven't seen it since it's 1997 theater release. That theater is gone now, turned into a live music dinner club. I haven't wanted to watch the movie again since my relationship with my movie going friend met the same fate. But forgive me, I'm distracted.

The opening scene immediately draws me in. This is a superbly crafted film. But it doesn't take me long to get distracted, again. I start thinking about visiting the Titanic museum in Branson last fall. Now, watching the movie and seeing a familiar dress, china, watching them walk the grand stairway, all make me wish I had taken more time to absorb the opportunity. People's lives, and the end of them, memorialized for us to understand unparalleled optimism and the tragic plundering of hope and belief.

I feel a twinge of regret knowing there are so many opportunities I haven't taken time to absorb. Countless places I've been and things I've done I wish I could go back and do right. Give it the time and attention it deserves and know I haven't shortchanged the experience.

D.C. is on the list, but give me a break I was in high school. Mature scholar that I was, I chose to hang out at the hotel running stuffed animals up and down the elevator and getting into shaving cream fights instead of going to the Pentagon. Good grief. I lived in Colorado for six years. I never went to Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, Royal Gorge Bridge and countless other things I wish I had. What was I thinking?

What am I shortchanging today? There are opportunities to absorb. Every day. As much as I enjoy them, I'm not talking about a tourist attraction or museum. I'm talking about life and I often shortchange it. I've read books recently I can barely remember. I scurry through four jobs at once in the name of efficiency. Sadly, none is done quite as well as if I had given it my full attention. I do so many things that dissipate like fog at noon.

How about people? People really matter. Talking with friends, lunch together. Visiting with my mom and dad. Spending time with family. I won't always have the opportunity. Why birth regret by doing things half way? It scares me to think each time I am only partially in a conversation, they know. Maybe next time they won't bother. Do I give the impression to my friends and family that they aren't important enough to deserve my full attention?

I want to absorb opportunities now. Really, I do. I just need to get better at it. I imagine rich, living color memories and deeper, more rewarding relationships from a life fully lived. I'm going to give it a try. How about you?

Quick Takes - Take 6

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:40:00 +0000

1. I'm trying on a new attitude. Well, not new, I just get out of the habit of using it and forget how good I feel when I do. It's like pulling my well worn sweatshirt out of the closet after summer. I forget how relaxed and good I feel slipping on my favoritest most comfortabliest clothes. Yes, I know those aren't words. but the feeling of my favorite sweats is too good for the correct verbage. I just read "Who Moved My Cheese". A quick reading book with some really good reminders about dealing with change. (See #5)

The best cheese quotes for me are:

1. What would you do if you are not afraid?

2. When you change what you believe, you change what you do.

I googled the book and found a 10 minute video that covers the story. Give it a try. If I weren't so tired because of #2-3, I would spend half the night figuring out how to put the video directly

(HERE)

Try the link for dummies (that would be me)

Who Moved My Cheese

2. I live in the heart of America. July means fair time. Projects to complete, or not. Guess sewing the dress will have to wait until next year. Baking to do, which she gets to do again for State Fair. Cakes to decorate. Best of show-again. Oh yeah, my girl is awesome!

3. Speaking of fair time. If you have never experienced the thrill of completing last minute project stress, final baking, more stress and rush to the fair praying you have everything needed to enter all the projects and handle any unforeseen catastrophes because there is always at least one tragedy, which really is a run on sentence, because it feels like holding your breath while running a multi-day marathon, Gasp! You really should experience the joy just once.

4. HOWEVER, this year I scored big time. After giving myself an attitude adjustment, filled with prayer and constant admonishment that if we didn't get say, 18,000 projects done, life really would continue. I was standing in the building in the midst of the check-in tornado when a friend from church walked by and asked how I stay so calm. TOUCHDOWN!

5. School is just around summer's bend ushering in my year as president of the Music Boosters. A position I was coerced into, one which I have dreaded for several months, one which I have been convincing myself I don't have time for, will do terrible and forget every job I'm supposed to do thus letting every music parent down and ruining the next several years of hopeful student anticipation of melodic greatness. Ugh. I've know this cheese was going to move, I just wanted to Hem about it until I read that book this week. Now I will embrace the year, picture myself organized, competent and excited about getting people on the bandwagon. (Bad pun).

6. Should it bother me to go days without thinking of anything I feel is worth sharing? I've read a variety of writing advice recently ranging from: A. Write everyday to B. If you can think of any other way to make a living besides writing, do it! Hmm.

7. I'm amazed at how many people don't know how to count change. I bought gas this week and gave the man a $50. He actually grabbed a piece of paper and wrote out the subraction problem of 50.00 - 34.73. At least he got the answer right. Computers and calculators aren't all that. My math skills are dummy'un down from lack of use. So'z my vocabulary and spelling for that matter.

Well, I better quit before I prove myself totally inept at writing anything close to interesting, but that reality probably occured to you back at about#4 (I hope not #1.) If you are reading these words right here at the end of my tired and tiring life in a nutshell, KUDOS AND THANKS A GADZILLION!

Visit people who actually have a proper vocabulary, can spell with the best of them and entirely captivating takes on their week, at Conversation Diary.

Quick Takes - Take 5

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:27:00 +0000

1. I determined to have more fun this summer. For the most part, it is a good working plan. I haven't found as many things to laugh about this week though. A local family is reeling from the sudden and untimely loss of their husband and father. Complications from a fall and head injury led to his death yesterday. He was just a few years older than me and graduated with my brother. The whole community is shaken. I can't imagine what his wife and children are feeling. I can only lift their hurt in prayer.

2. I'm slipping the wrong direction on the scale this summer. WAY wrong! I exercise regularly, but I'm not seeing progress. I hate it that only a few summer clothes fit right now. So, these last two days I've had only juice, lots of water, fruit, no pop, only one cup of coffee-decaf. Can anyone say headache? Ok, I did have cake last night. I know, I know. But I invited my bible study ladies over Saturday night and I'm glad I tried this new recipe early. BooMama raved about Veronica's Caramel Buttermilk Cake. Mention caramel and I'm all over it. Even though it didn't turn out totally delici-oh-so, I'm determined to try again! It's caramel, I simply must.

3. I'm ticked. I'd say I'm buzzed, but you might think I've been tipping a few and that is sooo not me. The bees are back. Ugh! My porch piller is home bees-again. They were here when we moved in. Two times we have successfully had them gassed out or whatever the bug man does to send the varmints on their way. We haven't seen any for eight years or more. Now the very day I send out my invite for the party, I see them buzzing their ridicule. Where's the justice in the world?

4. I do have one funny for this week. If this has made its way to your inbox already, please make me feel good and laugh anyway. I thought this was hilarious. The pictues is a little blurry, but I hope you get the idea of this redneck fire alarm.

5. I'm really hungry. This juice thing better pay off, big time.

6. My daughter is gone this week with Esprit de Corp. A youth singing and drama group, a ministry of a local chruch. More than once this week people say in that tone-that sympathetic, I understand your lonely misery tone-how quiet it must be with her gone, you must miss her so. To which I reply, "I'm good, time flies while she is gone". Of course I think of her tons and pray lots, but God is getting me ready for when she is set free on the world. Progress.

7. My dear friend observed recently that I have high expectations for myself. Or maybe she said I was too hard on myself. Probably both. I've thought about that this week and wonder what is the right attitude? How do I live up to the potential God gave without driving myself and people around me insane? When is enough, enough?

Enjoy the weekend. I will. For other quick takes visit Conversation Diary.

Mailboxes and Circles

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:08:00 +0000

Summer is time to grow.

I gave up on vegetable gardening years ago when I finally wised up and realized my piddly attempts at producing food only went to bugs and rot. Man, am I bad at vegetable gardening. But I love flower gardening. Mostly perennials. I'm too cheap to put much money into annuals even though I love seeing splashes of color blooming everywhere. I compromise by buying two eight packs of flowers and planting them in the most strategic places for impact and visibility. Kind of like putting up a good front so people think I do a lot when I really don't. But that sounds like a different post.

Anyway, the annuals are divided between my mailbox and a circle planter close by. I try to get them off to a good summer with plant starter and water and all the things petunias need to thrive. Here's where my annual lesson begins.

You see the same pack of flowers, started with the same care, planted only about 20 feet apart take on a very different life. The flowers in my circle planter are already four times bigger than their sisters at the mailbox. It's frustrating.

The mailbox is surrounded by heavy, tough soil. It is full of clay and rocks and gravel from the road and sits on a slope. Water is hard to hold. The nutrients the flowers need are just not there, but the weeds certainly are. I have to carry water to those flowers every day in the peak summer heat and fertilize much more often. I cover it with mulch, but it doesn't seem to stay. Those brave little blooms have to fight for their life.

The circle flowers on the other hand have it so much easier. I wonder if it makes the mailbox flowers jealous. I get that way sometimes. They have fertile black soil full of earthworms, they are covered in a deep layer of bark mulch and get water when I run the lawn sprinkler. What a cushy life. They are naturally surrounded by everything they need and hardly have to work at flowering.

God teaches me with these flowers. I want to be prolific for Him. Thrive and bloom profusely. I'm like these petunias. More often than not, my life has been at the mailbox. Planted in places that are tough to hang on to my identity and grow. Even harder to blossom. It has been, at times, very frustrating and tiring to say the least. Come on, I want to have the life of the circle flowers. I get it sometimes when I think God knows I need a reprieve. But, back the mailbox I go.

God shows me through caring for my flowers, how important it is to feed my soul. I need daily water through His word. I need regular nourishment through church and fellowship. The tougher it gets the more important this is. For some people in the bible God seemed throw all kinds of support their way. David had Jonathan. Ruth had Boaz. Others like Job and Jeremiah had to fight harder.

I watch for mailboxes and circles. People who cross my life and are living in the mailbox rocky hard soil. They need water. On the other hand, it is easy to forget to care for the circle flowers. I should not overlook circle people believing they have everything they need. It may look like it from the outside, but they still need care.

My struggling puny blooms from the rocky mailbox are just as precious to God as copious cascades of readily produced flowers. Whether I'm at the mailbox or the circle, my job is still to bloom to the best of my ability.

There is a way for each of us to be in the circle, for each of us to thrive. Put the right nutrients into the mix-daily time with God and nurturing relationships. Let's put that into other lives. Let's be a circle.

Uprooted

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:47:00 +0000

There are times we don’t get the luxury of simply being Misplaced. Sometimes our lives are completely ripped out from under us. A few words spoken or unexpected events can forever alter our life.

There’s been an accident.

We’re forced to lay off employees.

I don’t love you anymore.

The tumor is malignant.

It hurts to have our lives ripped apart. Alot! So many of us have heard words that changed our life forever. Those times can seem so pointless and more dead than alive. Whether we see it coming or are caught totally unprepared, at least in our mind, the result is the same. Pain.

God, where are you?

Don't you see I'm hurting?

I sat with a friend recently and listened to the fresh raw wounds of life getting ripped apart. I felt utterly inadequate except for my ability to say, I know. I've been down this road. I'm a long way beyond one round of being ripped apart. I can see the past without pain. Don't get me wrong. It was hard. But, can I stop my friend's pain? I can stay beside her but honestly, I wouldn't want to stop the hard journey she is just beginning. You see, there is a master and a masterpiece involved.

God, what is going on?

Can't you take this away?

Stick it out. Believe it or not, God does have a purpose. He does not abandon. He is rolling up his sleeves, picking up his sculpting tool and shaping another part of his masterpiece. You. Me. Yeah, masterpieces.

Ok God, but what can I do?

I have no idea, help!

Esther was ripped from her life. Twice. As a young girl, both her parents died and she had to live with her uncle, Mordecai. Think of the loneliness and fear she must have faced. Then as a young woman, Esther was taken from her home to the palace and thrown into the pool of candidates to become queen. I don't care what fairytale stories you can tell me, this does not sound like the makings of one. She was a Jew in a foreign and intimidating place where failure meant she was ruined for life. Talk about pressure. Well, the princess became a queen, but instead of a fairytale ending, her real challenges were just around the corner. Her people were threatened with extermination.

Now what?

Are you kidding me, God?

It is so easy to respond to pain by flinging "how come" and "why me" at God. Esther's situation was not going to change. There was no going back. Her life was ripped apart and it was moving on with or without her. How did she respond? Esther trusted God. She did have fear, but despite fear she was obedient and never compromised her faith.

What did God do for Esther? LOTS! He was preparing her for the biggest job of her life-to stand in the midst of attack and help God save a nation! WOW! Do we have something incredible like that in us? Maybe not that big, but I bet we do have something special we can do for God. But let's get back to how He prepared Esther.

God gave Mordecai as a protector. He raised Esther as his own and taught her about faith and God.
God placed Mordecai in the palace before Esther. Its like God going before her. God established Mordecai there so he knew the King's ways and laws. This enabled him to give Esther wise advise.
God gave Esther strength and encouragement through Mordecai. He knew God and he understood Esther. When Esther waivered afraid to talk to the King, Mordecai bolstered her resolve.

The ripped apart, ugliness of growing up prepared Esther better than anything. Uprooting prepares us too. I learn from Esther that God not only prepares us to be uprooted, he prepares ways to thrive while we are taking root and putting on new growth. God gives relationships to bring us through hard times and encourage us to grow. God both is and gives us protectors. He goes before us. He gives us strength and encouragement.

As I pray for my friend, I pray that this encouraging relationship will flourish. As I look at my next go around at getting uprooted, I want to take the lessons from Esther and do something special for God.

Morning Renewal

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:53:00 +0000

My weekend starts early. Heat made this week swelter. I venture to my porch early to test the comfort level for my quiet time. Ah! A breeze whispers through leaves in the nearby field, birds chatter their good morning to the rising sun. Quiet, peaceful, refreshing.

The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23.

In the midst of stress and uncertainty God comes and reminds me He is here.

Thank you Lord.

Have Fun Do Nothing

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:35:00 +0000

I find myself frustrated and jealous lately. Basically fighting off a severe case of the whines. It hits me every summer, but not usually until the end of July. I have bumped into so many people lately either in real life or virtual, i.e. facebook talking about the same summer theme. Have fun and do nothing. They are posting pictures of camping and vacations and all this totally cool stuff. OR they have told me summertime is when they just don't do much of anything. Really? I want in that club! I'm genuinely impressed they have the freedom of spirit to kick back. When I think summertime, I think more work.

I have to say I have not worked myself to death tonight but, I can't figure out how they do it. You know. Have fun and do nothing. Now I did recently invite some friends over for an impromptu evening and it was great. Loved it totally! But that is not the norm for me. I'm more like last night when I vacuumed at 11:00 p.m. so I would feel better when I went to bed.

Fill me in. Do I just let things go to have fun? Am I allowed to? I can't seem to do that. I want to have fun, and share time with friends and family. Really, I do. Really! But. . . I think it's a sickness. Maybe it's the HFDN aversion flu. I want the time I spend time with my family to be more than about work and goals and producing something. We forget how to even do it - Have fun and do nothing. I want to laugh more.

It even makes me feel guilty because as a Christian, I'm supposed to be joyful. Letting my light shine, letting people see there is a difference in me. Oh, boy.

I want to go somewhere totally inspiring, kick back, and laugh. Better yet, I want to learn how to find that inspiration every day, right here. That would really make a difference. So here goes:

I will laugh more.
I will find fun in the everyday.
I will take time to kick back and do nothing.

Ok, now that I've made all these altruistic declarations. Why don't I just admit the truth. What I really want is to go somewhere totally inspiring, have fun, do nothing and laugh.

God Prepares

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 02:25:00 +0000

One of the elders in my church is a quiet and steady example of obedience to God and dedication to serving the church body. I've heard him joke about being a "rent a husband" and actually thought at the time I needed to rent him for my to do list. He is a faithful and humble servant who loves using his skills to help others. He truly enjoys doing for others.

Last fall he was doing for others when he fell from a ladder and broke his back. Although he miraculously was not paralyzed, that day his life was changed completely and permanently. Weeks and weeks in the hospital. Months of therapy. I don't know all the depths of his struggle. I can't speak for the anguish his family endured. Indeed, his wife, children and grandchildren have all experienced change because of his fall.

I know he talked to his family after he was home. He told them he had been praying and asked God to show him how he would handle it, if something really bad happened. Then came the fall, not immediately after, but nevertheless, after his time of praying. He said he didn't mind God answering his prayer. But he was so sorry because he didn't realize how much his prayer would cost the family.

I've thought about his story and laid it along side some really difficult things I've gone through. I compared my prayers then and can see how God prepared me through them.

Months before cataclysmic events, He started the process. First, quickening my heart to feel the need come back to him. So I made my way back to church even though I had to go alone. Then, as I kept opening myself, he used a radio program - I think it was Dobson - to give me an understanding of things happening to people in my life. It was hard to hear and I needed time to process what I was learning. It seemed just as I had come to terms with his first revelation, he hit me again. Same program, same basic message, Except God took it to the next step, a deeper level. Maybe God was very patient, but what I really think is that he started working in my heart early enough that I would be completely ready when the day came to face the situation head on. Prayer was a big part of the process.

It was preparation of the deepest parts of my soul. A divine mix of understanding, a realization of my weakness and desperate need for him, while at the same time giving me an uncommon strength. One not my own. I learned what happens when I stay close to him in prayer and live in his presence. God prepared me for the moment I had to ask a most difficult question by already giving me the answer. God spent months getting me ready for that moment and the life changing events that would come.

Back to my church elder. Did God allow the accident as a response to his prayer? Did God listen to his prayers and sit down in heaven one afternoon and think, Hmm, what an idea. I think I will see how he reacts if something really bad happens. I'll cook up the scheme to have him fall off a ladder. Or, were his prayers a part of the preparation to face the accident God knew was coming?

Some might disagree, but I believe God knows everything that lies ahead. He loves us so much that he gets us ready for what life might throw at us. I believe it because I have experienced it.

Yes, I've had friends who have have terrible unexpected accidents rip their lives apart. I wish I could ask them as they look back on it now, if they can see the hand of God preparing them? Another friend asked God to teach her something and went through an unbelievably hurtful experience directly related to her prayer.

Does thinking about the possibility of these kind of answers make us afraid to pray? Should we be fearful that something bad might really happen?

I say it again, God knows everything. Bad things happen in every life. None of us are immune to tragedy and heartbreak. So many of us are facing things like this right now. I am. Again. We are looking into a very scary future and wonder what will happen. Where can God be in all of this?

As I look at the big, scary tomorrow, I remember yesterday and how he worked so carefully and patiently in my life. Most of the preparation was on the inside. Today, I know prayer shapes my soul. God shapes my prayers. God prepares.

Quick Takes - Take 4

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 04:03:00 +0000

1. Sam, my newly acquired cat has been missing for nearly 24 hours now. Is it too soon an Ampurrrrr alert? I'm afraid he will not come back. Although he was obviously from someone home judging how tame he is, I want him to stay with us. I should feel bad I want to steal him for keeps.

2. I'm proud of my daughter. She really, really, I mean REALLY wanted to hang out with her favorite friends and eat her favorite food-Chinese (homemade no less), at one of her favorite places-Pastor Sam's house, but she did the right thing and went to her 4-H meeting instead. Way to go! I know that was a hard decision.

3. Do you ever wonder how God speaks? I do. I've been trying do decipher the meaning of a particular passage and how it relates to events in my life. Can it apply? God is talking about something completely different with people thousands of years ago and yet he is talking about the same things we face today. His truth ABSOLUTELY applies today! But I don't want to put my Linda spin on it. I want to get His message and I'm praying for understanding because I really don't want to get it wrong.

4. Shopping Caution!!!! Never, and I do mean NEVER, lean down to pick up something from the changing room floor and glance back into the mirror! My shock waves could have set off the security alarms. I may have had cottage cheese on the shopping list, but I didn't expect to find it on my backside in the ladies department!

5. The weather has been weird. Which is actually normal for our neck of the woods. We were terribly dry and missing every rain that came along, then had major storms, heavy rain and horrible hail four times in one week. Now it is staying cooler and wet when farmers want to get back out and replant crops destroyed by hail. Life on the plains isn't so plain after all. Reminds me of how big and awesomely powerful God is and how little I am.

6. My good friend is doing a great series of posts on connecting. You can read them at The Next Step. I've been thinking about how I can be better at making connections with people and I realize one stumbling block is that I'm not very good at small talk. I watch ladies around me happily chatting away about their favorite recipe, the goofy thing the kids did last night, any little thing and laughing and having fun together. Connecting. Not on a deep level, but it all starts there. The light, daily stuff that lets people get a glimpse of you and you get an idea of how they tick. I'm working on strategies to help me get better at this. Suggestions are welcome.

7. Back to #3. This situation is a biggy. The verse I'm going to apply today is: Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7. Go ahead and borrow that verse for yourself if you are facing something big and scary. So many of us are. But God does care. He is there. He will see us through.

For more refreshing takes, visit Conversation Diary

New Guy in Town

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:23:00 +0000

We have a new guy at our house.

Sam.

I have to say I like him already.

The trick will be to not get too attached,

while I'm trying to entice him to stick around.

He's very affectionate.

Good looking.

Has genuine, honest eyes.

He seems very well trained (as any male should be)

and quick to belly up to the bowl.

Isn't the way to a man's heart through his stomach?

He seems to like his freedom yet when he sees me, he comes running.

Ahhhhh!

This one might be a keeper.

Titanic Raised

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 03:33:00 +0000

From the bottom of the Atlantic to Hollywood, my faith in human goodness and brotherly love has been raised. In Quick Takes - Take 2 , I (ahem)"bemoaned" the fact that the last survivor of the Titanic was financially destitute and suggested some of the people who made so much money on the movie, might bring it upon themselves to help.

Tonight, Millvina who was 9 weeks old at the sinking passed away. This was included in the news report.

"Among the donors to the Millvina Fund were Hollywood actors Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in the 1997 "Titanic" film. The pair and the film's director, James Cameron, reportedly donated 30,000 US dollars in total."

I stand correct and I humbly apologize for my unfair assumptions. Thank you, Kate, Leo and James.

Misplaced

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 29 May 2009 11:36:00 +0000

When my daughter was little we often ended the day with storytelling. She would give me a story starter then off I'd go weaving the most interesting tale I could imagine. We had a lot of fun with Percy and Penelope. Penguins who kept finding themselves in very unpenguin like places. One time they got off a plane and were in Hawaii. "What is this grainy stuff scratching my flippers? A beach!?!" "Percy Dear, I'm afraid I might be terrible ill. I'm oozing wetness from my forehead." As they tried to find their way back home, they kept landing in odd and challenging situations. Each place they had to figure out where they were, how to adapt and how to get back home.

I have had times in my life when I felt like Penelope. Places I landed and knew something was off kilter. I always had the best of intentions, but I wasn't intentional about my life. People, things and life in general carried me away. Plan A didn't work out as I hoped and I ended up unintentionally with Plan B. Yes, I have been Penelope on the beach.

What about when we are in the wrong place? Places not suited for who we thought God made us to be. There are a lot of ways to be there, good ways and bad, some of our own doing and some not. When we are misplaced, can we live up to God’s full potential?

Take Ruth as an example. Life dumped some lousy, hard problems on her and ended up in a foreign land. A widow. Lower than low. Most certainly misplaced. How did Ruth respond? She didn’t give up. She didn’t become bitter or make excuses. She worked and gleaned and stayed faithful where she was. Intentionally, pursuing Plan B.

What was her character? Ruth 2:11 gives us the picture from the viewpoint of Boaz. "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. "

I didn't lose a husband to physical death. But the death of a marraige is a painful way to get misplaced. Untentionally, I was thrown into Plan B. I felt like I was starting from scratch trying to figure out who I am and how God made me. I'm getting there. Figuring it out I mean. I was once misplaced. Now I'm intentionally pursuing Plan B. It has opened the door to getting acquainted with the person God knit together called Linda. His Linda. I can't see much of her back in my Plan A.

The misplaced life Ruth lived in Moab trying to provide for herself and Naomi (now called Mara) must have been hard. I think she felt a kindred Penelope on the beach spirit. She was in a strange country, with different ways and she had to adapt. I wonder what Ruth thought while she was breaking her back in the heat of the day picking bits of grain from the parched ground. Just enough to get by. Well, for that day at least. Did she grieve getting misplaced? How long was it before Boaz noticed her? Even while adapting, Ruth never let go of her faithfulness to God and what He placed in her life.

So what did God provide Ruth when she was misplaced? She didn't have to go it alone. He gave her a mother-in-law to guide her and a redeemer. Boaz saw her character and faithfulness. God honored Ruth through Boaz. He brought her back from being misplaced to a place of fulfillment. God provided her relationships. Naomi a mentor and Boaz a redeemer.

Was her Plan B really God's plan A? What about my plan B or yours? I know God doesn't make a habit of bringing hurt and pain into our lives, but we can't deny the good He creates from it.

When I am misplaced, I know now that I have to be intentional about pursuing God's Plan A. I don't have to go it alone. He provides not only Himself, but relationships I need to guide and sustain me through the misplaced times. When I look and open myself to them, I find that being Penelope on the beach can actually be faith building and fun.