Today, I went to buy a new cell phone. I really liked my old phone and it did everything I wanted it to, which is talking and texting, but it is discontinued and can no longer be updated. Plus, it turned itself off at very inopportune times!
I walked into the store thinking I was sure I knew what I wanted. I was greeted by a group of guys that reminded me of Hooty and The Blowfish. They each had a different opinion of what I needed and the only thing they agreed on was that I didn’t need what I thought I wanted. My criteria included talking, texting and it had to be red.
It took me weeks to figure out my old phone and we had finally become friends. Hooty promised me that my new phone and I would be friends in no time.
Finally, Hooty picks out my phone, downloads my contacts for me, makes me sign my life away and tells me it will be fine. I tried to believe him.
I was glad that experience was over and looked forward to lunch with my friend.
She was to call me with the location of lunch depending on how much time she had. I assumed the place she would want to eat so headed that way.
As I walk into the restaurant my phone rings and the caller identification said it was my friend. I tapped and pushed every inch of that phone and could not get it to answer. I let the waiter seat me and by then the phone stopped ringing. I decided to try to call my friend back but noticed a little green lock glowing on the face of the phone. I tapped and tapped and it didn’t move. I opened up the keyboard and started pushing buttons but the lock did not go away.
The phone rings again and I can see that it’s my friend. No tapping or pushing of buttons put her on the phone. I was so frustrated, I wanted to put the phone down under one of my tires and run over it.
About an hour went by, I had four glasses of tea and ate the bread on the table wondering where my friend has been all this time. Finally, I leave, after leaving a tip for the poor waiter, and head home. I decided to put the phone in my purse so I could not see it or hear it.
Once I got home I called my friend the old-fashioned way, a home telephone. She was a little irate. She sat at a restaurant she decided on which was not the one I was sitting at.
What a week! This was the day after my granddaughter dropped my keys, with key fob, in the toilet. I have no more keyless entry now. I backed my red Saturn into my husband’s white Tahoe and I threw the parts of a new $200 faucet in the trash because I thought it was the old one.
These are the kind of things that make me crazy. I wonder why me? What have I done to deserve such a wretched week?
But, as I take a second and stop feeling sorry for myself, I realize how really blessed I am. These things are annoying but not serious. God didn’t promise us a life filled with no annoyances. He did promise that He would always be there to hear us when we need to vent or need His intervention.
“How blessed are the people who are so situated; How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!” Psalm 144:15
When it seems you are having a bad day, take a second to stop and count your blessings! I’m sure you will find many.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Everything Happens For A Season
My husband and I were driving down the road the other day and passed a church that had this message on their marquis: “Everything Happens For A Reason.” I repeated that several times and thought that was a little cliché for a church sign. Obviously “everything happens for a reason!” I know that God has a reason for everything that goes on in this world and they are not always reasons we understand or are supposed to understand.
But, then it occurred to me, as I investigate my own current season, that “everything happens for a season.” Just as we experience fall before turning into winter, and see the many environmental changes that take place, we know that it is all temporary. After winter, we will see the emergence of spring with beautiful, vivid colors and lots of flowers blooming. Then comes the heat of summer, then the crispness of fall once again. It’s all temporary and ever-changing.
There is a comforting hope in knowing that we have seasons of our lives. Periods of time that are temporary. Of course we want the good times of life to last forever and the bad times to go quickly. That is human nature.
When Jerry and I got married, I wanted our honeymoon to last forever. When I gave birth to each of our girls, I wanted the awesomeness of those moments to last forever. The first time we had to visit the emergency room with our child, I wanted it over as quickly as possible.
When our girls were babies, I thought that I may never have a life of my own again. Then, before I knew it, they were off to college and I had more time to myself than I could bear. I missed them terribly. I had to re-invent myself. Now I see those times as some of my seasons of life.
We are told in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 of the New International Version:
1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:
2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6A time to search, and a time to give up as lost; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7A time to tear apart, and a time to sew; a time to keep silent, and a time to speak;
8A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
I have come to the point in my life that I have learned to embrace the seasons of my life. I am very blessed to be in a season where I get to wake up every day to a wonderful husband, spend quality time with my grandchildren, still have a trick or two to teach my daughters and wait in anticipation to see where I can serve the Lord.
Everything does happen for a reason and a season!
But, then it occurred to me, as I investigate my own current season, that “everything happens for a season.” Just as we experience fall before turning into winter, and see the many environmental changes that take place, we know that it is all temporary. After winter, we will see the emergence of spring with beautiful, vivid colors and lots of flowers blooming. Then comes the heat of summer, then the crispness of fall once again. It’s all temporary and ever-changing.
There is a comforting hope in knowing that we have seasons of our lives. Periods of time that are temporary. Of course we want the good times of life to last forever and the bad times to go quickly. That is human nature.
When Jerry and I got married, I wanted our honeymoon to last forever. When I gave birth to each of our girls, I wanted the awesomeness of those moments to last forever. The first time we had to visit the emergency room with our child, I wanted it over as quickly as possible.
When our girls were babies, I thought that I may never have a life of my own again. Then, before I knew it, they were off to college and I had more time to myself than I could bear. I missed them terribly. I had to re-invent myself. Now I see those times as some of my seasons of life.
We are told in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 of the New International Version:
1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:
2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6A time to search, and a time to give up as lost; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7A time to tear apart, and a time to sew; a time to keep silent, and a time to speak;
8A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
I have come to the point in my life that I have learned to embrace the seasons of my life. I am very blessed to be in a season where I get to wake up every day to a wonderful husband, spend quality time with my grandchildren, still have a trick or two to teach my daughters and wait in anticipation to see where I can serve the Lord.
Everything does happen for a reason and a season!
Do You Need A New Latitude…Or A New Attitude?
Definition of attitude: a manner of acting, feeling or thinking that show one’s disposition or opinion, i.e.; a friendly attitude, a bad attitude, an arrogant attitude (www.dictionary.com)
1. On an average daily basis, is your glass half empty or half full?
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2. Most days do you think your attitude reflects the attitude of Christ?
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3. On a scale of 1 thru 10, how do you think others would rate your attitude?
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4. When faced with a difficult task, whether in your career or your personal life, is your first response that of a “can do” attitude or “I can’t” attitude?
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5. Is there an attitude about something or someone that is stopping you from conducting yourself in a Christ-like manner?
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6. When a more spiritually mature woman is mentoring you, do you have an attitude of gratitude or do you perceive it as someone criticizing you and bossing you?
7. When you are in public, your attitude toward a sales clerk, a waitress, other drivers or maybe the cop giving you a ticket reflects who Christ is in you. How do you think you measure up?
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8. If a problem arises in your life, do you see it as an opportunity or as a stumbling block?
9. How does it make you feel to be around someone who always has a negative attitude about everything?
10. How does it make you feel when you are around someone that always has a positive attitude about everything?
11. When you do your daily prayer, do you start off by asking God to take care of more things in your life or do you start by praising Him for all the wonderful things He has already done for you?
12. Do you have an attitude of humility?
A. Are you humble about your material possessions?
B. Are you humble about your relationship with God?
C. Are you humble about the Gifts God has given you?
13. Is there someone in your life that you admire for their attitude?
14. Is there someone, other than yourself, that you feel you need to pray for because of their attitude?
15. Do you recognize days you have a negative attitude? If so, do you stop to ask for God’s help in reversing it?
16. Do you believe that your attitude can be the encouragement and motivation someone else needs to see?
17. What are some ways you can improve your attitude so He can better use you?
18. Do you believe that God can use you and your attitude to be an example to others? (When it is positive or negative?)
19. Close your eyes and picture yourself and how you look to others when you have a negative attitude. When you have a positive attitude.
20. How does your attitude (good or bad) effect your whole day and those around you?
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
The Lord's Prayer
The kids at the coffeehouse used to make fun of me for never using recipes when I cooked. I’m not crazy about reading directions and recipes are directions. I don’t like using a pattern when I sew either. It takes too much time to cut it out and read it. And then there’s the measuring……oy!
It has taken me a long time to realize that God has a pattern for my life. He already decided who I am and who I will be as I grow older. I really want to be on that same page of the pattern that He is, but I can’t be if I don’t read the directions and pray. He has an entire book to help us lead our lives and become the people He has designed us to be.
Every day part of my daily prayer is that God will reveal more to me about becoming the woman He designed me to be. Some days I am so busy being the woman I think I should be, or my sinful nature takes over and I am who the World wants me to be that I don’t hear Him. Also, I should stop telling Him how to do his job while I am praying. He does a pretty good job at His job without my help.
Sometimes it is hard to know how to pray to Him effectively so I’m not just rambling about what I want and how I want it. Last week, Pastor Holle told us that the best prayer to pray is the Lord’s Prayer. It gets to the point and helps us make a connection with Him. I decided to really put the emphasis on Him when I pray it, like this:
OUR Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be THY name.
THY Kingdom come,
THY will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us THIS day our daily bread.
And forgive us OUR trespasses,
as we forgive THOSE who trespass against us.
And lead us NOT into temptation,
but DELIVER us from evil.
For THINE is the kingdom,
The POWER
And the GLORY.
Forever and ever.
Amen!
It has taken me a long time to realize that God has a pattern for my life. He already decided who I am and who I will be as I grow older. I really want to be on that same page of the pattern that He is, but I can’t be if I don’t read the directions and pray. He has an entire book to help us lead our lives and become the people He has designed us to be.
Every day part of my daily prayer is that God will reveal more to me about becoming the woman He designed me to be. Some days I am so busy being the woman I think I should be, or my sinful nature takes over and I am who the World wants me to be that I don’t hear Him. Also, I should stop telling Him how to do his job while I am praying. He does a pretty good job at His job without my help.
Sometimes it is hard to know how to pray to Him effectively so I’m not just rambling about what I want and how I want it. Last week, Pastor Holle told us that the best prayer to pray is the Lord’s Prayer. It gets to the point and helps us make a connection with Him. I decided to really put the emphasis on Him when I pray it, like this:
OUR Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be THY name.
THY Kingdom come,
THY will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us THIS day our daily bread.
And forgive us OUR trespasses,
as we forgive THOSE who trespass against us.
And lead us NOT into temptation,
but DELIVER us from evil.
For THINE is the kingdom,
The POWER
And the GLORY.
Forever and ever.
Amen!
U-Turns Allowed
Not long after we moved to this area, I joined our church softball team. They played in a league in the next town over. The first few weeks were challenging for me to figure out the best way to get there. I have always had a tendency to just keep driving thinking I will accidentally come upon the road I need to be on. Amazingly enough, that does happen a lot. The only time it becomes an issue is when I have a specific time I have to be somewhere, like a softball game.
On my way to the first game, I was on the highway for awhile when I realized I should have been going west, but I was going east. I needed to turn around. It seemed as though I had driven for miles without seeing an exit. I then saw a turn-around on the highway with a sign that said, “Authorized Personnel Only.” It looked like my only chance for miles to turn around, so I made a u-turn.
I had my two girls in the car with me. They were 4 and 7 at the time. My seven year old could read the sign. She asked me if I was “authorized.” What was I going to say? So, of course, I lied. I told her that all moms are “authorized personnel.” Well, she decided to call me on it. She said that she believed that only policemen were considered “authorized.”
My four year old had just learned in pre-school about confessing your sins and that you need to do that not only to God, but to someone who has authority over you like your parents, or…a policeman.
She started yelling at me and telling me that I was not authorized and I broke the law and she needed to tell someone for me. It was her duty for my sake. I thought for sure that if we didn’t discuss it any longer she would forget about it and maybe we could discuss it later.
Many of the women on the softball team had kids. All the older kids would watch the younger ones and they had a blast hanging out with each other while their moms played softball. Just as I was up to bat, I looked over to see where the girls were and my four year old was talking to the security guard. I took my turn batting and popped out to centerfield.
As I was walking off of the field, the security guard called my name and motioned for me to come over to him. He explained to me that my daughter told him about my indiscretion and he scolded me for setting a bad example for my children. I promised him, and my daughters, that I would never make an illegal u-turn again.
Fortunately, God encourages u-turns. I need that opportunity, sometimes daily, to turn back to Him when I am being willfully disobedient. Most of the time it is my attitude that causes me to act more like me and less like Him. God tells us in Isaiah 45:22, “Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God and there is no other.”
Sometimes it is really difficult to know when you have taken a u-turn in the wrong direction. God will put people in our lives that can help us get back on the right path. Sometimes it is our job to gently let our friends and loved ones know they have strayed from the path. James encourages us in James 5:19-20, “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth, and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.”
It’s okay to make u-turns in life, as long as the arrow points back to God!
On my way to the first game, I was on the highway for awhile when I realized I should have been going west, but I was going east. I needed to turn around. It seemed as though I had driven for miles without seeing an exit. I then saw a turn-around on the highway with a sign that said, “Authorized Personnel Only.” It looked like my only chance for miles to turn around, so I made a u-turn.
I had my two girls in the car with me. They were 4 and 7 at the time. My seven year old could read the sign. She asked me if I was “authorized.” What was I going to say? So, of course, I lied. I told her that all moms are “authorized personnel.” Well, she decided to call me on it. She said that she believed that only policemen were considered “authorized.”
My four year old had just learned in pre-school about confessing your sins and that you need to do that not only to God, but to someone who has authority over you like your parents, or…a policeman.
She started yelling at me and telling me that I was not authorized and I broke the law and she needed to tell someone for me. It was her duty for my sake. I thought for sure that if we didn’t discuss it any longer she would forget about it and maybe we could discuss it later.
Many of the women on the softball team had kids. All the older kids would watch the younger ones and they had a blast hanging out with each other while their moms played softball. Just as I was up to bat, I looked over to see where the girls were and my four year old was talking to the security guard. I took my turn batting and popped out to centerfield.
As I was walking off of the field, the security guard called my name and motioned for me to come over to him. He explained to me that my daughter told him about my indiscretion and he scolded me for setting a bad example for my children. I promised him, and my daughters, that I would never make an illegal u-turn again.
Fortunately, God encourages u-turns. I need that opportunity, sometimes daily, to turn back to Him when I am being willfully disobedient. Most of the time it is my attitude that causes me to act more like me and less like Him. God tells us in Isaiah 45:22, “Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God and there is no other.”
Sometimes it is really difficult to know when you have taken a u-turn in the wrong direction. God will put people in our lives that can help us get back on the right path. Sometimes it is our job to gently let our friends and loved ones know they have strayed from the path. James encourages us in James 5:19-20, “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth, and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.”
It’s okay to make u-turns in life, as long as the arrow points back to God!
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