A New Venture

There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day lately...but, then again, if there were any MORE, I'm not sure WHAT I would do!  I was really in hopes that life would "slow down" just a little after my daughter's wedding at the first of April, but so far, I have not seen too much change in the pace.

I am continuing to work as a hostess (several evenings a week) at the local restaurant that I worked at prior to Grace's wedding, but I am now taking on a new venture...SERVING!  A month or so ago, the General Manager of the restaurant asked me if I would be interested in learning to be a server.  He said that I should be able to make more money for the same number of hours worked and he thought that I would be good at it.  My first response was, "Sure!", but then as I began to think about learning something all new, I started having second thoughts.  And, after the first night of training (on a SATURDAY night), I was having serious reservations...and I'm NOT talking about the dinner kind!!

For those of you who haven't discovered this yet, memorizing and retaining information starts to become a little more difficult after "a certain age"...and I have definitely passed that said age! I had no idea of all the "details" that go into running a Fine Dining restaurant...right down to how many inches away the from the table chair sits!  And who knew that each chair at every table has a "position number"?!?!

This week, I will be taking my "Menu Test" where I will be expected to write down EVERY ingredient in each of the Appetizers and Salads on our menu. I have made 3 x 5 index cards (much like I use to memorize my Bible verses) and have been trying to learn all the ingredients, but I must say that I am still struggling with some of the dishes.  I haven't even begun to study the ingredients in all of the Entrees yet, which I will be tested on next...not to mention the extensive wine list!

It is a very fast-paced job and, at this point, I am wondering if I should just stick with being up front at the Hostess stand where I can just "Smile and Wave, Boys...Smile and Wave".  I know I can handle that!

Snow Day Thoughts...

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, 

and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is My word that goes out from My mouth:

It will not return to Me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55: 10-11

Thank you, Lord, that You are the one who tells the snow when to fall...

You appoint when it should come,  and to what degree and how long it shall remain. 

Job 37:6

Looking Forward to 2011...

I have never really been one who makes New Year's Resolutions...I guess I just don't like setting myself up for failure. lol   I do, however, try to set some spiritual goals for myself at the beginning of each new year; i.e. Scripture memorization, journaling, Bible reading plans, books I want to read, etc.

I LOVE the idea of having a "fresh slate" every January 1rst.  For the previous year's goals that I failed to reach, I have a brand new opportunity to start over and do better in the new year. For the goals that I WAS able to attain in the previous year, it is a time to reevaluate and "set the bar a little higher" in the new year.

I can hardly believe how fast the year 2010 has gone by. It has been a difficult year, but it has also been one in which I have learned so much and seen God's hand on my life in so many ways.  I would not trade the difficulties of the year for all the life lessons that I have learned through the process.

As I was riding home on Tuesday, I was listening to the radio and thinking about the new year that is right around the corner and some of the things that I hope to accomplish next year.  A lyric to a Casting Crown song that I have heard many times suddenly jumped out at me and I have not been able to get it off my mind.  The lyric was,

"I want to sign Your name to the end of this day, knowing that my heart was true...".  

I couldn't help but wonder how many days in 2010 that I would actually have been able to sign His name to?  


How many days did the words I said and the things I did bring a smile to Him? 


How many days was I His hands and feet to reach a dying world?

Oh, how I want to be able to sign His name to the end of each day, knowing that my heart was true. If I could do that, then 2011 would surely be a year with no regrets and would definitely be my BEST year yet! If I could do that, I would be one step closer to that day when I will hear those words that I so long to hear from Him, "Well done, Thou good and faithful servant".

So for the year 2011, Lord....

May the words I say and the things I do bring a smile to You, God.


May my life be a living sacrifice so that I will be Your hands and feet to a dying world that is very much in need of You.


Give me Your eyes to see the things that I keep missing.


Remove all the distractions that are constantly competing for my attention and keep me focused only on You.


Quieten all the "voices" that are "screaming" at me to listen to them and give me only ears to hear Your still small voice. 


Give me Your love for humanity. 


And this time next year as 2011 comes to a close...
                     I pray that I would be able to sign Your name to it, 
                                                                                  knowing that my heart was true.

I LOVE Spring!

I have a new little family living in my Jasmine vines!  How sweet is this little momma protecting her unborn children.

And, I think I know why they call these KNOCKOUT Roses!

They are really "knockouts" this year!

Thermometer or Thermostat

My husband and I were talking yesterday morning about our values and beliefs in light of the election results and he told me, "Honey, we're a dying breed." I refuse to believe that! I believe that there are millions of people that share our same conservative values and beliefs, but we've all been silent for too long.

A while back I  heard an illustration comparing Christians to thermometers and thermostats. It got me to thinking about what the differences in these two items were?

A thermometer rises and falls with changes in the temperature. It measures and indicates temperature. Thermometers never CHANGE the climate -- they just gauge the temperature. In other words, a thermometer simply tells us what the temperature in the room is.

A thermostat, on the other hand, automatically regulates temperature. The device is activated when it reaches a certain point. It's purpose is to maintain the temperature at the desired set-point. In other words, a thermostat dictates the temperature in the room. 

I wonder, do we rise and fall based on our environment, or are we setting the "temperature" for our surroundings? 

Are we like a thermometer that simply records what's going on in our environment?

Or, are we more like a thermostat setting the desired "temperature" for our surroundings?

Do we "adjust" to the crowd or do we choose to change the crowd?

The Bible tells us in I Corinthians 15:33, "Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits."  I can't mess around with people who weaken me and expect to stay strong. (For more on this subject read this post.)

We are commanded in Matthew 5 to be "the salt of the earth" and the "light of the world"! We are to be vessels of change in our world. God calls us to separate ourselves from others (both Christians and non-believers), if we find ourselves being influenced rather than being an influence. 

God is calling each of us to be thermostats in our world! He wants us to live in such a way that our lives set the tone in our families, our neighborhoods and in our workplaces.

We should be the pacesetters. We should influence rather than be influenced. We should be thermostats rather than thermometers.

So.... am I influencing my surroundings --- or am I being influenced by my environment? 

Definitely something to ponder today.  

What about you? 

Thermometer or thermostat?

The Captain of My Ship

Isn't it amazing how you can read a passage that you have read many times before and suddenly you "see" something that you failed to see every other time that you read that passage.

That happened to me recently as I read this:

"And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation."  

Genesis 7:1 KJV

Did you see that? God didn't tell Noah to "get into the ark". He told him to "come into the ark".  There's a big difference! "Come into the ark" implies that God was already onboard waiting!

Noah didn't even shut the door on the ark!  Genesis 7:16 KJV says:

 "And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in."

Noah did not have onboard navigation.  He had no way to steer the boat. It was totally up to God to protect the ark and guide it to the proper resting place. We always call it Noah's ark, but God was the Captain of the ark.

What a great reminder to me at times when I feel like I have completely lost my ability to "navigate my life", to remember Who's onboard! Who's the Captain! Who is protecting me and guiding me.

Lord, Thank you for this reminder that you are always present with me; that no matter what I am facing, you are already "onboard". When the rains come, and the waves pound upon my "ship" as the storm rages, thank you that you promise that you will never leave me or forsake me. Help me, Lord, to trust You to "steer my ship" and to set me down on "dry ground" just as You did for Noah and his family!

Elmo's World

Not a lot going on to blog about this weekend, but Poppa and I did have a very special guest spend the night last night. ELMO! 

Oops, I mean "E"!

After a very fun day with Nana and friends going to see Elmo (live), "E" came to spend the night.  As soon as she arrived, she wanted some cashews, so I grabbed my camera to capture how precious she looked!

Can you believe that Faith made this shirt the night before for her to wear to the performance!

You should feel Elmo's face - it is made out of "minky" fabric and is the cutest thing ever!

I sure wish I had a Nana like that!

Something To Warm Your Heart

I heard this story on my way to work this morning and literally had to wipe the tears away as I was driving.

In a world where most of the news right now is so depressing and discouraging, how wonderful to hear a story like this on the morning news!

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be a student in THIS high school!

Please watch --you will be blessed!

Living In A Toxic Environment

There is much talk today about our environment.  I am concerned about the water I drink and the air that I breathe.  I want my grandchildren to grow up on a clean planet, with clean lakes and rivers, and I am doing as much as I can to help accomplish that.

But, I wonder whether I am just as concerned about other pollutants in my environment. What about the "moral climate" in which I live?  

Do you know that there are some people that are toxic. Do any of you know what I am talking about? Think of some of the people that you enjoy seeing and hanging out with.  

Do they build you up spiritually?  

Is your walk with the Lord stronger as a result of being with them? 

Or, is it weaker?  

I have some friends that I love to hang out with, but God has shown me that I need to distance myself from them. I am not stronger spiritually as a result of having been with them.

I used to tell my children when they were younger, "You become like those you hang around." Did you know that is a scriptural principle?  I Corinthians 15:33 says, "Do not be deceived; Bad company corrupts good morals." How many times I have seen this to be true in my own life and in the lives of my children and it happens so quickly and with such subtlety.

There are also toxic places that need to be avoided. There are websites that we need to avoid.  There are certain books and magazines that need to be off-limits. There are movies that we need to avoid because they "contaminate" our minds. 

Proverbs 4:26 says, "Watch the path of your feet."

I wonder, would we relocate our family to a place that we knew was a toxic waste dump?  Would we plan to spend our family vacations there?  Of course not, and yet, there are many places that we go, television shows that we watch, and things that we read that are JUST as toxic to our souls!

So the question is, "How can we remain uncontaminated in this world in which we live? I believe that the answer can be found in Psalm 119:9-11:

How can a young man keep his way pure?

By keeping it according to Thy word.

With all my heart I have sought Thee;

Do not let me wander from Thy commandments.

Thy word I have treasured in my heart,

That I may not sin against Thee.

God, make me sensitive to the places I go, the people that I am with and the things that I do. Help me to remember that I will become like those I hang around and help me to surround myself with friends that make me spiritually stronger as a result of having been around them. I pray that Your Word might be hidden in my heart so that I will immediately recognize things in my environment that are not healthy for me or my family. Strengthen me and give me the courage to walk away from these things. Help me to keep my way pure by keeping it according to Your Word. Amen.

Singing The BLOGLINES Blues!

What in the world is going on with Bloglines for the last few days?  Earlier in the week I just thought that everyone was having a busy week like mine and was not posting very much. Finally, a few of days ago, I checked a couple of my favorite blogs that I follow, only to find out that NOT ONLY were there new posts on their blogs, but they had posted 5 or 6 NEW POSTS and Bloglines never notified me! WHAT!!!!!

Here I was thinking I was up-to-date reading and commenting on the blogs that I follow, only to find out that I am WAY BEHIND! I talked to Faith last night (and also read her post from yesterday) and she has been having the same frustrations!

I just want to say that if I have not commented on your blog recently and I regularly do, PLEASE do not take it personally!  I simply had no idea that you had updated in recent days!  Please give me a few days to get caught up on how far behind I am. I sure hope they get this problem fixed very soon!

How about you?  Are you having the same difficulties and frustrations?  

Has anyone found a better solution for staying updated on all of their blog feeds?

My Onboard Navigation

This past week my husband and I had to drive to another city for a doctor appointment. Before leaving our driveway I "plugged in" the address of our destination in the onboard navigation and asked for the fastest route.  The "sweet woman" immediately said, "please proceed to the highlighted route and your guidance will begin".  Once we got out on the highway she periodically would say, "continue on the highlighted route."

Each time that we were approaching a place where we could possibly veer off of our "preferred route", she would start gently warning us of our upcoming turn ahead.  As it got closer, she would again remind us that just shortly ahead we would be making our turn.  Finally, as we got to the appointed place to turn, she would once again remind us to turn to stay on the correct route.

We followed directions fine on the way to the appointment, but on our way back home, we became distracted and were not listening to our instructions at one point and we missed a turn. After a few minutes of silence, the "sweet woman" recalculated our route and very patiently and politely told us what we needed to do to get ourselves back on track again.  She didn't seem to be upset with us at all.

It got me to thinking......

Is this not a lot like our trip through life as a Christian?

Many years ago, I made a decision about where I wanted to go.  I made Heaven my"HOME" destination and God planned out the route for me to get there. His Holy Spirit is continually urging me to "continue on the highlighted route".  But, so many times I have ignored His directions and gone my own way.  Sometimes I intentionally go in a direction that I know is not His preferred route for me--despite His repeated warnings.

When I make a wrong turn or I choose to go in a different direction from the preferred route He has planned for me, He patiently recalculates my route. He never seems to get upset with me.  If I take the time to listen, He will tell me where to turn and what I need to do to get back on track.

He knows where I am going.

He has mapped out my route.

He has calculated how long I will travel.

But what happens when I get "behind the wheel" of my life?  I get distracted.  I take a wrong turn.  Sometimes I am WAY off track, but He patiently recalculates my route and guides me back onto the preferred route. 

I need to remember to start out each day with my destination as "HOME"  and ask Him to "RESUME GUIDANCE".

Hebrews 2:1  "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away."

Lord, 

Thank you that you have planned out a preferred route for me to lead me to my final destination of Heaven. When I do make a wrong turn, help me to listen to that still small voice and follow the leading of your Holy Spirit to get back on to that preferred route that You have for me. Thank you that you never lose your patience with me. Thank you that you are always "onboard" with me, guiding me, if I will only listen and follow your directions. Help me to start out each day listening to my "onboard navigation" telling me the way that I should go. Amen.

An Inexhaustible Power Source

None of us can turn on the TV or pick up a magazine without being bombarded with the message about living a "green" lifestyle.  In our home, we have really tried to make some changes to help conserve our resources. We have increased the temperature setting on our thermostat. While waiting on the water to warm up prior to getting in our shower, we capture the water and use it to water our plants. We wait until the dishwasher is completely full before running it. We also run it on the "short wash" cycle and leave the heated drying cycle turned off.  We wash clothes in cold water, rather than hot, and I hang almost all of my clothes up to dry.  We use cloth napkins. I am probably the "Queen of Recycling" in my neighborhood. I recycle EVERYTHING!!!

With oil prices reaching all time highs and with refineries in the Gulf threatened by storms this hurricane season, what we have taken for granted most of our lives and thought was inexhaustible, has now become very limited. This is one of the big issues in the upcoming Presidential election in November. There is lots of talk right now about alternative energy sources, i.e. solar energy, wind turbines, nuclear energy, hybrid cars, natural gas, etc. 

Have you noticed that the world tries to offer us many different "resources", too? Money, possessions, popularity, notoriety, position. But, these are all limited resources and ALL of these can disappear overnight.

I need to make a choice about what kind of energy will sustain me throughout my life. I have an unlimited source of power at my disposal --- I have God Himself, His Word and the Holy Spirit!  But, do I always "tap into" that power?  I know that there have been many times that I have run out of energy along the way in my Christian life. I have tried to "run my life" while I was basically flat on empty.

As we face a very pivotal election in our country in less than 60 days, I wonder does our country look like a people depending on God for the supply of energy that we need to meet our needs? What about in our marriages? Our homes? 

We need to "fill up" with God's energy! God's energy NEVER runs out!  If we know Christ, then God's energy lives in us by His Spirit!

David Jeremiah puts it this way,"Living on the basis of God's Word is like driving a car with the gas gauge that constantly registers FULL regardless of how far you drive."  Isn't that what we would all love to have?

We are searching everywhere for various energy sources, but the truth is, there is only ONE source we need and it is an inexhaustible source! I need to be living my life on the basis of God's Word!  I need to tap into His power!!

Ephesians 5:18 "But be ye filled with the Spirit."

You're Not Alone

This past week my sweet blogging friend, Caroline, had this beautiful post and in it she referenced the lyrics to a song that I have absolutely fallen in love with.  I have had it on mind and in my heart ever since the first time I heard it and I listen to it all the time.

This has to be one of the most beautiful and powerful songs that I have heard in awhile.  As I was listening to it today I was thinking of all the people that are facing storm damage and devastation in the Gulf (some for the second time in 3 years) and I wish every one of them could hear God speak to them through this amazing song!

ALL of us either HAVE faced "storms", ARE facing "storms", or WILL face "storms" in our lives. After reading many of your blogs, I know that you, like me, are presently facing some "storms" in your life and I just had to share this song to make sure that all of ya'll know that whatever "storm" you're facing right now  --  YOU'RE NOT ALONE!!  

I hope you find as much comfort from these lyrics as I have!

My Anchor Holds

Hebrews 6:19 "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast." 

I was reminded today of an old hymn that we used to sing in church years ago, "Will Your Anchor Hold In The Storms of Life?"---- or some hymnals call it "We Have An Anchor". As I laid down to rest this afternoon I started thinking about some of the lyrics to that great old hymn:

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,

When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?

When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,

Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?

Refrain

We have an anchor that keeps the soul

Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,

Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,

Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.

It is safely moored, ’twill the storm withstand,

For ’tis well secured by the Savior’s hand;

And the cables, passed from His heart to mine,

Can defy that blast, thro’ strength divine.

A few years ago, Walt and I went to Sanibel Island, FL on vacation and I was out in the ocean just floating (and dozing off) on an air mattress.  After awhile, I opened my eyes to find that I had drifted way down the shoreline -- quite a ways down the beach from where I originally was. It didn't take any energy for me to "drift" down the coast, but it took a WHOLE LOT of energy to paddle my way back to where I needed to be -- working against the ocean current.

The same thing is true about my spiritual life.  It is so easy to start drifting.  I can start out strong and in no time, drift away from where I know I need to be. I start not reading my Bible as much as I used to, or maybe I'm not praying as much as I used to.  I have seen it happen in my own life.

When we drift, we are not stagnant.  We continue to move, but sometimes in an unhealthy direction. Have you ever noticed that when we drift it is usually DOWNstream?

How does the drifting occur?

We are no longer at the helm.

We are no longer on guard.

We are no longer cautious about what is going on around us.

We are no longer anchored.

Hebrews 2: 1 "For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."  

Without an anchor, our boat that is "parked" will begin to drift. Unless I am anchored in the Word I will begin to slip away from a close relationship with God. That slippage can be so gradual that I may not even notice it until I am SHIPWRECKED.

It is a fact that we all face storms in life.  The storms come in many different forms - the tornado of failing health, the cyclone of financial reversal, the tsunami of the death of a loved one, the tropical storm of the loss of a job, or the hurricane of a failed marriage. But one thing is for sure, the storms of life will prove the strength of our anchor.

And the cables, passed from His heart to mine,

Can defy that blast, thro’ strength divine.

Are the cables of my heart fastened to the cables of His heart?

How about you?  Are you fastened to the Rock which cannot move?

GRACE UPON GRACE

God's Grace --- God's unmerited favor

God's Grace --- God's Riches At Christ's Expense

John 1:16 says, "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace."  Jesus gives us grace on top of grace, out of the fulness of His own grace.

I absolutely love the ocean.  I love the smell of the ocean, the feel of the sand between my toes, and the tide washing up over my feet at the water's edge. I love how smooth the soles of my feet are after a few days of walking on the beach. But, the thing I love the most is the sound of the ocean.  It is the most peaceful sound of anything I know.   The sound of one wave coming up after another in endless succession.

Take a moment out of your busy schedules to experience what I am talking about.

There is never a time that the waves stop.  The tide may come in and the tide may go out; the waves may be bigger at times than others, but the waves never stop. 

The same is true of God's grace.  One wave of God's grace is coming in and it is constantly being refreshed by a new wave. This all comes out of His fulness.  What that says to me is that we can't drain Him!  There is no limit to the supply of grace that is at our disposal in Christ!  WOW!

The New International Version of the Bible puts it his way,

" From the fulness of His grace we have ALL received one blessing after another."

This doesn't mean that I will always be happy, but it does mean that I will always have an underlying joy that cannot be explained by this world.  All of us have burdens, but God DAILY LOADS US WITH HIS BENEFITS!  He gives us one blessing after another (just like the waves of the ocean coming in in succession) and He has countless ways that HE chooses to bless us.

The blessing He chooses to give me may be different from the blessing that He chooses for you.  What he blesses you with may be different than what He blesses me with.  But....His fulness can never be exhausted. His fulness can never be drained. He tells us in His Word that "No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly."

As I think about this, I am convicted that many times I don't really take the time to look around to notice the "waves" of God's grace that continue to pour in on me in succession.  My focus many times is on what is "wrong" in my life; on the burdens that I am dealing with at the present time.  

I am blessed with so much natural beauty surrounding me.  The flowers, the Carolina blue skies, the birds singing outside my window, the much-needed rain. I am surrounded by people that I love and people that love me, I have a roof over my head, 3 meals a day, a great job...and the list goes on and on.

I pray that God would give me a new perspective -- HIS perspective.  No matter what burdens I am carrying, help me to always be mindful of the many benefits He daily loads me with and to never take them for granted.

What about you?

What are some of God's blessings to you? 

Can you see the blessings as they keep coming in succession?  

I challenge you to click back on the picture above and as the waves flow in in succession, let Him remind you of what benefits He has just today loaded you with! His grace to you is coming in and constantly be renewed by another wave!  There is no limit to the grace that is at your disposal!

Random Thoughts From Here...

Today was the first Wednesday that I have had off in a while, and I was soooooo excited about not having to get up at 5:30. Well....unfortunately, Lewis did NOT get the memo about the change in my schedule!  At 5:32 this morning he started playing with the beads on the lampshade on my bedside table.  When I got him to stop that, he proceeded to knock a stack of papers and books off the table beside me.  (The scary part is that Champ sleeps in HIS bed right below all of this commotion!)  Then it was onto my bed and there he started with the biting!  That was it!  At that point I just gave up and got up out of bed.  So much for a nice restful morning on my much-needed day off!

I went to the living room with my Bible.  As I was reading, I came to the following verses:

"You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;

being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts."

2 Corinthians 3:2-3

Do you realize that we may be the only Bible that some people will ever read? 

I don't know about you, but that is a very sobering thought for me.  When I think back on my life since I was saved, there have been so many times that I am sure that my life has not given an accurate representation of the Word of God. 

I had to go to the doctor today for my annual physical.  I first met Faith in a parking lot to "hand off" "Miss E" for some Nana and Bubba time.  From there I headed into the parking garage at my doctor's office.  After making so many laps around the garage looking for a parking spot that I now needed Dramamine, I went into the building where my doctor's office is.  There were a handful of patients in the waiting area as I walked in and I walked straight up to the Reception Desk.  This was totally a misnomer in this office!  There was no reception about it!  The woman at the desk looked up at me and I said with a very cheerful voice and smile, "Good Morning!"  Just so you know, she hasn't spoken to me yet!  I signed in on a pad of paper and I am waiting patiently for them to take my insurance card and the volumes of paperwork that I had completed ahead of time as requested, but no one ever says anything!  Maybe because she is TEXTING someone on her cellphone UNDER her desk!  (Now mind you, there is a huge sign at the front desk which reads "No Cellphone Usage Allowed In This Office"!) Finally, she realizes I'm standing there and she says, "Ma'am, just have a seat! We'll call you back up in a few minutes."  

My first impulse was to be a little bit angry that the woman was so rude to me. But I thought about it for a minute and  from that moment on, I took it as my personal mission to make this woman speak to me and maybe even possibly smile.  She called me back up and took my papers, my insurance card, and, of course, my money and I FORCED her to have to speak to me.  Before our interaction was over, I think she may have even smiled one tiny little smile.

After my visit, I was eating lunch with my husband at home, and while sitting there at the table, the Lord brought to my remembrance what He had whispered to me in my quiet time this morning -- "You may be the only Bible she may ever read!"

Now, I don't think that in this instance that I really did a lot for this lady just by being pleasant to her, but it did get me to thinking about how none of us know what someone else is dealing with in their  life.  This woman could be in an abusive relationship at home.  She may be facing a dire financial situation.  Maybe she has a terminally ill loved one in her family.  Her husband could be unemployed with no job prospects.  Perhaps she is miserable in her job.  Maybe she just didn't feel like being cheerful and smiling today.

I started to wonder what perception of God's Word we would give someone if they were "reading" us:

• When we are in a hurry at the left turn red light (that lasts approximately 5 seconds) and the lady in front of us is applying her mascara and causes us to miss the entire light.  

• When that person at McDonald's enters the drive-thru from the wrong direction and beats us into the line because we go the proper way AROUND the building. 
  

• When that person that we thought was our friend lashes out at us with hurtful accusations and comments.  
  

• When that person at work tells a dirty joke and everyone around us is laughing. 
  

I pray that the next time God places me in a situation where someone is "reading" me, that somehow, in spite of all my imperfections, that they would see Him.  That my life would give an accurate representation of His Word.  

Maybe somehow I lightened that lady's burden just a little bit today. At least, I'd like to think so.

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

Matthew 5:16

Our "Noisy" Lives

Many times when my husband and I are riding in the car, I find myself saying, "Can we just turn the radio off?  I would just like to hear some peace and quiet!" 

I started thinking about how bombarded we are with the TV, the internet, email, text messages, etc., from the time we wake up in the morning until the time we drift off to sleep at night. 

Each day when I arrive at work, music is piped in through speakers throughout the entire office. Many mornings before I ever get to work, I have had phone calls or text messages from family members or co-workers.  If  I go out for lunch, there is music playing in the restaurant as well as a giant screen TV in the corner of the restaurant. I walk in the door at home after a long day at work and the TV is on a 24 hour News station. And this is not even mentioning the text messages, phone calls and emails received and sent throughout the day!  

If we go into a place that requires that we turn off our cellphones, as soon as we come out we immediately turn them back on.  It is almost like the cellphones contain oxygen that we have been deprived of! Many of us are now capable of walking (or driving) while texting our friends, returning emails, and making phone calls.

I can't help but wonder...

• Is there a spiritual danger in all of this?  

• Does God just become one more thing that we try to multi-task?

• If we have all of this "noise" bombarding us, are we even able to hear the still small voice of God?

• Do we have the same level of commitment to spending time with God as we do to our favorite TV show?
  

Would we be willing to cut out one 30 minute TV program or 30 minutes spent on the internet so that we could turn off the "noise" and spend time alone with God?

I believe God is calling us to come apart from all the "noise" in our lives. It  may be by an internet fast, a TV fast,  or maybe by a silent retreat. We could do it by taking a walk (leaving our IPods at home) or by journaling.  Even riding in the car can be a great time to pray and think and, also, memorize scripture. 

Every step we take to quieten the "noise" in our lives may bring us that much closer to the Lord.

"A Time Capsule"

On my way to work yesterday morning, I heard the hosts on the radio station I was listening to talking about a man named Jamie Livingstone that had taken a Polaroid picture of something in his life, EVERY day from 1979 through 1997.  Can you imagine?   

First of all...some of you probably do not even have a clue what a Polaroid picture is! I am DEFINITELY dating myself here!  It was a picture taken with a kind of instamatic camera with "self-developing" film.  The picture shot out of the camera after you took it and you had to shake it around, blow on it, etc. and watch the picture "develop" before your very eyes!  As you can see...it was a very compact camera, too! LOL!

I actually had this identical camera!  It was STATE-OF-THE ART !! It was so exciting to be able to view your pictures "instantly"!  (I know this is so hard for most of you to imagine in this day of HD digital cameras where we see everything instantly.)  I remember that the film for these cameras was fairly expensive and there were only 8-10 pictures in each "box" of film.

Well...this man took a picture everyday from March 31, 1979 until the day of his death, October 25, 1997!  I was thinking about that while I was savoring my Starbucks Tall, Soy, Extra Hot, No Foam Chai Latte---that's a ton of pictures!  That's alot of boxes of film, too!

After I got to work, I did a quick Google search (while I could still remember) and sure enough, I found information on this man.  Turns out that he had terminal cancer and he "chronicled" his life, up to AND including the day he died, with a Polaroid picture every day of himself, family and friends!  Some of the pictures are missing, but there are still reportedly 6,697 pictures remaining in the collection.  WOW!

Some of the pictures that "summed up" this man's days were a little strange for me, but it got me to thinking. What a neat idea this was to take a picture EACH day that sort of "encapsulates" your day.  I started flipping through hundreds of pictures in my IPhoto of significant days in MY life and the life of those that I love. And then it dawned on me that, for a lot of us, our blogs are doing the same thing.  For many, their journal does the same thing.  Something that "summarizes" what was happening in our lives on any given day! (I love that  His Doorkeeper said that she has been journalling since her freshman year in college and she can look back and see exactly where she was and what she was doing on any given day!)

The picture that "encapsulates" my day was nothing real exciting today. Just work, as usual!

I wonder...what would a picture of YOUR day look like? I would love for you to share them.  I would love to see them!

Tag I'm It !!

Nicki gave me my VERY first tag and, I'll be honest, since I am so new to "blogland" I had to call up my daughter to make sure that I understood exactly what that meant. LOL! This is such a good way to get to know more about people, though.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

Oh my....I can hardly remember what I did yesterday and you want me to remember 10 years ago!

I was raising 3 teenagers! I had a 13 yr. old, a 15 yr. old and a 17 year old (that MAY be why I have no memory anymore!) AND my husband lived and worked away in West Virginia. I was also working full-time in a dental office. Needless to say, that was a very busy time in my life!

2. My Favorite Snacks

Definitely almonds or cashews. I have one or the other for snack EVERY day!


3. Five things on my to-do list today

1. Empty the cat litter box
2. Place my monthly Miessence order
3. Water all my flower baskets and vegetable containers
4. Balance my checkbook
5. Wash a load of hand washables

4.Things I would do if I were a billionaire

I would give God His portion right off the top and then I would like to be able to practice "random acts of kindness". I would like to give lots of "just because" gifts to people. I would like to be able to support various ministries that have ministered to me over the years. I would also love to purchase and run my own Bed-And-Breakfast in the mountains of NC.

5. Five jobs that I've had

Well...I haven't really had too many jobs. I started working in a dentist office when I was 15 years old and I am still in one! I worked at the school and then in the church office when my kids went to Christian school.

1. worked after school in an Oral Surgeon's office during high school
2. assistant to English Professor while in college
3. dental hygienist
4. elementary school secretary and later church secretary
5. dental office manager


6. Five places I've lived

1. Chattanooga, TN
2. Columbus, GA
3. Toccoa, GA
4. Gainesville, GA
5. North Carolina

7.Five random things people wouldn't know about me

1. The first day that I FINALLY stayed all day at kindergarten without crying and my mom having to come get me, I fell off my bicycle that afternoon and broke my arm and had to miss school the next day!
2. I played the saxophone from the 3rd grade thru high school ( I also played the oboe in high school)
3. The first solo that I ever sang at church was "There's Just Something About That Name" (Gaither)
4. I LOVE fried green tomatoes! (And fried okra!)
5. I am extremely sensitive to chemicals and fragrances so I am obsessed with avoiding the use of chemicals whenever possible. I use all natural products to clean my house, do my laundry, etc. I make my own dishwashing powder, laundry detergent, furniture polish, bathroom cleaner and all-purpose cleaner.

8.Five cds that I'd have to take on a desert island

All my CDs are loaded onto my IPod (along with various Podcasts) so I would just carry it with me. It currently has 6542 songs loaded on it. That oughta last me awhile, huh!

9. People I tag are.........

Robyn
Becky
Stephanie
His Doorkeeper
Heather