I have to laugh.
One of our outdoor cats, Sunny, is the most lackadaisically fearless cat I've ever seen. Our dog barks and runs at him and he doesn't even begin to flinch. "Eh, no big deal." A car's tire nearly clips his hind leg off and he doesn't even begin to pick up his pace. "Eh, I've been closer. I'll just lay down right here and bask in the sun."
And then there's my favorite. His non-reaction to the gray and white bird that has migrated back to our little patch of acreage.
I know it is the same bird because it behaves the same way it has the last 3 years. Any time Sunny is walking around in the yard north of the house, this bird dive bombs him. From the maple tree it swoops down to just above Sunny's head, over towards the sweet gum tree and back again, chattering at him the entire time. Sunny just keeps walking, oblivious to the bird's rantings and ravings.
I don't know what grievous sin Sunny committed against this bird (well, I have an idea, but I really do not want confirmation), but it certainly remembers Sunny and refuses to forgive him.
I need to take a lesson from my cat. You see, whenever Satan dive bombs me, chattering at me about the sins I've committed, I need to walk on by as nonchalantly as Sunny does. "Oh, yeah, I've been forgiven for that. Move along..." Don't even give The Accuser the time of day off the sundial.
Sunny doesn't let his past ruin his present, and neither should I.
Maybe I'll go bask in The Son.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
I KNOW he didn't learn this from me...
So Tuesday morning Nathan and I were in my bedroom. He had his sippy cup of milk and accidentally dropped it on the tile in front of the fireplace. Several drops of milk spilled out onto the tile. I went to get something to clean it up, and when I came back in I found him on his knees in front of the fireplace. He was running his hand back and forth across the milk spill, saying "I kyean, I kyean."
I love when they start to "help" you.
He also does laundry. Apparently, I don't fold the clothes correctly as they come out of the dryer so he "refolds" them for me. He's such a sweetie. :)
Kind of like when I try to "help" God. I'll see a "mess" somewhere and think to myself, "I can help with this." With the best of intentions, I'll run my hands through the mess and shout, "I kyean, I kyean" and really, only make matters worse. If only I would ALWAYS remember to ASK Him if He would like my help before I just jump right in. If only I would also stop and listen for His answer...
Unfortunately, I'm not nearly as cute as Nathan is when I try to help.
I love when they start to "help" you.
He also does laundry. Apparently, I don't fold the clothes correctly as they come out of the dryer so he "refolds" them for me. He's such a sweetie. :)
Kind of like when I try to "help" God. I'll see a "mess" somewhere and think to myself, "I can help with this." With the best of intentions, I'll run my hands through the mess and shout, "I kyean, I kyean" and really, only make matters worse. If only I would ALWAYS remember to ASK Him if He would like my help before I just jump right in. If only I would also stop and listen for His answer...
Unfortunately, I'm not nearly as cute as Nathan is when I try to help.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Wow! It has been a VERY long time since I've posted on here! I'll try not to go that long anymore. The problem is that I've been using all my spare time (and creativity) writing a skit and a workshop for a Ladies' Retreat this coming weekend. I am VERY excited to have this opportunity to use some of the skills/gifts I have to His glory.
God has called me to speak. My "career" in this is not where I thought it would be by now, but that has more to do with A) my lack of vision and tenacity and 2) the fact that my idea of being a speaker and God's idea of me being a speaker seem to be 2 totally different things. I do have MANY other responsibilities in my life, responsibilities that only I can fulfill. What He is preparing me for I cannot see right now, but He knows the plans He has for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me a future and a hope. (Jer 29:11)
His idea of prospering me may have nothing to do with speaking, or it might have everything to do with it. And I'm sure our definitions of "prospering" differ as well. Only He knows. And only He knows how much or how little speaking He wants me to do. But I plan to be ready, willing and able when the opportunities come. Anything beyond that is in His hands.
God has called me to speak. My "career" in this is not where I thought it would be by now, but that has more to do with A) my lack of vision and tenacity and 2) the fact that my idea of being a speaker and God's idea of me being a speaker seem to be 2 totally different things. I do have MANY other responsibilities in my life, responsibilities that only I can fulfill. What He is preparing me for I cannot see right now, but He knows the plans He has for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me a future and a hope. (Jer 29:11)
His idea of prospering me may have nothing to do with speaking, or it might have everything to do with it. And I'm sure our definitions of "prospering" differ as well. Only He knows. And only He knows how much or how little speaking He wants me to do. But I plan to be ready, willing and able when the opportunities come. Anything beyond that is in His hands.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Pearls
I have had a special place in my heart for pearls for as long as I can remember. My mother, to this day, wears a ring she received from her parents for her high school graduation, with two pearls set in gold. One of my earliest memories is admiring this ring. I received a pearl ring from my parents for my graduation, but I kept losing the pearls and so now I have it in a special box for safe keeping. I have various strands of pearls, both real and imitation, that I have acquired over the years, various lengths and various diameters for various occasions.
I also have a sensitivity to metal, and so it bothers my skin to wear most jewelry. Gold and silver chains itch my neck, and I may never get to wear earrings again. Even watchbands tend to bother me. But pearls, ah, I can wear pearls all the livelong day. And thanks to Coco Chanel, pearls are classic and still contemporary. Nothing says luxury to me like a long strand of pearls draped around a woman's neck...
But it wasn't until today that I realized their symbolism.
A pearl is formed when a foreign body embeds itself inside an oyster. The oyster coats the particle with a natural secretion, and over time the many layers of this coating become the beautiful gem. A thing of beauty with pain at its core.
How many "foreign bodies" have embedded themselves in my life? How many times have I cursed the pain, or asked God to take it away, or simply whined, "Why me?" But then I (usually, eventually) quit whining and walk through the pain, praying I learn the lessons I need to learn. Day by day, prayer by prayer, layer by layer, He transforms my pain into something beautiful. Maybe that beauty is character. Maybe it is a softened heart. Maybe it is knowledge. Very likely it is something that resembles... my favorite jewelry.
I'll never see pearls in the same way again.
I also have a sensitivity to metal, and so it bothers my skin to wear most jewelry. Gold and silver chains itch my neck, and I may never get to wear earrings again. Even watchbands tend to bother me. But pearls, ah, I can wear pearls all the livelong day. And thanks to Coco Chanel, pearls are classic and still contemporary. Nothing says luxury to me like a long strand of pearls draped around a woman's neck...
But it wasn't until today that I realized their symbolism.
A pearl is formed when a foreign body embeds itself inside an oyster. The oyster coats the particle with a natural secretion, and over time the many layers of this coating become the beautiful gem. A thing of beauty with pain at its core.
How many "foreign bodies" have embedded themselves in my life? How many times have I cursed the pain, or asked God to take it away, or simply whined, "Why me?" But then I (usually, eventually) quit whining and walk through the pain, praying I learn the lessons I need to learn. Day by day, prayer by prayer, layer by layer, He transforms my pain into something beautiful. Maybe that beauty is character. Maybe it is a softened heart. Maybe it is knowledge. Very likely it is something that resembles... my favorite jewelry.
I'll never see pearls in the same way again.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
5 Loaves + 2 Fish = 20 Years of Theater
I am five loaves and two fish.
It all started sophomore year of high school. The friends I walked home with decided to join the Props Crew in the Theater Department at our high school. I didn't really want to walk home by myself every day, and so I joined them. The show in production was "Guys and Dolls." Actors, singers, dancers, makeup, lighting, sets, costumes, drops...all was exciting and new to me.
I was thrilled that as a new member of the backstage crews I was assigned a big and important job. I got to move The Trash Can during a scene change. Ah, yes, I remember it well. It was a high stakes, high pressure situation.
Well, okay, so I exaggerate. After all, any idiot can move a trash can out of the way. Even so, somehow during one rehearsal I managed to forget it. After rehearsal Erika, one of the dancers, made it clear to me (very nicely) that if I didn't move the trash can, she couldn't do her flip onto the stage and the next scene could not start. This information switched on the light bulb in my head.
I realized that I had the opportunity to contribute to the success or failure of this show. I didn't have to be tall, blonde, pretty, smart, rich, funny, talented or athletic to perform this task. This was a niche I could fill. I could be part of something fun, exciting and creative.
I was also completely fascinated by the whole dynamic behind the production. So many people came together, with different backgrounds and ideas and reasons to be there, and created something that lived, breathed, and affected people. This wasn't a painting you looked at on a wall -- this was living art. Every single performance was unique and yet the same. Each person had their own job to do in time, each thread woven purposefully in the tapestry, line by line, scene by scene. It was incredibly exciting to me. And I got to be a tiny thread... This was the birth of the first passion in my life.
Back then it didn't occur to me that I would do anything but work on a crew of some sort, possibly even be Stage Manager. I did get to stage manage a few shows later in high school, after we moved from my beloved Chicago suburb to the DC suburbs. My plan in college was to continue and work backstage in professional theater. Nothing glamorous, nothing grand, but part of something I loved. God, however, had other plans.
God has taken my very small measure of talent and knowledge, my five loaves and two fish, and multiplied them in ways I could never have imagined back then. I have had the privilege of being a part of some wonderful and amazing productions over the past 20 some years after high school. I have been able to stage manage, perform, even write and direct theatrical productions. The writing especially is something that was never even on the radar. Granted, none of the shows have been what anyone would call professional. They have nearly all been church related, but God has given me the opportunity to use my tiny bit of knowledge and talent to further His Kingdom in this way. And each time I am presented with the opportunity to fill this niche in this tiny corner of the Kingdom, I am honored and humbled to play my part.
It all started sophomore year of high school. The friends I walked home with decided to join the Props Crew in the Theater Department at our high school. I didn't really want to walk home by myself every day, and so I joined them. The show in production was "Guys and Dolls." Actors, singers, dancers, makeup, lighting, sets, costumes, drops...all was exciting and new to me.
I was thrilled that as a new member of the backstage crews I was assigned a big and important job. I got to move The Trash Can during a scene change. Ah, yes, I remember it well. It was a high stakes, high pressure situation.
Well, okay, so I exaggerate. After all, any idiot can move a trash can out of the way. Even so, somehow during one rehearsal I managed to forget it. After rehearsal Erika, one of the dancers, made it clear to me (very nicely) that if I didn't move the trash can, she couldn't do her flip onto the stage and the next scene could not start. This information switched on the light bulb in my head.
I realized that I had the opportunity to contribute to the success or failure of this show. I didn't have to be tall, blonde, pretty, smart, rich, funny, talented or athletic to perform this task. This was a niche I could fill. I could be part of something fun, exciting and creative.
I was also completely fascinated by the whole dynamic behind the production. So many people came together, with different backgrounds and ideas and reasons to be there, and created something that lived, breathed, and affected people. This wasn't a painting you looked at on a wall -- this was living art. Every single performance was unique and yet the same. Each person had their own job to do in time, each thread woven purposefully in the tapestry, line by line, scene by scene. It was incredibly exciting to me. And I got to be a tiny thread... This was the birth of the first passion in my life.
Back then it didn't occur to me that I would do anything but work on a crew of some sort, possibly even be Stage Manager. I did get to stage manage a few shows later in high school, after we moved from my beloved Chicago suburb to the DC suburbs. My plan in college was to continue and work backstage in professional theater. Nothing glamorous, nothing grand, but part of something I loved. God, however, had other plans.
God has taken my very small measure of talent and knowledge, my five loaves and two fish, and multiplied them in ways I could never have imagined back then. I have had the privilege of being a part of some wonderful and amazing productions over the past 20 some years after high school. I have been able to stage manage, perform, even write and direct theatrical productions. The writing especially is something that was never even on the radar. Granted, none of the shows have been what anyone would call professional. They have nearly all been church related, but God has given me the opportunity to use my tiny bit of knowledge and talent to further His Kingdom in this way. And each time I am presented with the opportunity to fill this niche in this tiny corner of the Kingdom, I am honored and humbled to play my part.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Color(s) of Love -- YOU Decide
A friend of mine posted a question: What color is love? I responded that I didn't think you could limit it to only one color. Later I elaborated on that theory:
When you let each other down love is blue. When you make each other smile it is yellow. When you're trudging together through the muck of life it is brown. When you honor each other it is a royal purple. During the many boring parts it is gray. When you are growing closer to each other love is green. Joyful times are a bright pink. When tempers flare love is orange. Love that is a decision to love as God loves us is white. Times of intense sadness are black. And red is, well, you can fill in your own blank. ;)
Agree? Disagree? I'd love to hear what you think.
Agree? Disagree? I'd love to hear what you think.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
A Change in Walking Habits
I would like to share with you something that has changed my life, continues to change my life, and if he sticks with it, will also change the life of my oldest son, Matthew.
In early May of 2008 I had a brainstorm. I had been having trouble finding time to walk on the treadmill and read my bible. I decided that if I could do both at the same time, I could probably work these into my life. I had the treadmill already. All I needed was an ipod or some other mp3 player and a copy of the bible in that format.
A couple of days later I was on the phone with my mother. I told her my brilliant idea and she mentioned that her former employer had given her (and everyone else) an ipod that had not been out of the box in the year and a half she'd had it. She offered it to me and I jumped on the offer.
After a quick tutorial on this new (to me) technology, Clinton led me to iTunes to find a daily bible reading. He checked out a couple for me and then showed me the Daily Audio Bible by Brian Hardin. Brian had a nice voice and played serene background music interspersed with nature sounds. I thought this would do very nicely.
So in late May I began listening to the Daily Audio Bible while walking on the treadmill. The 20-30 minute podcasts work in very well with my workout schedule. On days that I don't walk I listen as I can that day. I could have gone back to the January podcasts and played catch up, but I know I would have become discouraged and eventually quit, so I just picked up where Brian was and continued on.
I must admit that the treadmill walking has been, especially lately, VERY hit and miss. I have, however, seen my christian walk transforming with the podcasts, and have completed 2008 on time. I'm proud of myself for that! Yeah, me! And now with the new year (and an extra 5 lbs), I plan to get back on the treadmill and listen to the entire bible this year.
Brian and his crew have also added the Daily Audio Proverb (once a month through the book of Proverbs), the Daily Audio Bible in Spanish and in Hindi, and most importantly to me, the Daily Audio Bible for Kids. Brian's daughter, China, reads from the New Testament, and they will complete the NT 4 times in a year. It takes about 15 minutes a day. Matthew just finished listening to his first podcast and really enjoyed it.
I get no money or any other "promotional considerations" for this blogpost. I simply wanted to share with you this wonderful thing that I've found and has made a huge difference in my life. I won't bore you with any more details than that for now, but I do pray that you will see the evidence of this in my life and in my blogposts.
Check it out for yourself at dailyaudiobible.com, or just search for One Year Daily Bible or Brian Hardin on iTunes.
Even if you do nothing at all with this information, be blessed in 2009!
And thanks for reading. :)
In early May of 2008 I had a brainstorm. I had been having trouble finding time to walk on the treadmill and read my bible. I decided that if I could do both at the same time, I could probably work these into my life. I had the treadmill already. All I needed was an ipod or some other mp3 player and a copy of the bible in that format.
A couple of days later I was on the phone with my mother. I told her my brilliant idea and she mentioned that her former employer had given her (and everyone else) an ipod that had not been out of the box in the year and a half she'd had it. She offered it to me and I jumped on the offer.
After a quick tutorial on this new (to me) technology, Clinton led me to iTunes to find a daily bible reading. He checked out a couple for me and then showed me the Daily Audio Bible by Brian Hardin. Brian had a nice voice and played serene background music interspersed with nature sounds. I thought this would do very nicely.
So in late May I began listening to the Daily Audio Bible while walking on the treadmill. The 20-30 minute podcasts work in very well with my workout schedule. On days that I don't walk I listen as I can that day. I could have gone back to the January podcasts and played catch up, but I know I would have become discouraged and eventually quit, so I just picked up where Brian was and continued on.
I must admit that the treadmill walking has been, especially lately, VERY hit and miss. I have, however, seen my christian walk transforming with the podcasts, and have completed 2008 on time. I'm proud of myself for that! Yeah, me! And now with the new year (and an extra 5 lbs), I plan to get back on the treadmill and listen to the entire bible this year.
Brian and his crew have also added the Daily Audio Proverb (once a month through the book of Proverbs), the Daily Audio Bible in Spanish and in Hindi, and most importantly to me, the Daily Audio Bible for Kids. Brian's daughter, China, reads from the New Testament, and they will complete the NT 4 times in a year. It takes about 15 minutes a day. Matthew just finished listening to his first podcast and really enjoyed it.
I get no money or any other "promotional considerations" for this blogpost. I simply wanted to share with you this wonderful thing that I've found and has made a huge difference in my life. I won't bore you with any more details than that for now, but I do pray that you will see the evidence of this in my life and in my blogposts.
Check it out for yourself at dailyaudiobible.com, or just search for One Year Daily Bible or Brian Hardin on iTunes.
Even if you do nothing at all with this information, be blessed in 2009!
And thanks for reading. :)
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