Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

I knew a family that had one child that was a bit of a goof off.  He was always doing things to make people laugh.  He was always doing things that ended up getting him in one kind of trouble or another.  In a room full of kids that were shooting rubber bands, he's the one that would get called down to the principals office.   Know any families that have a kid like that?  Know any kids like that?

I know so many stories about this child....like the time he decided he wanted to see if he could make his bike fly over a fence - so he got a good fast head start way back from the fence and raced full speed ahead toward the fence and TWHUMP!  -  noooooo, his bike didn't fly over the fence, but he did.  The bike dented the neighbors fence, his parents had to pay for it and he had to work to pay his parents back.  I don't think he'll try that again - at least without a ramp.

Or the time he wanted to see how close to a wood fence he could ride his bike and at what speed - Youser!!  Can you say slivers down the whole left side of his body.

This was the child that had a soft heart for lost or homeless animals - somehow his parents seemed to end up with all his foundlings though.  A friend asked this kid once if he'd watch his puppy while he went on a trip.  The dude never came back.

Then there was the time he asked his mom if he could have some M & M's.  It was close to dinner so of course she said , "No!"  Well it was his turn to empty the dishwasher and the bowl of M & M's was just sitting on the counter calling his name.  Remember he had a soft heart so he had to answer that call and he popped some M & M's in his mouth - just as his mom was coming into the kitchen.  So to hide the mouthful of M & M's he bends down real quick over the opened dishwasher and the two pronged fork sticking up stabs him in the forehead.  What are the odds on that one? 

Another time he was helping his mom with dinner.  She asked him to get the ground beef and put it in a bowl.  This sounds pretty simple, right?  Well it was a little too simple, too boring for this kid - so he picks up the plastic bag the ground beef is in and he starts swinging it around real fast - like a cowboy with a lasso only faster and all of a sudden the bag flies out of his hand goes sailing across the room right in front of his dad and hits the wall with a thud and slowly slides down the wall to land on the floor.  Meanwhile, the kids eyes are about as wide open as they can possibly get - for two reasons - first his dad almost got hit with a 2 pound bag of flying ground beef and second he can't believe how totally cool and funny that was.   The kid looks at mom, mom looks at the kid, they both look at dad.  Dad is not amused and opts to just step away from the ground beef.  Good call!  When Dad is gone, mom and the kid go hysterical.  It was totally cool and funny!!  I am actually laughing about again as I relay the story.

If you haven't guessed, I am the mom and the kid is one of my 3 sons.  These things happened many, many years ago and we still laugh about them.  He could have gotten in trouble for each one of these goofball incidents.  We could have said things that would have humiliated him and given him a complex, but we chose not to sweat the small stuff.  Did we discuss the incidents, yes.  But did we scold or condemn, no!  This was our kid just being himself - a little nutty, a little adventurous, a little goofy and loads and loads of fun.  And just look at the memories he created for us.   Seriously, I could write a book!  My husband swears his hair is still brown because he doesn't know half the stuff our kids did.

As parents I think we have to make judgment calls on how to handle the things our kids do.  Look at  how it affects the child and others.  Look at the motivation behind the incident.  Look at it in the grand scheme of things.  There are so many really big issues that come up as children grow up - like staying pure, avoiding drugs and alcohol and so on.  Know what? - flying ground beef just isn't worth making a fuss over.  Save your sweating for the Big Stuff.

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

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Proverbs 16:24

"The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction." Proverbs 16:21

"A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction."  Proverbs 16:23 

"Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city."  Proverbs 16:32


                                                Once a goof ball always a goof ball!!

About Beauty

About Beauty

Beauty is defined in the American Heritage Dictionary as "a quality that pleases the senses or mind".
How true.

Is not beauty all around us in nature?  Is not beauty in the sound of a babies laughter?  Is not beauty in the words of a poet?  Is not beauty in the voice of the songster?  Is not beauty in the innocence of a child?  Is not beauty in the features of the beautiful people?

These are all forms of external beauty.  But there is more to beauty than merely the external, what we see.  Beauty is found inside - in our feelings, in our thoughts, in how we are.  Beauty is what is in our heart.  The essence of each of us as individuals is either beautiful or not.

I would much rather be beautiful on the inside than on the outside.  I wonder if inwardly beautiful people are born that way or if they learn beauty or become beautiful inside from their life experiences.  Maybe all of the above.  However it happens, it is something that we must continuously work on in ourselves.

I think it is our job also, to find the beauty in the people we meet, the people we associate with and we should appreciate and value them for that inner beauty.  Sometimes you have to look really deep and hard to find it, but I want to believe there is some beauty in everyone.  Mary Kay Ash used to tell her consultants to imagine that everyone they meet is wearing a sign that says "Make me feel special."  When you recognize the inner beauty in a person you can't help but treat them differently.   By recognizing a person's inner beauty you cultivate it and it grows.  Isn't that what we are supposed to do for each other?  Uplift and encourage and show love to each other.

So go out and search for the beauty in your family members, your friends, your acquaintances and your associates.  Just think how the world might be different if we sought out the beauty in each other.  Each of us can make a difference in our own little circle of people.

Is that a challenge I am throwing at you?  Yep!!!  Go for it!!  I am putting my binoculars on and I am ready to seek and find the beauty in each person I come in contact with.  I hope you'll do the same.

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."   I Peter 3: 3 & 4

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love." 
 I Corinthians 13:13







 

Dogs or Cats?

Dogs or Cats?

For today's blog we are going to do something a little different.  This inspiration came from Oxnard College sending out a survey to inquire how the Lock Down drill they recently had went.  As I was answering questions, I found I had very definite opinions on certain aspects of the drill and other areas I didn't give two hoots about.  This led me to start thinking that probably most people have either a very strong opinion about something or they don't give two hoots.    And I decided I'd like to know.

In my ASL class the other day my teacher was telling us a very funny story about a time she thought her dog attacked the neighbors bunny so she very slyly snuck into the neighbors yard and put the dead bunny back in the cage after cleaning it off and using a hair dryer to fluff it up again (This is the very, very short version!)  and it turned out the bunny was already dead, her dog had dug it up from it's burial spot and the neighbor could not for the life of her figure out how the dead bunny got back in the cage, clean and fluffy no less!  After this story she proceeded to tell us about some chickens and her cat.  At which time she informed us she really does not like cats and much prefers dogs.   She asked us to raise our hands if we liked cats and not many raised their hands.  You know what happened...this prompted me to wonder if that is typical.

So, here's what we are going to do....

I want to know if each of my readers likes Dogs better or likes Cats better.  If you are so inclined, you can tell me why and anything else you want about your dog or cat - a funny story, a picture, it's name.

If you go to the bottom of the blog there should be a spot to ADD A COMMENT.  I think you can just click in that box and you will be able to add a comment, in this case the answer to this survey question.rdrury@marykay.com. 
  If by chance that doesn't work or is not available to you - someone please let me know.  You can email me at
It may mean I set something up wrong.

Here goes - Which do you like better --- Dogs or Cats?

"God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds .  And God saw that it was good."
Genesis 1: 25

Empty Hands and an Open Heart

Empty Hands and an Open Heart

I read a devotional this morning the began like this:
                  "Come to Me with empty hands and an open heart..."
This was Jesus speaking to the reader.  Really, Jesus gives and gives and gives without expecting anything in return.  That's the "empty hands" part of this phrase.  He wants me (and you) to come to Him - bare, naked, just me - no gifts, no tokens of appreciation, no pomp and circumstance, just plain old simple me.  The next part is even more important - I am to come with an open heart.  Prepared to listen, willing to hear and obey, ready for something.  Which leads me to the second half of the sentence.

It said, "ready to receive abundant blessings."  So the whole sentence was:
"Come to Me with empty hands and an open heart, ready to receive abundant blessings."  (Young, Jesus Calling,  page 122)

I believe Jesus wants to bless us - abundantly.  He is our shepherd and a shepherd takes care of his sheep - day and night - always.  The shepherd doesn't just care for the sheep, no he practically lives with them.  After he has brought all his sheep into the pen, he carefully closes the gate and then he plops his body down and positions himself at that gate to keep wolves and other predators away from his sheep.  How much more will our good shepherd care for us by providing abundant blessing.

I am scheduled to be at a fundraising event tomorrow, a Mother's Day Boutique.  I spent all day today putting together baskets to sell and making signs, etc. to get ready for tomorrow's event.  So when I read that first line of the devotional it struck a chord.   I had to wonder, what is in store for me tomorrow?  Am I going to have abundant blessings?  And if so, what kind?

I have found, that blessings come in all sorts of ways.  For example, at an event I had at my home this past week, I had no sales, no follow ups to do, no future parties booked, plus, because of the circumstances surrounding the event, in some ways I was sort of taken advantage of.  On the surface, this did not look like a blessed event.  However, about half an hour after everyone left, one of my guests, a friend,  called to tell me that a few things I said that night about hearing God's call opened up a conversation between she and the person that she brought.   My friend had opportunity to share  God and how to hear Him and how to pray and listen.  THAT was the blessing that night.  I had asked God to bless our time at this event.  I came to Him with empty hands and an open heart ready to receive. He didn't bless it the way I thought He might, but His way was so much better!!! 

"Come to Me with empty hands and an open heart, ready to receive abundant blessings."  We never can be sure how He will bless but we can be sure that He will.  And those blessings will be abundant!!!

"I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill.  I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing."  Ezekiel 34:26

Take the Batteries Out

Take the Batteries Out

Did you ever get to the end of a day or the end of a week so totally exhausted you kinda want to say Whoa! What just happened?  How the heck did I get so tired???

When I have those days, I figure it is because I am getting older and just get tired more easily than I used to.  Especially when I do anything real physical - like turning over the dirt in the flower bed and digging holes to plant the flowers, or cleaning the house and then setting up and tearing down for an event.  WOW!  These old muscles sure get sore and sore muscles for me equate to a tired body and mind.

I recently spoke to a mom that is about 20 years younger than me and guess what, she was lamenting that she is just so, so tired.  Her 3 year old is waking up at odd hours, she is working at a job that entails some physical labor and then taking care of her own home and family.  Being a mom is a huge job and it is tiring.

Another young person who happens to be about 30 years younger than me, but works very hard and is on her feet all day also was expressing how bone tired she is and that she wishes she could be like Rumplestilskin and just sleep for years and years.

What is it that drives us to go and go and go like the Energizer Bunny to the place of sheer exhaustion?  It could be a drive to do all we can before we can't do anything.  Or it could be pride that causes us to keeping pushing on.  Perhaps it is out of a sense of responsibility.  Or maybe, we don't even know it is happening until we finally sit or stop and it has just -- happened. And then we say to ourselves, Whoa! What a day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

While this "What a day!!!!!" phenomenon, for what ever reason, is really pretty common, and it keeps happening.  But there is an answer. There is a solution.
HA! This is good...you ready?.............Take the batteries out!
Yes, you heard me right, Take the batteries out!

Here's what that means: When you take the batteries out of the Energizer Bunny, what happens to him?  Yeah, he stops.  So how do you take your batteries out?  Take a lesson from the Master.  For 6 days He spoke things into existence - He created.  On the 7th day, He rested.  He took His batteries out.

Whatever you and I need to do to make that happen...we need to make it happen.  Hire someone to do the gardening.  See if there is another tired mom that might be interested in trading days off - like a babysitting co-op idea.  Try not to schedule so many appointments in one day and do some of them sitting down. Set aside some time each day to do or eat something you love.  Reading and ice cream come to mind!!  Find a way to take out your batteries.  It's important.

And one final word - take out your batteries by visiting with the person who wants to be your best friend, the person who loves you the most, the comforter, the giver of peace, Jesus.  He invites the weary and the heavy laden to come to Him and He promises rest.  Take Him up on it!

Click for a great article with tips on rest and relaxation.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."  Matthew 11:28

Here's the first Energizer Bunny commercial:

  

Nooooo Touching!

Nooooo Touching!

If you haven't already guessed from my previous stories, my husband is a little bit set in his ways.  Oh gosh, I love him to death, but sometimes I really wonder about him.  From the title of this post I can just imagine what you are thinking but you are going to be surprised.  Seriously, don't go where your mind is taking you.

I want you to picture a really nice home cooked dinner - of course it has to be meat and potatoes, (what else? right?) anyway, so let's say pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans and applesauce.  Sounds yummy!  The meal gets served up nicely on a plate but --- one little lone rebel green bean rolls and just barely grazes the mashed potatoes.  OH - MY - GOODNESS!!!!!!  It's touching!  Nooooo Touching!!

Have you ever seen the TV show Monk?  Well my husband is not as bad as Monk about anything except his food.  With food, he's Monk's twin.  Nothing on his plate can touch each other.  I find that so absolutely hysterical.   I mean really, what does he think happens to it when it goes in his stomach?  Or maybe his stomach has little compartments and the green beans go in the green bean compartment and the mashed potatoes go in the mashed potato compartment, etc.

The other day on Facebook, I saw a little ad for a plate portion size tool.  It was this round plastic object that had circles cut out of it and it is meant to help a person watching their weight serve themselves the appropriate portion sizes.  But I got another idea for it.  There must be other people out there that don't like their food to touch - at least I hope there are because if there aren't then he  would be really weird and that's kind of scary - anyhoo - this little plate portion tool could be used to keep those rebel green beans under control and in their proper place.  And no more wandering applesauce.  No more touching!  Ha!  I think I just might have something! 

Unfortunately, my daughter-in-law tells me this amazingly absurd, and slightly weird trait has been passed down to her husband, our son.  Could there possibly be a Nooooo Touching gene????
Hmmmmm?  I wonder??     

Power Packed Miniatures

Power Packed Miniatures

I know you have heard the expression great things come in small packages.  Well very often that is so, so true.  Last night my husband and I watched the TV show The Voice.  Christine, one of the contestants, is this little slip of a girl. She looks to be about 19 or 20 years old. She is tiny in stature and in body mass.  But, the voice that comes out of this tiny girl is nothing less than a volcano of sound erupting into the air.  I have to wonder, if her lungs fill up her whole body cavity.  Like maybe they are super sized.

This past weekend was Easter.  Talk about super sized.  We had twice as many kids in the Early Childhood area as we normally do.  To make our time together on Friday night super fun I hid little plastic eggs all over the room and the kids had to find them.  Of course they thought there was candy in them.  Not a chance!  No, they were filled with popcorn kernels.  At first they were disappointed but then when I explained that the teeny tiny kernels are power packed with popping power (try to say that quickly four times) they started to get excited.  So each child poured their kernels in the hot air popper and we waited, and waited, and waited.  Finally POP! All the kids looked at me!  POP!  All the kids looked at the popper! Then, POPPOP!, POPPOPPOPPOPPOPPOPPOPPOP!!!!  The popcorn started pouring out of the popper. Wide eyed and eager to have a popcorn treat we waited for the popper to slow done and then each child had a power packed popcorn snack.   Imagine that - all that excitement and anticipation and a yummy treat from little teeny tiny kernels of corn.

* When a young man proposes to the love of his life, he presents a tiny box and a small ring with a powerful promise of a future as man and wife.
* When parents bring home a new little baby, he or she is the power that changes a married couple into a family. 
* Teeny tiny microphones are the power behind hearing aides.
* The smallest acorn has the power to grow to become a mighty oak.

All these power packed miniatures make me think of how it must please God when we take time to do the small things.  When we take time to notice the small things. There is power in the small.   Something as small and insignificant as a smile has the power to change a life. A slight touch, a quick glance, a few kind words can be so powerful as to let someone know it's going to be okay or they did a good job.  

It's easy to get caught up in the grand - let's remember to also focus on those power packed miniature moments that make a huge difference in our own lives as well as the lives of others.

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine,
you did for me.'       Matthew 25:40
     

How Would You Like Your Pizza?

How Would You Like Your Pizza?

I like my pizza with "junk".  Junk means just about everything but the kitchen sink, oh and no anchovies and I'm not crazy about pepperoni.  But green pepper, olives, mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, sausage, and add extra cheese and I am in pizza heaven.  No extra charge for the gooey mess or the thick crust.

My husband, likes a pretty simple thin crust pizza - pepperoni OR sausage.  On an adventurous day he'll do a Hawaiian style pizza with Canadian bacon and pineapple!!  Oooohh, be still my heart, I don't think I can take the excitement!

Needless to say, we are different in the area of pizza.  As you can imagine from the vast difference in our pizza tastes, we are different in a lot of other areas, too!  My man is strictly a meat and potatoes kinda guy.  I love casseroles.  He likes neat and tidy.  I am okay with a mess.  He likes the air chilly.  For me the warmer the better. He drinks Diet Pepsi - just Diet Pepsi - really, just Diet Pepsi.  No coffee, no tea, no water, no juice unless he needs to or is getting breakfast at McDonalds.  Just Diet Pepsi.  I drink coffee, hot or cold.  Tea, hot or cold. Dr. Pepper, Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, water, flavored and plain - all sorts of drinks.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but do you see how different we are?  AND YET....we have been married for 43 years.  Why?  I'll tell you why in just 3 simple words.
                                        
                                  Compromise.  Respect.  Commitment.   

For a marriage to work, you have to be willing to compromise.  Not everything can be your way.  It just can't and it shouldn't be.  As a young child one of the first things learned is to share and take turns.  That doesn't change when you become an adult.  It is necessary in childhood relationships and it is just as necessary in adult relationships, maybe even more so.

For a marriage to work you must respect each other.  Remember that old Golden Rule?  Treat your spouse as you would like to be treated.  Respect each other as human beings made in the image of God.   Speak with respectful words.  Be respectful in your actions.  

Lastly, for a marriage to work there must be commitment. Commitment to the marriage.  Commitment to your partner.  Commitment to compromise.  Commitment to respect.

I think marriages are a lot like "junk" pizza.  They are topped with all sorts of stuff - all sorts of human differences, all sorts of things that happen.  They can be a gooey mess, because that's how life and relationships can be.  But if you remember to compromise, be respectful and honor the commitment you made, marriage can really be pretty simple with a little adventure thrown in now and again!

How would you like your pizza?

Adventures and Misadventures Driving With Mom

Adventures and Misadventures Driving With Mom

I get lost on a regular basis.  Of course to my then small children who might worry if we were lost we used to call it "being on an adventure!"  Doesn't that sound way more fun and way safer than being lost?  That was then.  Now, I say I am "directionally challenged". That would be the politically correct terminology for "a person that regularly gets lost."  Wouldn't you agree?

Truly, we had so many misadventures in our vehicles, I am amazed any of us lived to tell about them, let alone laugh at them.  For example, we had a 1963 dark blue Rambler American.  This was a basic, absolutely no frills model. Crank windows (Does anyone even know what that is any more?), no carpet, just rubber floor mats, we are talking b-a-s-i-c!  Her name was "Bubbles".  We didn't name Bubbles, we just inherited her name from the 20ish yr. old young lady we purchased the car from.  We kept the name because it was kind of cute for a 1963 Rambler.

Well, one day the boys and I were heading out on an errand, we all piled into Bubbles.  Parent in the front seat, kids in the back.  As we are tooling along the kids are having a blast in the back seat.  I can hear lots of giggles and am so pleased that the boys are getting along and having fun.  When I glance in the rear view mirror to witness their enjoyment, I see 2 little boys heads kind of bobbing up and down - the boys were bouncing up and down actually.  You see, it turned out that Bubbles floor was rusted out and the boys were bouncing on the rubber floor mats in the back seat.  Picture this - the only thing between their little bouncing feet and the road that was rushing under the car was those very basic rubber floor mats.  YIKES!!!

Here's another car story  - This time we owned a 4 door bright yellow Dodge - I have no idea what year and I think it was a Dart.  The car was new to us, but gently used by other folks.  Anyway, most of my driving was around town, taking kids here and there, going to the store and to the mall.  One cold winter day, I was driving the kids to school.  We missed the bus.  The roads were snowy but not slippery.  As I turned left off of Pine Hill Road, I here my older boy shout - MOM!  I quickly glance back only to see my older son hanging on to his younger brothers coat for dear life while the younger son is half in and half out of the now open right rear passenger car door.  The previous owners failed to let us know that the right rear passenger car door had a habit of flying open on left turns.  Well, that was our car, so from that day forward, I could be heard shouting all over the neighborhood, "Left turn coming up!"  and the children knew to scoot over to the left side of the back seat and pull tight on the right rear door handle so the door didn't fly open.   By the way, when I saw what was happening in the back seat, I quickly braked, the door closed and we continued on to school.  Just another fun day driving with Mom.

These and so many other misadventures have given me cause over the years to realize just how blessed our life has been.  God has been a good and faithful protector over and over again!   He promises to rescue and protect those that love Him.  I have found Him to be a keeper of His promises.

"Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him;  I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name." 
Psalm 91:14

""I will praise God's name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving."  Psalm 69:30

Alleluia

Alleluia

Wishing you a blessed Easter! 
                          We celebrate a risen Savior - He is Christ the King!
                                                                                      Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Life Ain't Easy!

Life Ain't Easy!

                Headlines on the magazines read:

Walk Off the Weight FAST!!! 5, 10, 15 lbs.

 

Speed through chores! Make Cleaning a Breeze

 

Easy Rainbow Cupcakes

 

The 4-minute Workout 

 

 

I am sorry, but losing 5, 10 or 15 lbs. is never FAST!  Fast to me is a day. Losing weight is not supposed to be fast.  Losing that kind of weight is not easy either.  The article says "Most people in the US take 5,000 to 6,700 steps daily." They want you to double your step count and do 10,000 steps a day to lose that weight.  Will that be fast? or easy?  I think not.

 

As for 'Speeding through my chores'....No matter what I do to make cleaning the bathroom a quick job - it takes 20 - 30 minutes.  End of story! 

 

'Easy Rainbow Cupcakes' have the baker, adding food coloring to the frosting a little at a time so you get the perfect sky blue color, searching the stores for Airheads Xtremes Rainbow Berry candy and trying to make mini-marshmallows stay in place to look like clouds while hanging precariously around the edges of the cupcake.  YIKES!!!  An Easy Rainbow Cupcake is: go to Albertson's and buy cupcakes with white frosting and stick a  rainbow pick in them.

 

Now, please don't get the wrong idea.  I am not a cynical person.  I am not lazy by any stretch of the imagination.  But I am a realist.  Everywhere I look I see things that tell me life and what I want out of it can be easy!

Guess what, Life Ain't Easy!  

 

Everything takes work.  It takes work to have a good marriage.  It takes work to be a good parent.  It takes work to be a good employee.  It takes work to plan healthy meals for a family.  It takes work to be a good friend and neighbor.  It takes work to provide for a family.  It takes work to be a good son or daughter.  It takes work to lose weight, to clean, to bake and to work out!  Everything takes work. 

 

It wasn't always this way.  God placed Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden and everything was easy for them.  But then they disobeyed.  And that's when life got hard - - for all of us.  

 

I don't think it is possible for us to change how hard or easy life is in general.  It is what it is.  (Thanks Adam! Thanks Eve!)  And grumbling and complaining is not going to change anything either.  But what can be changed is our attitude about it.  Knowing and accepting that life is not necessarily meant to be easy - sort of makes it - well - easier.  

 

Life ain't easy - no doubt about it.  But it can be easier with a little attitude adjustment and a lot of help from a Friend.  

 

 

"You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.  With Your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall."   Psalm 18: 28 & 29

 

 

 

     



Free to Fly

Free to fly

It was the year 2002, I was a Vice President of a large insurance agency.  I made a lot of money, I had power, I was well respected in the industry.  I was very involved as a church leader in my church.  Folks said I had it all.  My dad died the year before and after that I started thinking about my life.  One day I lamented to my friend, Diana, that all I ever really wanted to be was a teacher.  That was my dream.  The years I taught elementary school way back when, were the happiest and most fulfilling of my life.  

 

Diana was an artist.  All she ever wanted to do was teach art.  So she completely understood.  One day she walked into my office and I knew something was up.  She came in to give her 2 week notice.  She had gotten a new job – teaching art at a high school.  She brought with her a little box.  When I opened it, I found a beautiful butterfly stick pin.  She told me, one day I would fly and I would be free to be a teacher. The butterfly was to remind me that it would happen.  I believed everyday and wore the butterfly pin a lot.

Christmas of 2005 a co-worker and friend, Claire, made an exquisite stained glass butterfly for me as a gift; once again another reminder of my deepest desire – to be a teacher.   Butterflies just kept popping into my life.  This butterfly though, seemed like a promise –  be patient, just keep on holding on to the dream – keep on believing and everyday, I did.

Well, just a few months after receiving that stained glass butterfly, God called me to be a preschool teacher.  Everything just fell into place.  Finally, I was free to fly.  And I did.  I quit my job, went to school and by Sept. 2006 – I was teaching.  I was a teacher! 

 

The butterflies don’t stop there though.  The first year my friend Tracey and I were partners, she gave me a beautiful glass butterfly necklace for Christmas.  She didn’t know the Diana butterfly story or the Claire butterfly story.  But this was another promise.  It was a promise of a partnership that would grow into a friendship where I would be free to be who I was created to be.  She accepted me for who I was and how I was.  Good thing!!  (I've been told I am not that easy to work with!  What??? Who???  Me????)  The feelings of acceptance were mutual and God did beautiful things in our lives and the lives of our students.  I believe we were all transformed through that partnership.    

Butterflies to me are symbols of hope, promise, transformation, faith, dreams come true and freedom - the kind of freedom that allows a person to be who they are, who God made them to be, doing what God made them to do for His purposes.  Free to fly!!  

So the message for each of you today is – there is freedom in Christ – we have hope in Christ – promises in Christ. And here are some wise words for you - live carefully – everyday you have a choice on how you live your life – in the Spirit or not.  Beware! you might miss something wonderful that God has planned for you if you are not paying attention. 

 

In Christ ---- you are free to fly and that's real life!

 

 

 

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” 

 2 Cor. 5:17

 

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”  2 Cor. 3:17 

 

 

Dear Blog Friends:

Dear Blog Friends:

Since starting this blog on March 12th, I kept waiting to hit the 500 pageview mark.  When we (you and I) hit that, I began waiting and watching for the 700 mark.  I am so pleased to tell you all that we did it!  We hit 709 pageviews today.  We have readers in the US and several other countries - Germany, the UK, Slovakia, and even India.  Today we had a visitor from Spain.

I don't see this as MY blog.  I see it as OUR blog.  I write FOR YOU!  My desire is to share stories and insight's I have gained from so many years of loving and serving the Lord, reading His Word and living life. 

And now that we have hit the 700 mark, of course the new goal is 1000 pageviews and I would like to invite you to participate in that goal.  I invite you to pass on the good words of an older lady and invite others to share in OUR blog.

For it to really be OURs, I also invite you to comment and let me know what YOU would enjoy reading about or learning about.  I will do my best to accommodate.

Blogging is about reaching out to friends but it is also about reaching out to strangers who will become friends.  I read once that strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.  My husband would say, (in a loving way)..."and there is nobody stranger than me".

Thank you all for reading That's Life!  I love sharing with you and would love to hear from you.


                                                                                              - Miss Roxanne
Enjoy!!!

"Friends" - Bette Midler

 

Are You Willing?

Are You Willing?

Once again, I reflect on a dearly loved, very, very short story found in the book of Mark, Chapter 1.

Jesus had a very busy life.  In his short ministry He spent the majority of His time, with people - teaching, healing, listening, always with compassion and love.  Well, except that one time with the Pharisees, oh and the time in the Temple.  He was not too happy that day.

Anyway, this one little story says so much about who Jesus was.  One day, a man with leprosy tracked Jesus down and begged Jesus on bended knee to heal him of leprosy.  The man said, "If You are willing, you can make me clean." (Mark 1: 40)

"If You are willing?"  "If You are willing?"  This was Jesus he was talking to.  Jesus the teacher, Jesus the healer, Jesus the lover of all men, women and children, Jesus friend to sinners.   I wonder, did this man doubt that Jesus would help him.   No, I don't think so.  I think the man with leprosy was speaking from a place of faith.  I think he was saying, I know You can make me clean - if you just speak the words or will it to be so, it will be.  I think the man's words meant - If you want to, I believe You can heal me.

And so, "Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man.  "I am willing," He said.  "Be clean!"  Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured."  (Mark 1: 41, 42) 

Notice here, Jesus says, "I am willing."  Jesus was saying, "I want to heal you."  The man with leprosy didn't need to do anything but ask and Jesus did it.

Now let's turn the tables.  How often does Jesus ask us to do simple things like smile at a stranger, give a little money to a cause, volunteer in church, feed a homeless person, make a phone call? Are you willing? Sometimes, He asks hard things like become a missionary, give up your home and go live on the streets to minister there, walk away from your job and trust Him with your future.   Are you willing? Share the gospel.  Are you willing?  Pray.  Are you willing?  Be kind.  Are you willing?  Love your neighbor.  Are you willing?  Have faith.  Believe.  Trust.  Surrender.  Are you willing?

Are you?

I am so very glad that Jesus was willing to go to the cross for me and for all mankind.  I am so very glad He willingly loved me though I was unlovable.

He asks so little of us in comparison.  I am willing to serve Him all the days of my life!  Are you? 

What is Jesus asking of you today? Are you willing?


"A man with leprosy came to Him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. "I am willing," He said. "Be clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured." Mark 1: 40-42         

Know This!

Know This!

'My child, I am your constant companion, because I love you.  I desire to be with you, to spend time with you...
Focus on doing your every day tasks but always be aware of My Presence with you. 

I walk by your side.  I delight in watching you buzz about your day as a proud Father watching His child.

Know this!!  and find peace in this knowledge.

Sense Me with you.
                 Sense Me guiding you. 
                                 Sense me surrounding you with My love and peace.  

I am with you always even to the end of the age.

Wherever you are -
                 Whatever you are doing -
                                                       I am with you.

                                                                    Know this!!'



"He chose to give birth to us by giving us His true Word.  And we, out of all creation, became His prized possession."   James 1:18

Come to Me

Come to Me

God bids us come to Him.  He longs for us to spend time with Him.  He desires that we live in His Presence.   That we be aware of Him with us every moment.

This is not for His benefit.  He is God.  It is for our benefit.

 In His Presence,

  we find peace. 

In His Presence,

  we find rest.

In His Presence,

 we find truth.

In His Presence,

 we find comfort.

In His Presence, we find acceptance.

In His Presence, we find forgiveness.

In His Presence, we find possibilities.

In His Presence, we find compassion.

In His Presence,

 we find mercy.

In His Presence,

 we find grace.

In His Presence,

 we find joy.

In His Presence,

 we find answers.

In His Presence,

 we find freedom.

In His Presence,

 we find healing.

In His Presence,

we find love.

 

 

The more you experience God's Presence, the more you will experience His power in your life.   This is spiritual growth.  This kind of growth comes from spending time with God.  Sitting at His feet if you will, resting, praying, reading and studying His Word and listening for His voice.  God tells us we can boldly come to His throne and there we will receive all that we need.   He wants you to take Him up on that offer.  He longs for you to Come to Him - for everything!  He's all you need!

 

"Come to Me"

"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."  Hebrews 4: 16

 

 

In the Desert

In the Desert

Are there ever times when you wonder if God is listening to you?  Are there times when you wonder if God really cares about you? 

Matthew 3:16, 17; 4:1

Picture this…Jesus has just been baptized.  A holy dove descends on Him to proclaim Him as the Son of God.  Folks are in awe of what just happened.  They are stunned, amazed.  The Messiah they have been waiting for has been announced.  Jesus is ready to begin his ministry.

But wait – what does God do?  God just said, “This is my Son whom I love.  With Him I am well pleased.”  And then…He sends Jesus into the wilderness to undergo, loneliness, hunger, hardship and to top it off, temptation.  Don’t you find it interesting that the way the Father chose to show love to His Son at the beginning of His ministry was to put him in the desert?  Why did He do that? I think it was so that at the critical beginning of this most important time in history, the most important time in Jesus life, Jesus would learn to depend on the Father; the Father alone.

Perhaps one of the reasons God nudges each of us into a desert of some kind now and then is so that we will learn to depend on Him in new ways.  

When you are in the desert, and we all are there sometimes, be assured, God is there too.  He is listening.  He does care about you, for He says, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”  Isaiah 49:16  I heard somewhere that God says “I will be with you” 365 times in the Bible.  Isn’t that odd – one time for each day of the year.

Here’s one for today! – If you have a Bible, study Isaiah 43: 1-5 or you can read it here:

"But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.  O Israel, the one who formed you says, "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.  I have called you by name, you are mine.  When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.  When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.  When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.  For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.  I gave Egypt a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.  Others were given in exchange for you.  I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me.  You are honored, and I love you.  Do not be afraid for I am with you.  I will gather your children from east and west."   

I am a teacher so here is your assignment:

Get out a piece of paper, a pencil and scissors – trace and cut out your hand.  Write your name on the palm of the paper hand.  You can write the references if you want.  Isaiah 49:16 & Isaiah 43: 1-5

 

When you are in the desert, take out that paper hand and remember -- you are not alone and you are loved.

 

The Keys

The Keys

Trusting God is a choice - daily and moment by moment.  In our humanness we want to be "in charge".  We want to hold the keys that open the treasure box of each day.  But that's not what God wants.  His desire is that we trust Him with our weeks, our days and our moments.

Sometimes we will trust for a little while - perhaps when things are going well or the way we want them to or the way we prayed.  We can see that God is making things happen.  It is much harder to trust when just the opposite is going on.  I believe it is more meaningful to God, however, that we trust in the times when things are not going well, when things are not going as 'we' planned, when God is quiet.

Handing God the keys in those times is what Romans 12:1 refers to as a "living sacrifice".  It is hard!  I struggled with understanding what a "living sacrifice" meant.  I studied the scripture around those words, I prayed for guidance and this is what I learned.  A sacrifice is doing something that is hard.  A sacrifice is giving something away that is of value to the giver.   A "living sacrifice" is crawling up on the altar of God and relinquishing all control.  Total surrender to God.  It is presenting yourself to God to use as He sees fit.  To do with your day as He pleases.  It's giving Him the keys.  And we do this out of trust.  Knowing that He knows what's best for us.  We do it daily, we do it moment by moment and it is a choice.


"But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, "You are my God!" My future is in your hands."
                                                                              Psalm 31: 14, 15a

"Crash the Chatterbox"

"Crash the Chatterbox"
A book written by Steven Furtick

From the inside book cover:
"Inside your head and heart is a chatterbox.  Its lies are keeping you from realizing your God-given potential.  But what can you do about them?"

"In Crash the Chatterbox, Pastor Steven Furtick focuses on four key areas that are most debilitating: insecurity, fear, condemnation, and discouragement.  He asks, "What great deeds are in danger of remaining undone in your life because of lies that were planted in your past or fears that are looming in your future?"

"The voice you listen to will determine the future you experience."

I just started reading this book and am already hooked. (I'm only on page 12.)  In my business life, I have to do a lot of things that I have never done before.  I was finding myself paralyzed with fear and discouragement as well as some insecurity.  If you know me, this is kind of hard to believe.  Nonetheless it was true. 

I know so many people that have some of these same issues.  We listen to the little 'chatterbox' in our heads that tell us we are not good enough, or we are incapable, or unlovable.  I have always known this is the Enemy filling my head with lies but couldn't seem to win the battle that was going on in my mind.  The following quote was pivotal for me:
 
"The voice you believe will determine the future you experience."   (pg. 12)

God's voice tells me - I am His child - a child of the King, therefore, I AM good enough, I AM capable, I AM loveable, I AM the person He created me to be.  And so are you!!  Believe it!!   Whose voice do you want to listen to?  The Enemy or God?  I choose God!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

You can find "Crash the Chatterbox" at Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_20?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=crash%20the%20chatterbox&sprefix=Crash+the+Chatterbox%2Caps%2C312

More to come on this life changing book!

Smile!

Smile!

Mother Teresa:
"Peace begins with a smile." 
"Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.”  

Thich Nhat Hanh:

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” 

 

Steve Maraboli:

“It only takes a split second to smile and forget, yet to someone that needed it, it can last a lifetime.”

Leo Buscaglia:

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”  

 

Joseph Addison:

“What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.”  

 

Vera Nazarian:

“Withhold a smile only when the smile can hurt someone. Otherwise, let it bloom forth in a riot.”  

 

Marilyn Monroe:

"A smile is the best make up any girl can wear."

Richelle E. Goodrich:

“One smile has the power to...
Calm fears.
Soften stone walls.
Warm a cold heart.
Invite a new friend.
Mimic a loving hug.
Beautify the bearer.
Lighten heavy loads.
Promote good deeds.
Brighten a gloomy day.
Comfort a grieving spirit.
Offer hope to the forlorn.
Send a message of caring.
Lift the downtrodden soul.
Patch up invisible wounds.
Weaken the hold of misery.
Act as medicine for suffering.
Attract the companionship of angels.
Fulfill the human need for recognition.
Who knew changing the world would prove so simple?”

God:
"A cheerful look brings joy to the heart." Proverbs 15:30a 

Are you smiling??????

Goofy Dogs! Gotta Love 'Em!

Goofy Dogs!  Gotta Love 'Em!

For my birthday nearly 6 years ago, my husband got me a puppy!  She was an adorable, fluffy white 6 pound goldendoodle.  For those of you that aren't familiar with what a goldendoodle is - that is a cross between a golden retriever and a poodle.  They have the warm, loyal temperament of a golden retriever without the shedding and the smarts of a poodle without the arrogance.  Nice!  They are great dogs.  We named ours "Daisy".  She grew to be about 35 - 40 lbs. and about 18 - 19" at her shoulder.  The absolute perfect size dog.  She is nible and fairly compliant and a bit of a princess.  She is gentle with her toys, never shreds them, just gently holds them in her mouth or cradles them with her paws.  She slept on my shoes, but never once chewed any.  She was house trained in 2 days.  She would ring a little bell hung on the door knob to let us know she had to go out.  An absolute delight.  

We liked Daisy so much we decided maybe we needed another one.  After all, Daisy shouldn't be alone, she needs a playmate, we surmised.  So we called the goldendoodle lady and asked for another one from the next litter.   My husband hand picked the new puppy.  In the pictures the puppy was staring straight in the camera looking confident, self assured and also looked to have lots of personality.   The goldendoodle lady tried to talk us out of this puppy, knowing what we were looking for in a dog when we had asked for Daisy.  But did we listen?  Noooooooooooo!  She told us, "this dog is --- BUSY!!"  Hmmmm?? That should have been a clue.  But we did it anyway.

So, the homecoming day arrives and we go to the airport to pick up our new little puppy.  We can hear an awful lot of dog noise in the back room and then a very large crate comes out on the conveyor belt.  Oh ho - we say - laughing to ourselves - someone's getting a BIG Noisy puppy.   The lady behind the counter looks at the shipping tag and calls out the owners name.   WHAAAT??? you guessed it, that BIG noisy puppy was ours.  She was 12 lbs. - twice the size of what Daisy was when we got her and the new puppy was 1 week younger than Daisy was when we got Daisy.  We think we are in trouble.   Little did we know....

We name the new puppy Maggie.  That is short for Magnolia.  We like flower names. Maggie grows and grows and grows.  She has a hard time understanding what 'outside' means.  She mutilates all of Daisy's treasured toys as well as her own.  In the meantime, she grows and grows some more.  By the time she is done growing, Maggie is about 80 pounds and 30" tall at the shoulder.  She is a BIG girl!!  and the goldendoodle lady was right, Maggie is BUSY!!

But, she is full of personality just like we saw in the photograph.  Maggie keeps us in stitches.  We often wonder if she is really. really smart or a total nincompoop!  One night she came to me and let me know she had to go out so I got up and opened the door.  She charged out the door and stood stock still in the middle of the yard for a moment then turned right around and galloped back to the door.  I looked at her and said, "I thought you had to pee?"  She looked up and stared me right in the eye for a moment then just as suddenly as she came back, she turned around, ran out to the grass, peed, and then came galloping back to the door.  It was as if a light bulb went off in her head - if she were human she might have said - "Oh, that's what I was doing!  I forgot!"

As I said, Daisy is a bit of a princess.  She has taken to preferring to eat her dinner in the TV room.  Maggie waits patiently for her dinner and then scarfs it down practically before I can get back to the counter to put the food away. 

One hot summer day, both of the dogs were in the yard.  As I looked out the patio door, I could see Daisy relaxing in the shade.  Right beside her was Maggie with her head stuck in a black plastic  flower pot.  Daisy looks up at me and I can see the words in her look - "My sister is such an idiot!"

We have a school yard behind our house and once in a while a soccer ball or basketball will come over the fence.  If I see it I send it back over.  If I don't see it - well it's a gonner.  Before Maggie came to live with us, Daisy and I used to play soccer.  I would kick the ball and Daisy would jump up, stop it and kind of bounce it back to me off her nose.  Lots of fun.   Maggie on the other hand does not play and share well with others.  Once she gets a ball, it's hers!  And if she sees another one on the ground that you might get, she gets that one, too!  One day, obviously I didn't see the ball come over the fence.  I had been working in the front yard for a while.  When I went in the house, there was Maggie standing in the dining room with her head stuck in the hole she had made in the soccer ball.

On Maggie's behalf, I will say, she is much quicker to obey than her sister Daisy.  Maggie will even come and tattle on Daisy when Daisy is in the yard barking.  If we call the dogs in, if Daisy doesn't come right away, Maggie first comes to answer the call and then runs to get Daisy and gives her a little nip to say - "Hey, get a move on, we been called."

Around 10:00 p.m. every night, Daisy all of a sudden disappears.  She has gone to bed.  She stretches out on our bed and gets comfy.  Maggie on the other hand hangs out with us.  But if we are not heading to bed by about midnight, she comes to my side and gently places her paw on my knee - "Mom", she is saying, "it's bedtime!  I'm tired!"  Maggie waits to go to bed until we do.

When I get home each day, whether I have been gone 5 hours or 5 minutes, Maggie brings me a welcome home gift.  Visitors to our home are greeted with a gift from Maggie as well.  Usually it is a kitchen towel.  But if she can't reach a towel, she might bring you the kitchen rug!  The other day, the towels and the rugs were in the wash, so when I got home she brought me the only thing she could find - a reusable grocery bag.  It's the thought that counts, right?

Anyway, since all our kids are out of the house, these dogs sure give us a great deal of joy and laughter.  Goofy as they are, I can't imagine our house without them.   Gotta love em!      




                                           

                                                   Daisy

                                                     Maggie

 

What Next?

What Next?

In 1962, the Supreme Court removed prayer from schools.  In 1963 it removed the Bible and in 1980 it removed the Ten Commandments from schools.

I do not consider myself a political person by any stretch of the imagination.  I read the propositions in the voting guide and my husband researches them then we discuss them in order to make informed decisions.  I vote in all the elections.  That is about the extent of my political agenda.  However, I do have strong opinions on what is right and wrong in the political arena.  I am of the opinion that removing prayer, the Bible and the Ten Commandments from our schools was wrong.  As recently as March of 2014, in Oklahoma “The Ninth Circuit Court has ruled that a public school can ban the American flag on school grounds and even display other flags in its place.” ('Rep. Bennett Criticizes Circuit Court Ruling on Flags in Schools' web article dated 3/4/2014)   Seriously, what next?


There is a very prophetic quote at the bottom of the page on a website titled School Prayer in America at http://www.schoolprayerinamerica.info/.  It says, "A nation that refuses to allow educators to teach children right from wrong will become a corrupt nation, where sin prevails, evil abounds and children do as they please.”   Children grow up to be big people. Are we not seeing in today's society more and more people that are just doing as they please?  Are we not seeing more and more city, state and national officials that are corrupt?  More murder, more theft, more physical violence, more adultery, more disrespect, more just - evil.  What next? 

There seems to be all different shades of gray where right and wrong are concerned.  I was raised that there is only black and white - something is either right or it's wrong.  There's no gray.  I learned these things from my parents, from my school teachers, from my church leaders, from the Bible and from memorizing the Ten Commandments which were posted and taught in school as well as at church.  This isn't about religion infringing on peoples rights - it is about morality.  It is about values.  It is about right and wrong.  It is about goodness and kindness and respect for your self, for others and for other people's property. 

We are seeing what happens to a society when prayer, the Bible, the Ten Commandments and God are taken out of our schools.  And now the American Flag.  What next?

We now have an even greater responsibility in the church to counteract the lack of moral training in the schools by doubling our efforts to insure that our children know right from wrong, that they know how to pray, that they know God's rules for living the right way.  What next?  Teach on, Sunday School teacher!  Pray more, children of God!  Read, memorize and study more, fellow believers!  Onward Christian soldiers - this is war!!!   

Angels on the Ice

Angels on the Ice

It is the dead of winter in Chicago.  As I peer out the living room window all I can see is white.  There are huge drifts of snow everywhere.  I take a deep breath!  Driving in the snow is not my favorite thing to do, but I am a teacher.  I need to get to school - I have students waiting to learn new and wonderful things and the day has not been declared a snow day.  So, I bundle up my two young sons, pull on my own boots and we pile in the car.  Off we go, slow and steady.  The roads are icy, but if we take it slow, we'll be fine, I tell myself.  

Heading north on Harlem Avenue, suddenly we hit a patch of ice, the wheels begin to spin and I can feel that we've lost traction.  The car begins to spin and is now sliding sideways and perpendicular to the half dozen cars heading straight toward us.

"Boys," I shout, "PRAY!!"  In the next breath I cry out, "Oh, Jesus, help us!!"

In the very next instant, I feel the car being lifted up off the ground and then ever so gently being set down on the island that separates the northbound and southbound sides of the road.  The car is now facing south, but safely on the island.  After letting out a sigh of relief, and releasing the vise like grip I have on the steering wheel, I look in the back seat to see the boys perfectly fine, a little stunned, but just fine.  Closing my eyes, all I can do is thank my Savior, Jesus.

A good Samaritan has called a tow truck.  The tow truck has to park on the road and is blocking traffic because the island is too high for his truck to get on.  The driver gets out of his truck and begins to look for damage to the car - he looks under it, all around it, he checks the wheels, he checks the axle - there is none - Nada! - No damage anywhere!  He asks me, "Lady, how did you get up here?"

I answer him matter-of-factly - "Jesus had the angels put me up here."  And I believe that.

I called on Jesus for help because I had faith that He could and would help us.  I was counting on Him to do so.  The Bible says in Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13, "For whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." 

I did!

 and He does!

and that's life!

What Shapes Your Thinking?

What Shapes Your Thinking?

Everyday we are bombarded with countless messages via e-mail, social media, telephone, television, magazines, billboards, conversations, movies, even junk mail.  It is never ending.

How much of what you see or read or hear influences your way of thinking?  How many of these things subtly slip into your mind and convince you to think differently about someone or something?
It's hard to resist the impact that all these messages have on your thinking.  It is hard to put up a wall and not let them influence you in some way.  The "world" has a sneaky way of creeping in and causing havoc in our minds.

I can remember when I was a young stay at home mom, I watched the "Soaps" - Soap Operas we called them then - I'm not sure what they are called now.  You'll know why in a moment.  I wouldn't miss my favorites.  I found I was transferring what I was watching happen on the television to my real life.  Now, granted, I was young, but, I actually started to think I saw things in my marriage that seemed to be similar to what was happening in the soap opera. It wasn't true of course.  Basically, I was getting brainwashed/influenced by what I was watching.  Luckily a very wise older woman saw what was happening and brought me back to reality.  I NEVER watched a soap again.  (That's why I don't know what they are called now.)

The point here is, be careful!!  Be cautious about what you read, what you watch, what you listen to, and who you talk with.  Everything influences your way of thinking.  It can be for the good or for the not so good.  The same applies for your children - maybe even more so.  Be careful, monitor what they watch.  Are they seeing kids be disrespectful to their parents and each other?  Read the book before you give it to them to read.  What is the message?  Is it good and wholesome?  Look through the magazine before handing it over.  What kind of pictures are in there? You get to choose what goes in your mind and in the mind of your child.  Choose wisely. 

Chocolate & Vanilla

Chocolate & Vanilla

Aren't you just so glad we are all different?  Doesn't that make life so very interesting?  I can't even imagine how totally dull life would be if everyone liked the same things and thought the same way and did things like everyone else.

Now there are some that say - it's my way or the highway - and want and expect everyone to act and think as they do.  That would be no fun at all.  The differences are what makes life exciting.  The differences are what create synergy.

I had a group of girls at my home today for a little make up lesson.  It was evident by their body language that some were embracing the challenge of learning how to put make up on and some were dreading it.  Some couldn't wait to put it on and some couldn't wait to get home to take it off. 

In a group of women I had over a few days ago - a couple daring, bold ladies headed straight for the reds and the bright pink lipsticks.  Others found comfort in the neutrals - the au naturel and café au lait.  These preference differences have a lot to do with our personality - of course the vivacious, wild and adventurous ones go for the reds and hot pinks. The more quiet subdued ladies go for the neutrals.  "Different strokes for different folks."  Color choices made based on preferences.

But lets go a little deeper than makeup.  I saw a picture on Facebook today of two young people at a beach.  They had captured what looked to be a very young dolphin and had it out of the water, were holding it's mouth closed, and in one photo sat on it.  Very disturbing pictures.  Who does something like that to an animal?  Would you or I ever do something like that? Of course not, but they obviously thought it was okay or maybe they just made a bad choice in the moment.  Differences of opinion on what is acceptable and what is not can be monumental.    

We are all made differently. All wired by the Creator to be who we are, think how we think, and act how we act.  The choices we make sometimes are not in alignment with who we were made to be.
But our differences are.  It's not just fun and exciting to be different.  We need to be different.  If we were all the same degree of smart or the same degree of innovative or even the same degree of creative we probably would be extinct.  God in His infinite wisdom made us different.  He knows best!!  I may not agree with how you think or what you do and I may not like the same colors that you like, but I have learned that sometim
es it is best just to agree to disagree.  As my husband always says, "that's why there is chocolate and vanilla."  That's life!

 

And just to make it interesting.....JERKS !

 

 

My Favorite Things

Imagine this - the rain begins to pour, lightening cracks, thunder sounds it's loud boom, suddenly in the background you hear footsteps, the door flies open - Is this the beginning of a horror film? Should I shut my eyes to what monster may be standing in the doorway???  Oh heaven's no!  One by one, 7 children dash to the safety of fraulein Maria's room, whereupon she bids them come in and be safe from the storm.

She sings a classic song to help calm their fears:

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles with warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favorite things....

When the dog bites, when the bee stings

When I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad 

Of course, this is an amazing scene form the Sound of Music.  One of my "favorite" things actually.

There is so much wisdom in the words and the ideas found in this song.  And, truth be told, thinking of your favorite things, actually works!!

Everyday our heads and ears and eyes are bombarded with ugliness of one kind or another.  When my mind is filled with scenes from the news or I have a heavy heart and I can't sleep, I start to think about all the things in the world that are my favorites - like hummingbirds, and butterflies, and chocolate, and my daughter's laughter (aww! I love that sound), the way my husband smells (in a good way), how the air smells before and after a rain, my mom, God's Word, the way my son can talk non-stop for 2 hours, how after I've done a make over on a woman she looks in the mirror and proclaims "I'm pretty!", and so on and so on.  Each of us has a million things that we call our favorites.  These "favorites" are gifts from God.

Colossians 3:2 says "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things."  So that's what I do.  I take back control of my mind and think on my favorite things - all those little gifts from God - and I repeat this verse to myself: "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if any thing is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."  Philippians 4:8 

It works, every time.  EVERY TIME!!!  Think of how learning this skill and this verse could help the child that is afraid of the dark or the one that just knows there is a monster in the closet or under the bed, or the one that is afraid of lightening and thunder or has a hard time falling asleep.  How often do we as adults find we are just not able to turn our mind off and fall asleep.  You see when I fill my mind with God's Words and my favorite things, there isn't room for the ugliness, sadness or the fear.   I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad.  I just thought of another one - puppy breath, oh and the way a babies head smells or how a baby feels in my arms, banana bread, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, the warm sun on my face, my son playing the piano ......

What are your favorite things?   Think on them!