Working on a {Happy} Year!

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Things that make me happy:

when things go my way all the time
when I always say the right thing
when my husband reads my mind
when my day goes completely according to plan and I follow my schedule to a "t"
when I work out and it doesn't hurt
when food shows up in my fridge and I didn't have to go grocery shopping
when my dog takes himself out for a potty break when it's raining
when it takes twice as long for the clock to reach 6:00 AM

...getting more and more unrealistic: just what happens when I expect everything in my life to always make me happy.  Sure, sometimes things just "go smoothly," but other times I have to fill the pot holes with a little joy created by choices.

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Things that I really need to make me happy:

early out of bed
quite time with the Lord every day
healthy food choices
choosing a smile over a scowl
patient words for my husband
counting my blessings
lending a helping hand
saying a kind word
filling my mind with positive not negative
NOT sitting on the couch and watching TV all evening when my husband is gone (such a waste of time!)
keeping a tidy house (not spotless, just not looking like a tornado crashed through)
early to bed


Belated New Years resolution: BE HAPPY!!

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A Vacation of {Happy Memories}

Matthew and I just spent a week in what is probably my favorite place in the whole world...Washington State.  My favorite not just because of its gorgeousness and the many memories attached to it but because the two most awesome parents of all time live there.  I LOVE going home!  I can't help feeling like a little girl again when I wake up in the morning and the smell of breakfast comes weaseling its way up the stairwell.  Pure childishness creeps up within me, and I feel like I could probably get away with spilling my milk at the dinner table.  A week is too short a time to cram in everything that I always want to do when I go home, so I had to settle with a visit to Mt. Rainier, Pike Place Seattle, Ruston Way Tacoma, a few of our favorite restaurants, and antique and thrift store shopping with Mom. Okay, so maybe we did do quite a lot, but it never seems like we have enough time there. I always find myself wishing that we had booked a return flight just one day later!

I really can't complain.  We had a blast, and I have only happy, happy memories to tide me over until my next visit.  Love you, Mom and Dad! Thanks for allowing us to stretch your hosting muscles yet again.
And thank you, my Darling Love, for letting me visit home.  You're the best!

Mt. Rainier: No, it's not a backdrop : )

Our first official date was at this Coldstone.

Original Starbucks

Lovely Seattle

Because {He} First Loved Me....

As Valentine's Day approaches and I get all wrapped up in finding ways to show my loved ones how much they mean to me, I don't want to forget why it is that I have the ability to love in the first place.  I can love others because Christ's love is in me and because He loves me.  Here are some beautiful reminders of just how much we are loved by our Creator.



"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:38-39, KJV

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John 3:16, KJV

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."
I John 3:16, KJV

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8, KJV

"It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:22-23

"We love him because he first loved us."
I John 4:19

Let Me Introduce You: author Marshele Waddell {Hope for the Homefront}

A few years ago, the Lord laid on my sister-in-law's heart to start a Bible study with some of her friends. It was neat how the Lord worked things out.  When Dawnielle began planning it, we realized it was all military wives who would be coming.  We had a time of fellowship as well as a time of study and really enjoyed chatting about the trials and joys experienced as military wives (and as wives in general).

In addition to another study source, Dawnielle introduced to us Hope for the Homefront by Marshele Waddell.  We read it together "book club" style and laughed about how much we could relate to the Marshele's experiences.  As cliche as it sounds, I laughed and cried while reading that book.  I have to confess that I had never read any military "help" books before although there are so many great resources out there.  I just didn't think I'd read anything that wouldn't be something I'd already heard or experienced myself.  Marshele's stories WEREN'T new, and that's what was so great...I could relate!

A couple of summers ago, I lent my copy to a fellow military wife whose husband was deployed.  She was having a pretty tough time, and I thought that Hope for the Homefront would show her the more lighthearted side of a deployment.  It did! She finished it in just a couple of days and told me that it was an incredible blessing.

This book is not exclusively for military wives but for anyone who has to be separated from a loved one for any amount of time.  It is tremendously difficult to stay positive when you can't be with someone you love.

The Lord and His Word are my number one source of comfort when my husband is away, but books like these are a refreshment and a blessing.

Visit Hope for the Homefront to read information about the book Hope for the Homefront and other books written by Marshele.

My Summer {Reading} List

Summer is the perfect time to catch up on a little reading.  It hasn't always been easy to find that time, but somehow I seem to squeeze it in.  At the beginning of each summer, I compile a list of the books I would like to finish before the new school year begins.  I've NEVER made it through an entire list, but I love to try. 

Awhile back, I began to keep a journal of those books that I was interested in reading.  Anytime I came across an intriguing title, I'd write it down.  When I finished that book, I would make a few comments and then check it off my list.  I'm a list fiend and this process just totally works for me. Read this post for ideas about keeping a reading journal.

So back to my summer reading list. I don't have my complete list yet, but here is my plan so far:

• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (I'm already halfway through this and have a hard time putting it down.)
• The Mitford Series by Jan Karon (I've started it before but have not finished.)
• Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman by Anne Ortlund
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (this time from cover to cover)

This list I think I can actually finish.  Does anyone out there have any favorite summer reading books?  Any suggestions?

Very Perfectly Happy

Have you ever been very perfectly happy? Maybe Valentine's Day is spilling backwards into my weekend.  I don't know, but yesterday my Darling Love took me on one of his famous I'm-not-going-to-tell-you-where-we're-going-until-we-get-there dates. I suppose these dates are his favorite because I can't complain if I don't know where it is that we are going.(not that I would : ) Half the time I suspect that HE doesn't even know our destination until we get there.  I think he sometimes just points the car in a direction and drives.  I brag about the fact that I love to be organized and always have a plan, but deep down inside I love my husband's spontaneity. He insists that I relax, enjoy, and let him take care of the rest.
So we hopped in the car and off we went on our way to seemingly nowhere. After about fifteen minutes of driving and chatting, he took a left off the main road, and we pulled into a park that neither of us had been to before.  "This should be fun," I thought, still not ecstatically excited but just enjoying being with my husband.  We walked down a rocky path that lead to the Cape Fear River.  Because of the chill in the air, only we had ventured out to the park that day, so the river bank was empty....all to ourselves.  We spotted a large flat rock and stretched out on a blanket that we keep in the car for just such "emergencies."  With the sun keeping us warm and the water rushing by all around us, I was very perfectly happy.  The type of happy where you don't even have to try.  It just bubbles up inside and makes you smile.  I am so thankful for the precious moments shared with my Love.  I don't think a shopping spree, a Caribbean cruise, or a new car has anything on that rock on the riverbank.

Random Acts of Kindness: Let Me Show You How Much I Love You

It's easy for me to tell my husband that I love him but often it's difficult to think of unique ways to SHOW him I love him.  I found that it's sometimes in the random acts of kindness that love is best shown.  Here are a few ideas I like if you're running low:

• Dress up for dinner at home just as if you were going out to a fancy restaurant.
• While your love is in the shower, toss his towel in the dryer for a couple minutes so it's toasty warm when he uses it.
• Hide a note in the pocket of one of your love's jackets or sweaters.  The element of surprise is so much fun with this one because he might wear that item tomorrow or in two weeks. You never know when he'll find it.
• Use your computer's sticky note function to write a sweet note on your love's desktop. It will stay forever and not get in the way. My husband and I actually write notes back and forth this way.  He has three notes on his desktop right now : )
• Next time you're at the grocery store, pick up a snack that you know your love especially likes but doesn't get very often. 
• Give your love a massage.  It doesn't have to be anything fancy.  My husband loves for me to just run my fingers through his hair.  And hey, I can do that and still read a book with the other hand!! : )
• My husband LOOOOOOVES his Tossimo coffee. I know that if I make him a cup when he's not expecting it, it's speaks just as loudly as me saying "I Love You!"
• Flatter, flatter, flatter even about the little things.  "I love the way you hold your pen." "I love it when you help me _____." "I love how great you look in that shirt." 
• Text your love in the middle of the work day for no reason but to tell him you love him.
• Reminisce about good times you've had together or something that your love has done for you. Talking about those precious memories will make you both feel closer to each other. 
• When your love is talking to you, look him in the eyes.  Eye contact says, "I'm listening, and I'm interested."
• Never pass each other in the house without an "I Love You" or a touch. 
• Always want to be near your love.  Even if that means taking your laptop or whatever you're working on and moving to the he is in.                                                                                            

These are just a few ideas.  There are endless amounts of ways to show love to your spouse so keep being creative.  It's worth a little time and thought to show someone you love them.

My Favorite "Love" Poem

I had this poem framed as a gift to my husband on our wedding day.  It now sits on the dresser in our bedroom.

TO MY DEAR AND LOVING HUSBAND

If ever two were one then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
If ever wife were happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor aught but love from thee give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let's so perservere
That when we live no more, we may live ever.

~ Anne Bradstreet

The Ultimate Love

This Valentine season, it's easy to get caught up in candy hearts, chocolate boxes, and red balloons. But I don't want to forget where love began, Who makes our love possible, and Who deserves our love.  We love because God first loved us.  Even if you don't know Him as your Savior, you still are only able to love others because God created love and loves you.  I hope that you will realize that the depth of God's love is immeasurable and that you can know His love. These Bible verses are awesome reminders to me that God loves me. 

"The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."

Jeremiah 31:3

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

I John 4:16

"We love him, because he first loved us."

I John 4:19

"Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work."

II Thessalonians 2:16, 17

I hope these verses are as much of a blessing to you as they are to me. 

Thought for the Day

"Renew your mind so that you can tell the difference between the Holy Spirit leading and your emotions leading."

-Bobby Bryant (from last night's message)

And for me, those emotions really get in the way.  I definitely needed this bit of wisdom.

An Anglo-Saxon Poem That Touched My Heart

Have you ever come across something that startled you by it's unlikely connection to your life? As I was preparing this past summer for the upcoming school year, I read a poem from an entirely different time and place. It felt as if the poet who wrote it all those years ago had written it just for me.  I found it in the introduction to the first unit of English Literature.  It is an old Anglo-Saxon poem whose author is unknown.  Within its simple ten lines, a wonderful story of sacrificial love is told.

Dear to the Frisian (Jute) wife is the one

whom she welcomes,

When the vessel reaches the haven -- his ship

is at hand,

Her lord is come to his home, he who provid-

eth for her,

And she summons him in; she washes his

sea-stained garments

And giveth him raiment new. Full pleasant 

is it for him

Whose beloved wife waiteth for him ashore.

So beautiful! For a wife whose husband is often away from home, a poem that tells of a husband's homecoming and a wife's welcome is a poem with much meaning.  I just never expected to find such a poem in the Anglo-Saxon section of a high school literature book!  

Eyeballs! and Pay Attention!

Anyone who has ever taught knows that if your student's eyes are not on you, then they probably aren't listening. Yet a pair of peepers could be staring right at you while the brain behind it is only thinking about a cheeseburger.  Such are the ways of learning.  It takes a great deal of hard work and discipline from the teacher AND the listener.  I always hated saying to my students, "Pay attention!" or "Listen while I'm talking."  I began to tell them, "Eyes on me" which eventually evolved to, "Eyeballs!"  I always get a smile or laugh from my piano students when I say this, but they definitely know that it's time to LISTEN UP.

I'm going to do a little confessing here.  I found myself guilty of the pair-of-peepers-but-cheeseburgers-in-the-brain kind of listening the other night at church.  Now that I think of it, I'm not even sure if I was looking at Pastor or not.  My mind was wandering...I mean REALLY wandering.  I was actually worrying and fretting over something that hadn't even happened yet.  I'm very talented in the area of borrowing trouble from tomorrow. I had just finished with, "What's going to happen?" and I was moving on to, "What are we going to do about it?" when I realized I had no clue what Pastor was talking about. "Eyeballs, Jane! Pay attention!"

When I think of how often I let my mind slip into another dimension when I should really be listening and learning, I'm reminded of Romans 10:17. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  If I had approached that church service with the attitude of gleaning all that I possibly could from God's Word that night, just maybe God would have given me the exact answer I needed for my problem.

God doesn't like to fight for our attention.  He doesn't want to have to keep saying, "Eyeballs, eyeballs!"  The only way our faith will increase is by hearing God's Word.  How can we hear his Word if we are not paying attention?

My Memories of 9/11

    

    It's amazing to me that when I talk to some of my younger students about 9/11, they have almost no memory of it.  They were too young to remember the fear and uncertainty of that day.  Although I wish that it had never happened, I am thankful that I can remember when it did. 

     It was the week of our school's annual school camp, and we were up in the mountains enjoying ourselves and having a great time.  Early on the morning of the eleventh, we were making our way to the chow hall when I kept overhearing talk of something terrible happening in New York.  The adults were talking in hushed tones and being the carefree, unconcerned eleventh grader that I was, I just figured that they were talking about some incident that happened decades ago.  Then that horrible loudspeaker above the chow hall enterance began to pump out media headlines of a plane crashing into the World Trade Center.  None of us could believe what we were hearing. Immediately, we all began to panic.  The first thing that came to my mind was that America was under attack.  Were they coming for us way up here in the mountains?!! As much as they could, our teachers and counselors began to try to calm us down, but there was little they could do.  Several of the men that were volunteering at the camp were in the military and had to rush to report to base. What was going to happen?  What were we going to do?  Are we safe?  We were all just a bunch of kids stuck up in the mountains of Washington with no contact with the outside world and no mom or dad to tell us that everything was going to be okay.
    
     We were somewhat successful with our attempt to enjoy the rest of the week.  Our teachers did their best to create a positive atmosphere within the camp, but I think all of us just wanted to go home.  I know I did.  I wanted to see my dad, and I wanted to be in my own house with my own things surrounded by what was familiar to me. With so much uncertainty, I longed for the things of which I WAS sure.

     The weeks end eventually came, and we all went home to find out how things had progressed.  What we found was not encouraging.  Our nation was at war.  Our loved ones who were serving in the military would have to leave us to fight.  The enemy had attacked us in our own Land.  What we never thought possible had become a realitiy. 

     Here we are, almost a decade later, and still we are fighting the same fight.  I never want to forget how I felt on that day when the Twin Towers fell.  I want to rememer the sacrifice that so many have made and the liberty that we must all fight to keep. GOD BLESS AMERICA!

The Power of a Post-It

Summer! All year long, I've been looking forward to these few short months when I would finally have more than enough time to dive into and enjoy conquering my ever growing list of hobbies and projects.  More than enough time?  Is it a law of human nature that the amount of free time one has is directly proportionate to the amount of time wasted? Maybe that's just in my case. I've been on vacation for....let's see...almost two months now and my list's surface has not been scratched.  Why does tomorrow or next week always seem so much more opportune than today or NOW?

The solution?  I don't think there is a solution, but a plan of action would be a good start.  I've divided my list into three categories:

1. Pressing Projects
2. Pastime Projects
3. Permanent Projects

One thing I've learned about myself through the years is that I am a "lists" person.  I think I get that from my Mom.  : )  I'm the type of person that writes something on a list after I've done it just so that I can cross it off.  My house is full of lists for everything!   As crazy as it may sound, it really does help me stay organized.  Now everyone is different, but the above three categories might just help you narrow down what you would like to accomplish in the time you have. 

#1 PRESSING PROJECTS:  Just as it sound, these projects are urgent.  Maybe not as urgent as cleaning up the glass of milk you just spilled on the carpet, but they are projects that you definitely want to get done SOON.  In my Pressing Projects category was planting our two baby pine trees in the back yard.  They were planted in large planters but kept getting blown over during storms.  They would have died if I hadn't transplanted them (they still might but, I tried to give them a starting chance!).  This was a project that I wouldn't normally have on my cleaning or to-do lists so I needed this to be in the Pressing Projects list.

#2 PASTIME PROJECTS:  The word Pastime is used because this category should be filled with things you LOVE to do.  It should consist of all those hobby-type projects you never seem to have time to do but wish you did.  Right now, on the top of my Pastime Projects is to sew our living room curtains.  I've already bought the material (which I got 50% off at JoAnns) and only need to find an accent material, then I'll hit the sewing machine.  Now I understand that if you have a husband and children, it may be difficult to find time to work on projects like this, but you'd be surprised how much you can get done by scheduling it into your weekly routine.  Even just a few mintues a day.  You may only get one project done for the whole summer, but, hey, you got ONE project done and hopefully had fun doing it. 

#3 PERMANENT PROJECTS:  Once again, like it sounds, this category would consist of those projects you would like to work on over the long run.  Maybe you want to learn another language, write a children's book or learn an instrument.  Those projects definitely need to go on this list.  At the top of my list is drawing.  I love to draw, but I have a lot I still need to learn.  My husband has bought me several sketching tutorial books that I've been working through, and I need to practice, practice, practice.  Obviously, this isn't something I'm going to do and then check off my list.  I will be working on this PERMANENTLY.

After you've identified your categories, you can get to work on scheduling them into your routine.  The Pressing Projects need to go first, but the other two categories or interchangeable as far as importance is concerned.  My advice would be to allot a certain amount of time per week to work on a project and then just pick a category. 

If you don't have any real interests or hobbies yet, adopt one! There are so many interesting things to do.  You could set a goal like reading 10 classics or learning the spelling and definition of 30 new words. The  opportunities are endless, but find something you enjoy.  I've also discovered that sometimes my mind gets carried away and I THINK I'm going to be really interested in something when it turns out I'm not.  Don't be ashamed to cross that off your list.  You don't want to do something just for the sake of doing it.  You'll get bored and frustrated. 

So what do Post-It's have to do with all of this.  Nothing except to encourage you to "POST-IT"!   Post everything you want to accomplish.  If you right it down, it's always before you reminding you to get it done. By the way, post-its ARE very handy in this instance.  I have this great feature on our computer called "sticky notes".  I have four sticky-notes on my computer right now, each one containing a list!


PS: I'll let you know at the end of my summer how my list are looking.  : )

Smile When It Rains

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

As I sat on my couch this week, trying to force-feed myself teaspoon sized sips of grape flavored pedialyte, while each tiny gulp felt like little, nasty, razorblade-fingered elves were rock climbing down my throat, I was a far cry from, "This is the day the Lord has made, I think I'll rejoice!"  Instead, I felt VERY sorry for myself, complained a good bit and wanted a cheeseburger.  If I had stopped to realize that this really WAS a day that the Lord had made, just maybe I would have discovered, or rather been reminded, of some things. 

I might have first remembered that there are many in this world who live day to day with pain, poor health, or who are uncomfortable is some way.  Who am I to complain about three days with a soar throat?
 Psalm 118:29 "O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." If I had thought of this, I might have also thought to stop and pray for those I knew who are sick or have loved ones who are ill. 

If I had canceled my pity party, I just maybe would have been reminded of the other 360ish days throughout the past year that I've been in PERFECT health! What about those days?  I very much took them for granted.  Thank you, Lord, for all of those healthy days!! Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth."   I'll say one thing, the day my throat began to feel better, I felt like a new woman.  I wanted to go do things, and finish projects, and drive downtown, and.....I was all smiles.  Yet, how many days (healthy days) have I sat around the house in a stupor just waiting to be inspired to get something done?  Shame on me!

Did I pray for the Lord to make me well?....You better believe it!! I was praying that prayer about a dozen times an hour.  "Lord, just please, please heal me!!"  It should have been  at those moments when I remembered how LITTLE I prayed for good health when I was welll.  Pray for rain even when it's raining.  Philippians 4:6 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

And lastly, If I would have stopped to think between cups of applesauce, I would and SHOULD have remembered Jesus Christ.  He had no home on this earth, He had no country, He had no family. My sore throat now seems.....hmmm....like a lame excuse to complain.  Matthew 8:20 "And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath no where to lay his head."   2 Corinthians 8:9 "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."

Among the many other things that should have probably crossed my mind during this interesting week, these last four thoughts DID NOT cross it.  But as a result, I've learned some valuable lessons.  Let's rejoice!

Parting is such sweet sorrow

My husband and I just got back from a wonderful trip visiting family and friends in Washington State.  Here are some things I love most about going to Washington:  Getting to stay in the most comfy, cozy, they-left-the-light-on-for-you house in all the world (Mom and Dad's); going to church at Bethel and seeing all the familiar faces; experiencing Pike Place Market for the umpteenth time; sipping a hot drink from the original Starbucks; watching the Flying Fish; seeing the Seattle skyline; HOPEFULLY seeing Mt. Rainier (when it's not covered by clouds); going shopping with Mom (there's no shopping partner quite like her); seeing all the green trees; catching up with old friends; eating Salmon - really, really FRESH salmon; eating at Chevy's; Chicken Teriyaki (although we past on that this trip).  Of course, these are just to name a few. 

What would life be like if you couldn't visit home and feel like a kid again?  It's funny to see things so differently through adult eyes.  For instance, we drove by the house we lived in when I was three.  It was soooo small and I remember it being soooo big! 

At the end of our week's stay, it was bitter-sweet to get on a plane and come home.  I think I would have enjoyed staying a few more days, but I was really missing my house and all that was familiar to me.  Getting back into a normal routine sounded pretty good, but saying goodbye to my Mom and Dad was no fun at all.  Luckily, our plane was scheduled to leave at 10:00PM and all I could think about was getting on that flight and get some sleep. 

It's always a lot of fun to go back home and visit for awhile, but what a feeling to step through the door of your own house and smell the familiar smells and see all your favorite things and just collapse onto your bed, tired and ready for a nap. Ahhh.....

Precious memories; how they linger.

I took a walk down that beautiful but sometimes tear-jerking path we call memory lane TWICE today.  I played the piano for our high school graduation this evening and couldn't help but think back to the time when I stood on a similar platform amongst my peers and turned the proverbial page to the next chapter in my life. Only thinking about how excited I was to be done with school, I didn't realize how precious the memories I was making at that moment would be to me years down the road.  Graduating and leaving home was leaving one life behind and entering a completely new one where there would be no turning back time.  It's a vapor, this life and there is only one chance at any given moment to make a memory.  I'm glad I have a whole host of amazing ones to look back on and laugh, or sometimes cry, over.

Trip two down memory lane was a short but sweet one.  I was talking on the phone to my mom tonight.  We talked about everything and nothing.  Somewhere in between, we talked about Grandma.  The worries and emotions that always accompany having a loved one who is getting up in years seemed to weigh heavily on Mom's heart tonight.  Immediately, I thought of last summer.  Grandma was able to make one last trip out to Washington for Mom's birthday.  We had a wonderful time just Grandma, Mom, and me going to Mt. St. Helens.  Grandma bought me a little Mt. St. Helens Eruption flip book that I still have.  I love it! We took all kinds of pictures....including about a dozen where the camera was set on video instead of snapshot, so each video is about 5 seconds of us just staring at the camera smiling.  I'm laughing and crying just thinking of it now!! I'm so glad thankful for those precious memories.  I don't know how many more I'll be able to make with my Grandma, but those I will never forget.

We do not remember days; we remember moments.
 ~Cesare Pavese, The Burning Brand

Fun Theory Put To Music

I would definitely take these stairs if I had the choice.  Although, I'd probably be late to wherever I was going.....

Why should I wait?

Have you ever been in a situation where ALL you could do is wait?  JUST WAIT! Well, I'll tell you, that is very difficutl for me. It's human nature to want to fix things or make things happen all on your own.  But what about those times when the outcome is completely out of yourcontrol?  What happens then?.....well, you just have to wait. 
Now, it's one thing to wait a few days, maybe a couple of weeks.  However, the true quality of our paitence is tested and revealed when that waiting turns into months and years. 
The last eight months has been a waiting game for me. The desired outcome of my circumstances is about as much out of my control as the weather.  My hopes are up....and then they are dashed.....they are up....and then dashed again.  "What is God trying to do to me?!!!", I've often thought.  "He can't possibly know what this is like to have to wait and trust and wait some more." For a few days I would be optimistic and then I would begin to doubt if God even wanted this certain situation to work out.  Maybe he was totally against it in the first place.  But no, He would have closed a door long before this time. My husband would reassure me and try to encourage me to trust the Lord. "All things work together for good." he would say.  "Hmmm, okay, well that makes it easy, right?  WRONG!
My mind would be filled with worrisome thoughts.  Thoughts I knew I had to reject but thoughts that sometimes consumed me.  There were days when I couldn't concentrate on anything I did because worry and doubt would creep right in and distract me.  I was allowing this situation (and the Devil) to rob me of my joy.
One day, the Lord put in my mind a Scripture verse that really changed my whole attitude toward this difficulty and how it was affecting me.  "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." Psalm 27:14  POW, it hit me!  Why should I wait?  Because God promises that while I'm waiting, He is strengthening my heart.  Honestly, I had read this verse many times and always knew that I should wait on the Lord, but never before had I realized that He was strengthening me the whole time I was waiting on Him. 
So the product of waiting on the Lord to answer your prayer is not just an answered prayer at the end of that long, dark tunnel.  It is Him doing a work in you.  Your heart is being strengthened!  Maybe in order for you to be able to endure trials to come.  Maybe so that you will know what it is to fully rely on God for everything in your life.  There is another verse with much the same message: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31.  How would you like to run in life and not get weary? And how about walking through life and never fainting? Well, learn to wait.  JUST WAIT!  When you look at it in that light, you realize that you aren't just "waiting it out" until God sees fit to answer your prayer, but you are actually growing stronger throughout the process.  It makes the outcome seem so much more certain when you know the Lord has a plan for you. 
That's why I should wait!

A Gift of Words

"A gift of words" is a term I heard used time and time again by one of my professors in college.  She would say that one of the greatest gifts you could ever give another person was a gift of words. I can't tell you the number of times I've been reminded of that statement when I've received a sweet note from a family member or a written thank-you from a friend.  Those "gifts of words" make me feel like the most important person in the world at that moment.  What could be a better gift than that!?

                                                                               
So I've challenged myself through these years to be a note writer.  Even if it's on a post-it, scribbled in crayon.  There is never an act too small that doesn't deserve a "thank you" and it's so much more meaningful when put to pen.

 How many times have you received a card when all it had inside was the card poem and a signature?  Not much thought put into that!  It's easy to rush through the card aisle, grab the first card you see (preferably one that plays music), scribble in your name, lick, seal and send.  Hmmmm.....what about sitting down with pen and paper, thinking about what the person has done for you or means to you and conveying your deepest feelings or thanks. 

Then there are the notes and letters to send to people for no reason at all....just to tell them you are thinking of them.   What a gift!

Thoughts and idea:
>Letters sent through mail are extra special
>Ecards are fun and many are free (but make sure you write a message inside)
>You don't have to splurge on an expensive card. Invest in inexpensive stationary.  It will last you a long time.
>Notes don't always have to be long.  Quality over quantity.
>Send a note of thanks for even the smallest acts of kindness.  Even if people have just been a blessing or example to you, they deserve a thanks.
> Think of those who maybe don't have family, many friends or the elderly who are shut in or in a nursing home.

>Go beyond letters.   Test your artisitic side and try writing a peom, a song or an acrostic.

>Be creative. For example: 20 things I love about you; 10 reasons I'm glad you're my friend;  10 ways you've been a blessing to me

I'm sure you could think of many other ways to give a gift of words.  These are just a few ideas. Watch and see how great YOU feel when these gifts of words are given to others.