Today, I received a long email where several of us moms gave an update on how our kids were weathering the winter storm in Fayetteville.
I have enjoyed hearing about how all the college kids are taking care of each other. They are calling around, seeing who does and does not have electricity. They are giving invitations and gathering into the apartments and homes that have warmth and water.
The students are sleeping on each others couches and floors, they're sharing food, watching movies and in general, having a great time in spite of the hardships of the weather.
It's like a city-wide sleepover!
I wonder if us adults acted like that during the next storm?
What if we all traveled to one house and bunked up together for the night?
Then again,..maybe not. We'd probably look like this lady. (Turn up your volume!)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
What Do You See Nurse?
This poem was written by an elderly lady in a small geriatric ward somewhere in Scotland.
It was found among her possessions after her death.
It was found among her possessions after her death.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Casey
Bored with being a server at a restaurant, Casey has chosen to seek a different type of job this coming summer.
She applied online and her application was one of 12 selected to go to the next phase of the application process.
Know what that is?
A Spring break week long camping/river trip in Arizona.
This phase of the interview process is a time for them to watch her work and for her to try them out as well.
They may or may not like each other.
Her tentative plans to work for a place in Colorado called "Wilderness Aware" will give her a summer of job as a "white water river rafting guide".
Attagirl.
You go baby.
Tryin to "Live Large".
Oh joy.
Just when I thought I would get some sleep!
She applied online and her application was one of 12 selected to go to the next phase of the application process.
Know what that is?
A Spring break week long camping/river trip in Arizona.
This phase of the interview process is a time for them to watch her work and for her to try them out as well.
They may or may not like each other.
Her tentative plans to work for a place in Colorado called "Wilderness Aware" will give her a summer of job as a "white water river rafting guide".
Attagirl.
You go baby.
Tryin to "Live Large".
Oh joy.
Just when I thought I would get some sleep!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
January Inventory
The song that has captured my attention is:
No Night There No More Night by David Phelps.
I tried to recall the words as I sat at Jae's grave tonight in the dark.
The nights don't really bother me.
But I'm looking forward to the day where there will be no more graveyards.
I guess that wouldn't make a very good song title.
The scripture on my mind is:
Isaiah 3.
My friend Daniel was talking about this chapter today.
It describes what happens when a nation loses it's leadership.
I am frustrated by:
manipulative people.
I am stressed about:
3 Cheerleaders events. There's too many emotions and worries there to even describe.
I laughed today about:
Today at work, as we were crazy busy, Daniel and Levi pick pocketed a cellphone off of one of our patients. They then asked him "Where's your cell phone?"
As he pats his pockets and begins to search for it, I try to foil their practical joke by telling the patient that I would call it for him so we could find it. (Thinking it would be in one of the boys pockets)
I dialed the number and guess where they had put it?
In MY pocket.
The whole unit howled!
I am excited about:
My new 4 poster bed. I've been married for 28 years and have never had a headboard. I have no idea why it's taken me so long to get one. The girls have all had at least two or three. Anyway.
Now I have the huge 4 poster bed I've always wanted.
Then I just HAD to buy the matching dresser and nightstand.
Of course, then I NEEDED a new bedspread/quilt.
And curtains.
******************
Last night, as I traveled my little country road here by my house, I came up behind a beautiful red Corvette.
I tried to recall the words as I sat at Jae's grave tonight in the dark.
The nights don't really bother me.
But I'm looking forward to the day where there will be no more graveyards.
I guess that wouldn't make a very good song title.
The scripture on my mind is:
Isaiah 3.
My friend Daniel was talking about this chapter today.
It describes what happens when a nation loses it's leadership.
I am frustrated by:
manipulative people.
I am stressed about:
3 Cheerleaders events. There's too many emotions and worries there to even describe.
I laughed today about:
Today at work, as we were crazy busy, Daniel and Levi pick pocketed a cellphone off of one of our patients. They then asked him "Where's your cell phone?"
As he pats his pockets and begins to search for it, I try to foil their practical joke by telling the patient that I would call it for him so we could find it. (Thinking it would be in one of the boys pockets)
I dialed the number and guess where they had put it?
In MY pocket.
The whole unit howled!
I am excited about:
My new 4 poster bed. I've been married for 28 years and have never had a headboard. I have no idea why it's taken me so long to get one. The girls have all had at least two or three. Anyway.
Now I have the huge 4 poster bed I've always wanted.
Then I just HAD to buy the matching dresser and nightstand.
Of course, then I NEEDED a new bedspread/quilt.
And curtains.
******************
Last night, as I traveled my little country road here by my house, I came up behind a beautiful red Corvette.
"He's gonna leave me in his dust" I thought.
It was a road hugger.
Hello-officer Red.
Corvette.
Instead of watching him drive out of sight, I found myself having to keep from tailgating him.
He simply would not speed up!
In fact,...we were going so slow that a minivan passed us.
That's just wrong.
Beige mini-vans are not supposed to pass red corvettes.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Lukewarm
Here is some irony:
God does not need us, yet loves us deeply.
We are in desperate need of God, but fail to fully love Him.
Jesus constantly called out the Pharisees and other religious leaders for not being authentic.
He said to all who listened: If you follow me, be prepared to walk away from everything you love. (Luke 9:57--).
That was a hard teaching for those people to hear.
It's still hard.
Francis Chan was a speaker at the Nashville Youth Workers Convention that I attended last November. You know, there are some speakers who are powerful because of their communication style, and then there are some who are powerful because of their anointed message.
Francis is the latter.
His keynote sermon about becoming a true follower of Jesus had me covered flat up with conviction!
This morning I was reading his book called Crazy Love.
(sigh)
Convicted again.
Here's some of what Francis says in the chapter entitled "profile of the lukewarm":
***A lukewarm follower attends church. After all, it is an expectation.
***A lukewarm follower gives money to the church. A tenth. Sometimes.
***Lukewarm followers are moved by stories of people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for "extreme" Christians, not the average ones.
***They share their faith easily at Church, but rarely with neighbors, coworkers or friends.
***Lukewarm people say they love Jesus and He is, indeed, a part of their lives. Key word here,..a part. There are other sections where His "control" just wouldn't fit.
***Lukewarm followers are truly thankful for their comforts and luxuries.
***Lukewarm followers do not live by Faith, their lives are structured so they never have to.
***Lukewarm people don't really want to be saved from ALL their sin; they want to be saved from the penalty of their sin.
***Lukewarm people think about life on Earth more than they do about eternity in Heaven. Their schedule and "to-do" list is consuming.
The above list is just a small taste of what Francis had in his book, but I love how he fills the pages with scripture. It makes his written thoughts credible.
I'm telling ya,..this isn't a book to relax by,..it's a book to grow by.
(Sometimes I wish I could just pick up a good romance novel or something!)
Lukewarm Christians are the kind that Jesus would "spew out of His mouth".
That's the kind of harsh tone and rhetoric he reserved for the church leaders of the day.
I'm a church leader.
Most of you are too.
My prayer is that I lead by example.
Overwhelming? yep.
Possible? absolutely.
Today?
Luke 9:62 (The Message)
Jesus said: No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put off God's Kingdom until tomorrow. Seize the day!"
God does not need us, yet loves us deeply.
We are in desperate need of God, but fail to fully love Him.
Jesus constantly called out the Pharisees and other religious leaders for not being authentic.
He said to all who listened: If you follow me, be prepared to walk away from everything you love. (Luke 9:57--).
That was a hard teaching for those people to hear.
It's still hard.
Francis Chan was a speaker at the Nashville Youth Workers Convention that I attended last November. You know, there are some speakers who are powerful because of their communication style, and then there are some who are powerful because of their anointed message.
Francis is the latter.
His keynote sermon about becoming a true follower of Jesus had me covered flat up with conviction!
This morning I was reading his book called Crazy Love.
(sigh)
Convicted again.
Here's some of what Francis says in the chapter entitled "profile of the lukewarm":
***A lukewarm follower attends church. After all, it is an expectation.
***A lukewarm follower gives money to the church. A tenth. Sometimes.
***Lukewarm followers are moved by stories of people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for "extreme" Christians, not the average ones.
***They share their faith easily at Church, but rarely with neighbors, coworkers or friends.
***Lukewarm people say they love Jesus and He is, indeed, a part of their lives. Key word here,..a part. There are other sections where His "control" just wouldn't fit.
***Lukewarm followers are truly thankful for their comforts and luxuries.
***Lukewarm followers do not live by Faith, their lives are structured so they never have to.
***Lukewarm people don't really want to be saved from ALL their sin; they want to be saved from the penalty of their sin.
***Lukewarm people think about life on Earth more than they do about eternity in Heaven. Their schedule and "to-do" list is consuming.
The above list is just a small taste of what Francis had in his book, but I love how he fills the pages with scripture. It makes his written thoughts credible.
I'm telling ya,..this isn't a book to relax by,..it's a book to grow by.
(Sometimes I wish I could just pick up a good romance novel or something!)
Lukewarm Christians are the kind that Jesus would "spew out of His mouth".
That's the kind of harsh tone and rhetoric he reserved for the church leaders of the day.
I'm a church leader.
Most of you are too.
My prayer is that I lead by example.
Overwhelming? yep.
Possible? absolutely.
Today?
Luke 9:62 (The Message)
Jesus said: No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put off God's Kingdom until tomorrow. Seize the day!"
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Familiar Faith
I can't have you thinking that my life is often like Friday night.
Nope.
Not so.
Not anymore!
It was just a bad night and these days it's an unusual occurrence. The hard memories are, and will always be there, but I continue to learn excellent "suppression" skills for the things which will drive me crazy.
I think.
I don't know,..maybe I AM crazy!
Whatever.
Chapter 17 of Revelation was my morning study today and I think I AM crazy for thinking I could understand any of it. My grasp of the symbolism in Revelation has been hanging by my fingernails. This morning, I'm wondering why I'm even trying to study the book.
So.
I went over into Hebrews to study the Faith passages.
Aaaahhhhhh.......familiarity.
Chapter 11 is famous as the Faith chapter,..but the last part of Chapter 10 is rich as well! It reminds me to be either a "working servant" or a "waiting servant". The point is to be a servant of Christ Jesus.
How?
By being faithful in our relationships and our daily activities.
All the time.
Nope.
Not so.
Not anymore!
It was just a bad night and these days it's an unusual occurrence. The hard memories are, and will always be there, but I continue to learn excellent "suppression" skills for the things which will drive me crazy.
I think.
I don't know,..maybe I AM crazy!
Whatever.
Chapter 17 of Revelation was my morning study today and I think I AM crazy for thinking I could understand any of it. My grasp of the symbolism in Revelation has been hanging by my fingernails. This morning, I'm wondering why I'm even trying to study the book.
So.
I went over into Hebrews to study the Faith passages.
Aaaahhhhhh.......familiarity.
Chapter 11 is famous as the Faith chapter,..but the last part of Chapter 10 is rich as well! It reminds me to be either a "working servant" or a "waiting servant". The point is to be a servant of Christ Jesus.
How?
By being faithful in our relationships and our daily activities.
All the time.
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