sNOw Day Perspective...

Gosh, I haven't blogged in quite a long time. So don't expect anything great. It's more like a little observation from a non-observant type person. :)

I'm watching a DVR'd version of a show I missed seeing and I can't help but notice the "Winter Weather Warnings and Advisorys" that keep scrolling across my show and are posted continuously in the upper right hand corner. These warnings are out of date. The show was from last Friday. It keeps distracting me from my show. I don't know how to make it go away.  It's 65 degrees -- the winter warnings have expired!! 

 As I watched, it dawned on me...this is our life sometimes...

We hear bad news of sorts and we start bombarding our thought life with WARNINGS and ADVISORIES. We get distracted by something that "might happen" and we can't focus on the real issue (i.e. the storyline of my show) because we get focused what might be headed our way. We let it get glued into the corner of our mind or we let it keep scrolling across our thoughts. We worry. We panic. We run to the store and wipe out the shelves of milk and bread. We over-react. Why? Because of something that MIGHT happen. We don't focus on the here and now - the life that IS actually happening in the present moments; instead we get consumed by what MIGHT happen.

I am now looking at that warning through the eyes of "well, they sure missed the forecast for us!" So seeing that warning does nothing to me. No excitement about the snow. I don't shift into happy, snow dance routine. Nothing. The words "winter advisory/warning" stirs absolutely nothing in me at this time. Why -- because I know the outcome of those warnings. Nothing happened.

So I thought about how that is a picture of us sometimes...We think about this thing that might happen. It either dominates our behavior and thought life or is it always there in the corner of our thoughts. We can't quit thinking on it.

What came of all those warnings? For us, here in Morgan County? Nothing happened! We received  a grand total of 12 snow flakes! We didn't even get what is considered to be a "dusting" in my neck of the woods. Snow happened all around us, ice happened in some places but here -- we got nothing. We received a day off and a day to sleep in but in actuality that thing that people were anxious about never happened. It was not a major event. It wasn't even a minor event.

Isn't that true about some of those worries we carry around?? We prepare for the worst. We respond as if this thing WILL occur. We may spend a lot of worry and time thinking about something that just never happens.

Guess what? God knew!! When those constant reminders scrolled across the screen the night of the possible severe weather. WARNING, WARNING, WARNING the TV silently screamed out -- but God knew. He saw the future. He has the storehouse of snow. He was there.

So tonight as I watch a DVR version of a show and see warnings, I am not alarmed. I am not concerned in the least. It's a little distracting, but it's not consuming me. It's not effecting me. It's just there and it means nothing to me now.

So the next time those "alarms go off in my mind about something that may or may not happen," I'm going to reassure myself that God is there. He knows the future. He is in control of the present. I'm  hope I'll think differently about this mind-consuming issue. It is not something to waste time worrying about. God knows! and that should be good enough for me.

Yet even as I typed that last line I realized (lightbulb moment!) that I did this worrying about what might happen thing TODAY. I let something that I wasn't looking forward to, even dreading almost, effect my day, my thoughts, my patience, my actions, my joy -- my day was worse because I let this upcoming event concern me. I need to apply my lesson I learned tonight to my life. Maybe tomorrow I will remember this lesson. (by the way the dreaded thing was not too bad; it was actually okay!) :) :)

:) hmmmmm. What do you think? Lay those worries about what may or may not happen down!!! If it does happen -- God won't be surprised. If it doesn't happen you'll be thankful that you didn't waste time and energy worrying.

just a thought :)

a place i should not go....

I need to admit something, I have been hanging out with some men lately in a place where I should not go… first you need to know something about the men...

One guy was really handsome and brave. He’s quite an amazing guy! I love to hear his life story, and he’s got so many adventures. And he has a soft side too! He has a poet’s soul. He so passionate about everything. He wows me!! But he’s been known to get a little depressed, and gripe and complain about life when it wasn’t going exactly as he planned or wanted.

Another guy -- his walk with the Lord drew me in – it’s usually incredible. He’s so obedient! I admire that. He took on a bunch of non-believing guys and he boldly showed them that Our God is the only real God. Many of those non-believers even confessed with their mouth that our God was indeed the only true God!! So he is a pretty great guy!!  Until he started negative talking and feeling sorry for himself. God used him in such a huge way and then he started with the self-pity and even acted like a coward.

I have to admit there was one more guy & recently I have been spending a lot of time with him. He’s not exactly attractive and I learned he was quite disobedient. So why hang with him? Actually he has taught me a lot. I will defend him a little…his disobedience is understandable. God asked him to do something really really hard. So, he chose not to do it – at first. Thankfully he did eventually obey God. He just took an interesting detour before he obeyed completely. After he obeyed God (and God used him to change a whole city!), then God provided him with shade and rest. 
 

I’m sure you are on to me & my little story. These men are okay guys to hang out with because these are huge men of the Bible -- David, Elijah, and Jonah.  Spending time "with" these guys is not the problem ... but it's more about WHERE I've been meeting with them, not really who they are.  I love reading and studying about them because I can learn so much about God, myself, and life when I spend time "hanging out" in the lives of these guys. ;)

WHERE have I've been meeting with them? Standing in line in the complaint department of life! Ugh!! David & Elijah spent time there, and so did Jonah. He stood with a dried up vine in his hand.  So I took my turn & stepped in line.  David, Elijah, and Jonah and me all spent time griping and complaining.

My life is great – God is in control. He’s blessed me in a million ways. So why the negative stuff? Why spend precious time thinking up complaints and dwelling on negative stuff?? I don’t know!! But with God’s help I’m running from that magnet that pulls me to think like that.

This morning I chose (with God’s help!!) to run from these men. Well at least to run from copying their bad attitudes.  Great men, but I can learn from them without imitating them. So I’m crawling out from under the gourd vine with Jonah and I’m embracing the beauty that is my life. J

GOD.IS.TOO.GOOD. for me to hang out in complaint department – even if it was with a bunch of good guys.  Audios!! 

A year already? Really?

I thought I'd be a prolific blogger! That every day I would fill the blog world with my thoughts & perspectives. WRONG! I just now looked & my last blog was about a year ago. I will blame this set-back on the fact that we didn't have a laptop for over a year, and I cannot (will not) blog on my iPhone. Too tiny. Not blogger friendly - in my opinion. Besides that in the last year I have come to love TWITTER! I have a lot of random thoughts -- Twitter fits my brain. :)

So if this is the last blog or the beginning again -- just stay tuned to twitter because, knowing myself like I do, my blogs will probs be born from a short thought that I post first as a tweet.

Yummy ole crow!!!

today i'm eating crow!

the other day my sister posted that her son just drove to school by himself for the first time & i made some silly quip in the comment box -- i did not take her status very seriously.

But now...FFWD one or two weeks and i'm the one thinking about my son driving around in this big scary world all by himself. Just him...well, and Jesus.

All of a sudden i am thinking crazy things -- honestly, i didn't get the total weight of her status when she nonchalantly mentioned that josh drove to school -- alone.in.a.vehicle.without.me (uhhh i mean without her.)

Now i'm saying... "text me the second you get there" "Text me when you leave to come back" "Be careful" "Pay attention" "Don't text. Don't mess with the radio. Don't....." yadayadayada.

And then it hit me -- all these things in my brain and on my heart are what melly was saying in her seemingly simple status.

CROW!!! that's me. i'm eating crow. i now think that melly's lil comment deserved an empathetic -- wow i will be praying for y'all -- instead of some silly ramblings.

i was not looking at it from the perspective i am looking at it now. 

i'm talking to my kids about empathy & looking at things from the other person, walking in someone else's shoes, seek first to understand & then to be understood, etc., etc.  i'm telling them that kind of stuff ALL.THE.TIME!! sooo yep -- MORE CROW.

let's just say i failed at practicing what i preach -  this time! but~ lesson learned~ i will be empathetic from now on when any other mama let's her baby bird take those first flights. alone. (with just Jesus) Now don't get me wrong, cause yes, I know JESUS is all any of us need! :)

anyway -- if you think of it -- pray for a little extra protection for the 16 year olds out there in a vehicle.learning.driving.worrying those people who are watching them fly from the nest.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart!!! (i'm trying to, Lord, i'm really trying to!)

  YUMMY...said no one ever!

Wowerful :)

i like words!
real words.
made-up words.
hard words.
simple but meaningful words.
God's Word!
quotes.
phrases.
puns.
funny words.
complex words.
words.words.words!!

the other day while washing my hands i was reading the back of the liquid soap bottle. (true story!) i saw the term used to describe the soap -- it was "wowerful" & i thought this soap is good but it's not "wow-erful" but my mind took off racing about how "wowerful" God is!!

WOWERFUL!!! Wow + powerful = wowerful!!

i started thinking about some specific "Wowerful!" times when God "wow-ed" me with His wonderful power! 

• He gave me an incredible family  - wowerful!
• He gave us His Son, our Savior, our Sacrifice, our Salvation. - wowerful!
• He gave me - my son, Colby. The  gift of being a parent - wowerful!
• He allowed storms - He gave me His peace & joy during dark & tough times in life. His faithfulness. His presence, grace, mercy! His love - wowerful!
• He gave me a wonderful life. family. children. husband. job. a lot of changes & newness! He gave me a life that i never expected to have & it's more than i even dreamed  - wowerful! 

i've only recorded 5 wowerful events...actually God wows me all the time!! He is indeed WOWERFUL!!!


A few more thoughts on this...

Wowerful conversations: Do you ever think about the conversation with the Lord when HE is about to wow us???  i think "wowerful" conversations might have gone something like this...



About my Family

(Maybe) He said: my child, I'm allowing you to be born in a wonderful family. I'm giving you a big sister, and a little brother that will come along in a few years. I'm allowing you ample opportunity to see what following Me looks like. I'm entrusting you to some praying, godly people. Your parents already walk faithfully with Me, and your siblings will walk faithfully with Me too. Ok, it's time to enter the family I've given you..."

me:  WOW Lord, this family for me? Thank You - You are Wowerful!

 

About asking Jesus into my life

(Maybe) He said: carol, you are a sinner. Your sin separates you from me. My Son Jesus is the sacrifice for your sins. He died for you. Salvation is for you. You are forgiven. You will need to follow Me with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.You will know me personally and eternally.

me: WOW Lord - sacrifice, salvation, forgiveness and eternal life- for me? Thank You - You are Wowerful!

About being a mom
(Maybe) He said: carol, my daughter, the time is right and I am giving you a son. A precious child. Teach him about Me. Love him. Take good care of him. Pray for him every day.  Lead Him to follow Me. Trust My plan for him.

me: WOW Lord, a son,  for me -- are You sure? thank You. You are Wowerful!" 

 

About the storms

(Maybe) He said: carol, a storm is coming. It's going to be difficult. It's going to be pain filled. There will be loss. There will be hurt and sadness. It won't be easy. It will be challenging. It will be tough. You will grow in your dependence on Me. You will survive. I will show up in small ways and big ways. You will find Me to be Faithful. You will be broken but you will find My joy and My peace. You will never be alone, I will be there. Every minute. Every day.

me: Ewww Lord, a storm for me -- are You sure? help me to be thankful. You'll be with me? well, ok -- because You are Wowerful!"

About new beginnings
(Maybe) He said: carol, I have another "wow" for you, I'm giving you a fresh start. I'm giving you a godly husband and his daughter. Cherish and respect him. Invest your life in the many children around you. Love your children - both of them.They are growing up fast. Open your heart and love deeply. Be an example of following Me. I have been with you and I will always be with You. Trust me and trust others.  There will be a lot of changes for you. Let go of the past. I have started something new.
me: WOW Lord,  wow!! all that for me -- are You sure? I cannot thank You enough. You are Wowerful!

Wowerful Verses

~ Wowerful Verses about our Birth, His plan, His timing ~

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." Psalm 139:13-16

~Wowerful Verses about Salvation~

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16; If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. Romans 10:9-10; ...they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people...Acts 26:18; ...you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all

your mind, and all your strength. Mark 12:30

~ Wowerful verses about parenting and children ~

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Psalm 127:3; Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6; You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:7;

When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. John 16:21; Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17

~Wowerful verses about storms, trials, tough times ~

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33; “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. Isaiah 43:1-3; May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13; The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10.

~Wowerful verses about new beginnings ~
The Lord says, “Forget what happened before, and do not think about the past. Look at the new thing I am going to do. It is already happening. Don’t you see it? Isaiah 43:18-19; I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the LORD. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future. Jeremiah 29:10-12; And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20.


This post was really long! But God is so WOWERFUL i just couldn't "land this plane" heehee.

Merry CHRISTmas to all!!! He is WOWERFUL!!! and worthy of our praise :)

 

Can you see me with a bustle & an umbrella??

The God who made the world and everything in it—He is Lord of heaven and earth...He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and exist.

im thankful that God appointed the timeframes in which we live in and our place to live. He put us here for this specific time in this specific place!! wow - that is astounding! He didn't assign me to live in the 1800's or even back in the day of the poodle skirt & bobby socks. He didn't assign my address to some tiny dot somewhere else in the world -- He specifically assigned me to live in 2012, in the USA, in Alabama.

i have a heart for other nations & for people of other nationalities. i have friends and family that HE has appointed to live in other places, and im thankful for their obedience to His assignment.

But for now, my appointment is here - in the USA. i want to serve the Lord well -- here. In this place within the boundary God has set for me. Please don't misunderstand me, i want soooo badly to go on a mission trip - to serve Him on some different soil - to play soccer with a smiling African child, or sing songs in Rio, Ireland, Spain, or wherever!   i want to pray diligently for those who are taking the gospel to far away places ~ even this very week!! (Like the teams from our church who are sharing Jesus in places like Austria, Romania,Uganda, Guatemala etc.!) i want to continually pray for my niece & nephew who teach in Indonesia, and so many other missionaries that are serving Jesus all over this globe. i want to take part in that!! missions all over the world!! Praying, giving, going!

but ... for now my physical assignment is here...USA. Alabama. Morgan County. Decatur. CBC.Priceville. PES.Our community. Our neighborhood. Our street. Our home!

my heart gets proud when i see the American Flag flying & i hear patriotic songs & see fireworks. I love our nation!! but our nation needs JESUS!! our neighbors need to know that He is NOT far from each one of us. I hope as i celebrate our nation's birthday, that i will re-up my commitment to the assignment He has given me -- for such a time as this!!

they did whaaa?

today i went to sonic in a nearby town. i ordered a large sweet tea & small tots. ($3.75)

i was happy when a nice employee brought out my food. i gave her my debit. i was in a bit of a hurry because i was attending a workshop for school. (btw workshop is great!!!) i will withhold the exact place in order to not incriminate anyone in particular...

after waiting & waiting for the nice employee to bring my card back -- i walked up to the door for employee's only. Here's what happened next... 


nice sonic employee: sorry - our machine isn't working right.  So i continue to stand there while the manager (i guess) runs the card through the machine. over & over.
manager: sorry for your wait. it's not your card it's our machine.
me: im in a little bit of a hurry.
manager: do you have any cash??
me: nope. i didn't bring any today.
manager: can you go to the bank?
me: i dunno. is there a pnc bank nearby? (i bank in decatur)
manager: i don't know.
me: well i need to get back to a meeting...
manager: then you'll have to give the food back.

me: excuse me?

manager: you have to give us the food back.
me: give it back?
manager: yes! so the nice employee & i walk back to my hot car where the food has been. i open the door to return the food....
nice employee: i'm really sorry about this. i don't think this is quite riiight.
me: yeah, me neither. the story ends with me running into a gas station to grab a bag of chips & mtn dew before the workshop resumes...

     seriously, she took back my fooooood!!!  i know they threw it away. it was used foood. gross!! $3.75!!! my card worked, her machine didn't.

     food service people...is this policy????? take served food backkkk? hmmm. i tried to pay. i had plastic money. oh well. i love a new good story!!! :)