Oui Ouisdom from Ouida

2017-05-03T13:37:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything. Life has changed 180 degrees. It's amazing how much we as humans can withstand. As I've been dealing with personal struggles, I've also begun to see a horrible trend in the United States.

There is a lack of respect for authority.

**"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."

Let's look at public officials. From President Washington to President Trump we see the same thing. There are naysayers and there are devoted fans. Whether we are for or against, the respect given the office should still be there. There are ways to get your point made without publishing only bad press. Respect should be given THE OFFICE if you can't respect the man or woman.

Law enforcement is particularly under siege. It's a sign of the times though. Each generation has lost a little of the awe of authority. Now we have laws that are enforced that require lawbreakers to have more rights than the ones who hold firm to the law. We see the lack of seriousness in taking another person's life. There's no accountability for the one who abides by the law or the lawbreaker. Every one points fingers at any and everyone but themselves. We see the lack of respect for life in general. There is a moment in history that defines this. When Cain killed his brother Abel, because Abel's gift to God was honored more than his own. Cain became the law in his own eyes. This is what we see in today's justice system.

We see people believing they are above the enforcement of rules and regulations and make their own as they see fit. If law enforcement disagrees, then kill them. And the one who kills never gives thought that they took the last breath of life from someone's family member, friend, confidant AND mentor.

To even further simplify this, I see people disobeying rules and regulations because they truly believe they are above reproach. The person who parks in the fire lane at a store and "runs" in for something. They truly feel they should not be cited for breaking the rules of authority. The persons who don't turn an assignment in on time yet expects the teacher to 'forgive' them because they are above the rules the teacher set before them. The persons who are always late and expect others to abide by their lateness--after-all, they are above reproach. I could go on an on about the lack of respect for authority. Simply stated, laws were given for us to obey. The majority of these laws are there to protect us. Respect authority.

Lastly, we see the lack of authority for our pastors. The majority of pastors have been called by God to assist us as we learn to trust God and not trust man. Conversely there are those who have called themselves into the roll of pastor. One must have great discernment to know the difference. It is so easy to get caught up in the feel good feeling of a great talker.

There used to be a reverence toward "a man or woman of God" because of the calling. It is unfortunate that a few impostors have compromised the nature and reality of a true man or woman of God.

I think the former sentence is the reason there is a lack of respect of those in authority. We as a people have grown accustomed to fake public officials, fake law enforcement and fake religious personnel for so long we are totally desensitized to the truth.

It is our responsibility to weigh the truth from a lie. It is our responsibility not to publicize a lie just because it lines up with our own credo. It is our responsibility to bring back the respectfulness of the position, by being a person of respect. We cannot wait for someone else. We need to begin today to bring back truth...justice...and love. (You thought I was going to say the American Way didn't you?)

**Romans 13:1-7

Over a Year

2013-10-15T17:39:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it's been over a year since I've penned a little about my thoughts. Today I'm feeling melancholy. It's my personality type, so I guess it's rightfully so. Nevertheless, I believe my heart is on my sleeve today.

I am so in love with my children. When they hurt, I hurt. When they are disappointed, I am disappointed. When they are happy, I'm happy for them. Through this year my oldest son tried his hardest to step up the ladder at work. Jumped through all the hoops, had to part with his family for the better of three months. Then the rug was pulled out from under him and he faced a disappointment I could feel 700 miles away. He's a fighter and will try again, but when one is faced with a major disappointment, what do you do? I try to be an encouragement to him, if it's only praying for him daily.
My daughter got married. She was surprised by this man who just dropped into her life. He took her off guard and swept her off her feet. They've been married almost five months now. I'm so happy for her. I want to hear her dreams for the future, her desires of her heart, and used to be that one. Happily I've been replaced, but I feel that empty nest syndrome again. I try to be an encouragement to her, if it's only praying for her daily.
My youngest son is going through a battle that is rarely heard about. His wife has amnesia. She doesn't know him. She doesn't know where she is and hasn't a clue who this man is that says he's her husband. When I talked to him this morning, my heart cried out. I didn't want to startle him with my emotions, but I tried to be an encouragement to him, if it was only a silent prayer for him and his wife.
My sweet friend Kerma lost her mother last November, and in the same week lost her 24 year old cat, Calli. Yesterday her father died suddenly. She's in New Hampshire, he's in Missouri. I tried to be an encouragement to her by praying over the phone with her.

Today as I talked with one of the ministers I work with, he stopped us in the middle of our meeting and prayed for these people.
As I walked down the hallway at work this morning, a sweet woman said "Ouida, we just got out of prayer group and I prayed for you out loud."
I am blessed to be a part of a praying church and am blessed that even at this moment, someone is praying for my sons, my daughter, my friend. It is humbling to know that our Father hears us.
You are an encouragement to me...mostly when you're praying for me. Thank you for lifting me up over this year. I feel like I've been in the eye of a hurricane, and now passing through the other side.
It's going to get rough, but God, my Husband is by my side. He is bigger than the wind, bigger than the storm and he is the gentle whisper in my soul.

Stuggling

2012-05-19T16:14:00.002-04:00

Just pray.

Challenge

2012-02-28T12:23:00.003-05:00

We had staff meeting this morning. It's always an inspirational time for me when our pastor gives us a challenge. As I try to incorporate the challenge today, I wanted to put it in writing, so I won't forget and others can strive toward it!

This should be a leader's prayer. (Taken from a book by Bill Hybels--forgot to write down the title!)

God, make me like:
David--- an optimist
Jonathan--loving people on and off duty
Daniel -- help me to have integrity and personal holiness
Joshua -- be decisive, be certain of what God wants to do without apologizing. Pray confidently. Instead of praying the "just" prayer (Lord just do this)
Solomon -- help me to have godly wisdom on a daily basis. When someone asks how they can pray for me, this should be my answer. Please pray that I have godly wisdom.
Jeremiah--emotionally authentic
Nehemiah -- celebrate even through the hard times
Peter -- take initiative
Barnabas -- be an encourager
and Paul -- be flat out intense.

And that's what I want to do. Please join me and pray for me as I work toward a goal that God has set ahead!

No surprises here!

2012-02-15T12:53:00.003-05:00

I was invited to take this personality test. I have always liked taking these and spiritual gifts tests, because I like to see how God continues to mold me. In spiritual gifts, FAITH and DISCERNMENT have always been my strong suits, the others jump up and down. In personality tests, I'm the melancholy ... or the retriever. In this particular test I am called "GUARDIAN" which makes me smile. Because that's exactly who I am. You can take your free personality test at:
http://www.keirsey.com/

Here is me:
Guardians® (SJs) are the cornerstone of society, for they are the temperament given to serving and preserving our most important social institutions. Guardians have natural talent in managing goods and services--from supervision to maintenance and supply -- and they use all their skills to keep things running smoothly in their families, communities, schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses.

All Guardians share the following core characteristics:

•Guardians pride themselves on being dependable, helpful, and hard-working.
•Guardians make loyal mates, responsible parents, and stabilizing leaders.
•Guardians tend to be dutiful, cautious, humble, and focused on credentials and traditions.
•Guardians are concerned citizens who trust authority, join groups, seek security, prize gratitude, and dream of meting out justice.

Guardians can have a lot of fun with their friends, but they are quite serious about their duties and responsibilities. Guardians take pride in being dependable and trustworthy; if there's a job to be done, they can be counted on to put their shoulder to the wheel. Guardians also believe in law and order, and sometimes worry that respect for authority, even a fundamental sense of right and wrong, is being lost. Perhaps this is why Guardians honor customs and traditions so strongly -- they are familiar patterns that help bring stability to our modern, fast-paced world.

Practical and down-to-earth, Guardians believe in following the rules and cooperating with others. They are not very comfortable winging it or blazing new trails; working steadily within the system is the Guardian way, for in the long run loyalty, discipline, and teamwork get the job done right. Guardians are meticulous about schedules and have a sharp eye for proper procedures. They are cautious about change, even though they know that change can be healthy for an institution. Better to go slowly, they say, and look before you leap.

Guardians make up as much as 40 to 45 percent of the population, and a good thing, because they usually end up doing all the indispensable but thankless jobs the rest of the population takes for granted.

There are 4 types of guardians: Supervisor, Inspector, provider, protector. I have to pay to see which one I am, but I know me. And I believe I am provider/protector. Some famous guardians are:

Art & Entertainment/Sports/Journalism/Literature

•Louis B. Mayer (Provider)
•Jimmy Stewart (Protector)
•Andrea Mitchell (Protector)
•James Herriot (Protector)
•Fred McMurray
•Ed Sullivan (Provider)
•Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Protector)
•Barbara Walters (Provider)
•Larry King (Provider)
•Dan Rather (Supervisor)
•Mike Wallace (Supervisor)
•Vince Lombardi (Supervisor)
•Judith Scheindlin (Supervisor)
•Laura Schlessinger (Supervisor)
•Jack Webb (Supervisor)
•Thomas Hardy
•Andy Rooney
•Oscar Levant (Provider)
Politics/Government/Military
•President George Washington (Supervisor)
•President James K. Polk (Inspector)
•President William Howard Taft (Provider)
•President Harry S. Truman (Inspector)
•President Richard Nixon (Supervisor)
•President Gerald Ford (Provider)
•President Jimmy Carter (Supervisor)
•President George HW Bush (Protector)
•President Leonid Brezhnev (Provider)
•Queen Elizabeth I (Supervisor)
•Queen Elizabeth II (Inspector)
•Queen Victoria (Inspector)
•King George VI (Protector)
•Tsar Nicholas II (Protector)
•Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (Supervisor)
•Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes
•Justice Thurgood Marshall (Inspector)
•General Omar Bradley
•General Bernard Montgomery (Supervisor)
Business/Industry/Finance
•Warren Buffet (Inspector)
•Sam Walton (Provider)
•Ray Kroc (Provider)
•John D. Rockefeller (Inspector)
•Roy Disney (Inspector)
•Armand Hammer
•J C Penny
•F W Woolworth
•William K Kellogg
•Charles Post
•Andrew Mellon
Science/Education/Humanities/Philosophy/Religion
•Brigham Young (Supervisor)
•Thomas Hobbes (Supervisor)
•Rose Kennedy (Supervisor)
•Mother Teresa (Protector)
•Rosa Partks (Protector)
•Clara Barton (Protector)

My favorite quote from a Guardian is:
"Take responsibility for your life. If you're a victim, it's your fault. Stop being a victim. Get a grip!'
Judge Judith Sheindlin (Supervisor)

What's it like?

2012-02-10T14:30:00.002-05:00

I smile as I look at the pictures of this friend's new hair-do, and this one's weight loss, and this one's new clothes. The confidence they show makes me happy for them and for me! I'm so glad I'm their friend!

I often wonder though, what's it like to be pretty. So pretty that you don't mind pictures being taken of you. So pretty that you don't take bad pictures...and when you do, everyone says it's awesome. "You've never taken an ugly picture" I say... and that's the truth.

I look at my pictures and all I see is my lazy eye, my double chin, my scraggly hair and the lack of confidence that oozes out of every pore.

I clap for my friends as they show their latest artwork. It is awesome. So absolutely breath-taking... looks like a photograph...looks real. Then I look at mine. It looks like a painting.

I pray for my friends as they go through perils of life. They ask me to pray and I do. I can do that.

I go to the throne room and bow before the King.

He tells me before I can pray for them, I must deal with my own junk. Daughter, beloved daughter, you are made in My image. You are perfect. I don't see what you see... I see the inside.

I smile.

I ask for forgiveness and start to pray. I'm stopped again. I'm reminded that each of us are given talents...some show, some do not. But we all have something we excel at. I feel His smile all over and I can't help but smile too.

I smile again.

Now?

Now He says. I pray for my friends, and He smiles.

And He smiles again.

sometimes you just have to put them on and get over it.

2011-10-18T14:53:00.000-04:00

Shouldn't I feel that way?

2011-08-15T22:39:00.005-04:00

I'm so glad God has made us so different. I'm certainly glad He allowed me to have the feelings I have. One thing I'm constantly working on is my core woundedness.

That's the deepest part of me. The part when something happens now, I get flashbacks of being broken many years ago. We all have a core wound. We all have that one thing (some have more).

This past Sunday something happened that took me back to my core woundedness and I felt like the person who was picked last to be on a team. The little girl who didn't belong. The outcast. The lonely girl who didn't make friends and was afraid to speak up.

It's amazing to me how satan knows that button to push at such a time. What's even more amazing is that God has taught me to recognize when that button is pushed and He has helped me to know how to act and react.

I must admit, my initial reaction was knee-jerk and hateful. But if I would have stayed in that frame of mind, I would have missed an excellent sermon. And then it was a duh thing. I needed to hear the message... and a worthless imp tried to take that away from me.

I also teach a class. After the worship time, I had to face the very person who brought me to my knees (metaphorically, of course.) I wanted to let her know she was wrong to do me that way.

But God...

I love those words.

What was meant to harm, turned into good. As I began to teach my lesson, forgetfulness stepped in and the grace of God overwhelmed me. I must set aside me... and just brag about Him.

My latest painting

2011-07-22T13:16:00.003-04:00

This is my 2nd oil painting. I have just a few 'touch-ups' to do. Gregg Williams has been teaching me and another lady how to paint with oils. I've painted with watercolors before...and that's like the total opposite of what I'm doing now. I have to erase everything I know about watercolor so I can paint in oils.

I'm very pleased with this. Who knew I could paint a straight line????

Had fun doing the splashes last night. I painted with sound effects. Sorry it can't be heard in the painting!

Not a Popular Feeling

2011-07-06T11:58:00.002-04:00

Yesterday as the verdit for the murder of little Caylee Anthony was read, my first reaction was "Oh my goodness."

Then the relationship kicked in that I have with Jesus. I try to keep Him forefront in all my thoughts and emotions... my opinions and my 'feelings.'

First, we don't know all the facts. Probably never will. But the media would want us to believe one thing. The truth may be totally opposite of what we read and hear through the media (even FoxNews!)

Second. This is what we should believe. God is merciful. Mercy. The jury looked at the facts. Twelve of Casey Anthony peers judged her. They, instead of using their feelings, saw the facts. Mercy.

Third, someone murdered a little girl. Whether it actually was Casey, we will probably never know. But this one thing I do know. God will have the last word. And in that... we should rest.

Casey Anthony needs Jesus. She needs Him in the worst way. And we need to pray that we would have the privilege to love her enough to show her The Beloved Savior.

As I pondered all my thoughts, I began to see the picture on the big screen from last Sunday. An American Medic, carrying a wounded warrior to safety. That warrior being carried was not just a warrior...he was the enemy. An Iraqi solider.

The media was screaming to the medic to drop him. Leave him to die.

The soldier...I'm sure in a most dignified manner... shot the media a hand signal and said something like " &*##, he's wounded and we're Americans."

Consider yourself carrying Casey Anthony from harm's way. She is wounded...and she's an American. Let us join together and pray.

1. Pray that God's mercy would overwhelm the responsible party who caused the death of little Caylee Anthony and that there would be a confession and justice for an unspeakable murder.
2. Pray that Casey Anthony would recognize God's mercy in her life.
3. Pray for the healing of the Anthony family. It is a broken dysfunctional mess.
4. Pray that God will get the glory.

Lastly, Jesus said in Matthew 7: 1-5
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."

Where There is Forgiveness...There is Freedom

2011-07-06T11:05:00.001-04:00

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs016/1101889363883/archive/1104355929761.html

If I Could

2011-06-14T11:52:00.006-04:00

If I could take this away from you my friend, I would. I love you that much.

If I could suffer the pain for you, I would. I love you that much.

If I could, I would snatch this from you and fight it until it was dead.

If I could, I would stand between the sickness and your body and dare it to touch you again.

I cannot.

But...

what I can do is get on my knees and pray for you. I'll ask our Husband to take away the sickness that has invaded your body. I'm asking Him to once again perform a miracle.

You've been my rock, my friend. Now...rest and let me be yours.

I love you.
Ouida

1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Missing

2011-05-26T12:16:00.002-04:00

I'm missing... me.

I've been too busy... been too tired... been too driven to sit down and be my own company.

I thought once my children were raised my life would be easier. But in fact it is harder. I miss my children. I miss having conversations with them on a daily basis. I miss knowing they are safe and sound under my roof.

And now I have three beautiful grandchildren. I miss watching them grow up. I miss keeping up with their daily lives. Who lost a tooth...Who is sick...Who is well... What deep thoughts did they have this day.

I miss that part of me who was all nuturing. Always there for my children. I miss caring for someone else... I miss that me.

Today there's another me. The one I'm supposed to be in this transitional time of my life. I'm busy hearing sad stories of those who have encountered life-altering circumstances...like death...like sicknesses...like divorce. God has given me another nuturing me...one who surrounds strangers with prayers and listens in between the sobs... in between the words ... in between the heartaches... and I hear the sorrow, the pain and the hopelessness.

God has graced me with the ability to see what is missing in someone's life, and fill them up with His Word, His Light, His Treasures.

I received such a compliment today and really wanted to ignore it. But God in His infinite wisdom told me to reread it. To swallow it, digest it and allow it to become even more of who I am in Him.

I am missing part of me... but in the place of what is missing, God is bringing platefuls of 'filler' so I can become the woman I was meant to be.

The Gift

2011-05-19T14:36:00.002-04:00

Struggling through 2011 has been just that in some ways. Somehow I KNEW it was going to be a financially trying time and sure enough, it's happening.

I spent the last half of 2010 spending well over $3000 trying to get my body to cooperate with me. It didn't take. So I continue to spend untold amounts of money on manipulation and now massage therapy (bless my heart!) The massage I like...the money draining I don't.

Car needed four tires... plus the rotors were bad, so had them replaced along with new brake pads. The check engine light had been on for two years. I learned how to "work around" the system for two years, but was truly afraid I wouldn't get by again. So had to have my catalytic converter replaced.

My sweet friend accidently ran into my back bumper on my car, so had that replaced... my car is very happy now.

And then, the Condo board decided that they needed to assess the owners for the 2nd year in a row...another $1000. They are benevolent though. They sent the notice the first of May and said they'd give us until July 1st to get it together before they start charging interest. Joy.

Sounds like the glass is half empty?

No not really. One thing God has always tested me on is my finances. I continue to ask, have I REALLY NOT LEARNED THIS LESSON YET????

But then I smile. God loves me so much that He desires that I live HIS way, not mine. Look at the financial mess I'm in, compared to His richness. I'm doing it His way this year.

Don't know where the other $600 will come from for the assessment, but for some reason, it just doesn't bother me like it used to. I know my Caretaker, My Husband, my Love... and He is not just going to do the best for me... He is DESTINED to do the best for me.

It isn't satan's fault...it's mine.

2011-05-06T12:43:00.005-04:00

"Of all the sins, pride is probably the most subtle and the most dangerous. Pride is a trap to those in the ministry, and it is one we need to be constantly on our guard to avoid. It is the sin by which Satan fell, and he is an expert at deceiving even the godliest of men to fall into its trap.

"Pride is a sin. It is one of the sins that we inflict upon ourselves, which can cause us to become a stench in the nostrils of our God. It is not caused by anyone else, only by ourselves. We can't even blame Satan for putting this temptation in our way."--Rich Murphy

Pride... it comes with a price.

Being unteachable is pride.

"Pride drastically hinders revival because it padlocks the spirit, shutting the soul off in its own darkness and blocking it from dealing not only with pride itself (for "those that are spiritual proud, have a high conceit of these two things, viz. their light, and their humility") but with every other area of the flesh. Because spiritual pride is so secretive, it is hard to detect except through its effects. Edwards proceeds therefore to analyze these effects, noting that they are generally opposite counterparts to the fruits of the Spirit:

"Spiritual pride is very apt to suspect others; whereas an humble saint is most jealous of himself, he is so suspicious of nothing in the world as he is of his own heart. The spiritually proud person is apt to find fault with other saints, that they are low in grace; and to be much in observing how cold and dead they are; and being quick to discern and take notice of their deficiencies. But the eminently humble Christian has so much to do at home . . . that he is not apt to be very busy with other hearts . . . He is apt to esteem others better than himself, and is ready to hope that there is nobody but what has more love and thankfulness to God than he, and cannot bear to think that others should bring forth no more fruit to God’s honour than he." --Richard Lovelace

Pride is the words "I KNOW."
Pride is the words "LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I THINK."
Pride is the action of "I DON'T HAVE TIME TO LISTEN RIGHT NOW."
PRIDE is the result of sin.

I fight pride every minute. I fight it when preparing my lessons each week. The most dangerous part of pride is believing I don't have to study, because I already know enough about the subject. May I continue to fight this sin... it isn't satan... it's me.--

The Sin

2011-05-02T16:34:00.001-04:00

After years of taunting, murdering and blaming ... Osama bin Laden is dead. How does a Christian respond to this?

Just look and listen and many of the Christians I know are joyous and celebrating the death of an enemy. While I look, listen and hear, my heart is heavy. Not because an enemy died. I'm very glad this evil was stopped. My heart is so heavy because this man, this enemy, this evil person died...without knowing Jesus Christ. He thinks he's going to have virgins waiting on the other side to greet him and pleasure him the rest of eternity.

I wonder how many radical Islamists who have died wish they could reach out to their relatives and say "IT'S A LIE! IT'S A LIE!"

You know... we are studying Psalm 51 this coming Sunday...actually for two Sundays.

The similarity between bin Laden and David are extreme. Does that shock you? They both sinned against God. They both needed to face the same God. One went down with curses... one fell down on his face in a humble contrite way. One was forgiven. One will live eternally with Jesus Christ. All it takes is humility and sorrow for one's sin.

There is no other appropriate stance for a believer to take toward sin than absolute personal disgust and hatred about it. God has no tolerance for sin, and therefore neither should His people. We should be grieved to some extent over every single time that we fail to live up to God's standards. The good news is that for as much as we should have contempt for sin, we should rejoice in the total and complete restoration from sin that God offers. As the old hymn says, His grace is "greater than ALL my sin."

This week, read the whole Psalm 51. Read it deeply.

PRICE TAG

2011-04-22T14:30:00.003-04:00

Mom and Dad rented a booth in a flea market. Nearly everything in our house had a price on it. It was really scary the morning I woke up with a price on my forehead. The thought of my parents selling me took me back a moment. It's a joke now, but at that moment, there was nothing funny.

Jesus had a price on His forehead before He even left heaven to become part man/part God. I think knowing that He wept and sweated drops like blood comforts me in a way. That part human knew that price tag. He knew the cost. His human side looked for a way around the problem, His God-side opened His arms wide...

and died for my sins.

Praise God, the price has been paid.

A full Weekend

2011-04-11T08:50:00.009-04:00

I'm a homebody. Staying home makes me happy. I'm not very out-going (except with those I trust with me!). Had a sweet between lunch & dinner meal with my dear friend Jill Owenby. I always enjoy my time with her. We delve into our love with Christ and talk openly about the questions we have and the praises we have... along with being totally honest with one another. I love spending time with her. She is such a special friend.

This past weekend not only did I need to study my lesson on Psalm 18, but Melissa came in on Friday evening. I love it when we spend time together. It's becoming too few and far between. But... you know in the circle of life, it is the normal progression! We played games together on Friday night. I had missed playing. We laughed, she froze and I sweated. Funny that 24 years difference in age can make such a difference!

Saturday morning we woke up and went to the grand opening of a Christian bookstore in one of the malls. The owner is my oil-painting buddy and former receptionist of my church. We drank coffee and congratulated her. Then off to visit a sweet friend who had surgery a couple weeks ago and was still recuperating. Talked and laughed with her.

My Sunday School class had our mission project to do that afternoon and Melissa joined us. We packed bags for the children of the poor of our area. It was so fun. They would hit a gong each time we completed 1,000 bags. We, along with several other volunteers packed over 30,000 bags in 2 hours. Then we went out to eat at BRIXX Pizza. It was fun to be with several of the ladies in my class along with Melissa. We laughed, talked seriously, and then laughed again. Such a sweet time of fellowship.

Sunday morning, Melissa went to her church and I went to mine. My class was having a covered dish and spa day. We never ask what anyone is going to bring to our covered dish fellowships. And yet... we always have a smorgasbord of food, which is ALWAYS delicious! Our spa day consisted of hand or foot massages or a back and shoulder massage. Because my feet are so ticklish and I just can't stand for anyone to touch them, I decided I must try to get past this. I had a foot massage. Except for the beginning, I felt totally comfortable. I think I'd like for that to happen again. Maybe I CAN get a pedicure! We'll see!

Then I rushed over to the nursing home to visit my little homebound friend. She wanted to get away for a while, so I took her out to just walk around and then she wanted to eat...so we went to Apollo Flame and both of us ordered pizza. We talked and she just loved it. Getting out of her "prison" at times just pleases her. Gives her a reason to keep on keeping on. We got back and just sat on the front porch of the "home" and watched the sun set. I finally made it home and sat on my couch for a moment... and thought...wow I'm tired. Went to bed and slept all night long. God is good ALL the time.

How do we do it?

2011-04-07T15:59:00.002-04:00

I work at my church in pastoral care. That's dealing with the hurts, pains & deaths of life. Days like today, overwhelming me with death, murder, sickness, pain and heartache... bring me down. I just don't know how to get out of this funk I'm in. The phone rings and I cringe knowing it's some more bad news. An email comes from someone with the subject : PRAYER REQUEST. I breathe deeply before I look at it. Days like this are very few. But when they come, they are over-whelming. What do people do without the Lord? How do they put one foot in front of the other while going through the emotions of life? If I did not have my God, my Maker, My Hope, My Lord, My Savior, My Redeemer, I just don't know what I would do. Thank you God that you know those groanings within me. I give them to you, knowing you are my warrior.

But God

2011-03-31T14:30:00.006-04:00

How long, Lord? - How long is this to continue? Can it be that this is to continue always? Is there to be no change for the better? Are the promises which have been made, never to be fulfilled? It is so easy to become overwhelmed. So much is happening in the world. God warned us there would be wars and rumors of wars. He warned us that families would war against one another. He warned us that satan would be the world's master. He warned us there would be false prophets. He warned us that we needed to live in the world but not be part of it. Disease, earthquakes, tsunamis, starvation, murder, incest, rape, joblessness, power struggles... these have touched all of us. When I say ALL, I mean the world's population. At 2:36 p.m. on this date, March 31, there are 6,909,272,041 in the world. Not one of these people have lived a life without being touched by disaster of some sort. Even the birthing experience is traumatic for both mother and child.

I'm constantly asking God how to pray. I need to pray for the people in my life who are having battles. How do I pray. Bless them Lord? I know He will. But I YEARN for, NEED, COVET, STARVE for, DESIRE the mind of Christ. I want His words to be the ones coming out of my mouth. I want His mind to know how to pray.

It becomes overwhelming on Wednesday evening when my prayer group gets together. We have a small prayer group... and our Sunday School class has about 35 in it. We are small compared to the over 6 billion people in the world. Nevertheless, we spend an hour just laying out the hurts in our own little worlds.

In my little world ... family and friends ... to name a few there is:

a wayward child

an unmarried couple living together

a family member with cancer

an angry child

one whose parent is dying

one whose child just died from unknown reasons

one whose car broke down and there's nowhere to turn

one who cannot afford to pay the bills

one who lost a job

someone who will lose a foot because of infection

one whose family has abandoned them

I could go on and on.

But God...

Where would I be without those 2 words. He is the Almighty Warrior, the Cornerstone, The Great Physician... and none of these happenings have taken Him by surprise.

What do I say in my head when given bad news?

Praise God anyway.

Why?

But because of His great love for us, God who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions --it is by grace you have been saved. Eph 2:5-6

It's Amazing to Me

2011-03-10T16:07:00.002-05:00

It's pet peeve time!

It is amazing to me how many TEACHERS misspell words.

Its verses It's.
There verses their
You, your, you're OH MY
Lose verses loose

I know people get in a hurry...I understand...but the constant wrong terms... the constant mistakes just overwhelm me...

1. Long morning out running errans
2. So sorry for the lose of your dad.
3. Still raining. Oh well, just means more flowers are on there way
4. supper is simmering and the house is nice and quit
5. They have awaken from their slumber

It wouldn't be so bad...but all of those are from the same teacher. TEACHER! EGADS.

I'll never forget the teacher that "retired" after I went to my daughter's school and told the Principal that my children do not talk like the teacher was teaching them.

BASROOM instead of Bathroom

And then the teacher says out loud for all of us to hear: "Well, alls we wants to do is give them a good education."

And that's when I stood up and said "WE do not talk that way." My daughter got moved to another class and the teacher suddenly retired. The worst part... she had taught in the school system for over 25 years.

I know the majority of teachers speak and write plainly and correctly. But those who do not need to be held accountable. . . by another teacher!

I'm off my soapbox.

Ouida

Now...I've got that off my chest... and I just KNOW that God will hold me even more accountable now! I have a love/hate relationship with that.

I Took Out The Trash This Morning

2011-02-03T09:09:00.002-05:00

I had not thought about the correlation of taking out the trash and living the spiritual life. It just never occurred to me that the "feel good" feeling I get when I realized that the trash has been taken out was so freeing.

The evenings I come home after taking the trash out, I almost smile. I think how wonderful all of that gunk and junk is out of my house. It's almost a feeling of complete freedom!

And then... this morning, God put a picture in my head.

How wonderful it is when we clean out our temple of the gunk and junk that piles up. It's so freeing to be rid of bitterness, envy, strife, gluttony, pride, lust, anger, greed and laziness.

And then... I also realized that I would have to take the trash out again next week because it will be full again. Just like those sins. We must continually "take out the trash" in our temples. The sins just keep piling up, like trash. But that trash needs to be dealt with each day.

Mental picture...trash can with lid. When I start feeling one of the 7 deadly sins, I just mentally open that trash can and throw the feeling away. If I continually hold on to it, it will become rancid...and stink...and grow moldy and trash the temple that God has freely given me.

Who knew taking out the trash could be so freeing?

Ecclesiastes 10:1 "As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor."

Laughter

2011-01-30T18:01:00.002-05:00

I've had two complete days of laughter. It's been marvelous, but WOW my face hurts. I realized I must not exercise those muscles enough. I need more laughter. Isn't it in Proverbs the Bible says a merry heart does us good? I plan to remember to laugh each day!

Don't know why I was thinking about these things...

2011-01-14T20:03:00.003-05:00

Little memories starting popping up this evening...memories of my children..

Chris was so impressed with the garbage man... he aspired to be one when he grew up. I guess he is in a way...he works in law enforcement.
He loved to take apart everything in the house. I'd find radios with pieces strewn all over. He was always so curious about how things worked. I read today that he will be moving the plugs in his house to different locations? Because he can! He loved Captain Kangaroo, I ordered the free "picture pages" from the show, and he painstakingly worked on them with the characters. (The clock--what was his name???... Mr. Green Jeans, Dancing Bear)
His favorite foods at two years old were chocolate milk and french fries. Who wouldn't love them? I think he probably thinks I shouldn't have given him so much of them now...having to work hard to lost that baby fat!

Geoff was innovative on his own account. Just doing things in ways that confounded me some times. I often wondered why the underarms of his shirts were always so dirty...I mean there were clots of...stuff in the arm pits of all his shirts. He found out that if he wiped his fork clean between his underarm and chest, it would be ready for the next course at each meal time.
His first time at mowing the lawn was a source of great frustration to me...I do wish I could have been more open-minded than I was, because I would have probably had an accomplished artist on my hands. He mowed a little here, then would cross the yard and mow over there, then move over there and mow a patch or two... it took us hours to get all the little patches out of the yard.
Geoff wanted to be a super-hero when he grew up. I guess he is in a way...he rescues people who are hurting ... he feels their pain.
He still has very unusual thought processes, but now I appreciate them, because my patience level is very high.

We were driving down a highway and she saw men, dwarfed by the huge billboard they were working on. "Mommy!" my three year old daughter exclaimed, "Look at those itty bitty men." I remember laughing so hard I had to slow down driving for fear I couldn't see.
Melissa hated meat loaf. But living in a home where we barely had meat, to me that was a delicacy. She finished her meat loaf... I found it, individual little rounds of hamburger under her chair. I think she was hoping the cat would eat it. The cat didn't. Melissa swears I made her get down on the floor and lick it up...I don't remember that... but it would have been innovative on my part...getting the floor clean and making sure she got her protein. I never made meat loaf again, and still miss it at times.
She ran away from home twice, because she wanted her own way. I laugh now, because she was always so head strong. I took dinner away from her for two weeks because she wouldn't clean her room. After two weeks she got dinner back, and her dirty room. She won.
I'm just thankful now that she appreciates a clean house.
She is so head strong at work, demanding the best of herself at all times. I think the meat loaf helped her get that way.

None of my children liked Mr. Rogers. I'm sure there's a deep thought about that somewhere.

The Silence of Snow

2011-01-10T09:10:00.004-05:00

Waking up this morning I knew something was different. The silence was amazing. Amazing because it's so rare in this world of noise.

There wasn't a songbird singing, not a car starting... nothing but silence. Opening the blinds I saw the beauty that awaited my eyes...the same beauty that filled my ears---- pristeen, beautiful, quiet, white, virgin snow. No footprints. No car prints, just a sea of white.

And the silence was not deafening... and it was welcomed.

I listened. I "felt" that still small voice of my Lord. Illustrating in the whiteness of the blanket covering my world, was my sin--covered by the purity of my Jesus. The bland cement, the rusted cars, the dull beige of the condos, the barren trees...all covered by a blanket of purity...making everything clean and perfect once again.

A tear trickles down my cheek as I realize that all nature is crying out His majesty, His Lovingkindness, His Words...His love...His forgiveness...if we will only stop and listen...in the silence of snow.

Lord Jesus I long to be perfectly whole

I want Thee forever to live in my soul

Break down every idol, cast out every foe

Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

Whiter than snow, yes whiter than snow

Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

Psalm 51:7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.