Spring Cleaning

There are 5 gigantic totes out on the porch waiting for me to go through. They are filled with clothes ... both summer and winter. The plan was to only have summer clothes in storage and winter clothes in the closet. Then in the spring, the winter clothes go into storage and the summer clothes go into the closet. Some where along the line, I accumulated more winter clothes than will fit in the closet ... I tell Tall Cool One that I'll rotate the stock and wear the ones in storage the next year. For some reason it just hasn't seemed to work out that way. So my project at hand is to get rid of the clothes I don't wear. I mean seriously, I bet I have 35 pairs of jeans ... okay so some are two sizes too small (I keep telling myself I am going to wear them again), some are two sizes too big (Lord, please don't let me need those again), some I just don't like how they fit (but they're nice jeans to wear out ... you know we go out so often). And here I am writing instead of sorting.



Which brings me to my thoughts. Boy, am I easily side tracked! An understatement at least! I was reading one of Ray Comfort's Gospel tracts about "Depraved Indifference". Depraved indifference focuses on the risk created by the defendant’s conduct, not the injuries actually resulting. Meaning, me, as a Christian will be punished for not sharing what I know about heaven and hell. It is my responsibility to go therefore and make disciples of all the nations ... to share what I know. Depraved Indifference has nothing to do with the fact that if you choose to continue to live in your sin and do not accept Jesus Christ into your life that you will spend eternity in hell. You have heard about hell, yes? Hell is an endless lake of fire, with billions of people screaming because of the horrendous pain they are suffering. It is where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth and there is no rest day or night.



Whew, see what I mean about getting side tracked. Wow, hell sure isn't a place I want to visit. Life is short, eternity isn't. I don't even want to get close to it ... so listen to me when I tell you. Choose Jesus over sin!



Back to my original thought on spring cleaning. Just like cleaning our closets, bureaus, drawers, cupboards, etc., sometimes our minds need a cleansing too. I've been thinking about people I used to be close too and how the relationships became strained or distant or plain old non-existent. I kept thinking that part of what God's Word says wasn't meant for me. I kept telling myself my relationships with people would be different. It isn't. Time to spring clean my mind ... out with the old in with the new. God cannot lie, not any part of His Word is untrue. We can't just pick and choose the parts that we like ... it is all or nothing. I have decided to let go of the relationships I have struggled with to keep going. It's not in my hands anymore. Sometimes we have to let go of the things we are closest to, be it a cool pair of jeans or an old friend.

Everyday Things

I have been working on a blog all week. It's pretty intense and my "WOM" teacher suggested that perhaps I am a "rabbit chaser". Unfortunately, I have to agree. I have a really hard time staying focused. Anyways, I decided to take a break from that project and write this.

Everyday things....

• Everyday my mother calls and tells me about how buried she is at work and how she is never going to get caught up. I remind her that her in-box will never be empty and she should look at it as job security. I am thankful that my mom is still around to call me up and complain about her job.

• Everyday I sign on line via dial up and complain to my dog about how slow it is and "it's taking forever". Then I realize how lucky I am to have a computer and dial up. Kind of hard to write a blog without it.

• Everyday my sister doesn't respond to my emails, phone calls or letters I think about how old she is getting by holding a grudge (it takes more out of an angry person than it does a happy person). As much as I don't want to sometimes, I keep the line of communication open by continuing to email and write letters, and pray that one day she will talk to me again (in a nice way).

• Everyday I miss my kids and imagine how things would be if they lived closer. Then I realize if they lived closer I probably wouldn't miss them as much and am satisfied with being able to talk to them on the phone and email them.

• Everyday I write a note of encouragement for Tall Cool One's lunch box and sometimes I can't think of anything to write. Then I realize how special he is because God created him for me and me for him and a simple "I love you" means everything. We should never take our soul mate for granted, ever. When God puts two people together, we should never miss an opportunity to let that person know how thankful we are for them.

• Everyday I wake up to the crowing of our rooster and some mornings I want to drive his crowing neck into a bail of hay and make him shut up. Then I think, he is so happy to have another morning. It might not sound good to me at 4AM, but to God, it is one of His creation's song of praise. I can't sing, but I try to when we have worship time Sunday morning and Wednesday evening because God wants to hear us praise Him whether we can sing or not (perhaps He will tell me different when I get to heaven).

• Everyday I read my Bible and some days I don't understand what I'm reading, but then later something will happen, and what I read will be revealed to me. God's word will never return void. It's amazing.

• Everyday there will always be something that you can look at in a negative way. It only takes a second to turn that perspective around. Ultimately the good will triumph over evil in the end.

25 Things

Okay, so I keep seeing these "Notes" on Facebook or "Bulletins" on MySpace about how you are supposed to make a list of 25 things about yourself to share with your friends. Okay so I'm probably doing this whole thing wrong and it doesn't really matter anyways, I'm just doing it because I thought it'd be fun to see if I could actually come up with 25 things. Ready? Let's see:

1. Once you let God lead, amazing things happen.


2. After living in the south, temperatures below 70 degrees are cold to me.


3. My blind dog is smarter than most dogs that can see.


4. I married my high school sweetheart after I referred to #1.


5. The customer is not always right, although most places let them think they are in order to keep their business.


6. It took me 40 years to give my parents the respect they deserved.


7. I know what my grandfather was talking about when he referred to "the glory of wood".


8. I don't share my faith like I am taught because I hate rejection.


9. I am one of the few people that actually enjoys writing an old fashion letter.


10. I always thought I'd live in a double wide and have eight dogs when I grew up.


11. Sometimes I have too many glasses of red wine.


12. I think boys are easier to raise than girls.


13. It made me sad when I realized church has "clicks" just like high school.


14. A friend wrote in my yearbook not to always follow the well beaten path, but to start one...I finally referred to #1.


15. Tall Cool One thinks surveys like this are a little gay-eee and usually I agree with him.


16. I love chocolate with my coffee in the morning.


17. Most people give kids more credit than they deserve.


18. I thought it was going to be a lot easier to come up with 25 things.


19. The reason most people do these things is to get attention... (I am no different).


20. So, I think I'm a pretty good person, do you think you are?


21. I've told plenty of lies, have you?


22. I've stolen lots of things, have you?


23. I've looked with lust in my heart (which Jesus calls adultery), have you?


24. I've created a God that would forgive me for all my sins, have you?


25. Click here and see if you are better than me. www.needgod.com/004.shtml

You Might Lose Your Signal

We've been hearing this quote for quite a few months now. One would think that most people took heed of the warning and prepared for the analog signal to be turned off by purchasing the converter box. Last May I wrote of our experience securing the ever so famous converter box...that was going to make a world of difference in picture and sound. Funny thing about purchasing it...actually a couple of funny things. First we acquired the $40 coupon, proceeded to Radio Shack, it seemed like every store we went to was out of the boxes. Radio Shack had plenty. We asked how much the converter box cost. The customer service person told us $40. Wow, that was awesome because we had a coupon for $40! Once he heard we had the coupon, he said, "Oh, the box is $59.95". Imagine that? Then we got home, plugged the box into the rabbit ears and found we could get three channels at the quality of a scratched DVD as opposed to the six channels we got before at a constant snowy effect. Crazy, huh?

Now we hear the date that "you might lose your signal" has been pushed out. Apparently the budget for the $40 coupons has expired ... how about that? I wonder, will people pay attention to the warning this time? I assume some will, but there will be some that do not.

God is patient. He does not want anyone to perish. He wants everyone to heed His warnings and grab onto the opportunity for eternal life. Some people ignore or reject what He has given. Unlike the end of the analog signal, we do not know the date of His return. We just have to be ready. Are you?

When Something Bites

Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

This morning something came to light that upset me quite a bit. In typical pagan fashion I was ready to lash out and rectify the issue at hand. I was angry, I was hurt and I was disappointed, to say the least. A person I thought I could trust did something not very trustworthy. I prayed and I asked God to forgive me for the ill will I felt against this person that I thought wronged me. I also asked Him to give me wisdom and guidance on how to handle the situation. You want to know what his response was?

Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.

Personally I don't even think this person knows they jeopardized my trust in them. I also think God took His answer a little too far, but He is God and He is perfect in all ways. Therefore, I did not retaliate as I would have B.C.. I wish our pagan friends would understand that just because we are Christian doesn't mean we are inhuman and we don't share the same emotions as everyone else.

"New Years Resolutions"

Resolution: The act of resolving or the state of being resolved (to convert or be converted).

Ever notice the lists of things people want to change about themselves?

• Loose weight
• Quit smoking
• Cut back on shopping
• Stop gambling
• Quit drinking

Every year at this time hundreds of people make lists of things they want to change about themselves. Tall Cool One says, "If it's not important the other 364 days of the year, why should it be important on this one?" He makes a very good point.

When you look at the things people want to change, ever notice how just about all of them revolve around narcissism? Jenny Craig and Oprah are having a field day right now because thousands of people are signing up to loose weight or are shopping for one of Oprah's self-help books. I bet the sale of Wellbutrin sky rockets in January.

My point of this isn't to put down New Years Resolutions. It is to tell you to put your faith into someone other than the money-making gimicks. Talk to some people that are born again Christians. They know what it is like to make changes. They are the lowest of low and they will tell you the truth of how hard change is. Being born again doesn't make them perfect, in fact they are far from it. But if you make a mistake, eat that box of cookies at midnight or smoke that pack of cigarettes on your way home from work, or go out on a Friday night drinking binge, they won't chastise you. They will be your shoulder to lean on and they will comfort you. Transition is hard. Once you accept Jesus, everything changes, everything is novel. It doesn't mean that it gets any easier, but there is a peace and the Holy Spirit is deep within you. The things that once were addictive are no longer an issue and you know at the end all is well because your salvation is secure.

When all else fails, try Jesus. The cure-all for anything.

Operation Shoebox

WOW... I have to say we had the most amazing experience ever. We had the opportunity to be an intregal part in the ministry of Operation Christmas Child. The boxes we handled were shipping to Zimbabwe, Lebanon and Bangladesh that night. The hundreds of volunteers in just the one shift we worked were able to process 106,000 shoeboxes out of the Charlotte, NC distribution center. It was an incredible experience to know that our hands touched part of a package that a child will open and be blessed with it's contents. What an awesome way to celebrate the reason for the season!

We were all truly blessed to be part of this program. Not only was it a great time sharing the experience with each other, but just knowing that thousands of children and their families will be blessed this year when they get one of these shoeboxes. Praise the Lord!

Schedules and Comfort

Okay, so I haven't written in ions or so it seems. Not that I haven't had any ideas mind you ... it's just that, well I've been on a tight schedule lately. You see, I felt like I was wasting a lot of my days not doing anything constructive. Not that I feel writing is not constructive, it is very constructive in my own little mind. But, I just felt like I wasn't getting anything done and the things that I did get done didn't really make me feel like I had accomplished anything.

I started this little regimen that came from the discipleship ranch facility that our church offers. Let me just say when I first decided that I was going to do this, I thought I could do the men's ranch schedule because it looked to be so easy. Big surprise, it is not easy and the women's schedule for the day starts an hour later than the men's. There is a lot of Bible Study time and a lot of work details (I gave myself writing as one of my work details today).

My heart goes out to the women in the ranch. God Bless those women that stay in the program. I have no addictions to speak of and it is hard for me to stay on the schedule that they work on. I also make a list of my own chores and work details for the day. I have no idea what their chores or work details are, but I know some of the ones I give myself, at the end of the day ... I'm tired. It gives me great satisfaction at the end of the day to look at everything I have accomplished. It has also made me realize how important our time on earth is. Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Since I have been on this schedule and taking the time throughout my day to study, I find that things that used to bother me, are trivial. I used to watch one soap opera every day and I gave it up in order to do this regime effectively. When you become comfortable in any situation, that is when you know it is time to get uncomfortable. Change your schedule. Truly, it makes a world of difference and will give you greater appreciation of the things you have.

Things That Go Bump In The Night

I bet this is Stephen King's favorite week of the year. The week when all the creepy crawlers come out from under their rocks. Too bad there wasn't a full moon this week to add to the drama. I used to love reading Stephen King (OK, I still do) ... he could scare the living day lights out of a young teenager. That was back in the day ... do teenagers read books now?

What scares you? You ever notice how some people do things just because it scares them? Ride a roller coaster, bungee jump, para sail, etc.? I can do the roller coaster thing, but bungee jumping and para sailing ... I don't think so. Some things that we are scared of we are able to tolerate and other things are just too frightening. I don't care for high places. In fact, they terrify me. Four steps up a ladder and I'm ready to climb back down. I can't go downhill skiing because the chair lift ride to the top of the mountain is too traumatic. (Not to mention that in the past when I did reach the top of the mountain I came down on my butt and not on the skis).

As I am writing this, I think of things that I consider myself to be afraid of. Spiders, confined spaces, the dark, heights. As I'm thinking about it, the only thing that really physically affects me (I mean cold sweat, shaking, tears running down my face, peeing my pants kinda scared) is heights. I can't do them...it's too much for me. Spiders, I don't really like, but just step on them and splat, they're gone. The dark, well, turn on a light, unless the power is out and then light a candle. Confined spaces, well I know I don't like them so I stay out of them. But I am pretty sure they would cause me to react the same way I react to heights.

We watch movies that make us jump. We read books that make us draw the covers up close to our chin. It's the adrenaline thing am I right? What are you scared of? Everyone is scared of something. Is it as placid as heights, confined spaces, spiders, snakes, or is it more zealous, like the fear of dying? What do you think happens when you die?

It's Scary

It was a dark and eerie night and the wind was howling. Tall Cool One was at a conference and I was home alone. He had been gone for a little over an hour. The wind was really howling outside and there was a fire burning in the wood stove to keep it warm and toasty inside. Suddenly the power blinked. I thought, "Oh no, this is not going to be good." Immediately I went searching for the emergency candle we had stashed and I located the flashlight and my favorite book.

Two more blinks and the power was out. "No problem," I thought, "I have the candle, my book and the wood fire will keep it nice and warm in here." Two minutes later a big gust of wind moved the chimney, or so it seemed and smoke started filling the living room. I panicked. The living room was becoming filled with smoke and soon all of the smoke detectors were bleep, bleep, bleeping. I did not want to call Tall Cool One to come home. I had to get a grip and calm down. I was running through the house, opening all the doors, the windows and trying to remember what he had told me about taking care of the stove. I put on the welders gloves, opened the stove and grabbed the burning wood. I flung it out the front door onto the lawn. I stood there for a minute shaking and getting my emotions under control.

A few minutes later the smoke cleared from the house and the bleep, bleep, bleeping finally stopped. I closed the doors and accepted the fact that a blanket would be the way to keep warm for the evening. Then the darkness really set in. I noticed as vehicles went by, every shadow became three dimensional. The wind blew harder and the noisy creeks in the house grew louder. Every so often a fire truck siren or a police car could be heard in the distance and our blind dog would howl at the sound.

Ever notice how more intense everything seems in the dark? Me being the writer I think I am, should have taken advantage of the moment. It's dark and eerie and storms are about us. Use the experience and write. Instead, my mind goes back to every slasher scary movie I ever saw as a teenager. I think Jason Voorhees is going to come through the window on the porch with his machete. I'm scared to go to the bathroom because I know Michael Myers is standing behind the door and the second I get in there he's going to stab me with his knife. And if I go out in the kitchen for a glass of water, Thomas Hewitt is out there waiting for me with the chain saw. So I stay on the couch, curled up with a blanket tucked tightly under my chin. Pretty vivid imagination, huh?

As if the fictional characters aren't scaring me enough, I start visualizing the real ones. Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, David Berkowitz, Albert DeSalvo, Ed Gein and Ted Bundy are the faces I recognize in my head right away. Most likely because they are the most famous, the ones that the media had field days with. I'm having nightmares and I'm not even sleep.

Five hours of being alone in the dark without power, or phone or anything ... I didn't even have batteries for a radio. Not fun. I was frightened so I prayed. It wasn't long when I realized I was inside, I had my faithful doggy, I was not getting shot at, I was not being hunted, I was safe for the most part. Sometimes we forget that all we have to do is ask. He answered and I am thankful.

Word of The Day: Beautify

Take time to just thank Him for how great He is.

Shortcuts

Yesterday afternoon Tall Cool One and I were out for our afternoon walk with the dog. The dog is blind so sometimes he doesn't notice the things that a normal dog would take after. We jokingly refer to him as our "Special Needs Dog". He really doesn't need anything "special". In fact when we get to the dirt road, we take him off his leash and he does the two mile walk on his own, zig-zagging back and forth from one side of the road to the other. Of course if a car comes, we call him over and make him sit and wait for the vehicle to pass. He then takes off running in the wrong direction (I did mention he was "special") after the car as if he's going to catch it. Silly dog.



Anyways, we were a little less than half way through the walk when Tall Cool One stopped and was looking out into the woods. I didn't say anything in hopes of seeing a deer or some other form of wild life. He then started walking again and I asked what it was. He said, it sounded like a bees nest and he was just trying to see where it was. Just when he said that, I saw where the buzzing was coming from. A deer head, legs and hide in a pile on the side of the road. There was a swarm of flies around the carcus. Thankfully, our blind dog took no notice to the sound or any smell that may have been coming from it. We concluded that someone must have shot a deer and left the parts they didn't want there on the side of the road.



Some people do things to satisfy themselves. They left legs, head, hide, guts, and whatever else that wasn't visible in that heap of carcus. Chances are good that the turkey vultures will have most of the flesh cleaned up by the time we take our walk this afternoon. Too bad people wouldn't strive to do their best and be their best at all they do. Instead they take short cuts or the easy way around. It makes me think of the people that park in the handicap parking when they don't need it.

Protect Your QB

It is 34º outside this morning and the smell of the wood fire waifs through the air. It brings back memories of a certain Tall Cool One skating on the Frog Pond for eight hours playing hockey with his friends instead of hanging out with his girlfriend. Yes, I'm past it but I like to remind him about it every now and again.

Wood fires and seeing your breath in the cold morning air reminds me of growing up with all of the neighborhood kids getting together for a big football game. Of course, everyone wanted to be the quarterback. Who didn’t? The rest of the team’s job was to protect the quarterback. While playing, every now and again an opponent would break through and sack the unsuspecting quarterback but for the most part the QB was well protected. Being sacked only hurt for a minute. Then you get up, brush yourself off and continue playing the game.

Imagine now, being the quarterback and playing the game by yourself. No offense, no defense, you against the other team all alone. There is no effective way to play the game; impossible, right?

When people wake up in the morning and start their journey though life without his or her team members (John, Luke, Matthew, etc.) that might as well be exactly what they are doing. They are trying to play a football game as the quarterback all alone. Of course, they may get a lucky break here and there and may even score a touchdown or two. But eventually they are going to get sacked and without their team members there to help soften the blow, it’s going to hurt … it’s going to hurt real bad. Implore God’s team, they are the best offensive and defensive team members there are.