Category Archives: Christianity
I painted this in acrylics and it has been very popular. I am thankful for this as it is a new take on the usual style cross. They are available for purchase if anyone should want one..just let me know. They are on Esty also!Scary Moments
I read a quote today which is so true in any situation …“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” ― Stephen King, On Writing.
This is not a revelation to any of us who have ventured into the unknown land of writing or any endeavor we get ourselves into. But it is comforting to me that such a well known and successful man and writer ever had any trepidation. Makes us common folks feel a bit better about ourselves, or at least I do!
Here I go!
This has been an exciting and equally scary few weeks, starting a new business. It has actually been fairly easy … God has opened a door for me after many long months … years … seems like centuries of job searching. It seems impossible these days to land one, the economy has been in an upheaval, hundreds of people applying for the same jobs at one time. Needless to say, it has not been easy. The one job I did land turned out to be short-lived, though it did get me a year or so of unemployment benefits. I have never had that before so a new experience … good, good, but then that dried up. So, as of late, it has been the land of dry bones around here.
Sink or swim?
When I aimlessly applied for … with no hope for any reply (real Woman of Faith here!) because I have sent my resume out to cyberspace only a zillion times before with no return answer. And I got a phone call, no less, the next day about an opportunity to do what I LOVE TO DO!!! Well hmmmm, can this be on the up and up? Turns out it is … and to my surprise, it is so perfect for me it scared me a little.
The Lord opened a door and I walked through it.
Sink or swim I am committed.
A sign?
At this point there is only potential … a big potential and I see myself just where I want to be. Right smack in the middle of God’s blessing for me. I don’t deserve it but I know this is HIM!
To further explain my excitement, something came to me after I agreed to take on this position … because I was worried since it is not an hourly income … then after I committed something happened. A movie (I know, silly! hang with me here) came to my mind. Willy Wonka (the old one with Gene Wilder, 1971 … the best one) and at the end, when Willie tells Charlie that he is giving everything to him and Charlie questions … why? Willie responds …
Willy Wonka: But Charlie, don’t forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted.
Charlie Bucket: What happened?
Willy Wonka: He lived happily ever after.
That is what I feel like the Lord was telling me … stop worrying silly … this is what you have wanted … do your thing … go with it!!!
Maybe I am crazy (don’t answer that!) but that is the way I think. Maybe this is my chance to do what I have always wanted. I have dabbled from time to time, in the business side of this, but never in this capacity with an open door and a ready-made business. All I can say is thank you!
I feel hopeful and inspired and ready to get busy.
It’s a start!
On this day I made my first real money.
I know it wasn’t much but it is mine and I have earned it … only a drop in the bucket, I hope, but it is a start, a chance and yes … it is really scary to start but boy it sure is fun when you do!
Scary Moments
I read a quote today which is so true in any situation …“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” ― Stephen King, On Writing.
This is not a revelation to any of us who have ventured into the unknown land of writing or any endeavor we get ourselves into. But it is comforting to me that such a well known and successful man and writer ever had any trepidation. Makes us common folks feel a bit better about ourselves, or at least I do!
Here I go!
This has been an exciting and equally scary few weeks, starting a new business. It has actually been fairly easy … God has opened a door for me after many long months … years … seems like centuries of job searching. It seems impossible these days to land one, the economy has been in an upheaval, hundreds of people applying for the same jobs at one time. Needless to say, it has not been easy. The one job I did land turned out to be short-lived, though it did get me a year or so of unemployment benefits. I have never had that before so a new experience … good, good, but then that dried up. So, as of late, it has been the land of dry bones around here.
Sink or swim?
When I aimlessly applied for … with no hope for any reply (real Woman of Faith here!) because I have sent my resume out to cyberspace only a zillion times before with no return answer. And I got a phone call, no less, the next day about an opportunity to do what I LOVE TO DO!!! Well hmmmm, can this be on the up and up? Turns out it is … and to my surprise, it is so perfect for me it scared me a little.
The Lord opened a door and I walked through it.
Sink or swim I am committed.
A sign?
At this point there is only potential … a big potential and I see myself just where I want to be. Right smack in the middle of God’s blessing for me. I don’t deserve it but I know this is HIM!
To further explain my excitement, something came to me after I agreed to take on this position … because I was worried since it is not an hourly income … then after I committed something happened. A movie (I know, silly! hang with me here) came to my mind. Willy Wonka (the old one with Gene Wilder, 1971 … the best one) and at the end, when Willie tells Charlie that he is giving everything to him and Charlie questions … why? Willie responds …
Willy Wonka: But Charlie, don’t forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted.
Charlie Bucket: What happened?
Willy Wonka: He lived happily ever after.
That is what I feel like the Lord was telling me … stop worrying silly … this is what you have wanted … do your thing … go with it!!!
Maybe I am crazy (don’t answer that!) but that is the way I think. Maybe this is my chance to do what I have always wanted. I have dabbled from time to time, in the business side of this, but never in this capacity with an open door and a ready-made business. All I can say is thank you!
I feel hopeful and inspired and ready to get busy.
It’s a start!
On this day I made my first real money.
I know it wasn’t much but it is mine and I have earned it … only a drop in the bucket, I hope, but it is a start, a chance and yes … it is really scary to start but boy it sure is fun when you do!
Listen up!
The Band Perry EP (Photo credit: Wikipedia)There is a beautiful song that has been on the charts for a while by a group called, The Band Perry, that is so haunting. I had to listen to it a few times to really get it…then I had to Google the lyrics because there was one line that is stellar! The lines are so good yet sad all at the same time.
No truer statement has been penned and I have included it here(in bold):
A penny for my thoughts, oh no, I’ll sell ’em for a dollar
They’re worth so much more after I’m a goner
And maybe then you’ll hear the words I been singin’
Funny when you’re dead how people start listenin’
As a Mother I can relate to this line and even more, as a writer I can really feel it. Day in day out I type and ponder and attempt to bear my soul and share my heart. Maybe I am mistaken to do this, probably am…but this is just how I roll.
I guess I am attempting to record my memories and voice for my children and grandchildren, or at least I like to tell myself that. SO kids, did you know that Daisies are my very favorite flower, above all others? Did you know that my greatest joy is seeing your smiles? Did you know I have had the most fun of anyone you will ever know, in my life?…..as well as great sadness? Did you know that my need to be heard is so overwhelming it occupies too many of my thoughts…every day?.
The happiest flower in the worldActually, if I were to be real about it….I have a voice and I know how to use it! If I am the only one who reads it..okay! After I started reading other blogs I saw that I am not so profound at all, not that I thought I was but I see that I am no different than most other people.
Most of us don’t actually live up to our gifting and abilities and seem to look forward to what can be…someday. This exercise in telling of my life is one step in doing what feels right for me. I also think it is probably the calm before the storm. I figure one day I will not be able to keep the filter up so well and really tell it like it is!
That will be when they take my computer away from me and I will have to kick it old school again with paper and pen journaling…..at this point it seems like such a daunting way to do it. Can’t believe I ever wrote all those words. Someday they will find them and confirm that I really was crazy!
It would be nice though if people would start listenin’ now!
“falling” for Jesus!
Sometimes I wonder, when I get myself in theses situations what is the deal? I try to live a good life, not just good but a life given to Christ, HE is my Hope! So when I am given an opportunity to experience GOD through a worship service with an awesome praise team….Jesus Culturehttp://youtu.be/JoC1ec-lYps ( jesusculture.com)… I am honored. But in my own distinct way….yes, wait for it….”falling for Jesus” takes on a whole new meaning!
Yep, there I go….literally tripping down the first step into the arena!…The CURB Center at Belmont University, Nashville, TN…….SPLAT!!!! “falling” on my face, BAM right against the hand rail my face, big bump starts to grow immediately, for which I missed holding ….rolling my left ankle, CRUNCH….AAAWWWEEE! of course the next few minutes of hoping against hope nobody noticed!! No such luck! My poor friend was so scared for me, I hate that and even more ruining the evening and then a person who works there and a couple of nice men to help forklift me up! UGH! Really need to work on that diet!
Could I embarrass myself more! Yes I am vain enough to think of the embarrassment more than the fact I nearly died of blunt force trauma to the head wounds! Dying would have been a plus at this point…kill me now, Lord! But no, I recover, get my big self up, shake off, swear I am fine and as best as I can look like I am not in awful pain I hobble down to my seat where a few of my friends are watching in shock.
Yep that was me who face planted up there! Oh no I am fine…..”only a flesh wound!” (holy grail reference, btw) but as I sat the more I hurt. Then the medic comes …..ugh! Everyone staring….ok just so we got this straight, If I am entertaining a crowd in some funny way with my obvious Wit then I love it…look on, love me! But when I am in this compromising situation all vulnerable …eeek!
The EMT guy was very sweet, he knew I was embarrassed ….looked at my head, my foot, gave me a ice pack, took my BP, through the roof of course! Offered me transport to hospital, I decline( later I thought I may should have gone as my pain worsened and I have never gotten to ride in an ambulance!) “please sign this release ma’am”, translation ….so I don’t sue them( not their fault I am a klutz !).
Finally he left, stop blocking the isles, I could chill. The sweet young guy in front of me asked if I was gonna live, offered to pray for me, which was soooo sweet and cute, he did ( we were in a room full of Christians, glad somebody thought of it!) and then the music started. Everyone stood nearly the whole time!!!! I attempted to show a good front, stood up too.. …ok not for long, reminding myself I believe in healing, began to convince myself of that fact.
I enjoyed the view from my perspective, a sea of worshippers….beautiful! I found a ridiculous way to “fall” for Jesus but I got to watch thousands of people, primarily 20 to 30 year olds falling too! Sometimes worship can be a spectator sport, not my first choice but good all the same. Gives one hope to see people still hungry for God.
Now I know why I am an indoor person, it’s not safe out there!
http://www.jesusculture.com/events
Easter Eve
Sometimes ya gotta just jump out there and make it clear where ya stand…like it or not!
I believe in GOD and his Son JESUS and I try to live my life as a reflection of HIM. Living a Christian life is a road less travelled and the only road.
On this Easter Eve….I pray any person who reads my words will take a moment to pause on eternity. Choose life not death!
There are options!
In love.
Easter Eve
Sometimes ya gotta just jump out there and make it clear where ya stand…like it or not!
I believe in GOD and his Son JESUS and I try to live my life as a reflection of HIM. Living a Christian life is a road less travelled and the only road.
On this Easter Eve….I pray any person who reads my words will take a moment to pause on eternity. Choose life not death!
There are options!
In love.
GRACE
What is GRACE?
It is something I can not earn, I have no possibilities of containing or holding or even controlling, hence my fears. It is not a commodity but a gift.
Maybe I am the only one who has difficulty with gifts? I love to give them but it is hard to receive them! Is it false humility or real humility or what?
I have come to the conclusion it is a born-in-us feeling of unworthiness. As if, I haven’t earned it so why would anyone give me a gift? It is a skill to learn, to be a receiver of gifts. I still have a hard time with it but after many “awe shucks, you shouldn’t haves …” I am able to at least graciously accept it. It is rude to not, actually, and it is offensive to the giver.
The giver is a candidate for a blessing, that is what the Bible says — give and it shall be given to you, pressed down and running over (paraphrased). That sounds to me like it is pretty good. I can always take some running over of blessings.
In our life we have been receivers of many great blessings. We have been blessed to know many great people who have loved us unconditionally and have helped to make our lives a bit easier. Many times I have guilt because I feel like I want to be the giver — more. But one precious woman told me one day, “your family does give, everyday with your service.” In a way she kinda rebuked me but in kindness. She wanted me to know we were important and not to sell ourselves short. What we do does make a difference!
AHHH GRACE!
This life we have been called to live is an important one. Most days I feel less than worthy to even claim I am a follower of Christ. Bad press for Jesus I think and that he doesn’t need the headache of me dragging along taking up space. But NO, he loves me and allows me to stand for HIM in every day of my life.He is a big GOD and he can take even my worst days. It is all about HIM and making sure I don’t come to the end of my life without the knowledge that I have shown someone the way to truth.
Argue all you want — don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!
People are lined up saying the Bible is just a nice book written by men, mortal men (emphasis on men (not women)) but you show me someone who says that and I would bet that they have never read it in full! That is one thing I would wager to say is truth!
It is alive with a theme that runs from the table of contents to the maps — God is real, God is LOVE, Jesus is HIS SON, and salvation is through Jesus.
We can put whatever denominational name we want on GOD. It is all rubbish. I could care less if someone is a “kind” of Christian denomination. What I care about is, do you follow Jesus? Have you given HIM your whole heart? Do you make decisions based on your walk with the Lord?
The only way to do this is through GRACE.
I am unable to be a good person and I have proved that. Only through the GRACE of GOD can I be what HE has for me to be. And that is all I ever want.
Okay finished with my rant!
All me….
I am a writer. Yep, I said it. I am taking charge of it, owning it. I am a writer!
I don’t know if anyone wants to be a reader but I still will write. I have another blog also. I wanted to branch out a bit to let my freak out flag fly.
I used to believe all the press that was out there about being a mom … blah, blah, blah! Come visit me in the trenches and I will show you my heart cut open in a gazillion pieces. That is what being a mom is all about!
Of course it has its good days. Someone tell me when they will be. Okay, I know I am sounding pretty down in the dumps about it. Some days yes and some days no. It is what it is. About ME.
I am old and getting gray and overweight and unemployed and still I see hope. Go figure that! I am creative but only selectively, when I get in the mood and all the conditions are right, stars aligned etc, etc. I have a very southern accent, which even my southern kids get frustrated with. Oh well, I would be a failure if they thought I was cool I guess.
I am the wife of one husband and he is my best friend in this world even though I am sure he would question if I even like him most days … more on that later. I am a good friend in a world of friendlessness. It is hard on these mean streets to find a good friend. More on that later too!
I like to paint and read and make collages and doodle and sew all of which I do not do enough. Writing has captured my mind these days.
Ahhhh Grace!
Soothes MY Soul
Today I spent some time at my Mom’s. It was later in the afternoon and I was getting a feeling for nap time! Mostly because her house is always warm, well to be honest it is HOT! But that is to be expected, she is elderly. I can’t believe I just called her that. Never in all my born days have I thought of my mom as elderly. She never has been until now. Truth be known, if she knew I called her that she would probably skin me alive!
I wish that she could know. I wish she was the same, quick to set things straight, lady I have always known. She is but a shadow of her former self. Her mind has retreated in so many ways and her momentary memory is all that is left. Thankfully she is in good health otherwise, for which I am so thankful, it would be more sorrowful if not. Even so, she is sweet and kindhearted now, two adjectives I would have thought of her in the past, just not as obvious. She was always a good woman, strong and forthright. But she wasn’t much drama, pretty much just a straight shooter. “Just the facts!” (I must be more like my Dad…all drama!)
The time I spend with her now is hard and taxing. The crazy part is that it has gotten hard for me just in the last few months. Before I was able to take it in stride, dealt with it pretty good before, and I even felt pretty proud of myself and felt the need to help my sisters wrap their heads around this disease. Pretty smug considering now it is a struggle for me. I am not sure why, maybe because the amount of loss we have had lately. Losing my sister-in-law to cancer last year took a toll on me I know.
Daily I miss her. Daily I search my mind for remnants of her. I still have the last four voice mails on my cell phone she sent me. I listen to them often as well as the last stream of texts. She was reminding me to be careful on the cruise we were about to board with all the mishaps, husbands and wives falling overboard and all. I think she had an over and under bet on me and her brother and if you knew her and us that would be believable. We constantly ragged her poor brother about everything — not that he ever knew it! It was our own little world. Her being his OLDER sister made for plenty of wars. He was pretty obnoxious I am sure as any little brother can be. I think their mom would make her take him on dates with her and her boyfriends! Recipe for murder I say!! SO who could blame them for their lack of warm fuzzies about each other! She would describe the little boy and I would defend the grown up man — a never-ending test of wills. I eventually won that battle and she agreed. She loved him despite herself which is the best ending of all.
I often remember the crazy conversations we had. One minute we would be deciding on what to cook our crews for supper and then without skipping a beat go into a story of our many yard sale adventures and my search EVERY TIME for a bathroom. YES, I did ask people to use theirs. She would go hide in the car, humiliated yet laughing her a#& off! (only word that can be used there, it is a Bible word, by the way! Just in case, forgive me Lord!) It would almost be a dare and the funny thing was people would let me. She would say she couldn’t believe I had the nerve to ask and I would say I couldn’t believe they would be so dumb to let me!! Me a stranger, though my only agenda was to potty and not have to leave such a good sale to drive a gazillion miles to a gas station. As a side bonus I did get to see some pretty cool houses! We were also famous for dragging home old furniture from the curbs….good times! The best of times and had I known they would be over so soon….whew makes me tear up again.
So when I go to my Mom’s house I guess I am realizing that the time will come when I will have to say good-bye to her. It is all so “in your face” this slow death. It is a fact of life that is a bitter pill. Not for the one who dies but for those of us left behind. I know where my sister-in-law is and I know she wouldn’t come back if given the choice but, still so very hard. Today her son made a funny (to me) comment on Facebook about a driver in front of him and I belly laughed because it was HER spit out! She, like me, was a verbal driver and had no patience for ignoramuses who pretend to know how to drive and when I read his comment it was hysterical.
Things like that give me comfort…maybe I am the only one, but when I hear or see something that reminds me of someone I love it is soothing to my soul. Her children do arise and call her blessed and every time I see a red bird — Cardinal — I am reminded of my Mom, though she doesn’t remember know that she used to love to see them. I do and it soothes my soul. I too will arise and call her blessed. 
preacherswifeintheknow 