It's been one of those weeks....you know the kind....where you are rushing, rushing....busy, busy, busy....you fall into bed exhausted & roll out the next morning unrested...
...and you think, gosh, have I even been HOME ?!?!
My horoscope this morning said "your life will most likely become MORE hectic in the days ahead"...and I am thinking...is that even possible?!?!
Today I am going to be back to the house in time to have dinner with Jessi....to spend the first REAL time with my friend who arrived in town two weeks ago (unbelieveable!) to help with the movie, STEP AWAY FROM THE STONE...to rest...to relax...to actually enjoy the prospect of cleaning up around the house...
....and then there's that business to finish with the dozen egg whites that have been waiting patiently in my refrigerator all week for a whipping!
I haven't taken even a few minutes to blog...and there have been a couple of days when I am sure that I couldn't have put together two words to make a simple sentence....just too tired.
....and clogged up....
A friend of mine recently went to a seminar on blogging. He shared with me earlier this week some of the things he learned there.
The BEST bloggers are the ones who can write & post something in something like 15 minutes. That's what they said. The BEST bloggers?!?! My immediate response was what makes them the BEST?
The obvious answer was...duh?... the ones with the most readers/followers.....
I see. In order to be the BEST you have to be popular....*sigh*....seems like I have heard that before...in all of my previous lifetimes...
Suddenly I was back in the 11th grade...feeling invisible...inadequate...unimportant...
Then last nite....in a rare & unexpected conversation....the cathartic nature of writing was explored....along with life...death...and the restorative powers of pruning...
In the midst of the chaos of the last couple of weeks, my phone "ate" my entire contact list. It was random. I was on one call...disconnected...then tapped the keypad to retrieve the next number...and there was only ONE number there...in my entire address book...just one name...and sadly, it was someone's number that I rarely see...can't even remember when---if ever---that I had called that person for any reason...
Great! Leave me with one number and it's one that I never use...
I was shut down...seriously...how was I supposed to operate without my digits?!?!
Only lasted a split second....before my mind regrouped & kicked into "back-up" mode...I won't say that I didn't miss a beat...because I did...probably more than a few...the experience reminded me, though, that it was actually me & my ability to problem solve & make things happen...not my arsenal of numbers that make me of value to the project...
And to others...
That's what we were talking about when the pruning concept came up. And I realized that instinctively I was doing that...pruning....as I have been systematically rebuilding my contact list...trimming the number of folks actually in my phone....to make room for some new relationships & priorities...
Maybe...
That's cool. New relationship. New priorities.
So today I will be mulling over the connections between "popularity" and "pruning".....
As for me...the BEST writer...is the one who can share a little bit of life....a word of wisdom...capture a dream...in words...somehow touching the heart of another...
Friday, February 26, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Keep Those Messages Coming!
All of you expect me to be fresh....& original....when I blog....I know....
In order to do that, I have to be RE-freshed from time to time....
Right now is one of those times.
This morning's God's Daily Promise was titled "Is God Really In Charge?"
Ha ha. Very funny. That's my best friend, the Creator of the Universe, poking fun at me....again.
It brought me one of my ALL TIME favorite verses:
In order to do that, I have to be RE-freshed from time to time....
Right now is one of those times.
This morning's God's Daily Promise was titled "Is God Really In Charge?"
Ha ha. Very funny. That's my best friend, the Creator of the Universe, poking fun at me....again.
It brought me one of my ALL TIME favorite verses:
Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch the Lord rescue you. The Egyptians that you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you.
You won't have to lift a finger in your defense!" Exodus 14:13-14 NLT
Went to http://www.biblegateway.com/ and read it in a variety of other translations....I liked this one, too...especially when you read on to verse 15:
13 But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. 14 The Lord himself will fight for you.
Just stay calm.”
(Escape through the Red Sea)
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?
Tell the people to get moving!
Yesterday was haywire from the get-to.
So I missed one of my messages yesterday....read it early this morning...& I realized that I should have gotten up when I got that text message from Mary well after midnite & posted it here for her then....now she probably won't read this until she arrives safely here....to embark on a grand adventure..............with ME!
Sorry, Mary. It's a day late.....but I promise it won't be a dollar short!
From GRACE FOR THE MOMENT (Edition 1) by Max Lucado:
February 13 The Voice of ADVENTURE
Those who try to keep their lives will lose them.
But those who give up their lives will save them
~Luke 17:33
There is a rawness and a wonder to life. Puruse it. Hunt for it. Sell out to get it. Don't listen to the whines of those who have settled for a second-rate life and want you to do the same so they won't feel guilty. Your goal is not to live long; it's to live!
Jesus says the options are clear. One one side there is the voice of safety. You can build a fire in the hearth, stay inside,
and stay warm & dry & safe....
Or you can hear the voice of adventure----God's adventure. Instead of building a fire in your hearth, build a fire in your heart. Follow God's impulses. Adopt the child. Move overseas. Teach the class. Change careers. Run for office. Make a difference.
Sure it isn't safe, but what is?
~ excerpt from He Still Moves Stones
Ok. So it's not JUST for Mary....
....and the italics & bold were mine for emphasis....
My Valentine's Day weekend has already been amazing.
Abbi's "love note" warmed my heart. It will carry me through a lot of trying times.
Had breakfast with my mom yesterday before the movie rat-race began. She, of course, told me she loved me as mothers always do. Then as we ate, she looked me in the eye and in one of the most honest & real moments I ever remember sharing with her, she said "I LOVE YOU" in the most profound way....
It was totally unexpected....I was humbled by her openess & honesty....
....and I realized that God really has been at work....behind the scenes....in the lives of the people I love the most....how cool is that?!?!
Today is boding well, too. Had a little something special planned for yesterday afternoon....it's not a BIG thing....but it's something I was really looking forward to....so I am glad that it was able to be rescheduled for today....it makes me smile just thinking about it...
....and this afternoon one of those people I love most in the world is going to "move in" .... she doesn't want to miss the chance to be along for the ride....
Because tomorrow....
....the adventure of a lifetime begins!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Thought For The Day --
It is said that when Francis of Assisi left his wealth behind to seek God, he stripped naked and walked out of the city. The first person he encountered on his journey was a leper on the side of the road. He first passed him, then turned back. He embraced the leper in his arms before continuing his journey. A few steps down the road he turned and saw that the leper was gone. Until his dying day, Francis of Assisi was convinced that the leper was Jesus. Even if he was wrong, he was right.
~ from GOD'S DAILY PROMISE email
This was in my inbox early this morning. I already knew the story....but somehow reading this today, it touched me very deeply....
....maybe it's because TODAY is the day after YESTERDAY....
I don't know....
Friday, February 12, 2010
All Is Well...
Slow start this morning. The snow, while beautiful & a rare treat here, has thrown everything out of whack. Trying to play catch-up & regain focus...balance...for what's coming in the weeks ahead.
Making the movie, STEP AWAY FROM THE STONE, is going to be all-consuming & overwhelming for the next few weeks. And this week was supposed to have been spent getting everything in order...planning...dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s.....it simply hasn't happened that way...
NOT ready....set....go!
Through the process of getting to today, it has been said aloud quite a few times that I want to be "in charge"...that it's "all about me"...that I am "bossy"....
....a CONTROL thing....
And it's interesting....many of those comments have been made by people who I thought really, really knew me....who have been along for the ride in the past....who I number amongst my closest friends at the moment...
I have flaws, I know....but "being in control"...."seeking recognition"...."all about me"....those really aren't the ones I struggle with...
So I am pausing here....taking a deep breath....and trying hard to believe that this isn't going to be the SECOND verse to that country song made famous by MJ a few years ago...
A few years ago....when things seemed to be spinning out-of-control, God clearly said to me "Your life isn't unraveling....it's unfolding".
I shared that story with a "friend"at the time. She had invited me to her house for lunch to "help"...at the end of the story she said "I invited you here today because I wanted to give you something...it seemed weird & I didn't know why...wasn't sure I was going to do it."
She went to her bedroom & removed the framed message from her wall ....
It says "A Life Covered In Prayer Is Less Likely To Unravel"....I brought it home & put it on my wall...
It's been there ever since...
Then she plunged the first knife....only I didn't see it or feel it for a very long time.
And there it was this morning...
....in my On This Day God Wants You To Know message....Trust that life is unfolding as it should....All is well....
Opened up my message from The Universe....it said "all is well"...too....
So I am going to shrug it off, I guess.
The uneasiness....the feeling that once again I am going to discover that I have chosen unwisely in the "friend" arena....
That I am going to disappointed & let down...
The "all about me" thing brought back another memory....
New Year's 2006....when I actually told all of my friends THAT was going to be my New Year's Resolutation....ALL ABOUT ME....it was hilarious...
I was busted out over and over again ....because, "seriously, MJ, New Year's Resolutions are supposed to embody REALISTIC goals!"....
And..."Why in the world would I want to help you become something you so obviously are NOT!?!?"
Funny. Too funny.
All I know for sure is that God is in control....not me....not ever me.
Still restless....I turned to my favorite devotional books...
My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers & Grace For The Moment by Max Lucado (First Edition.)
And there it was...a message for me...plain as day...bright as the sunshine outside...
Good stuff...but it didn't really help all by itself....not until I got a word from Lucado to go with it...
Making the movie, STEP AWAY FROM THE STONE, is going to be all-consuming & overwhelming for the next few weeks. And this week was supposed to have been spent getting everything in order...planning...dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s.....it simply hasn't happened that way...
NOT ready....set....go!
Through the process of getting to today, it has been said aloud quite a few times that I want to be "in charge"...that it's "all about me"...that I am "bossy"....
....a CONTROL thing....
And it's interesting....many of those comments have been made by people who I thought really, really knew me....who have been along for the ride in the past....who I number amongst my closest friends at the moment...
I have flaws, I know....but "being in control"...."seeking recognition"...."all about me"....those really aren't the ones I struggle with...
So I am pausing here....taking a deep breath....and trying hard to believe that this isn't going to be the SECOND verse to that country song made famous by MJ a few years ago...
"I'd Invite You Over For Dinner But I'm Pulling Out The Knives
My Best Friends Stuck In My Back"...
I shared that story with a "friend"at the time. She had invited me to her house for lunch to "help"...at the end of the story she said "I invited you here today because I wanted to give you something...it seemed weird & I didn't know why...wasn't sure I was going to do it."
She went to her bedroom & removed the framed message from her wall ....
It says "A Life Covered In Prayer Is Less Likely To Unravel"....I brought it home & put it on my wall...
It's been there ever since...
Then she plunged the first knife....only I didn't see it or feel it for a very long time.
And there it was this morning...
....in my On This Day God Wants You To Know message....Trust that life is unfolding as it should....All is well....
Opened up my message from The Universe....it said "all is well"...too....
So I am going to shrug it off, I guess.
The uneasiness....the feeling that once again I am going to discover that I have chosen unwisely in the "friend" arena....
That I am going to disappointed & let down...
The "all about me" thing brought back another memory....
New Year's 2006....when I actually told all of my friends THAT was going to be my New Year's Resolutation....ALL ABOUT ME....it was hilarious...
I was busted out over and over again ....because, "seriously, MJ, New Year's Resolutions are supposed to embody REALISTIC goals!"....
And..."Why in the world would I want to help you become something you so obviously are NOT!?!?"
Funny. Too funny.
All I know for sure is that God is in control....not me....not ever me.
Still restless....I turned to my favorite devotional books...
My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers & Grace For The Moment by Max Lucado (First Edition.)
And there it was...a message for me...plain as day...bright as the sunshine outside...
"Why are we so terrified lest God should speak to us? Because we know that if God does speak, either the thing must be done or we must tell God we will not obey Him."
Good stuff...but it didn't really help all by itself....not until I got a word from Lucado to go with it...
February 12 - See What God Has Done!
"The heavens tell the glory of God!" ~ Psalm 19:1
How vital that we pray armed with the knowledge
that God is in heaven.
that God is in heaven.
Pray with any lesser conviction &
your prayers are timid, shallow, and hollow.
your prayers are timid, shallow, and hollow.
But spend some time walking in the workshop of the heavens,
seeing what God has done, & watch how your prayers are energized...
seeing what God has done, & watch how your prayers are energized...
Behold the sun!
Every square yard of the sun is constantly
emitting 130,000 horse power,
emitting 130,000 horse power,
or the equivalent of 450 eight-cylinder automobile engines.
And yet our sun, as powerful as it is,
And yet our sun, as powerful as it is,
is but one minor star in the 100 billion orbs
which make up our Milky Way Galaxy.
which make up our Milky Way Galaxy.
Hold a dime in your fingers & extend it arm's length toward the sky,
allowing it to eclipse your vision,
& you will block out fifteen million stars from your view...
By showing us the heavens, Jesus is showing us
his Father's (my best friend's) workshop...
his Father's (my best friend's) workshop...
He taps ME on the shoulder & says, "I can handle that for you."
~ excerpt from The Great House of God
Look outside....the sun IS shining....
...keep your dimes in your pockets....or you will miss out on all that God has in store for you...
And don't try to show me your dime either...cuz I am far more interested in what God has planned for me than whatever you think I have planned for myself...
I am embarking down an unknown road into uncharted territory without a compass...a map...or a GPS.
It doesn't make sense....but God said "Go There, MJ"....
....so I am going....
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Snow Day....
A winter wonderland. No other way to describe it. The kind of snow that we seldom see in Arkansas.
Unpredicted. Unexpected. Beautiful.
Homebound. For some it was "trapped"...for others a great excuse to stay home & enjoy quality time with loved ones.
It made me think about all those people who...for a variety of reasons...didn't make it home from their Super Bowl festivities of the night before. You know....playing it safe & staying off the road....or embracing an 'invitation" to sleepover with a friend....whatever the circumstances....
A casual decisions that turned into something....MORE!
One thing is for sure....when you get snowed in somewhere, you get to KNOW the person you are with in some very eye-opening, honest ways. It's real life...at its best...or its worst...depends on how you look at it...and, of course, who you are with....
It's one thing to spend 24/7 with folks that you know really well...& you like despite all of their quirks & moods.
At times you might choose to spend that much time with someone because...again, there are a variety of reasons WHY one might do that...the most common one being a deliberate choice to spend your time seeing something besides outside....
It's something entirely different to find yourself someplace....with someone....when it's impossible for you to leave...you're stuck there for who knows how long....with a person you don't know well enough to just relax & be yourself with....or who you do know "well" enough...it's just a different way that you like them...
I think every couple should have to be snowed/iced in together for at least two days before they decide they are are "serious" and start making plans & promises. There would probably be a lot fewer divorces if they found out that they really didn't LIKE each other enough to just be alone together...for long periods of time...with no one else to offer diversion or lively conversations...
A snowbound experience allows you to discover how deep is someone's shallow...or maybe it's how shallow is their deep...
Either way, it offers a pretty clear picture of what the rest of your life might feel like....I'm just saying....
I spent the day with my daughter, Jessi. She's always a blast! We tramped around in the backyard with Pete the Mighty Dog a couple of times. He was cranky. We watched movies....and Joan of Arcadia....and The Young & The Restless....that was interesting....seems one of Victor's children who was born after Sharon & Nick were grown & married...is NOW married to Sharon...and now they are close to the same age...imagine that!
LOL...soap operas AND snow days....both reveal a person's true colors...passions...motvations...agendas...unreal expectations...
Bundle up....stay warm....be safe....& find your way home....
Unpredicted. Unexpected. Beautiful.
Homebound. For some it was "trapped"...for others a great excuse to stay home & enjoy quality time with loved ones.
It made me think about all those people who...for a variety of reasons...didn't make it home from their Super Bowl festivities of the night before. You know....playing it safe & staying off the road....or embracing an 'invitation" to sleepover with a friend....whatever the circumstances....
A casual decisions that turned into something....MORE!
One thing is for sure....when you get snowed in somewhere, you get to KNOW the person you are with in some very eye-opening, honest ways. It's real life...at its best...or its worst...depends on how you look at it...and, of course, who you are with....
It's one thing to spend 24/7 with folks that you know really well...& you like despite all of their quirks & moods.
At times you might choose to spend that much time with someone because...again, there are a variety of reasons WHY one might do that...the most common one being a deliberate choice to spend your time seeing something besides outside....
It's something entirely different to find yourself someplace....with someone....when it's impossible for you to leave...you're stuck there for who knows how long....with a person you don't know well enough to just relax & be yourself with....or who you do know "well" enough...it's just a different way that you like them...
I think every couple should have to be snowed/iced in together for at least two days before they decide they are are "serious" and start making plans & promises. There would probably be a lot fewer divorces if they found out that they really didn't LIKE each other enough to just be alone together...for long periods of time...with no one else to offer diversion or lively conversations...
A snowbound experience allows you to discover how deep is someone's shallow...or maybe it's how shallow is their deep...
Either way, it offers a pretty clear picture of what the rest of your life might feel like....I'm just saying....
I spent the day with my daughter, Jessi. She's always a blast! We tramped around in the backyard with Pete the Mighty Dog a couple of times. He was cranky. We watched movies....and Joan of Arcadia....and The Young & The Restless....that was interesting....seems one of Victor's children who was born after Sharon & Nick were grown & married...is NOW married to Sharon...and now they are close to the same age...imagine that!
LOL...soap operas AND snow days....both reveal a person's true colors...passions...motvations...agendas...unreal expectations...
Bundle up....stay warm....be safe....& find your way home....
Friday, February 5, 2010
All Is Well....
Woke up this morning....very early....& thought to myself..."How can it ALREADY be February?!?!"
Seriously, I wandered into 2010 thinking this is going to be MY year. I have a plan. It's a good one. I am going to be focused....& a little more organized....& a few other things....every day I will be on top of things...
*sigh* thank goodness those weren't my actual resolutions....or I would really be stressed out this morning!
So I spent a few minutes....in quiet reflection....and then came the whisper....from my best friend, the Creator of the Universe....
Seriously, I wandered into 2010 thinking this is going to be MY year. I have a plan. It's a good one. I am going to be focused....& a little more organized....& a few other things....every day I will be on top of things...
*sigh* thank goodness those weren't my actual resolutions....or I would really be stressed out this morning!
So I spent a few minutes....in quiet reflection....and then came the whisper....from my best friend, the Creator of the Universe....
...it is well....
That was it. Barely audible. Short & sweet.
As I made my way to the kitchen....to brew a pot of coffee...to get a head start on the day...I came face-to-face with the stack of mail...bills....notes about projects...& I was immediately overwhelmed with all that I HAVE to do...all that I NEED to do....all the things I have no idea how I am going to do...
...and I started to feel a little anxious....edgy...
Making the movie, STEP AWAY FROM THE STONE, wasn't really part of my plan. It has been on my radar for several months...& of course, I was always going to help. It was going to be one of those fun projects that I participated in peripherally while I worked my plan....
When did it become so important that I was willing to put my plan...my life... on hold to make it happen?!?!
I am not sure that it was ever a concious choice....somehow it just sort of happened....one minute I am a rooting from the sidelines....the next, the Coach is sending me in with the play...
All I know is that it's what I am going to do....I really have no choice in the matter...it's important...I have to do it...
When a conviction is so natural...& strong....there's really no point in trying to do anything else.
Jonah tried that...remember.... he didn't WANT to go where God sent him...so with all the best intentions, he simply decided to go SOMEWHERE else....yeah, right....I am thinking that didn't work so well for Jonah...
Probably wouldn't work so well for me either....
Still feeling a little anxious...though....about obligations & bills & responsibilities....I began checking my morning messages...and there it was...in black and white...one of those you-can't-possibly-miss-this-one signs that my best friend gets such a kick out of sending to me....
....On This Day....God Wants You To Know....... that as you surrender to divine providence in your life, you will feel lifted and carried and held. All is well, all is well, all is well.
Then I heard it...a giggle...followed by a playful slap on the hand...."Whatever, MJ...I KNOW you heard me the first time!"
It makes no sense....yet it's out of my hands....guess I will simply get on with my day....
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
On The Same Page....
Yesterday was a day full of blindsides. And today's horoscope is right on....
Cancer: Tuesday, Feb 2nd, 2010 -- You may be running out of patience today, especially if people who are supposedly your allies are giving you a hard time. Although you surely would prefer more support from your friends and associates, it's not too much to expect them to be kind. Unfortunately, it may be difficult now to lessen the gulf that's separating you from others. Even if it's a challenge to wait, give it time; the distance will diminish on its own.
....then I clicked over to see what God had to say....
On this day, God Wants You To Know...
... that working together is good. We are meant to support one another in this world. Let go of the feeling that you have to do everything alone. Ask someone if they want to join you.
Next in my email inbox from God's Daily Promises came this verse & opening line:
"I assure you that any sin can be forgiven, including blasphemy; but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. It is an eternal sin." He told them this because they were saying he had an evil spirit.
The Word Snob in me made check out the definition of "blasphamey"....just to be sure that God and I were on the same page....
Hurting people hurt people....I know that....and I wish I could take away all of their hurts...but I can't...
I am liking life...A LOT...right now....
...nothing & no one is going to take that away from me....
Good things are happening....for me!
Cancer: Tuesday, Feb 2nd, 2010 -- You may be running out of patience today, especially if people who are supposedly your allies are giving you a hard time. Although you surely would prefer more support from your friends and associates, it's not too much to expect them to be kind. Unfortunately, it may be difficult now to lessen the gulf that's separating you from others. Even if it's a challenge to wait, give it time; the distance will diminish on its own.
....then I clicked over to see what God had to say....
On this day, God Wants You To Know...
... that working together is good. We are meant to support one another in this world. Let go of the feeling that you have to do everything alone. Ask someone if they want to join you.
Next in my email inbox from God's Daily Promises came this verse & opening line:
The Bible commands us to forgive those who have wronged us.....
"I assure you that any sin can be forgiven, including blasphemy; but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. It is an eternal sin." He told them this because they were saying he had an evil spirit.
Mark 3:28-29 NLT
The Word Snob in me made check out the definition of "blasphamey"....just to be sure that God and I were on the same page....
blasphamey - 1 a : the act of insulting or showing contempt
( http://www.webster.com/)
( http://www.webster.com/)
Hurting people hurt people....I know that....and I wish I could take away all of their hurts...but I can't...
I am liking life...A LOT...right now....
...nothing & no one is going to take that away from me....
Good things are happening....for me!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)