gumby thoughts

This week has been busy. Except for yesterday. It was going to be my one day at home this week and I was going to accomplish so much. I had a horrible sinus headache all day and didn't get much of anything but some school stuff done. I kept thinking after taking ibuprofen it would get better and I could get busy, but it never happened. I finally took a bath and went to bed about 7:00. I watched TV for a while and went to sleep after 10:00. Today I am feeling much better.

Monday we did school and that afternoon Hannah and I cleaned our church. Eddie and Connie are on vacation having a great time, but we sure miss them. Tuesday was school and I worked Tuesday afternoon and got to Celebrate Recovery just minutes before it started. Wednesday morning was school and work again Wednesday afternoon. I got home in time to hurriedly make some instant rice and steam some broccoli to go with the meal in the crock pot. Then I ran out the door to pick up Shiela for church. So Thursday was supposed to be my "get it all done" day. Except that didn't happen. I didn't get all bent out of shape over it though. I didn't plan on having a headache; it just happened.

Today Daniel has to be at work at 1:30 and our car has to be picked up at the body shop and the rental car taken back before 5:00. So there goes part of my afternoon taking care of that. It seems sometimes it's hard to live life because of life!

I'm just grateful God has been teaching me about flexibility. This morning I was thinking about not getting things done yesterday and I thought about Gumby. He can be twisted and bent and still be pliable. Maybe I need to consider that and try to apply it to my own life.

moving on

Last Monday I had one of the most productive days I've had in a long time. I even scrubbed our kitchen floor with Magic Erasers and made it look new again. Well, almost new. I actually had forgotten that at one time it was lighter in color than I have seen for a while.

I even had to leave the house twice and still got loads accomplished. I'm still amazed. I can remember when I used to work like that every day. Maybe it's because I'm older or because things that once were so important (like a sparkling house) aren't any longer. I can remember before we had children and I worked full time I would take Thursday nights to clean our apartment. One Thursday night something came up and I couldn't clean. I actually cried about it. Now I'm not sure whether it was because I couldn't clean or because I couldn't control the situation and do what I wanted to do. It seems really silly now, but at the time it was so important.

Thank God that He changes us. I'm so grateful for the changes He has made in my life. I don't want Him to stop right here though. Even though I like me now I'm sure there's lots of room for improvement!

How terrible and what a waste if we don't allow God to change us. If you're angry or bitter about something then get over it. Don't let it ruin your life and your health. I've done that, and believe me, it's nothing to brag about. I'd much rather have the peace of God than be consumed with fretting over what someone said or did to me. Maybe I took it all out of context anyway. It's not all about me, it's all about Him.

Philippians 4:4-9

4 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! 5 Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! 6 Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. 7 Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. 8 Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. 9 Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

relationships

I've been thinking about relationships. Why do we sometimes believe things that aren't so? I'm not totally naive and I'm not talking about believing people that we don't know well or those who have proven not to be reliable. I'm thinking about those relationships between people who have known each other for a long time. Maybe even been best of friends. Maybe not, but know the other person is a person of integrity and one they can trust.

Why is it that something can happen and all that trust is thrown by the wayside? Why do we believe others instead of believing what our friend has said? We are human; we say things and do things to hurt people sometimes. It grieves me, but I have done it. Sometimes because I'm upset and sometimes without meaning to. Some people forgive and the relationship is restored; some don't. I have lost relationships that have meant so much to me. I have examined my heart and tried to make amends, but to no avail. They have simply written me out of their lives. My heart hurt, but there was nothing else I could do. I still miss them.

Why can't believers work things out? Why do we not believe what the other person is saying when they are trustworthy? I know emotions get in the way and sometimes it takes a while to work through things. But why can't we work through it and go on? I have relationships like that and they are the ones that truly mean the most to me.

Why not be unoffendable? Or at least why not try working on it?

These are my thoughts for today. Right or wrong they belong to me. If they are wrong then God is able to show me and correct me.

Relationships........don't take them lightly.

amen and amen or thought for the day

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You and I need to FOCUS on the WHO and not the HOW!

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(from Pastor Kevin Kinchen's 09/17/08 Equip Devotion)
http://www.e-quip.org/

unexpected

My heart is heavy this morning. One of our neighbors, an elderly gentlemen died. Now I don't know this couple very well even though we've lived here almost thirteen years. Most of our visiting was done out in our yards and at our mailboxes. They are a very dear couple and were inseparable. They would go out to eat every day and you could tell they loved each other very much. He was retired from the military and Daniel has spent time talking with him about that. He would still get up on the ladder and clean his gutters and trim his hedges. Several years ago he did give up mowing his yard. I really grieve for June, his widow. I'm sure she will be lost without Paul.

If you will, please say a prayer for her.

I've dealt with my emotions this morning the way I usually do. If I want to do something and am not sure what to do, I cook. I have a cake cooling and then Hannah and I will take it over. Each of our children were sad to hear of his death. Even Hannah wants to see if there is something she can do.

Praise God for tender hearts.

political thoughts

This cartoon pretty much sums up the way I feel about Sarah Palin. She is a breath of fresh air and has totally gotten me excited in the presidential election this year. Now I don't really call myself a Democrat, Republican, Independent, or whatever. I have voted a certain party because I feel they represent my beliefs better than the others. None of this, "My granddaddy was a _____." I have campaigned before and this is the response I have gotten. It doesn't matter who I was representing or what they believed, that person was only going to vote for the person who ran on his granddaddy's ticket. I think that's so sad. I mean, come on, I have a brain and can make my own choices.

I don't care who you vote for. I would just like to encourage you to vote. My dad fought in the Battle of the Bulge and paid a high price for our freedom. He and many others have sacrificed, many even by giving their lives, so we can be free and have this freedom. Don't take their sacrifices lightly. They didn't.

seasons

This has been a good morning. Every morning is a gift from God and good in it's own way, but sometimes I fail to slow down long enough to notice.

I have unloaded the dishwasher, loaded the dishwasher, cleaned the kitchen, vacuumed the living room and our bedroom, cleaned our bathroom REALLY good (which translates our house smells of bleach and Hannah hates it), doing laundry; well, you get the picture. Since it's trash day I took another bag to the curb so it would be sure to go today. Chicken packaging will not smell very good by Thursday!

I was really HOT from my activities and as I walked out of the garage the WONDERFUL COOL AIR hit me in the face. Maybe it was because as it came into contact with the sweat on my face I became aware of how great it is. I stopped long enough to walk around my house on my unfinished walkway and praised God for the cool breeze and the miracle of my yard once again. He has totally transformed my barren wasteland into a beautiful yard that I love to walk in.

Now I have been getting frustrated that I haven't had time to work in it and continue on with my ideas. Yesterday after talking with Pam I realized it's just time to enjoy what is there and not fret about what else I want to do. So this morning I just enjoyed it while talking to God.

Seasons change and sometimes I miss it.

Ecclesiastes 3:11-13 (God's Word Translation)
It is beautiful how God has done everything at the right time. He has put a sense of eternity in people's minds. Yet, mortals still can't grasp what God is doing from the beginning to the end [of time]. I realize that there's nothing better for them to do than to be cheerful and enjoy what is good in their lives. It is a gift from God to be able to eat and drink and experience the good that comes from every kind of hard work.