Thankful All Day Every Day

Last night watching TV while waiting to feel drowsy enough to lie down I had a sudden realization…I was smiling. This sounds common enough but I wasn’t watching a comedy or talking to someone entertaining; I was just sitting alone in the room with Honey and hounds tucked in bed and found myself smiling. I wondered what all that was about but only after I said a quick prayer of thanks for it regardless of why. Then it hit me…..I say a lot pf prayers of thanks every day. That’s the key.

Our home is a humble abode and we are always waiting to finish one project or ten others but we are thankful for it. We live a very modest lifestyle without most of the ‘toys’ grown-ups tend to think they need to have, yet we are content and thankful for our life together. There are health issues to deal with but they do not consume our time or dictate our day to day life. Once and a while, I physically can not do what I want but I use the down time in other ways. Stress does raise its ugly head but we recognize it and try to eliminate it. Money…yes, we could use more but we always eat and have a roof over our heads and never once has my Honey gone to work naked. We are blessed and we know it! We do not take those blessings for granted and we are diligent about giving thanks.

I believe it is that thankful attitude that opens our hearts to appreciate the simple things and find joy everywhere we look. For instance, this morning I was out harvesting turnip and mustard greens from my little veggie garden. If you read my stuff you know I love my little garden. I had to come in for something and looking back outside I saw my copper colander filled with the harvested cilantro sitting in the sun, sparkling like a jewel. The glowing copper and vivid bright green of the fresh cilantro moving in the morning breeze warmed my heart! I paid a whopping $2.50 for that copper colander at a thrift store years ago. It gives me joy every time I look at it. It lives on the kitchen island to hold onions, garlic or fresh fruit. Best $2.50 I’ve ever spent! Happiness and joy do not come in proportion to the price tag of things but in the appreciation of and thankfulness for them.

So, in retrospect, smiling as I sat in my cozy living room should not have surprised me. I was surrounded by things I love and appreciate in a peaceful home. Simply surrounding yourself with things is not the key; it is the thankfulness that makes the difference. Giving thanks to God, for any and everything, changes your attitude. The joy comes from God not the things. The joy comes from God not your circumstances. The joy comes from God because of your thankfulness.

Take it from me, one that spent the larger part of my life not living in a peaceful home or surrounded by things for which I constantly gave thanks to God, if it can change for me it can change for you! The peace came after and only after I stopped looking to external objects, people or circumstances to give me happiness. Joy comes from God. Blessings come from God. Peace comes from God. Thanks be to God all the time!!

Words - Treasure or Trash

As a reader that loves to write I have an ongoing love affair with words. Our language is just chocked full of words with which to express oneself plainly and succinctly. My Honey tells me Spanish has much more to offer when choosing how to express an idea or concept and sounds much prettier in the process.

Some words and phrases do tickle the ear more than others. I suppose what delights the ear of one may fall like lead to another. For example I refer to the community we live in as our village; the sentimental moniker given by Donovan, our grandson. To me, village sounds more pleasant than subdivision. It conjures up visions of quaint abodes, winding streets, garden gates and people strolling by. Subdivision brings to mind a large piece of paper with lines crisscrossing one another to delineate one plot from another; numbers and straight lines. That’s how it comes across to me anyway. Words and their appeal or lack there of do affect us emotionally whether we realize it at the time or not. Our street name was Valley View (lovely) before the county dictated county roads have number names. Living on Valley View sounds better than living on 4511, does it not?

Regardless of how they sound, our words should ring true every time they leave our mouths. Some people love to play words games; I’m not referring to Scrabble but to toying with words to infer something more pointed and perhaps unkind but said with words just benign enough to claim innocence. Veiled ugliness is still ugliness, People. There are those that use words to pierce another’s emotional jugular vein and walk away feeling powerful and clever for having done so. Flattering words of praise are empty and tinny if not sincere. Yet, when one shares from the heart words of love, concern, appreciation, etc…words can be a healing salve that sooths even the most fevered of us.

The words we use, the tone the words are spoken in or the context in which written combine to reflect the person’s inner self. The Bible says so.

Luke 6:45 (New Living Translation) A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

Our words should be our bond people are able to count on. Once when dealing with someone that did not do as she said she would, I was sad to hear her say, “Well, I didn’t promise.” Sadly, she thought she should not be held accountable unless she promised. This same person, however, would be aghast when you did not believe what she told you at other times. Her word was not reliable and lost all meaning in the process. She said what she thought you wanted to hear at the time of commitment but her words fell to the floor as they came out of her mouth….if she only understood what that said about her heart!

In conclusion let me sum it up…Say what you mean and mean what you say; God knows your heart anyway!

Dueling Woodpeckers

Prayer and coffee on the deck this foggy morning started my day. No view of the hills in the distance or even the next one over from me but the serenade of the birds rang through the fog. I woke with a start this morning that left me feeling anxious and burdened. So out to the deck I went where there is nothing between me and God but the sky; my place of refuge, my place of many a prayer.

In a moment of simply standing still to listen for that small quiet voice that comes from the Holy Spirit within, my peaceful meditation was disturbed by two raucous woodpeckers. It seems they were determined to take possession of the same light pole. Perhaps it is a prime landing spot, I do not know, but each of these birds wanted the same one and they wanted it badly! At one point they were both atop the pole but it was clear this was not a workable solution. They made all the threatening noises, flapping wings and jockeying for position. One bird finally acquiesced by stepping down to the wire but complained the whole time. You would think this would end the rivalry but, no, they continued to argue.

There are plenty of power poles and trees, even houses, they could have chosen as their own but battling over this one pole top seemed very important to the woodpeckers; important enough to duel over. From my vantage point high on the deck, I could look out and see all they left unclaimed and it seemed even more ridiculous that they fought over this one pole top when there was so much from which to choose. It was in that moment God showed me how ridiculous it was for me to be anxious and worried when all the blessings and work He has done in my life lay before me as evidence of His love, mercy and grace. Just as the woodpeckers ignored all but the one pole top as their prize I had let one thought consume me, render me locked into a fear based anxiety. He put me in memory of His Word:

Philippians 4:4-9 Rejoice in union with the Lord always! I will say it again: rejoice! Let everyone see how reasonable and gentle you are. The Lord is near! Don’t worry about anything; on the contrary, make your request known to God by prayers and petition, with thanksgiving. Then God’s peace, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ. In conclusion, brothers, focus your thoughts on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovable or admirable, on virtue or on something praiseworthy. Keep doing what you have learned and received from me, what you have heard and seen me doing; then the God who gives peace will be with you.

I was focused on my own version of the pole top and let it consume me in anxiety. Notice there is specific instructions in that scripture on what to do in order to receive God’s peace. The word then makes it very clear the peace comes after you have done your part. I know this, I try to live this but every once in a while I have a ‘hard-headed woodpecker’ moment and need to be reminded all over again; another Holy Bop. I feel peaceful and thankful now. Much better than that heart racing anxiety that plagued me earlier. God is good and used another life experience to teach me. As I type this, I can hear a chattering woodpecker outside my kitchen window…..better him than me!

Laying the Phantoms to Rest

This weekend I watched a show on PBS regarding tips for being better stewards of energy in your home. ‘Stewards of energy’ being my words, not theirs; but looking for a godly parallel in all things, this is exactly what it is. Almost everything we use in the home runs on energy of some sort be it electrical and manual. This show was very informative and practical. I learned a new phrase…phantom energy. Perhaps ‘phantom energy sappers’ would be more appropriate. The silent, unseen users of energy which contributes to our power bills without thought on our part.

I have long functioned as the self-appointed Electricity Sheriff in our home; this program caught my attention. If there is a way to save money and be a better steward of energy I will thankfully pay attention to learn about it. The phantom energy sappers are every where; we had several in our home! You probably do, too.

If you have a computer system, you most likely have a power strip with multiple plugs stuck in them. The power strip itself is a phantom energy sapper. We like having instant access to everything, thus the power strip is likely to stay on. We merely need turn a switch on a lamp, etc for that instant access. Instant access + power strip = $$. I have a power strip built-in on my kitchen work island. Admittedly, it stayed on more often than not because of the lamp on the island. Walk into my kitchen any night after bedtime and you will have enough little green lights on appliances to guide you like an airport landing strip. I have two ovens and a microwave, so we are a Plus Three in phantom sapper right there alone; throw in the island power strip and my kitchen keeps the electric meter turning 24/7. I can turn off the island strip but the ovens and microwave might require throwing a breaker to turn off; not very practical. I did stop using the clock/auto start function on my coffeemaker. It doesn’t kill me to wait a few minutes and only cost a split second of my time to plug back in.

The difficult part about regulating power strips is that we often have them out of sight because…well, they are unsightly. A little maneuvering can put them within toe reach, if nothing else. Let’s face it; it is far more painful to write out the ever rising light bill than it would be to situate our power strips where they could be turned off. Speaking of which, leaving your computer on all the time, even in hibernation mode, is a phantom energy sapper…..so, Honey, heads up, you’ll have to turn your power strip back on to use your computer tonight.

Ceiling fans were once a phantom energy sapper in our home. Many times I would find every fan in the house on, some in empty rooms. By empty, I mean no people. Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms. Night lights left on can be sappers. Having kids living here not too long ago we had night lights in their bedrooms and bath. Switched to the light activated ones; those pennies I saved may one day buy you lunch so don’t make fun of pennies saved. Now, I unplug them unless we have guest spending the night. It takes less than one second to plug in or unplug a sapper, hours to earn the money to pay the light bill. Do the math!

We fight other types of phantom energy sappers. Our spiritual energy is vital to our day to day life and yet we are not always very watchful about the things that drain us. Maybe it’s the lack of renewing our spiritual energy that does more harm. Scripture tells us to renew our minds and to guard out hearts daily.

Physical energy phantoms, such as stress, can drain our resources. Some stress sources are in plain sight but it’s the phantom sources that can sneak up on you. My Honey was telling me just yesterday that he realized a work situation was causing him stress and bringing on a headache while he was at home relaxing. It just snuck in while he wasn’t watching. Phantoms are called phantoms for a reason….you don’t see or notice them until it’s too late. Thus the need to be on guard, to diligently watch and monitor what goes on around us.

Here’s a suggestion for these phantoms in our lives. Put on your Energy Sheriff badge and walk around in and outside of your home. Take inventory in every room of potential phantom energy sappers and deal with them accordingly. This short inventory time can add up in savings…maybe then you can take me to lunch. Then, when you’ve satisfied your mind and conservation conscience that you are doing all you can to be a good steward, get down to the nitty-gritty and ask God to help you see where you are allowing spiritual energy sappers to drain you. He can reveal areas you might not think about because you are just used to having them around.

Look out, phantoms; we’re on to you now!

Unscripted Life

Long ago I dated an interesting man…very briefly. This man was intelligent, had many common interests and I found his company pleasant. My children thought he rather looked like a cross between Mr. Rogers and a turtle….hmm. It did not take long to discover he had perceptions regarding personal interactions that were different than my own. Over lunch one work day he expressed feelings of caring for me. Though he expressed himself sweetly, not sharing his level of ‘like’, my reply was unsatisfactory to him. He looked stunned and said. “That’s not what you’re supposed to say.”

Excuse me? What I’m supposed to say? This, friends, was the exact moment of the beginning of the end…

Apparently, he had thought through our conversation beforehand and how it was to play out. He proceeded to tell me what I was supposed to say. Oh, dear…..I wasn’t even close! I told him I had not received a copy of his script and spoke from my heart, not the play he had written. I wasn’t ugly about it but this brought the conversation to an abrupt end. Let’s just say that ½ mile trip from the cafe to my office was very long and quiet that day.

I cannot remember my first conscious thought about scripts you are expected to play but they were early in life. Growing up in a home with an abusive, controlling stepparent, I had first hand experience with roles expected of me. I learned to spot them quickly.

Have you ever carried on an argument or conversation in your head in anticipation of the real conversation? Sure you have. You are writing the script in that moment. You decide you will say, “….” when they say, “…..” and IF they say, “….” instead, THEN you will say, “…” right back at them! If it wasn’t so sadly destructive to relationships it would be ridiculously funny. You are armed and ready with your scripted replies for battle. No allowances made for productive discussion because you already know what they are supposed to say and how you will shoot them down with your loaded, cocked and ready replies! They better just look out because you are armed to blow them out of the water. All the while, you’re feeling very clever about it, too.

The flip side is the scripted less armed discussions, such as the one in the cafe that day. You are expecting certain reactions, displays of affirmation and affection and they never come. You’ve written the script, you know exactly what you will profess at the perfect moment….the perfect moment never materializes and you are left deflated and maybe even with a broken heart. What’s the matter with these people, can’t they see they are messing everything up?! Hurt feelings abound.

The complement that doesn’t come, the acknowledgment due fails to show up, our efforts not recognized, the desired sweet love profession left hanging in the air….these are but a few of the scripted expectations that bring hurt, disappointment and even anger; yet we brought it on ourselves with the scripts we write in our heads and hold others to play out. Most often, the other person is totally unaware you have the script, much less that they are required to read from it. It is a circular dance of destruction.

Equally destructive to productive relationships are those that purposely control and manipulate with a constantly fluid approval system that no one can please or meet the ever changing standard; consequently, these people never dispenses approval regardless of how the other tries. The script here is changing so often you could not read it if you tried and wanted to. These are the people I feel sad for; they are never happy, never let anyone else be happy and are never satisfied. They probably do not realize their script writing is the biggest cause of their lack of satisfaction because they are too busy blaming everyone that doesn’t rise to their constant script changes.

Regardless of the scripts people try to foist on us, we have but one to please and He is the author of peace, love, and acceptance. If we are not feeling any of these then we are reading the wrong material. Next time you bump into a script look to see who the author might be. If it leaves you feeling defeated, deflated, destroyed or destructive…walk away. Refuse the part in the play of scripted life some may attempt to hand you. God made you unique, creative and full of love; those are the only roles we need accept.Live an unscripted life for even a moment and you will know a freedom that has no boundaries; a freedom to be all God created you to be without the stage of a scripted life.

We, the Body

I hope you are familiar with the contemporary Christian song by Casting Crowns titled ‘If We Are the Body’. It is a wonderful, beautiful song that asks a vital question about what we, as the Body of Christ, are doing in His service. The first two verses each deal with a different scenario about a person slipping into the church and feeling judged by those in attendance. The last verse says: 

Jesus paid much too high a price

For us to pick and choose who should come

And we are the body of Christ

It is the chorus where we are asked these vital questions:

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way

Friends, we should never stop asking those questions, they are meant to spur us into action. Warming a pew every Sunday may help feed you spiritually and/or pacify you enough to think your being a good Christian doing your part. I know I’ve stepped up on this soapbox many times but I cannot say it enough that Jesus, Himself, gave us walking orders to move out on His behalf saying:

And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone Mark 16:15 (New Living Translation)

Why aren't His feet going?

Why aren't His words teaching?

For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, Matthew 25:42 (Amplified)

Why aren't His arms reaching?

I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me and entertain Me, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me with help and ministering care. Matthew 25:43 (Amplified)

Why aren't His arms reaching?

Why aren't His hands healing?

And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least [ in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me. Matthew 25:40 (Amplified)

Jesus paid much too high a price

For us to pick and choose who should come

And we are the body of Christ

On the flip side, Jesus is also very plain about inaction, lack of service, and simple pew warming:

And He will reply to them, Solemnly I declare to you, in so far as you failed to do it for the least [ in the estimation of men] of these, you failed to do it for Me. Matthew 25:45 .

Why is His love not showing them there is a way?

And we are the body of Christ

There is a way

His Will Be Done

This morning I sat down at the computer to write today’s blog post feeling in tune with the subject matter I felt the Lord was giving me. I love writing the most when I know that I am simply being fingers on the keyboard for the Lord because there is so little effort, the words flow and I see them for the first time as they spread across the screen before me. That’s an awesome experience. So, this morning felt like a good writing morning before I even started. God is good!

As I typed out the message I felt the familiar holy tap on my shoulder and, though not actually audible, I heard that this message was one for someone at church. I do not know who but I do know God can even use little ole’ me to get His message to someone or many. I am just thankful He uses me at all. I write a weekly mini-blog-like article for church and knew that meant I must format and condense the message to fit, my only responsibility; the message…His.

It has happened that something I thought I was writing for the church turned into a blog posting and vice versa. I just let it flow until it is done. My Honey asked me how long I made each posting. My answer was not what he was looking for but it was accurate…I write until it’s done. I always know when something is ‘done’ because anything I add on my own rings sour in my ear as I read it. I take away anything that is my contribution and leave the meat and bones of the message from God. Yes, I use my life and family in the examples of life lessons God gives us because that is the way God showed me He could use me most effectively. He showed me this in one giant light bulb moment! Here’s a Reader’s Digest Condensed version of that moment:

Years ago I knew that if I was to be an effective witness for the Lord I needed to step out of my comfort zone and share. I felt inadequate, unskilled, not spiritual enough, not learned enough, you name it! If it was an adjective describing someone not qualified to witness for the Lord…it was me. I had a friend, Katy Brigmon, who along with her husband, Ron, was over the Central Texas Prison Fellowship ministry. My desire to serve Him was urgent and large so I asked Katy if I could tag along sometime to see what prison ministry was all about. She excitedly told me of the coming weekend’s trip to minister in a women’s facility that housed mostly drug offenders and the lessons to be covered were on parenting. As a friend I sought out for prayer, Katy knew things about what I refer to as ‘the hellion years’ I had raising teenage rebellious daughters; surely that would have been enough to make her aware I was not ‘parenting’ teaching material. I remaindered her of this and she smiled saying the ladies would relate to me much better than they ever could with her two kids, big dog, and station wagon driving perfect family image. (My words, not hers) I thought she lost her mind but I agreed to go just to watch. Ha, ha…God’s sense of humor and Katy’s insight threw me in the deep end and I learned a valuable lesson in trusting God over my abilities!

I was assigned my own small group of women to lead through the materials. First, we had to share a bit about ourselves with our group and basically give our testimony of how God worked in our lives. Looking into the faces of these women you could easily see those that were receptive and those that blatantly dared you to try to teach them anything. My life had a lot of good in it but it was also filled with a lot of ugliness, some foisted upon me and some of my own doing. As I shared my personal experiences of all God brought me through in spite of myself, my giant light bulb moment revealed to me in the most profound way how God had turned all the ugliness, heartache and pain I had lived through into something useful and good for reaching these women. They listened to me with open ears and hearts because I had walked in their shoes, knew their pain, felt the abuse, despair and agony of life without Jesus as my Lord. It was one of the few single moments in time that stamp their impression on your heart so deeply you remember every vivid detail and emotion! It was in that moment I saw and believed for the first time that God could and would use me to share my life experiences as a teaching tool to reach others for Him. I have been a willing vessel of his messages ever since.

I have said before I do not share my life to say ‘look at me’ but only to show God-given life lessons are all around us; we need only be receptive to and watching for them. God is in the details, the smallest of moments, the most out-of-the-box situations as well as the grand and obvious. On my living room wall there hangs a pair of wooden shoe stretchers as feet; below them, on the floor, a small leather suitcase. These symbolize our readiness and willingness to go where ever God directs us for His purposes. Between times of marching orders, I will continue to write and share the lessons God gives from daily life. I rarely know if anyone is reading much less being touched by God through what I share but I do know that it is His message going out, not mine. His will be done!