My mission

My mission this month... which was inspired by Thanksgiving... is to give a card or some small token of thanks to all the people that have influenced my life in a positive way. I got a note the other day from a girl I know from a book club I am in and she just told me how my friendship had been a blessing to her. And it just made me feel so great to know that I was able to touch someone.

I pray that God will use me and lots of times I really don't see it happening. Or I am not aware when I am smack-dab in the middle of His will. I say things and do things and I walk away and forget about them and never realize what an impact that it made. Now that works for good and bad. But we are always more focused on falling short. But it was nice to know that I had done something good and uplifting and helpful.

So, I thought what a great thing to do for the people that have been there for me. I kind of have a list in my head of the people that I want to do this for. Today I put something together for a gal in my Wednesday night bible study. She is always so upbeat and you can just feel the joy radiating out of her. Not just happy, but joyful. You know the kind of Paul-like joy. Not happy because everything is going perfectly, but joy because she has found the secret to life. She always thinks to compliment people and say words of appreciation. She is someone that I have learned a great deal from and I hope that this little gift just lets her know that people notice her acts of kindness.

Next on my list is my childhood sunday school teachers. I haven't seen them in years. I don't go to the church I did as a child. But both those ladies had such a profound impact on my life. The first one was my teacher when I was a preschooler thru about kindergarten or 1st grade. She didn't have any kids and she was so excited to see us coming each week. I felt so important to her and so loved. She taught me the simple lessons, the basics. I still have the children's bible that she gave me.

The other lady was my teacher from about fourth grade to middle school. She was there when I gave my life to Christ. And I don't think that I would have made that decision without her loving guidance. She exhibited true fruits of the spirit. I read a book recently called Naked Fruit and there was a line from it that said that 'fruit is what markets God to a hungry world.' I think that seeing her fruit is what gave me a hunger for God.

I didn't see that at home. But to my mom's credit she did take me to church faithfully. So without her putting me there physically I would have never came in contact with these ladies. God is giving me a heart of love for her and I am going to let her know how much I appreciate her taking me to church so that I could be apart of all of that. My unforgiveness for her is slowly and I do mean slowly melting away.

Well, the election is over...

It's finally over... for good or for bad... I am not so sure yet. I hope everyone got out there and let their voice be heard. I am a firm believer in voting.... you can't sit around and complain if you don't . And while I don't like to complain in general... politics and government just bring it out in me.

This year I felt more than ever a nagging sense of doom as I went into the voting booth. I am conservative for the most part but I don't really consider myself a republican. However, the idea of Nancy Pelosi coming to 'power' makes me more comfortable than ever with the title of 'republican.' But anyway... this year I had to make a tough decision between Heath Shuler, an unknown enitity and democrat, and Charles Taylor, the most corrupt man in congress. I have always kind of known about the allegations, but this year they were more in my face. So reluctantly I voted for Shuler. I felt kind of guilty afterwards... but my husband relieved my guilt. Since he voted for Taylor, he basically cancelled me out. I guess my guilt for voting against him came from the fact that he has done so much for the veterans in our area and the fact that he had seniority. Oh well, Shuler won so now we get to see what he is all about.

I was happy to see that alot of the democratic candidates that won were more moderate than they have been the last few years. I was also excited to see an independent win (Joe Leberman). I was not so happy, as I stated earlier, about Nancy Pelosi. And Hilary Clinton winning again didn't make me feel warm and fuzzy. To me those women are just examples of people who are just driven by their own political motives with no heart or concern for the people they serve. Well, I guess that really discribes 99.9% of the people in government. ooops. I am all for a woman president, even possibly a democratic woman president, but not Hilary.

My prayer and hope for the 2008 election is that all the good candidates that have been trying to decide whether or not to run will miraculously come out of the woodwork. And that there will be people that I look foward to voting for. I am so tired of choosing the lesser of two evils.

Chrismas is coming...

If you don't believe me... just look at your local Walmart. They tore down the Halloween stuff on Halloween day and started putting up Christmas things. I am not sure what ever happened to Thanksgiving. You know that pesky little holiday meant for giving thanks. I guess telling God you are thankful doesn't require Walmart so they just move right on to the big daddy shopping holiday.

I found this quote that pertains to Christmas....

One response was given by the innkeeper when Mary and Joseph wanted to find
a room where the Child could be born. The innkeeper was not hostile; he was not
opposed to them, but his inn was crowded; his hands were full; his mind was
preoccupied. This is the answer that millions are giving today. Like a
Bethlehem innkeeper, they cannot find room for Christ. All the
accommodations in their hearts are already taken up by other crowding
interests. Their response is not atheism. It is not defiance. It is preoccupation
and the feeling of being able to get on reasonably well without Christianity.

Billy Graham

Here is hoping that Jesus finds room in my inn this year. I love every part of Christmas, the true meaning, as well, the Santa part. But every year I try a little harder to make sure that the true meaning isn't shoved aside for the Santa part and all the parties and shopping.

It is sometimes hard to make that commitment to seek and find God on a daily basis and then you throw in a thousand other distractions in and it seems almost impossible. But, man is He worth it. To feel God's love and peace in the middle of the insanity is ssooo worth it. And in a season of thankfulness and gift giving how could we forget to be thankful for the greatest gift ever given.

Grateful heart

Thou who hast given so much to me, give me one more thing - a grateful heart!

George Herbert

Man, do I need to work on this. I read an interesting article a couple of weeks ago about the two different types of gratitude. One is the 'thanks God for all the stuff you've given me and the blessings in my life' and the other is 'thanks God for being God.' Boy, do I need to work on the later.

I am thankful when it comes to thanking God for His blessings in my life. But how shallow and self-centered to just stop there. I began to think about the idea of thanking God for just being who He is. I realized that I could go on and on.

Thank you for sending your precious only Son to die on a cross for a world who despised Him.... and the ones who didn't despise Him are like me... just shallow humans with a flawed sin nature that are incapable of fully appreciating such a gift.

Thank you for being merciful and full of grace.

Thank you for loving me and giving me your best when I deserve the worst.

Thank you for being a GOd of second, third, forth... etc.... chances.

Thank you for creation and all of the beautiful things in it.

Can you think of anything to be thankful for? Maybe we should all spend more time cultivating a heart of gratitude.

IIIII'MMMM Baaaccckkk!!!!

Well, it feels good to blog again. It's been a long time. I guess now that the cold weather is setting back in I'll have alot more computer time.

Well, I guess I should do a summer recap..... hhhmmmm.... not much to recap.

Hubby and I took the kids to the beach. The Banimal... who is now a little boy and not a baby ...wha..whaa... tears.... is an official beach bum. He would have just moved to the beach. He tends to be a little sensitive and easily scared, but he was fearless at the beach. He would let the waves crash over his head and carry him out. We had to grab him a few times. He also puked a few times. Poor kid has the easiest gag reflex of anyone I have ever met. He'd get a big mouth of sand and ocean water and then blluuuckk.. Okay, everybody.... load up and move a few feet up the beach. He wasn't ready to leave and now he is already begging to go back. Pteradactyl boy loved it too. He was pretty fearless, as well.

Let's see... what else... Well, I am back to my fighting wieght and I feel great. I am going to run a 5k race next year. That is my goal, at least. I am not so sure why I am enamored with running.. I have always hated it. I have always been of the opinion that running should only be done if you are being chased by some kind of rabid animal or axe-weilding psycho. But over the last few months I have changed my mind.

I personally think that it has to do with being couped up in the house with screaming kids. When my kids are fussy and fighting and screaming.. in my mind all I can think about is Forrest Gump..... yep, you read it right... Forrest Gump. You know the part of the movie where he 'ran and ran and ran and then one day he just stopped.' I can just envision leaving my screaming children... in a safe place, of course... and just running and running until I just run out of steam. In my current condtiion I might be able to make it to the end of the street. I guess I wouldn't even have to call Grandma for that one. But hopefully, by spring I will be doing a 5k.