Mended Relationship!

At one point this year, probably right around mid-summer, I had just about had it with a certain situation going on in my life and I almost just cut it out of my life completely. I was warned not to do it. In fact, someone close to me at the time, told me absolutely NOT to do it. But I was at my wit's end. I had a relationship that needed to end. We did not get along. We fought with one another almost daily. It was driving me crazy. It was too much work, took too much of my time and energy, and it didn't seem worth the hassle in any way. But, I try not to make hasty decisions. I try to weigh the pros and cons. I try to be able to see past the turmoil of the moment. So I waited. I allowed this relationship to continue. I made a tentative decision to wait and see what would transpire.

Over the past couple of weeks, I can honestly say that I am glad that I did. I made the right decision. Things now have completely turned around. It's amazing what can happen with a little time and a little patience. Plus with the heat of the summer not beating down on us and making us all the more agitated with one another, we've become close again. Finally. I am so glad I didn't cut the relationship short. It would have been a mistake.

I hope I don't come off the wrong way. Because when it comes to these kinds of things, I am usually pretty self-effacing. Even quite self-deprecating. But over the past couple of weeks, I can honestly say with joy and humility, not vanity or conceit, that I love my hair. I've had more good hair days over the past few weeks than I can remember over the past 10 years. I don't want to sound like I am bragging, I am not. I am thankful. I am surprised. I thought our relationship was done. I hated it, and it seemed to hate me. I was ready to hack it off. To sever ties. To end it. But I didn't and it's actually to my surprise, being kind. I don't know how long it will go on like this. In my experience, things that go well, really well, don't always stay that way for long. But for the time being, I really love my hair. It sounds vain to even say that out loud, but I'm gonna!!! I love my hair. Who knows, next week we could be on the outs again. But then again, who knows perhaps I've found a relationship that will last.

Tee hee.

I know, I am a dork!

The Brick

(I have read this before, but I hadn't seen it in a while. It always touches me, because I can see myself in it... Enjoy.)

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared . Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?" The young boy was apologetic. "Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do," He pleaded. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop..." With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's my brother, "he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me." Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. "Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy! push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: "Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!" God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.

Love it!

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”

-Dale Carnegie-

I love the human mind...

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?

Finally...It's Time for Christmas FUN!

Watch Out...They Spit!

This was taken about a month ago at the State Fair of Texas petting zoo. I love this pic. And this kid loves animals. ALL of them. Camels too. Just getting some pics downloaded from my camera and ran across this one and it made me smile. I thought I'd share it. Have a great Friday!

Family

Each of us has a fantasy that our family will be like the Waltons, an expectation that our dearest friends will be our next of kin. Jesus didn’t have that expectation. Look how he defined his family: “My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what God wants” (Mark 3:35).
When Jesus’ brothers didn’t share his convictions, he didn’t try to force them. He recognized that his spiritual family could provide what his physical family didn’t. If Jesus himself couldn’t force his family to share his convictions, what makes you think you can force yours?

We can’t control the way our family responds to us. When it comes to the behavior of others toward us, our hands are tied. We have to move beyond the naive expectation that if we do good, people will treat us right. The fact is they may and they may not—we cannot control how people respond to us.

I can’t assure you that your family will ever give you the blessing you seek, but I know God will. Let God give you what your family doesn’t. If your earthly father doesn’t affirm you, then let your heavenly Father take his place.

God has proven himself as a faithful father. Now it falls to us to be trusting children. Let God give you what your family doesn’t. Let him fill the void others have left. Rely upon him for your affirmation and encouragement. Look at Paul’s words: “You are God’s child, and God will give you the blessing he promised, because you are his child” (Gal. 4:7, emphasis added).
[And] don’t lose heart. God still changes families.

-Heavenly Affirmation- by Max Lucado-

The Touch of God

by Max Lucado

May I ask you to look at your hand for a moment? Look at the back, then the palm. Reacquaint yourself with your fingers. Run a thumb over your knuckles.

What if someone were to film a documentary on your hands? What if a producer were to tell your story based on the life of your hands? What would we see? As with all of us, the film would begin with an infant’s fist, then a closeup of a tiny hand wrapped around mommy’s finger. Then what? Holding on to a chair as you learned to walk? Handling a spoon as you learned to eat?

We aren’t too long into the feature before we see your hand being affectionate, stroking daddy’s face or petting a puppy. Nor is it too long before we see your hand acting aggressively: pushing big brother or yanking back a toy. All of us learned early that the hand is suited for more than survival—it’s a tool of emotional expression. The same hand can help or hurt, extend or clench, lift someone up or shove someone down.

Were you to show the documentary to your friends, you’d be proud of certain moments: your hand extending with a gift, placing a ring on another’s finger, doctoring a wound, preparing a meal, or folding in prayer. And then there are other scenes. Shots of accusing fingers, abusive fists. Hands taking more often than giving, demanding instead of offering, wounding rather than loving. Oh, the power of our hands. Leave them unmanaged and they become weapons: clawing for power, strangling for survival, seducing for pleasure. But manage them and our hands become instruments of grace—not just tools in the hands of God, but God’s very hands. Surrender them and these five-fingered appendages become the hands of heaven.

That’s what Jesus did. Our Savior completely surrendered his hands to God. The documentary of his hands has no scenes of greedy grabbing or unfounded finger pointing. It does, however, have one scene after another of people longing for his compassionate touch: parents carrying their children, the poor bringing their fears, the sinful shouldering their sorrow. And each who came was touched. And each one touched was changed.

I'm a Snowman!

My kiddo found her Texas Rangers winter hat in a box of items that I deemed were too small for her. She instantly got excited, put it on, and exclaimed, "I'm a snowman!" I'm not really sure why she thinks the hat makes her a snowman. I thought it was absolutely adorable and it completely cracked me up! She ran around playing outside today in shorts and her "snowman" hat most of the day. She makes me laugh out loud. She comes up with new and sillier things every day. I totally dig this kid!!! She is the most precious little person I've ever known. What joy she brings into my life every day! I find myself thanking God for the blessing of my daugher countless times a day. I cannot imagine a day without her silliness, her laughter, and her smile. I am the most blessed mommy. She is sweet both inside and out. Even amidst tantrums and moments of frustration, all toddlers go through from time to time, I wouldn't change a single thing! She brings elements of joy to my life that no one else could. Innocence. Goofiness. Playfulness. Wonder. Inquisitiveness. Tender-heartedness. Purity. I just adore being a mom. I wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING.

Admirer...

I have a secret admirer. Only it's not secret. Well, yes it is, sort of. OK, that doesn't make any sense. Does it? I haven't had a secret/non-secret admirer in a long time. At least not that I was aware of, or maybe I wasn't aware of it because it was a secret. Argggh. This isn't making sense, is it? I have an...admirer. Maybe that's a better way of putting it. Only, I don't know who he is. Not because I don't know his name. I do know his name. I just don't know the person to whom the name belongs. But he evidently knows me. Isn't that odd? In fact, several people that I know, know this gentleman. But it never seems that any of us are all in the same place at the same time for them to point out who he is. Why doesn't this admirer just approach me? Shy? Perhaps. Maybe he's heard how MEAN I am in person. Muah ah ah. Seems a bit like child's-play, but nevertheless, maybe he really is just shy. That's alright. It's just nice to have a secret/ non-secret admirer. A girl's gotta like that, right? Well, as long as he's not one of those scary/crazy admirers. Although I am assured that he isn't. However, sadly, if one doesn't get past their shyness, we'll never know the potential or lack thereof. Because the shy-thing doesn't appeal much to me. Just one of my quirks, I guess. Many women LOVE the shy-guy-quality. Many are intrigued by it. I'm just not one of them. Sigh...

More to come?

Who knows...

How God Changed my Heart

Great Insight from Carrie Hudson (Special Guest, Song of Solomon Bible Conferences)...read on:

"Now, one of the Pharisees was requesting Him (Jesus) to dine with him. And He entered the Pharisee's house, and reclined at the table. And behold there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster of perfume. And standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet, and anointing them with the perfume." (Luke 7:36-38)

I think I have read over this passage of scripture many times in my life without giving it much thought. However, this past summer I read it again and the Lord touched my heart in such a way I cried from the first word to the last. I realized there was nothing I wanted more in my life than to be like this woman. The woman, who after hearing that Jesus was within her grasp, ran and got her best perfume to give to Him! To come without a gift…unthinkable! The woman, the sinner, who did not approach Him from the front, but stood behind Him, ever so humbly. The woman, who could not contain her emotion and overwhelming love, wet the Almighty's feet with her tears. The woman who used her hair as a towel to wipe away her tears from the King of King's feet. The woman who kissed the Lamb of Lamb's feet with her lips and anointed them with her finest perfume. This is the woman I want to be most like.

To give myself completely to the Lord. To serve Him and love Him with my very best. To know who He truly is and weep for my destitution and sinful ways. To love the Lord with all abandon and care not what the world around me thinks as I throw myself upon His feet. To serve Him daily and keep my focus upon Him and Him alone. This became my prayer, to be like her to love like this.

The Lord loves to answer prayers like this. He began to change my heart. I became much more sensitive to my sin and I wept over my sin. My love for Jesus became so much more than what it had been in the past. I became completely amazed at the love of the Father. My heart was changed, I was being changed. I cried out for there to be less of me and more of Him.

I continue to cry out to God daily and pray to love Him with total abandon. I know that this love is contagious, and as I bowed, my husband bowed. As I wept over sin, my husband wept over sin. As God changed me, God changed Him. He linked us together this way, and we are better for it. Because there is less of Carrie and Doug there is more of the Great I AM. And we are blessed.

-Carrie Hudson

What scripture is this? (3 different languages)

「 神 愛 世 人 ， 甚 至 將 他 的 獨 生 子 賜 給 他 們 ， 叫 一 切 信 他 的 ， 不 至 滅 亡 ， 反 得 永 生 。

لأَنَّهُ هكَذَا أَحَبَّ اللهُ الْعَالَمَ حَتَّى بَذَلَ ابْنَهُ الْوَحِيدَ، لِكَيْ لاَ يَهْلِكَ كُلُّ مَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِهِ، بَلْ تَكُونُ لَهُ الْحَيَاةُ الأَبَدِيَّةُ.

하나님이 세상을 이처럼 사랑하사 독생자를 주셨으니 이는 저를 믿는 자마다 멸망치 않고 영생을 얻게 하려 하심이니라

The Fern and the Bamboo

One day I decided to quit.... I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality..... I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me...

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo."

In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo".

He said, "In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit."

He said, "Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."

He said to me, "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots. I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you. Don't compare yourself to others."

He said, "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern, yet, they both make the forest beautiful."

"Your time will come," God said to me. "You will rise high!"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?",He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned.

Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest and brought back this story.
I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you........

Never regret a day in your life.

Good days give you Happiness.

Bad days give you Experiences.

Both are essential to life.

Keep going...

Happiness keeps you Sweet,

Trials keep you Strong,

Sorrows keep you Human,

Failures keep you Humble,

Success keeps You Glowing,

But Only God keeps You Going!

Have a great day! The Son is shining!!

God is so big He can cover the whole world with His love
and so small He can curl up inside your heart.

Spinning...but which direction?

This little thing really blew my mind. When you FIRST looked at it, which direction was she spinning? Clockwise or counter-clockwise? I can intentionally change it if I try hard enough, but at first it was spinning counter-clockwise for me. How about you? Funny, because I am left handed and they say you are opposite-brained from what hand you write with. Hmmm. And a lot of the right-brained list fits me better, but not all of it. So, no surprise, I am a bit of a freak of nature. Ha! Anyhow, I thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share.