Dictating the Significance of Life

Several years ago, my office perch was at the front desk of the office. It was the only place to put me and I was asked by our former CEO if I would mind taking on the task of Front Desk duties. This threw everyone into the thought pattern that I had been demoted. Actually, it was saving my job. The initial initiate that I was apart of was ending and my boss was leaving. After a new CEO came in, I was given an office with an actual door. The tour on the front desk became only a day and a half or whenever someone could not be at the front desk. All this to say that this week I have spent the majority of the week at the front desk for a co-worker who is on vacation. Now with the background out of the way, I can get on with what I am trying to write today. So bear with me.

I have recently finished going through the Bible in a year, but only in trying to catch up, since I actually did not begin in January, I have read and pondered why I had never actually had done this one year thing before. Usually my studies are more random on subjects, issues and searching for answers. For the most part over the years, I have gone through not systematically but randomly through. Again, chasing another rabbit. Since there are just a couple of months before the New Year approaches, I thought I would go into a different type of morning study. Which has thrown me into pondering and wondering about my life and those around me. How God orchestrates things to weave together to finally make sense.

One question that always seems to rise to my thoughts is – Who writes these questions in a study? For example: Write a statement that identifies what you feel will be your next storm. Hello – who can say what the next “storm” will be. Of course, in most of these questions, there is no right or wrong answer.

But I do know that for me taking the Word of God and finding Significance to me life has been important to me as far back as I can remember. To live right – to make the right choices – not choices others say we should make – but truly make the choice God wants me to choose. Is this lofty? No.

The second question that rose up, was – Do those who write these studies live what they write or do they want others to think that they truly “know” the mind and will of ‘God. I believe it can be both. All too often, in studies, the standard is not God’s standard, but man’s lofty religious standard that weighs one down with defeat.

If one takes the Word of God and looks at the promises that He says He gives to us when we give our life back to Him and become His child, we inherit all that He has. This is an almost impossible thought. But this morning as I was watching those vehicles whiz past the front window and as I pondered some of the questions of the study I am working through, the wheels began to click – click – click

To be His child gives us significance. He only expects us to take Him at His Word and apply it to our circumstances. It is because we do not believe it, that we can’t seem to get the significance of our lives focused.

Read II Peter 1:3 – His Divine Power has bestowed upon us ALL things that are requisite and suited to life and godliness through full person al knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). (Amplified)

Just think of it – We need to camp here and really get this down into our spirit and brain needs to accept it. We have His Power – Everything we need for Life – By His DIVINE POWER, God has given us EVERYTHING we need for LIVING a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

So if you wonder about the significance of life, your life it is most significant – the requirement to have to become His child. Get to know Him through His Word – Believe it – Chew on it – Take other’s opinions with a grain of salt.

Dictating the significance of Life is not what your position, or what you do or where you sit. You dictate the significant of life through your relationship with the Almighty God – Abba Father – Himself.

What's Behind Your Attitude?

One of my most favorite heroes is King David. He began as nothing, he made major errors and He became a very important and well known but most importantly he was a man close to the Heat of God. In the midst of it all he loved His God passionately and emotionally. Lots have been written about David and his life. Check out I and II Samuel of the Old Testament. But you can read about David’s heart in the Psalms. (I especially love reading from the Amplified Bible).

Over the years I believe my attitude about life and love and people and issues have revolved to where I believe is a reflective attitude. If you ever go to my website you will find words that people said described me, a brief look at my past and my present. Of course I had to keep it brief and one day I will put it all together in a great series of books and who knows a made for night time television – one of those Lifetime movies.

Recently, I moved from my daughter’s home into an apartment. I have been opening boxes and going through my worldly possessions, those treasures of things that I have held on to. It has caused me many moments of reflection over the past, the present and even thoughts of the future.

I have been rightfully accursed of being a “pack rat” of such. Most of my worldly possessions are items that serve as “memory making: symbols. For example, most of my furniture comes from my parent’s home, some of which were their original pieces from the start of their home. Some of my most prized possessions are things my children made when they were in kindergarten. Yes, I still have the Pringles can wrapped in faded construction paper my daughter made for me for Mother’s Day when she was 3.

What is interesting about these memories is the reality of where I have been in my journey with the Lord. For most of my life has been struggling just to get to the place of being a “real” person. I struggled with who I was, what I was and why I was. The negative attitudes I encountered from others telling me what was wrong with me, why I would not ever make it, how different I was, and always pointing out my flaws. Even after giving my life to the Lord, I struggled with many of these old haunts, as well as new ones brought about from well meaning Christian brothers and sisters.

The majority of the time our attitude is driven by our motives and our emotions of our circumstances. Our attitude reflects what is deep inside of us and what we have experienced. David’s attitude through out his life showed a determination to rejoice and love his God, regardless of the situation and the attitude of others. As I opened boxes and unpacked the memories of the past, I had this over whelming sense of peace about who I was, what I was and why I was. For like David I have an attitude that reflects my determination to rejoice in My Abba Father, to fall at his feet and cling to Him. For I know that it is not in the circumstances, it is not in people, it is in knowing and the loving relationship, the total bond between me and my most precious Abba Father.

Read Philippians 2:3-8 and Psalms 34:1-3 So I ask you today, What's in Your Attiude?

A Menagerie of Thoughts

When you take on the ownership of a Blog space, once should keep their thoughts in some form of order. Over the past several weeks, I have had lots of thoughts but no time to development a good blog. I had to laugh for this is life. A menagerie of things to do and places to be and no time to work them all in. So is this blog. A random menagerie of profound thoughts and comments. Enjoy……
The Price of Salt! There are things that just offend me. Paying 69 cents for a box of salt is one of them. Not that I use a lot so salt, but every once in awhile you need to have some salt. This past week I began moving into an apartment and I guess somewhere along the way I have lost my salt. All I know is that last time I bought a box of salt; I paid 10 cents for it. And pepper is over $2.00. I guess with the world going nuts with stocks taking a nose dive, why am I surprised that those that furnish us with salt and pepper are raising their prices as well.
Facts or Fiction: Today I sent out an e-mail to all my friends and families concerning a letter Beth Moore had sent out about Kay Arthur. Come to find out the letter was a phony. I was beyond embarrassed. Especially when I am so particular about things I send out. It is always best to know your facts before turning yourself into an unknowledgeable fool.
Just remember that we as “Christians” need to take a hard look at ourselves in this day and time to see whether or not we are praying and doing or we much like the Children of Israel in that we have so become tangled in the World and the Fears of the World that we will have Abba Father give us a good “Hear Me and Understand Me Well” meeting.
Profoundness: The dictionary defines Profound as entering deeply into subjects of thoughts or knowledge or having deep insight or understanding. Penetrating into the depths of one’s being. Going far beneath what is superficial, external or obvious. Deep meaning.

Well, I don’t know if my thoughts are as the dictionary describes or if I just have grown up watching too many who done it. I have spent a lifetime or at least over 50 years watching and pondering the ways, whys and what fors of people. People fascinate me and I am many times surprised at how much time and effort is put in to trying to impress others with what they know or what they want you to think they know. So I ponder and wonder and roll scenarios over and over in my brain until I conclude what the real facts are.

There are those in my life who spend lots of time trying to convene me that things are the way they are an others who are just themselves. Those are the ones I prefer to hang out with. Which I hope in return I am who I say I am. Which I think I am, but I know that I am multi-faceted.

Take my website for example. It displays many sides of me. No one area looks like the other one. It has a lot to be done before being finished, which is much like me. I have a lot to be done to me before I am complete. So if you visit my website and it looks like it’s not finish – keep checking back often to see what I have done.

Attitude: An outward expression of an inward feeling.
It is the “advance man” of our true selves
It is the roots are inward, but its fruits are outward
It is our best friend or our worst enemy
It is more honest and more consistent than our words
It is an outward look based on past experiences
It is the thing that draws people to us or repels them
It is never content until it is expressed
It is the librarian of our past
It is the speaker of our present – It is the prophet of our future.

The Standard

The definition for Standard is: model; criterion; norm

This is a word that is thrown around a lot, especially in the world of Christianity. Phrases like - Raising the Standard, Being the Standard, Setting the Standard.

Today I actually left my office at lunch, which is a very rare thing. The weather was beautiful and I was in need to find a large ice filled glass of diet coke. As I began driving I found my self reflecting on different scenarios I had seen over the past several weeks and those actions we call “Standard”.

Which brings up other questions, like, “Do we have one set of standards when in the Churchhouse and another set of standards when we are at work and then an entirely different set of standards when we are with our friends and family members? Do we have different standards for different occasions? “Do we actually have a “standard” we have for everyone else that we gauge where they fit in our life?

I began thinking about that old sitcom “Sex In The City”. Now that it has been made into a movie – all those women who would never admit to ever watching flocked by the thousands to go see. Ok, stop right there my fine upstanding “Christian Sister”. Do not gasp, while speed dialing to tell that I actually am talking about a program that you yourself have secretly watched for years.

The “Standard”, for “Sex In The City” changed the course of our children sadly enough for the worse. Not to mention what the free ticket to “Sin Overdose” for the young business woman. But that is a subject for a different blog. For this particular blog, I would like to point out that the one factor most prominent in this sitcom was the loyalty of friendship. Good or bad, right or wrong, the friends stuck together and were most forgiving of each other.

How many have had good friends, or known family members that have put you at arms length because you did not meet their “Standard”? It’s a lot to think about and I continue this afternoon to ponder the “Standard” question. One rabbit trail leads to another.

The one thing I have found is that if I truly look at another person in the “Standard” of the eyes of Jesus, I must accept them and love them just the way He loves them. It certainly changes “My Standard”. How’s “Your Standard” looking these days?

In closing, I will be very honest with you, up until the movie (which I have yet to see – Really! – I had never seen the sitcom, but it opened up a whole new world of pondering and profound thinking on a variety of subjects. So stay tune – you will never know what I may pull out of my brain and into my blog.

Icing On The Cake

On Saturday, a friend of mine asked if I had read an article in a frou-frou magazine that highlights the rich and famous of the area, highlighting fund raising events where folks come out in their finery – candid shots of those who attended the events. There is also a lot advertising of shops and communities that cater to the rich. A fun read.

Last night my daughter plopped this magazine in my lap and asked me to read the story of a little girl’s slumber party that was the feature story of the magazine. By the time I read through the article, I was beyond appalled that this magazine felt it appropriate to highlight the more than ridiculous event that took it to the level of insane. What does this child have to look forward to as a young adult?

But, the “Icing on the Cake”, was the paragraph where each little girl was giving a “ball” to be given to the underprivileged children of the area to promote health and wellness. At that point, I knew the word “Stupid” was at the fore front of the article. I had no choice but to respond to the Editor with a response to this inappropriate article.

Each little girl at this slumber party were – Given a pair of pretty pajamas, a pillow with a butterfly theme, a hand painted plate with their name, a facial and hair by a team of professionals from a upscale Day Spa – on and on the list of what these little girls received to attend this little slumber party went on. But the underprivileged child received a ball. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?!!!!!!

Do we really think these little girls grasped the giving to others? No!! They probably did not even know or think for a moment about giving to others. What is apparent is this mother wanted to sell a bag of poop, that this outrageous party had some philanthropic justification. And I must ask the question just what was the editor of this magazine thinking when writing about this absurdity of this beyond extreme party of a little girl to mentioning that a flippant gift of a “ball” to an underprivileged child was teaching these little girls giving to others. It would have been better to just leave this statement out. For this paragraph makes the mother and the magazine look like idiots.

What is the sadness of this whole scenario, what will this child believe that what ever she wants her parents will buy. Do you think she actually appreciated what was done for her? What does she have to look forward to as a young adult?

The appreciation of a simple ball was probably more appreciated by the child that received it, than the child that received the “mess” given to them at this party that by this time next year will be forgotten.

Shame on you mother! Shame on you editor! And shame on the mother who thinks that she will have to top this party for her little girl.

Voting Right for Us and For Our Nation

As the Introduction to Superman came the announcer would say Superman fought for Truth, Justice and the American Way. Now the reality is as Christians we need to stand for Truth, God’s Justice and God’s Way. As responsible Christians praying for our nation should be as important as praying for our families, our children and our fellow Christian brother and sisters.

A famous preacher was quoted recently “What this nation does affects the whole world—we need to pray for our nation...we have to take a stand, our stand is our vote and our vote has a voice…you have to pray and you have to vote.”

We have become a nation that places the blame on everyone else and wants someone else to pay for our errors. We spend endless hours watching politicians wag their tongues about what they are and are not going to do, what the other politician has not done and what was a lie. We have listened to the news media on their take of what was really said in a debate. Then every where you go a person has an opinion on who should be leading our nation.

It was not any one politician or one administration that put our nation in the shape it is in. The bottom line is we have sinned against our Holy God. We have compromised our beliefs and accepted half truths.

In studying the Old Testament we find there is not much difference in the shape we are in and the shape the Children of Israel were in. More times than not you will see that our Holy God placed an evil ruler to bring them back to Him. And you will also see there were those who stayed on their knees and interceded on behalf of the Children of Israel asking God to not only forgive them, but to set them free from the very bonds that they put themselves in.

Today there are Christians and Godly men and women of God on their knees interceding for our nation, for us.

I read this today and believed it is worth passing on to you:

Before the pilgrims set foot on the shores of the New World in 1620, they made a covenant with each other...and they made a covenant with God. They agreed to join together as a civil body “for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith....” Their intent was to establish and run a government on the principles of God.

That covenant was called The Mayflower Compact. Today, that covenant—signed nearly 400 years ago—is ratified every time you as a believer step into a voting booth and cast your vote. But that holy covenant has also come under fierce attack like never before. After all, it is in effect a declaration of war against Satan and every devil of hell.

America is the cradle of democracy. She is also the cradle of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

That’s why it’s so vitally important that we as Christians band together to preserve our God-given nation.

History has proven time after time in this land that it only takes a faith-filled few to make a difference—whether in the battlefield or in the voting booth. And given the last presidential election, we of all people should know the power we carry in just one vote. With Election Day just around the corner, NOW is the time to prepare to vote.

First, if you are not registered to vote, then do so as soon as possible.

Second, pray over the election. Pray over all the candidates, as well as the “political platform” on which they stand.

Ask God to show you how to vote. Then, obey and get out and vote!

A ballot is just a piece of paper until you hand it over to God. When you give it to Him—and He puts His hand on it—it becomes a holy covenant. It affirms what men and
women of faith did centuries ago.

I challenge you to take the following prayer and pray it through out the day, not only for the election coming up but for future elections.

Heavenly Father, we come before you in the Name of Jesus on behalf of all our leaders in the United States of America-our local, state, and national leaders, our judicial, legislative and executive leaders, our law enforcement officers and all civil servants.

We plead the blood of Jesus over our leaders and their households and we stand in that covenant blood on behalf of this entire nation.

God your Word say in Proverbs 21:1 that the heart of the king is in Your hand—and You turn it whichever way You choose. So we ask You to direct the hearts and minds of our leaders to make decisions that will lead our country in Your ways, according to Your Word.

Lord we ask You to remove from position of authority those who stubbornly oppose righteousness. Replace them with men and women who will follow You and Your appointed course for our schools, our cities, our counties, our states and our nation.

Now, we declare the power of the Living God over every election held in this country—from border to border and coast to coast. We declare that your people, Your choice, Your men and women –whatever political party they are in—get into office.
Father, thank You for bringing change to the politics of America. We say that righteousness will prevail in our political process. And we thank You for it. In Jesus Name Amen

Memory Making

In the movie Parent Trap, one of the twins is hugging her grandfather and sniffing his jacket. He asked her what she was doing. She said – Making Memories.

Making memories out of a day can be just the thing to take an ordinary day and turn it into an extraordinary day. Have you ever had one of those days, when you find yourself in the midst of a situation that could possibly be deemed as not so wonderful? There is one thing for sure – the memory will never leave us and when we do look back they make for some of our most precious times.

Over the years, those that know me well know that I am known for my stories. Happenings and moment making events that are sure to being a smile on the faces of others, because they can not believe they are true.

One of the reasons I added this blog to my website, is to give me the freedom to spin the tales of adventures I have found myself in and not have to go back and rework and redo my website so often.

Just this past weekend, I had one of those Memory Making Moments. I have just written a friend an e-note and by the time I finished it, I realized I must share this tale in my blog.

A friend asked me to go to a movie this weekend. She is old friend from the street I raised the children on. She and I have known each other for somewhere around 30 plus years. We are like City Mouse/Country Mouse. When I got to her house, I asked her where she got the tickets from. It was from the Church that hurt my daughter and husband when they were on staff there. The Church had bought out that hour of the theater. So t I am going to be right up in the midst of these folks that I would like to take a belt to doing my children wrong. I just prayed that no one would recognize me.

She told me she ad a couple of stops to make before and after. On the way we had to stop by and leave her daughter a half box of detergent - now mind you, she did not go to the door and ring the door bell, she just left it in the car port and then called her on the cell phone to tell her it was there. Then we dropped by her garden so she could pick up veggie's out of the garden for Sunday lunch. I sat in the car - (I don't do garden's any more). So far so good.

As the movie ended, someone announced that there was going to be dessert at the Church. My friend said she needed to run by this Church and pick up the almost dead mums to make the Sunday Arrangement for the front of the Church (just use green plants I say!!). Now picture this. I am standing outside in the dark waiting for her to open the front of the church up. She promised we would get in and get out before the “crowd” arrived. When we got there it was dark and I told her I would just stay in the car, that way I would not have to accidentally run into anyone. Oh but my friend insisted that I help her. As we start to the front, she takes an exit left to the side of the church through the shrubs. Now mind you I did not follow, I had no idea what she was doing. Surely she was not hiding, or maybe she did not want anyone to see us either. I quietly hollowed, what are you doing? She responded with a statement that the plants outside needed watering. How did she know this it was dark and I could hardly see in front of my face? She never said we were going to water the plants. By this time people are driving up and of course you can imagine – I am standing in the dark in the front of a Church I did not attend and my friend is roaming around in the bushes!!!

Finally she unlocks the door and we slip into the dark, there she starts handing me these potted mums. All I can think of is please God do not let us be arrested for taking flowers out of a Church. You know someone might have thought we were robbers and called the police on their cell phone. As we exit the front of the Church in the dark. Cars are pulling up next to her car and I just knew someone was going to say halt put those mums down, but no one seem to care, guess they were move interested in the desserts. Finally we were on our way.

But the story does not end here. Just as we settled back into the car her cell phone rings. The next thing I know we are flying down highway 80 at 60 miles an hour. She had forgotten to pick up some boards; she had bought earlier in the day at a garage sale. I was captive! Off we go to another area of the city she was driving with determination to leave the two boards she spent all of $1.00 on. As I reminded her that there were red lights ahead and that the speed limit was not quite as high as she was going, she just smiled. Finally she pulls up at a house where there are no lights on at all. Getting out of her car she disappeared to the side of the house, reappearing with her finds. All I can think of is how to explain to the police why we are taking two old boards and have a trunk full of dying mums. Just wanting to get to my own car, we both realize that the boards are not going to fit in the backseat of her car. I am going to have to get out of the safety of the car. Just as we had gotten the boards into the car, lights come on and the garage door opens. I was like a deer in the headlights. I was staring at a lady standing in her nightgown who is looking at me, with a very puzzled look on her face. She is trying to figure out who we are and I am trying to figure out what to say. She is looking directly at me. "We've come for the boards", I called to her. "What" she says as she strains to see who I am. Louder I said "We have come for the boards". "Oh" and just as quickly as the garage door went up the garage door closes and there I stand in the dark again.

On my way home, all I could think of was this was one of those Memory Moments. Someone would love to hear about. So what's in your memory??