2012-The Year of Change....Progress?

Weight loss appears to be going well in spite of the fact that I constantly sabotage myself. It is very humbling to realize there is no such thing as will power. I know that I personally have absolutly none. The only way I am going to be successful in my quest for a healthier me is to constantly be reminded that God is the only one in control. By myself I'm just a glutton.  Hard lesson indeed but acknowledging this and embracing this truth has given me great peace. I sure was tired of trying to do it on my own.  Oh yeah, lets not forget the good news...the scale tells me I'm ten pounds lighter than I was just one month ago.

On to the second phase of a healtier me. I found out why my foot has been hurting so bad for the last year. I have plantars faciitis. So far I have had a cortizone injection and have been signed up for six weeks of physical therapy. I'm trying to be a patient patient.

2012 - THE YEAR OF CHANGE-Thursday, Dec 29 2011

Re-learning to cook real food for one instead of just heat & eat takes some thought.

2012 - THE YEAR OF CHANGE-Monday, Dec 26 2011

Got on the bathroom scales and almost had a stroke. Rejoined Weight Watchers that evening.

2012 - THE YEAR OF CHANGE

I am not making any "New Years Resolutions" this year; I seldom do anyway. I do however have many opportunities to make significant changes in my life. I have two challenges / opportunities that I already know are on my plate. They are listed below in order of long range importance.

1. Take care of my health. This will include weight loss because I am now having multiple health issues because of it and I would like to be around to see my Great-Grandchildren born, God willing. I would also would love to be able to go for a walk in the woods without pain. That would be awesome in itself.
2. Acquire new employment. A necessity not only to be able to stay financially stable but I also need that thing called health insurance to accomplish number 1.

I have found that I really don't journal or blog very well but I am going to try to share a bit about my year because I need all the support I can get from my friends. These goals are both very achievable and although they may not be easy at times I look forward to the journey and choose to be excited to begin.

Going through the motions......

With all of the recent news and activity that has been going on in our family; weddings, birthdays, a new precious grandson on the way, you would think that my mind would be on track and my heart would be secure. Unfortunately that has been the farthest thing from the truth in my mind for several months now.

I thought that when I found out my exit date from the company that I would be able to start making plans about who I wanted to be or what I wanted to do when I grew up. Instead I seem to be stuck in neutral. I have had to begin taking medication for depression and anxiety added to the have high blood pressure and acid reflux. Combining my vitamins and Rx drugs together I take 9 pills in the morning when I wake up and almost the same amount before I go to bed. I feel a lot older than I should. I also need to lose weight which would be a great help in correcting all of the above.

The issues I listed about are just my physical state. Spiritually I have been walking around in a dry land. Last night I was at church for a time of worship, prayer and communion, During my personal prayer time I became acutely aware of scriptures that where running through my head and where directed straight to my spirit. "Be Still" , "I have plans for you", "I'm right here, I'm not leaving you.", "Be Still", "You are my daughter", "I care for you" , "I know what you need and I will provide".

So, as I start today with these assurances held close to my heart; I will move forward with the intention of being fully engaged in the world around me; because even though I don't know what or where it is right now.....the is a place for me because my heavenly Father said so. Not that this is a magical formula and all my woes have disappeared but I have been reminded that God my Father hasn't disappeared either.

Blessing to all!

Well, now I know.

So now I know when my CIBA ride will end. My official last day at work will be March 30, 2012. Now I have to figure out if I really want to ride it out or start my job search and perhaps jump ship.

All in a week

Wow what a week. So many emotions have played through my heart and my head that I feel a bit drained.

Although somewhat expected on my part at least, we found out what a company acquisition and subsequent merger would mean to us, the worker bees. My 16 year ride is now winding down and coming to an end. It has been a good ride. We still don't know the exact when. So now I face the uncertain future with a mixture of excitement and fear.

I know I will land on my feet. I trust the Word of the Living God when he promises that he will NEVER leave or forsake me. He has proved that to me over and over through the years. I am not about to start doubting that fact now. It is my assurance that I don't have to be the one in control. In fact my life turns out a whole lot better when I listen and obey.

So even though this is not going to be easy I will move forward and with much prayer and supplication I will get past it and on to the next season.

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My Grazing Issues

Why do I eat so well at work and not at home, besides that fact that I pack my lunch? Most days I am perfectly fine at work and not tempted to sneak snacks that are lying around. I don’t go to the coffee shop and normally the vending machines do not call my name. But when I get home? That’s a different story.

I would say that three nights out of seven I graze from the time I walk in the front door until I turn out the light at bedtime. The only good thing about this right now is that I joined Weight Watchers seven weeks ago so there in nothing in my house that is “unhealthy”. So far I have lost 10 pounds; which is great. I am not knocking the weight loss at all. I am very happy about it. I just know in my heart of hearts it could be more if I could just get this grazing issue under control.

It really doesn’t matter if everything you eat is healthy if you eat two days worth of groceries in a four hour period. Yes, I am exaggerating a bit. It is a problem. I need to find a distraction....a distraction that doesn’t cost any money cause on top of the weight issues I also have to deal with money issues. My issue with money is that I don’t have enough of it and what I do have I don’t always manage very well. No I am not whining...and I don’t feel sorry for myself. I am just trying to puzzle out what I am going to do about it.

Pet Peeve-Fowarded E-Mails

Why is it that people feel the need to forward so many e-mail that warn us of a never ending supply of topics ranging anywhere from supposed poisonings to an embarrassing faux pas by a political figure. In my experience it appears that if “they” see it in an e-mail then it must be true and without any more thought or investigation into the matter they hit the forward button and send it to everyone in their address book.

One of the most recent e-mails I received that fits into this “pet peeve” category pictures President Obama removing his shoes with a caption that indicates he was having a Muslim prayer meeting at the White House. Upon further investigation (which only took a few extra keystrokes on the keyboard) I discovered that the picture had been taken on Obama’s recent trip to Turkey (not inside the White House). He was visiting a mosque where it is required that everyone (even the President of the United States) remove their shoes before entering. This is not a political or religious statement on his part. If he and his wife had been entering a Catholic cathedral in Italy, more than likely Mrs. Obama would have had her head covered. If they had been entering a Jewish synagogue then the President would have had a yamaka on. My question is how many people would have believed this article had it appeared on the cover of one of the grocery store tabloid newspapers. I know some who would; but common sense tells the majority of the population to question the article and go to other sources for verification.

Now those of you who know me well know that I am not a fan of Obama; and if that statement bothers you please note that I was also not a fan of McCain. This post is not intended to be a debate of Democrat vs Republican. The point of this post is to try to raise awareness that “truth” is a lot more important in order to enable us to make wise and intelligent decisions and just to act like we have a brain at all. It is such a simple thing to take a few moments to verify the validity of information before spreading what in essence is just a rumor and in some cases malicious misinformation.

There are several ways to do this. The easiest to me is to enter the subject line of the email into any internet search engine followed by “Is this true” hit go. If you have never done this before you will be surprised with the results that appear. There are two websites that I use as well www.snopes.com and www.truthorfiction.com. I have found both to give good information. All I am asking is that you investigate first; and then if you still feel the need to share, then by all means go ahead and hit that forward button.

So now I will climb down off of my soapbox.

An Observation of My Behavior in Relation to Other Humans

I am a chameleon or a least this must be close to what it feels like to be one. But do I really have to blend into my environment? Is it essential for my basic survival? No. My kid’s generation calls it being a “poser”. I think mine may use the word “hypocrite”.

So why do I change how I present myself from one place to the next? All of these personas are a part of who I am. I show one part to one set of individuals and I let someone else see another facet. Why? I firmly believe that it is because the people around me are as imperfect as I am. I do not think that they would know what to do with me if I truly “let my hair down” and invited them into the innermost regions of my mind. If they truly knew what I was thinking they would be amazed or possibly horrified. I can be pretty unconventional while at times I am very traditional.

My church acquaintances do it too. I have caught many of them in the act. My work colleagues do it because they have to protect their livelihood. You can’t show your employer who you really are. I even change from one group of friends to another depending on the personality of the group. Why? I truly believe it is because we are all so imperfect that we can not trust others with who we are. Unconditional acceptance is an impossible task for us mere mortals.

I also challenge those individuals who say “I am who I am. I am the same to all I encounter.” I have also caught you in the act of being a chameleon as well.

Any time I have tried to talk to someone, anyone about this sort of thing I get similar reactions. No one wants to admit these types of thoughts are common to all of us. We are all afraid at some level to let people in. We find it necessary to create boundaries of acceptable intimacy with various groups. We have to protect our privacy. I find it all very tiring. I truly would love to find someone / anyone who I can just be me with.

While all this sounds a bit depressing when reading back over it, I am not a depressed person. I just wanna be me…..and so I circle back to my original observations.

Getting Reacquainted

There is a lot to be said in favor of the current craze in the on-line social networking sites. One in particular has helped me re-connect with many friends from years gone by. What is amazing to me is that we are actually getting reacquainted and building new memories together and not just re-hashing old ones. The fact that we still have things in common with each other after all this time is another fact that surprises me. There have been a few instances where the friendship just doesn’t work like it used to but all in all I have had many more successful reunions.

Another individual I have been getting reacquainted with is my ex-husband of almost 23 years. He refuses to call me his ex-wife. He introduces me as the mother of his children. This journey is very strange. Strange in a good way though. We have talked through many of our past issues and agreed to leave other buried in the past. We were both very young and dumb and there are just certain things that we really should just leave alone. We are in the process of trying to figure out what is important individually and to each other. We have yet to decide where this is going and I for one have decided not to analyze it too much. If nothing else we are hoping to be good friends.

We have also had to try to manage the expectations of our now adult children. We have made it a point to let them know that we are spending time together. Their reactions have been fun to watch. One told me that the only important thing was that I was happy and doing what I wanted to do. Another finally admitted to the secret dream that the parents would one day reunited. Then there is the one that can’t seem to stop grinning from ear to ear whenever the subject comes up in our conversations.

The strangest part is that we are still the same people. The same attractions are still there but at the same time we are very different. We are keeping and revisiting the good memories and guarding ourselves from the not so good ones while we also begin the process of trying to create new memories. We shall see. Fantasies do become reality on occasion.

Just stuff & random thoughts I have had about my big brother.

Kenneth Lee Spencer
9/8/54 - 01/30/10

I miss you bro.

Before we had younger siblings we shared a bedroom.

I used to go play on the playground during his little league baseball games.

He used to tickle me till I screamed.

We used to walk to elementary school together.

He carried me around the neighborhood on his shoulders when he and his friends snuck out of the house to go pick muscadines in the neighbors yards.

He carried me home when I fell off my bike and slid down Lambeth Lane on the back of my hand and burned all the skin off when I was nine years old.

We would walk to Playland Skating rink together.

He had a white mouse named Herman and a green iguana named Shalom.

I have always wondered if he and one cousin were "kissing cousins" once upon a time???


Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose,Me & Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin

My friends thought that he was cute.


He ruined what was supposed to be my first "boy / girl" birthday party cause he had to have an emergency tonsillectomy and Mom wasn't there to make it all work. (She had to stay wth "him" overnight in the hospital). I was really upset.


He had a white Mustang with blue interior. He put "Hang Ten" gas and brake pedals in it.


He gave me my first "rock & roll" album. It was Three Dog Night's Golden Biscuits album.


He would pick me up and let me drive his car even when the tires were bald and the brakes were bad and the speedometer didn't work.
Shhhh, don't tell Mom and Dad.


He caught his apartment on fire because he was repairing his motorcycle in the kitchen and a spark ignited gasoline fumes and then BAM! It made the local news. As I child, I thought this was funny!


I celebrated my High School graduation night at his house.


He taught me and my husband how to play darts.


Happy trails....at one point he used to always say this as we said "Bye, see you later."


He taught my kids how to hunt for sand fleas on the on the beach to use as fish bait.


He used to work for a company called A Smile and he used to bring me sample pairs of jeans. If I remember correctly he told me that some of the styles were never sold here in Atlanta. Nobody had jeans like me.....hard to believe I used to be samlple size. LOL


I used to sneak into his bedroom and listen to albums with him. Mom didn't wnat me to do it cause some fo the songs had bad words.


He was a volenteer firefighter for Marineland, FL.

I don’t have time.

I don’t have time. I am too busy. What do we; or what should we, do with all of our time?

I have been noticing lately how we as people in general use the excuse of I don’t have time to do that or I am to busy to do that…..what’s up with that? This has probably been happening since the fall of man but for some reason I have been noticing it lately and it has begun to irritate me. Not that it matters what I think or anything, it just appears to be another one of my “pet peeves”.

Some of the things I hear frequently are

I don’t have time to clean my house
I don’t have time to exercise.
I don’t have time to go to the movies, shopping, dinner
I don’t have time to read a book
I don’t have time to do the laundry
I don’t have time to go to church
I don’t have time to volunteer

The list can go on and on of what I have heard people say they don’t have enough time to do. It seems to me that the response has become a common excuse not to do something just because we just don’t want to and then feel like we have to have an excuse so we automatically say “I don’t have time”. It’s the same as if someone asks us “How are you today” and we habitually respond with an “I’m fine.” Our world could be crumbling but we just say “I’m fine.” I try not to ask that question of someone unless I do indeed have the time to listen to them in case they want and/or need to talk about their life as it stands at that point. Oh wait a minute. I need to get back on topic here.

We all have the same amount of time in a day. So the response of “I don’t have time” is really not a reason at all. Why can’t we call an apple an apple? I would love for someone to give of these responses instead.

I am a slob and I don’t like to clean, so I don’t.
Or
I would rather pay someone to clean my house.

I am lazy and haven’t been able to get my butt up off of the couch.
Or
I need to exercise? Really?

I would rather do other things than sit in a movie, go shopping or go out to dinner
I prefer to watch movies after they come out on DVD.
Those activities are not in my budget.

I do not enjoy reading.
I find it difficult to read and would rather watch a movie.

I don’t enjoy shopping.
I am not a shopper. I go in to a store with a list and come out after I found what I need.

I really don’t like doing the laundry so I let it pile up until I have nothing left to wear.

I am uncomfortable going to church.
I don’t feel the need to go to church.
I had a bad experience at church, so I don’t go anymore.

I just don’t volunteer.
It’s not how I want to spend my free time.
It has never dawned on me that I should volunteer.

So why don’t we really tell people what we think and feel? One of the reason’s I have experienced is that I really don’t think the person I am talking to care anything about what I have to say. This is another reason I like to give off the wall answers sometimes. It makes people blink and look at you like they just heard a foreign language. They don’t know how to respond when they hear an unexpected comment. I think this may be why some people think I am a bit odd at times. I also just hate conforming all the time.

It would be nice if we all just stopped long enough and took some time to really listen to each other. Unconditional acceptance is a cool concept isn’t it? Completely unreachable; but it's still a cool concept.

We all have the same amount of time available to us each day and we have all the time in the world to devote to things that are important to us. So saying, “I don’t have time.” is really just a way of saying that something is not a high priority in your life. So, why not call it like it is Instead of saying,”I don’t have time.” Just say “That is not a priority for me at this time.” Or even a simple “I don’t want to.”

I am done. Thanks for your time. :-)

So Sad.....

I was given the news yesterday that the son of a former co-worker had passed away unexpectedly at the very young age of 18. I can’t even imagine what this family is going through right now. One comment I heard while the news was being passed around the office was “It makes me want to go home and hug my kid.” I think that this is a sentiment that expressed in varying forms throughout the day.

From the postings placed by the family on their facebook accounts it is evident that they are leaning on their faith in Jesus to be their strength while they learn to deal with the aftermath of losing their loved one. I hope it is a comfort to them to know that he is in heaven now. My prayer for the family is that they continue to lean on our Heavenly Father and that they seek His comfort.

While thinking and praying about all this the Holy Spirit brought to my mind some of the names of God. Meditating on them has brought a wonderful sense of peace. Because even though I do not know this family well; I found this news to be unsettling. The Holy Spirit knows what to put into our mind in order to comfort us. What a wonderful Creator and Savior we have.

El-Shaddai -- The God Who is Sufficient for the Needs of His People
Jehovah-Ropheka -- The Lord our Healer
Jehovah-Shalom -- The Lord our Peace
Jehovah-Shammah -- The Lord is Present

Do you know my Savior?????? There is no rest without Him.

Reading Proverbs Devotionally……

Normally I start my day by reading Proverbs. There are 31 Proverbs in all and it makes the perfect daily devotional. So today is October 21 therefore Proverbs 21. Sorry if I am over simplifying.

Today, because I was piddling around I didn’t make myself enough time to read devotionally before I left for work so I didn’t pick up the Word until I went to lunch. The verses today just blow me away. There are so many that just jumped off of the page at me today. There are some that are pricking my conscience and then there are some that are just plain encouraging. I love it when I am having issues with someone or something and I pick up the Word and it speaks to my heart in such an intimate way that I know that God planned it that way. It is just way to perfect to be by chance.

I have copied today’s proverb below and highlighted some of the verses that have spoken to me in one way or another. I could write about each and every one ….but that would take forever. I would rather you do your own reading and ask our Heavenly Father to speak in a unique way just to you. Enjoy!

Proverbs 21 (New International Version)

1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD;
he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
2 All a man's ways seem right to him,
but the LORD weighs the heart.
3 To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
the lamp of the wicked, are sin!
5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit
as surely as haste leads to poverty.
6 A fortune made by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.
7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
for they refuse to do what is right.
8 The way of the guilty is devious,
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
9 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
10 The wicked man craves evil;
his neighbor gets no mercy from him.
11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge.
12 The Righteous One takes note of the house of the wicked
and brings the wicked to ruin.
13 If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor,
he too will cry out and not be answered.
14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.
15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.
16 A man who strays from the path of understanding
comes to rest in the company of the dead.
17 He who loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.
18 The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.
19 Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.
20 In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil,
but a foolish man devours all he has.
21 He who pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity and honor.
22 A wise man attacks the city of the mighty
and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust.
23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue
keeps himself from calamity.
24 The proud and arrogant man-"Mocker" is his name;
he behaves with overweening pride.
25 The sluggard's craving will be the death of him,
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous give without sparing.
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—
how much more so when brought with evil intent!
28 A false witness will perish,
and whoever listens to him will be destroyed forever.
29 A wicked man puts up a bold front,
but an upright man gives thought to his ways.
30 There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
that can succeed against the LORD.
31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the LORD.

HAPPY CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK…..

HAPPY CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK…..
This week’s theme is "A Call To Excellence."

You may or may not be aware that this week is National Customer Service Week (October 5-9, 2009) This week is a national event devoted to recognizing the importance of customer service and recognizing the people in the industry. In 1988, the International Customer Service Association began honoring Customer Service Week during the first week of October. In 1992, the U.S. Congress proclaimed Customer Service Week a nationally recognized event.

During the week thousands of customer service reps in call centers and help desks across the country will celebrate Customer Service Week. Here at my company we get to do things like dress down for the week.. Every day is casual day. Our manager provides breakfast a couple of days, snacks and drinks, daily drawings for free stuff and a luncheon to celebrate what we do on a daily basis.

So what do we do and why would this become a topic for me to ponder on besides the fact that I am a member of the community of Customer Service individuals?

As I see it we help resolve unexpected “situations” and make people feel important. How do we do this? We “listen” to what our customers are telling us and then we ask “probing questions” to help clarify and identify what their exact need is. We then use the resources and tools available to us to implement a solution that will satisfy them and they will be “delighted” with our company and the service they have received from us.

Recently our Bible Fellowship teacher has been challenging the leaders of our small group to be “servant leaders” and it dawned on me that because of my profession; I already have the skills necessary to assist me in this endeavor. The words I have put into quotation marks in the proceeding paragraph are considered buzz words within my department and are very applicable to the concept of servant leadership and are a good jumping off point to explore one approach to being a servant leader.

One way to begin exhibiting servant leadership as a lifestyle is to listen to what people are saying when you talk to them. I mean really listen. People spill their guts without even meaning too, especially to someone who is really listening. Don’t ask the question “How are you doing today?” unless you are willing to take the time to hear their answer. The majority of the time the response will simply be “I’m fine, and you?” A nice and polite exchange of pleasantries. But more often than you realize you will run into people who have real needs and intense situations happening in their life that they will allude to when they answer that simple question. If you are listening and asking caring and careful probing questions you will find that they open up and confide in you.

So what to do after you know what the need is? Use the tools you have available to you to determine what can be done. The first tool and the most important on is prayer. Pray before anything. Ask God himself to lead you in the direction you should go. Don’t pass up the opportunity to personally serve this person. If you can’t help, do you know someone else who can? Why not introduce these two people to each other. The need is not necessarily a physical one. Do they need a friend? Be a friend and introduce them to others. Do they need a mentor. Is that mentor you or do you know the perfect person to step into that role? I am not talking about enabling bad behavior I am talking about helping someone with perhaps an emergency physical need and as well as spiritual ones. More importantly I am talking about being intimately involved in the lives of other people. Not as a busy body but as a friend. It seems to me that if everyone would pay attention to each other in this way we would have bunches of “delighted” people in our lives. I truly believe that God our Father has put out the “Call to Excellence”.

Remember the words of Paul…
9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:9-11) - Italics mine

Foolishness – What is foolishness and who are the fools in your life?

We all have fools in our life. I know I do and there have been times when those people are me, myself and I. So how do you recognize a “fool”? Who does the Bible say is a “fool”?

This is gonna hurt me more than it hurts you...

Do you know someone who denies that God exists? Are you or do you know someone who is rebelling against God? Are you disregarding something you know God wants or commands you to do?
The fool says in his heart “There is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

Are you having to deal with a chronic liar? Someone who is deceptive? Are you that person?
He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool (Proverbs 10:18).

How many do you know who are quick-tempered? Are you quick-tempered?
A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted
(Proverbs 12:16).

How many of us have a problem with acting impulsively and not thinking about the consequences of our actions or our words.
Wise people think before they act; fools don’t and even brag about it!
(Proverbs 13:16).

A wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless
(Proverbs 14:16).

How about that person who can’t seem to stand “dead-air” and talks endlessly about everything and nothing? You know that saying “I know enough to be dangerous”? Have you ever said that?
A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions
(Proverbs 18:2).

Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin
(Proverbs 10:14).

A fool's mouth is his undoing,
and his lips are a snare to his soul (Proverbs 18:7).

Do you hold yourself accountable for your words and actions?
A fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence (Proverbs 15:5).

A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool
(Proverbs 17:10).

Are you a good money steward?
Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom? (Proverbs 17:16).

In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has (Proverbs 21:20).

Do you or someone you know pick fights? Or look for things to disagree about?
A fool's lips bring him strife,
and his mouth invites a beating. (Proverbs 18:6).

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control
(Proverbs 29:11).

Do you work hard to support yourself and/or your family or do you depend on others to supply your needs? (I am not talking about the person who has fallen on hard times and needs a helping hand).
Foolish people refuse to work and almost starve (Ecclesiastes 4:5).

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
(Ecclesiastes 7:4).

Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they have no strength for even the simplest tasks (Ecclesiastes 10:15 NLT).


Do you learn from your mistakes?
As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly (Proverbs 26:11).

Though you grind a fool in a mortar,
grinding him like grain with a pestle,
you will not remove his folly from him. (Proverbs 27:22).


I think that the term “fool” probably applies to each of us at some time in our life. If any of these scriptures have pricked your conscience then please, please make sure you acknowledge it, seek forgiveness and ask God our Father to direct your steps so that you can keep your walk straight.

If these scripture brought a particular person and/or persons to mind, what then? I mean really, what if it is a child or a sibling? What then? What if it is a parent? Face it, you can’t “fix” them. Pray for them, yes but don’t lecture them. You will be wasting your breath. Scripture also tells us that a fool doesn’t listen to good advice.

Proverbs 15:5
A fool spurns his father's discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.

Proverbs 23:9
Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words

Proverbs 26:4
Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.

Proverbs go on an on about “fools”. Me thinks that God doesn’t like them and doesn’t want us to be one or associate with them. I went to the website biblegateway.com and searched on the keyword “fool” (NIV) and came up with 79 references. So once again, what if you are related to one? In acknowledging that there have been times in my life when I have to point the finger back at myself; I also acknowledge that there a few “others” that are a part of my life on a daily basis. A few are family members and some are co-workers. How to deal with them? I turn to the same scriptures that describe foolishness to learn the wise response. Look at the scriptures above again, and this time ask yourself this question….

What does a wise person look like and how do they behave. I don’t know about you; but I would love to be thought of as a wise person.

I searched on the word “wisdom” and came up with 215 references….the Bible is the only self-help book you will ever need.

OK, I am done with my sermon. Please know I was preaching to myself. I also don't think I have any answers. The answers are in God's word...if I have pointed you in that direction then I did OK.

Mr. Right & Mrs. Right

I went to the singles Bible Study at my church last evening. It was the first time I had been since they changed the format. I found it to be very uplifting and encouraging as well as convicting and personally challenging. Ya know it stings a little (many times more than a little) when your sin is pointed out to you.

Basically the series that is being taught right now is how to find Mr. Right or Mrs. Right as well as how to be Mr. Right or Mrs. Right to someone else. In today’s culture of “anything goes” Biblical dating is a lost concept. The Biblical roles of husband and wife are also a very foreign concept to many people these days, young and old alike. Of course I was pretty clueless when I said my “I dos” 30 years ago as well which is, I am sure, the main reason I have been single now for the past 22 years. I think what surprised me last night was how many of my own peers are still in the dark as to what Biblical dating and marriage are all about. This became clear as “the old folks” sat around the table at Chick-Fil-A afterwards discussing the evening. A few of us were in complete agreement with what we had heard. To some it was new information well received and a few others weren’t sure how to digest it yet. It made for some interesting conversation and some carefully worded sentences.

I was reminded once again that we are all at different stages in our spiritual walk and it is not up to us to judge each other. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to teach us and convict us so that we can continue to be changed from the inside out until God takes us home or comes to get us. It is a good thing for me to remember that it is a life long process and we will never be perfect until that time. For me personally it means I have to keep practicing. When I fall I have to acknowledge it, confess it and change it and then keep on keeping on.

I think this ministry is very blessed to have a young preacher and his wife committed to teaching and modeling the principle of a Biblical marriage to the young people of our church as well as to us “old folks” who didn’t get it right the first time around. I certainly look forward to next Tuesday night’s teaching as well.

LET ME INTRODUCE OUR NEWEST FAMILY MEMBER

I can not believe I have taken this long to introduce the newest member of our family. I guess I have been way to busy actually playing with him to write about him
So here goes...

JAMES ANTHONY
Born 09-09-09
At 5:23 PM
6 Lbs., 8 Oz.
19” Long
The proud parents are Jared and Jodie Deppa

And he is absolutely the most handsome little thing you have ever seen.

WATER,WATER EVERYWHERE; but not a drop to drink.

So Atlanta and the surrounding areas appear to be drowning in water stained with red mud. It’s everywhere you look. The air itself is saturated with moisture. Roads are closed, some homes are flooded , others are without power and some are without (believe it or not) water. So I found it really amusing that while listening to a news anchor on T.V. I heard him say. “If you have no water in your home because of the flooding you need to boil your water for the next 24 hours.” My first thought; which as always was very sarcastic, was “Did you ad-lib that or did someone really put that on your teleprompter?”. First of all, if you have no water coming out of the faucet where are you going to get this water to boil? Out of your front yard? And second, you can’t boil it for 24 hours cause there wouldn’t be anything left. OK, I admit it, I am a smart aleck.

Having to deal with all the rain and the potential of the creek bordering my front yard invading my personal living space made me reflect a bit on just how powerful water in itself is. How it is necessary to sustain life and how it can take life. You can’t stop it or even re-direct it without the help of many people and a lot of pre-planning. The only one who can control water is God himself. I am not going to ask “Why is this happening?”; only He himself knows the answer to that age old question. What I am asking myself is “How can I use this experience?”. It is a reminder to me that He is in control of all things and that I don’t have to be concerned about the final out come.

Then the thought comes to me that it is really easy for me to say and acknowledge that God is in control since nothing bad has happened to me in relation to this event. My home hasn’t been flooded, I still have power and water. So, what is the lesson here for me personally? The next thought that pricks the back of my mind….so if you believe that God is indeed in control, why were you so anxious yesterday when you saw the creek come over it’s banks?

The message for me appears to be a very gentle reminder that I need to seek Him first (Matthew 6:33). Give Him all my anxious thoughts (Phillipians 4:6) and the only way to do this is to seek a quiet place each day and spend time with Him. If I don’t do that then I will have no idea who He is or what His Word says in regard to how I am to think and act on a daily basis. In essence I will have no way of knowing what he wants me to do or how I am to do it. A real life application to the instruction to "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." If I won’t be still, there may come a time when He will make me do exactly that. I won’t have an option, perhaps he may take away the electricity so the T.V. or the internet are not available.
He has the power……my lesson from the flood….He is indeed in control and he wants me to be still and spend more time with Him which is a reinforcement of the sermon I heard Sunday.

Psalm 46 (New International Version)
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
8 Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah