Woo Hoo Wednesday

Since yesterday was Christmas I have attached a Christmas Story cartoon.  It's about 45 minutes long and has a few short commercials, but it is cute.    Of course at Christmas we focus on the birth of Christ, which is something to be excited about.  But let's not forget the purpose of His birth...that is His death, buriel and resurrection, which is really something to be excited about! 

Enjoy the show!

http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/the_story_of_christmas

Just do you

I was at a pinning ceremony where the speaker was a 15 year nursing veteran.  During his speech he spoke about times when there is nothing more you can do to help a patient and that is when you “just do you.”   In the game of life there is so much I don’t know and little that I know.  I know that…I don’t always have the right answer; sometime I don’t even have an answer.  I know that… I don’t know why things happen or don’t happen.  I know that… I don’t know the mysteries of life or death.  But what I know is this… I can fix you a meal when you have a baby.  I can encourage someone when they are discouraged.  I can lend an ear when you need to talk.  I can hold your hand when you are frightened or lonely and I can give a hug when there are no words that will help. 

When you don't know what else to do- keep your bearings in Christ and just do you.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (The Message)
Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!

(Oh- I want to mention is was my sister's pinning and my mom who has been a nurse for many many years pinned her! I'm very proud of both of them.)

Blurred Vision.

A week ago Monday afternoon I started having some vision problems.   Reading was a chore to say the least, but next night my vision had improved and I thought I had figured out a way to read.  I had a lamp pulled down on my book and I had my glasses on.  I was trying to keep the book open and hold the magnifying glass just right so I could focus on more than one or two words at a time.  About the time I had just the right distant from the magnifying glass to the book I would blink and have to start again.  After what seemed like a very long time I had read a page and a half.  Very frustrating!  By Wednesday night I could stack two pair of glass and read large print.  It was Friday before my vision was normal.  Thank you Lord!!

In my frustration I thought of a story Jim Stovall tells about an encounter he had with a deaf man.  He titled it Blind Man meets Deaf Man.  You will get a kick out of it.  I know I have reacted the same way when I spoken to someone who doesn't speak english.  I think it is safe to say if someone does not understand you in a normal tone of voice, I am sure they are not going to understand you in a slower and louder tone. 

Listen to Jim's story.  I have the link below, copy and paste if it doesn’t work.  I hope you enjoy it. 
Have a great week.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ4jVy8Kx3U

Psalm 97:11.  Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. 

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

Replacing Habits

In Luke 11: 24-26, Jesus is talking about an evil spirit leaving a man.  The spirit leaves and looks for some where else to live.  Not finding any place he returns to his old house and finds it empty, clean, and available.  He gets seven of his biggest baddest friends and returns.  (I know baddest isn’t a word.)   

This story kept coming to mind.  Regardless of what I was listening to somehow it would be referenced.  It finally occurred to me; maybe God was trying to tell me something.     

 Here some things I thought of. 

1.    If a bad habit isn’t replaced with a good habit – it will be replace with another bad one.  Example –stop smoking – start eating junk food.

2.    If a bad habit isn’t replace with anything.  Example stop drinking- one drink eventually it is worse than before. 

For me my sleeping habits are terrible.  Often I am up till the wee hours of the morning.  I’m tired - I will watch TV or put on a movie and guess what…I’m still tired and not asleep.  (Turning on the TV and going to sleep must be a man thing.)

I am thinking…it is time to replace my old bedtime habits with new healthy bedtime habits. 

All of this to say – when a scripture keeps popping out at you- meditate on it.  Read it over and over and pray about it.  There is something that needs to be learned from it. 

 ²⁴ “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ ²⁵ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.” Luke 11:24-26.  New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

Surreal

Learners Dictionary describes surreal as being “very strange or unusual : having the quality of a dream.”  There  have been very few times in my life when I had a surreal moment.  I remember holding my newborn babies close to me, loosening the swaddling and pulling out their tiny hands and feet. I don’t know if it is the responsibility, the life changes or how much you love them, but it was a surreal moment with each child.

When our daughter was two she had her first asthma attack.  By the time she was five the wheezing was constant and the attacks were day and night.  We knew this was not a disease she would out grow and according to the specialist, she made the top ten list for the worst asthma cases in Oklahoma. Worse asthma is not the top ten list you want your name on!

The fall of 2010 I had a surreal moment.  This time like the previous I was at the hospital.  But instead of looking at my baby I was looking at my adult daughter on life support.  She had had an asthma attack, this attack hit fast and furious.  As I was standing over her I could hear the Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. of the ventilator.  My mind was blank except for the words “My grace is sufficient, My grace is sufficient, My grace is sufficient.“  Over and over, “My grace is sufficient.”

The next morning I was in the ICU waiting room when I received a call from my son in law; the ventilator had been removed and my daughter was breathing on her own.  As I sat with her, in a low raspy voice she told me what she saw and why she came back.  (It’s a story for another day.)  She was released the following day. 

There is really no medical reason she is alive or that she has lived this long.  It is only by God’s unmerited favor, which is His grace and it is always sufficient.

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”  2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV

Sing Sing Sing

It's hard to wish your week away when you sing - sing - sing. 


Have a great Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llZKgt-1TlQ&feature=related


This is the very day God acted—  let's celebrate and be festive!
   Psalms 118:24, The Message.

Too Busy?

There is a hot dog commercial which makes me laugh every time I see it.  Dad comes home from work; each kid and mom is in a different room on some kind of electronic device.  Dad looks from room to room, no one notices.  He then goes to the breaker box and shuts the electricity off.   As the kid runs out to dad and ask what is going on, dad offers him a hot dog off the grill. 

It reminds me of when I worked for a utility company and disconnected electric.  One morning a lady came in and asked to speak to the person responsible for disconnecting her electric.  I asked her name and started the process of getting information to prepare myself to answer all kinds of questions when she said, “Thank you.”  Needless to say I was taken by surprise.  She continued to explain life had gotten so busy she simple had forgotten to pay her bill.  Not having electric forced her and her husband to sit down to dinner without the TV or any other distractions and actually have a conversation.  She paid her bill and thanked me again then left. 

It took disconnecting the electric for her to realize that life had gotten so busy, she was disconnecting from what life is about.  I will have to admit I am guilty.  

I recently learned a saying, for every wrong thing you say yes to, there is a right thing you are saying no to.   I know I didn’t repeat it exactly, but you get the jest.  It reminds me of the story of Mary and Martha.  Martha was so busy preparing for Jesus, she forgot Jesus. 

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!”   “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42.   

Be careful and don't forget Jesus.