Saturday, March 31, 2012
Happy Fun Girl: GCB? I thought the B was for Beauties.
Happy Fun Girl: GCB? I thought the B was for Beauties.: Wrong again. The B is for B-----S. Yikes! I have to say that my first impression of GCB was they were totally mocking Christians. It appe...
GCB? I thought the B was for Beauties.
Wrong again.
The B is for B-----S.
Yikes!
I have to say that my first impression of GCB was they were totally mocking Christians. It appeared to me to be almost anti-Christian. I thought the angle presented wasn't very inspirational, shallow and perhaps totally contradictory to what a Christian is 'supposed' to look and act like.
But as I started watching, it reminded me of me a bit, and I have to admit, I think it's stinkin' hilarious!
We all have the capacity to be hypocritical at times don't we?
This show is just holding up the mirror so we might catch a reflection of ourselves.
Maybe not you, but me for sure. And yes, we should look like Christ and reflect him and his ways.
Mirror, mirror on the wall....who's the holiest one of all?
Just kidding.
I do wish they could write a story line into it where they are helping and loving others and I hope that as the season progresses we will see their faith grow and mature, but for now, the show is getting a lot of controversy for it's contradictions.
The industry people are probably loving it! Everyone wants to watch and see what the big hoopla is about so they can pick their side.
I take the side with the "let's lighten up" people.
It's funny.
Statements like,"Cleavage makes your cross hang straight," is hilarious!
It's been said that the characters on the show aren't 'real' Christians. How do you know?
One definition of a Christian is someone who has decided to entrust his or her life to Jesus Christ. A Christian trusts Christ for forgiveness of sin, a right standing before God, and guidance in life.
But aren't we all at different stages of learning to walk the walk?
Maybe some of us still occasionally toss out a cuss word, wear inappropriate clothing, act lustfully outside of marriage, speed, gossip, get angry, harbor resentments and bitterness, act like a hater...it goes on and on and on....
Jesus Christ.
The blood of Jesus, shed for the forgiveness of sins.
We can never know where another person is on the road, unless we've walked in their shoes.
I'm certain I've never walked in the GCB girls' kind of shoes.
They're probably Manolo Blahniks, and mine cost less than $20.00 at Payless.
It's all about the perspective.
I know, I know.
You'll know by their fruit.
I thought it was, "they will know we are Christians by our love."
I'm growing new plumb and peach trees in my backyard, and although I'm no expert green thumb, I've noticed that they don't just sprout fully mature fruit overnight.
It's a process and can take a while.
Sometimes they are flat out rotten. :)
A daily walk with the almighty Miracle Grow-er who is guiding us and prompting us of what is acceptable and what is not is what's required. He may be talking to each of us about different issues. Just tonight I used a certain word with my 23 year old daughter and then immediately had to call back, rephrase the word and apologize for my bluntness.
If you are offended by it, then just change the channel.
Isn't there also something about not being so easily offended?
Is it poking fun at religion? Yes.
Religion and a relationship with our loving father are not the same.
Are some of the story lines not very Godlike? Yes.
Is it entrepreneurial and humorous to market a pair of jeans as the Western HosAnna brand, instead of Western Ho's? Yes.
I think it's catchy and kind of cute.
Laughter is good medicine.
I see a lot of myself in that show and I see a lot of Christians I know also.
I'm not sure about the rest of the country, but in Texas, if you throw a God Bless before or after your sassy little comment, it sort of counts as okay. :)
You know the ones.
"God Bless her, the little tramp."
There are also the gossip sessions we hide under the veil of prayer.
"We just need to lift up sister so and so Lord, she's fallen off the wagon again, God bless her drunkard spirit and reconcile her to you."
Now if you hear that with a sweet as syrup southern twang, it's funny as heck.
I literally, lol, watching every episode!
I love how Amanda, the main character on the more moral high road, takes a job at "Boobylicious", which is a Hooters kind of place, and then gets a ton of flak from her arch enemy Carlene for working in such a tawdry place when she is a professing believer.
Turns out, Carlene owns the place!
I wonder if she tithes off that money?
Now, occasionally there are a few romping sex scenes like last week when Carlene and her husband Red, cleared his office desk in about 5 seconds flat for a quick, unscheduled, love appointment.
I'm going to be completely honest here and say, they're married, why the heck not?
That's fun.
Maybe if married people were being a little more spontaneous and cleaning desk tops quicker than the Merry Maids ever could, the men would be a lot more merry and not hanging out so much at places like "Boobylicious."
Just a theory I have. :)
I wasn't trying to offend, truly.
Of course, even I have to draw the line when they've come up with their own 10 Commandments.
The list includes things like;
Thou shalt add bling to everything (Not a blingy person, so already, I'm guilty.)
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors husband....unless he's really hot. (Leaving that one alone.)
Remember thy spa day and keep it holy (I'm spa coveting right this second.)
Thou shalt know that it is wrong to expose your thong (Please. It would be wrong of me to wear a thong, let alone expose it.)
And my personal favorite,
Thou shalt not wear it if it's under a carat....(Rethinking that maybe some bling is acceptable and good.)
Because after all, if you've got the ring, you've got the desk thing!
Minus the conviction.
How heavenly!
GCB, may not be your southern cup of tea, but it is for me.
I'll bring the sweet rolls.
The B is for B-----S.
Yikes!
I have to say that my first impression of GCB was they were totally mocking Christians. It appeared to me to be almost anti-Christian. I thought the angle presented wasn't very inspirational, shallow and perhaps totally contradictory to what a Christian is 'supposed' to look and act like.
But as I started watching, it reminded me of me a bit, and I have to admit, I think it's stinkin' hilarious!
We all have the capacity to be hypocritical at times don't we?
This show is just holding up the mirror so we might catch a reflection of ourselves.
Maybe not you, but me for sure. And yes, we should look like Christ and reflect him and his ways.
Mirror, mirror on the wall....who's the holiest one of all?
Just kidding.
I do wish they could write a story line into it where they are helping and loving others and I hope that as the season progresses we will see their faith grow and mature, but for now, the show is getting a lot of controversy for it's contradictions.
The industry people are probably loving it! Everyone wants to watch and see what the big hoopla is about so they can pick their side.
I take the side with the "let's lighten up" people.
It's funny.
Statements like,"Cleavage makes your cross hang straight," is hilarious!
It's been said that the characters on the show aren't 'real' Christians. How do you know?
One definition of a Christian is someone who has decided to entrust his or her life to Jesus Christ. A Christian trusts Christ for forgiveness of sin, a right standing before God, and guidance in life.
But aren't we all at different stages of learning to walk the walk?
Maybe some of us still occasionally toss out a cuss word, wear inappropriate clothing, act lustfully outside of marriage, speed, gossip, get angry, harbor resentments and bitterness, act like a hater...it goes on and on and on....
Jesus Christ.
The blood of Jesus, shed for the forgiveness of sins.
We can never know where another person is on the road, unless we've walked in their shoes.
I'm certain I've never walked in the GCB girls' kind of shoes.
They're probably Manolo Blahniks, and mine cost less than $20.00 at Payless.
It's all about the perspective.
I know, I know.
You'll know by their fruit.
I thought it was, "they will know we are Christians by our love."
I'm growing new plumb and peach trees in my backyard, and although I'm no expert green thumb, I've noticed that they don't just sprout fully mature fruit overnight.
It's a process and can take a while.
Sometimes they are flat out rotten. :)
A daily walk with the almighty Miracle Grow-er who is guiding us and prompting us of what is acceptable and what is not is what's required. He may be talking to each of us about different issues. Just tonight I used a certain word with my 23 year old daughter and then immediately had to call back, rephrase the word and apologize for my bluntness.
If you are offended by it, then just change the channel.
Isn't there also something about not being so easily offended?
Is it poking fun at religion? Yes.
Religion and a relationship with our loving father are not the same.
Are some of the story lines not very Godlike? Yes.
Is it entrepreneurial and humorous to market a pair of jeans as the Western HosAnna brand, instead of Western Ho's? Yes.
I think it's catchy and kind of cute.
Laughter is good medicine.
I see a lot of myself in that show and I see a lot of Christians I know also.
I'm not sure about the rest of the country, but in Texas, if you throw a God Bless before or after your sassy little comment, it sort of counts as okay. :)
You know the ones.
"God Bless her, the little tramp."
There are also the gossip sessions we hide under the veil of prayer.
"We just need to lift up sister so and so Lord, she's fallen off the wagon again, God bless her drunkard spirit and reconcile her to you."
Now if you hear that with a sweet as syrup southern twang, it's funny as heck.
I literally, lol, watching every episode!
I love how Amanda, the main character on the more moral high road, takes a job at "Boobylicious", which is a Hooters kind of place, and then gets a ton of flak from her arch enemy Carlene for working in such a tawdry place when she is a professing believer.
Turns out, Carlene owns the place!
I wonder if she tithes off that money?
Now, occasionally there are a few romping sex scenes like last week when Carlene and her husband Red, cleared his office desk in about 5 seconds flat for a quick, unscheduled, love appointment.
I'm going to be completely honest here and say, they're married, why the heck not?
That's fun.
Maybe if married people were being a little more spontaneous and cleaning desk tops quicker than the Merry Maids ever could, the men would be a lot more merry and not hanging out so much at places like "Boobylicious."
Just a theory I have. :)
I wasn't trying to offend, truly.
Of course, even I have to draw the line when they've come up with their own 10 Commandments.
The list includes things like;
Thou shalt add bling to everything (Not a blingy person, so already, I'm guilty.)
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors husband....unless he's really hot. (Leaving that one alone.)
Remember thy spa day and keep it holy (I'm spa coveting right this second.)
Thou shalt know that it is wrong to expose your thong (Please. It would be wrong of me to wear a thong, let alone expose it.)
And my personal favorite,
Thou shalt not wear it if it's under a carat....(Rethinking that maybe some bling is acceptable and good.)
Because after all, if you've got the ring, you've got the desk thing!
Minus the conviction.
How heavenly!
GCB, may not be your southern cup of tea, but it is for me.
I'll bring the sweet rolls.
Got a Light?
Signs and wonders.
I know we're not supposed to look for them, but I do read, and there is a big sign out on Brady highway that says, "Smoking or Non-Smoking: Where will you spend eternity?"
I always laugh when I see that although I am aware that eternal damnation is not funny, I laugh anyway. My initial response when I saw it years ago was, "How great is God that he would offer some of us a smoking lounge?!"
I hope they have big comfy couches...and coffee!!
Yes, I know that's not the point of the sign.
For a long time now, I have been convicted about my sometimes closet smoking. It's actually backyard smoking because I generally hide somewhere I can't be seen by the public or people not in my immediate "circle of trust."
Some have been kicked out of that circle but, I'm not going to go there right now...Ah-em..Robert :)
I've been a sponsor at youth group rallies and have had to sneak out to my vehicle and lay on the floor board to get a quick fix. That's a little humiliating.
Here's a kingdom key or maybe just a new sin slogan....."Gotta hide? Let it slide!"
I've snuck out of the house in the middle of the night, pulling the door quietly behind me, only to turn around and get scared out of my wits because my teenage daughter was doing the same thing and we ran right into each other.
Ugh. That apple doesn't fall far...
No sin goes uncovered.
Is smoking a sin anyway? It is certainly not on God's Top 10 Things You Don't Do list.
But, I also know that my body is the temple of the holy spirit and I am probably choking the crap out of him.
I go for long periods of time, and then I light up.
Just one, I think.
That "just once" always gets me!
The problem for me is that God is dealing with me on it and I have not been obedient enough to just let it go completely once and for all.
And I have a trainload of excuses right now. I know they're excuses. Walk in my shoes a while and then we'll talk.
For many years, he never mentioned smoking to me at all. I suppose he figured it was more important to heal me and help me to grow up in other areas first.
Truthfully, because of my past, I have needed such major "fixing", that I'm sure he was just kind enough to not hit me with it all at once, so I wouldn't get totally freaked out.
I love God. He's so good like that.
It truly is his kindness that leads us to repentance. I am trying. I truly am. I'm also trying to maintain sanity right now and it is occasionally helpful when my mind gets racing and trying to figure things out.
I just really need him to pony up the power so I can run with it once and for all, because when I try to do it myself, in my own strength, I fail and end up hanging my head down lower than Tom Dooley!
There is also the peer pressure from 89% of the people around me who despise it, many who try not to show their complete disdain at my failure to flush my flesh. But I feel it.
Always.
This includes my mother who keeps assuring me, "You're better than that."
God bless the 11 % for understanding my struggle and letting me be such a little moocher. :)
There are about 5 convenience stores in town and I'm now down to only 2 who will even sell them to me if I Super Cave and go buy my own pack.
The problem is, one of those stores has some stupid built in noisemaker and when I say, "Marlboro Ultra Light, Shorts" this little bird thing goes off and makes this high pitched, "uh-oh" sound.
I'm serious!! It's terribly taunting and only adds to my inward humiliation.
Humiliation is character building I always say to my daughter. :) It keeps us humble.
One day, I was heading to a Girl Scout meeting and spraying down the car with one of the random 4 or 5 cans of air freshener that I carry under and behind my seat when Natalie said, "What on earth are you doing besides gagging me? Enough spraying!"
"Well, I don't want to smell like smoke and be a bad influence on the Girl Scouts."
She gave me 'the' look and replied, "Yes, God forbid you be a bad influence on the Girl Scouts."
Ouch!
I did quit for quite a while after that zinger.
Another time, I was standing in line at my Valero in San Antonio and asked for a pack of Marlboro Light 100's. Do you see the progress here? Lights to ultra-lights, 100's to shorts. American Spirits sometimes, because they are natural.
I think I just heard my mom roll her eyes as I typed that.
The familiar clerk behind the counter said loudly for all to hear, "Girl, I thought you quit?" to which I replied, "Okay, you know what? Paul, who was a great apostle even said, the things I don't want to do, I do do, and the things I do want to do, I don't do. And he was a great apostle! So, with all due respect, please don't harass me and just sell me the cigarettes."
The dread locked Rastafarian standing behind me said, "Hey mon, that sounded like scripture or something."
"It is. It's Paul's letter to the Romans, Chapter 7. Check it out."
(Maybe read Chapter 8 too) Amazing.
Driving and puffing on the way back home, I got pulled over by the police.
"Do you know why I pulled you over?"
I held up my pack of cigarettes, "Yes officer, yes, yes, I do. Right here it is, disobedience at it's best!"
He looked at me with raised eyebrows, like I was a crazy person (let that go) and said, "You're inspection sticker is expired."
"Oh, I know you think it's about the inspection sticker, but it's not. It's God. I would not be getting pulled over right now if I didn't have to come get these!"
He smiled back and let me go saying, "You've punished yourself enough for today, just get your inspection sticker soon and go home."
Punishment? Guilt? Condemnation?
That's what I received from my Catholic upbringing.
I'm not being disrespectful or bashing that religion, I'm just sayin'.
It felt performance based and left me always feeling guilty. It came across like a bunch of hoop jumping that I needed to do correctly just to get Jesus on my side and keep God from smiting me like the almighty smiter I was sure he was.
I thought I had to earn God's approval, and knew I never could.
A few weeks later, I was telling Pastor Pat about it, "Read on," he said. "It goes on to say that because we are new creatures in Christ when we accept him, we are dead to sin and can have victory through Christ who lives in us."
Party pooper!
He is also a God who loves me so much that he sent his son to die on a cross for my sins.
A God who forgives when we call on him and then casts it into a sea of forgetfulness.
Every time I turn around lately, I am hearing or reading something about forgiveness and since I kind of consider myself a fast forgiver, I've been trying to figure out what the heck is up with all the F words?
So, I take it up with God and ask if there is someone I need to forgive? Am I walking in unforgiveness? Maybe there is some situation that still irks me and gets under my skin? I don't think so.
Oh, yeah, right. There's that.
And that.
But I'm not holding unforgiveness, I'm over it.
"Good," he whispers, "then quit bringing it up and let it go already."
Gulp.
Anyone else, Lord?
"You."
Me?
"Yes, you."
This makes me chuckle, because sometimes I'm like 5, "Who me, couldn't be then who, Macarena stole the cookie from the c-c-o-o-k-i-e jar." Skip that, it's a childhood sing-song thing they probably didn't do in Texas.
I do have a really, really hard time with forgiving myself when I stumble, fall or nose dive into it.
My mom also tells me that I've always been the most paranoid, guilt bearing person on the planet.
A good friend told me the other day, "If I'm your friend for another 80 years, I will continue to tell you that Christ "did" for you, what you cannot "do" for yourself, at the cross. Period." There was a lot more to what he said and it was so sweet.
I felt Jesus on the phone with us and it moved my spirit in such an incredible way. The heavy yoke was broke, no longer weighing me down or accusing me.
Joyce Meyer confirmed it the day after, "You can't let your "do" effect your "who", which is what I totally do when I blow it.
Christ finished this on the cross!
That is the good news! Man, can I just get a hold of that and keep it?
I don't have to go around beating myself up every time I make a wrong turn or a bad choice.
His mercies are new every day.
Also, it says, I set before you life and death, choose life! And I want to!
But as soon as I find myself getting into works of the flesh and "trying to do the right thing", I am negating what he did on the cross and the grace and mercy that set me free when I asked him to be the savior of my life.
One of my favorite verses is Galatians 5:1 that says something like this, "It is for freedom that Christ died for us, therefore do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
The yoke is no joke. Have I said that already?
I pray this frequently because it gives me strength to help me not walk in the bondage of old ways of doing things. I read it again this morning and the gist is, don't put yourself under the law. It is not the things that you do or don't do that make you righteous. You are the righteousness of Christ, in Christ.
Period.
The whole freedom and "free to be me" thing comes into play when I can be joyous, thankful and grateful that God loves me and recognize that out of this great love, he cares enough about me to deal with areas that may need a little tweaking.
The love remains, always, regardless of my sometimes unpolished behavior.
No, it's not giving license to live recklessly and selfishly, because I know that we are supposed to be a light!
Need a light?
Yes, I want to stay in the race and fight the good fight of faith, but there is a huge difference between condemnation and conviction, and there is no condemnation in Christ.
Growing daily in my relationship with God is my goal and quite frankly, I get tired of the finger pointing and people who are just looking outwardly at what they see.
I was stopped once in an HEB parking lot where I was smoking, (before I had the sense to hide) ;)
The woman handed me a tract and said, "Excuse me, but I'd like to introduce you to Jesus and invite you to church."
"Thank you so much, but I already know and love Jesus and have a strong church family."
She looked at me, then at my cigarette and then back to me and with pursed lips said, "Do you now?" and huffed away in disgust and disbelief.
I puffed and then huffed at the lack of love that we Christians sometimes convey.
"It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and end up destroying your freedom, but rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love, that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom." Gal. 5:13, The Message.
American Spirit anyone?
I know we're not supposed to look for them, but I do read, and there is a big sign out on Brady highway that says, "Smoking or Non-Smoking: Where will you spend eternity?"
I always laugh when I see that although I am aware that eternal damnation is not funny, I laugh anyway. My initial response when I saw it years ago was, "How great is God that he would offer some of us a smoking lounge?!"
I hope they have big comfy couches...and coffee!!
Yes, I know that's not the point of the sign.
For a long time now, I have been convicted about my sometimes closet smoking. It's actually backyard smoking because I generally hide somewhere I can't be seen by the public or people not in my immediate "circle of trust."
Some have been kicked out of that circle but, I'm not going to go there right now...Ah-em..Robert :)
I've been a sponsor at youth group rallies and have had to sneak out to my vehicle and lay on the floor board to get a quick fix. That's a little humiliating.
Here's a kingdom key or maybe just a new sin slogan....."Gotta hide? Let it slide!"
I've snuck out of the house in the middle of the night, pulling the door quietly behind me, only to turn around and get scared out of my wits because my teenage daughter was doing the same thing and we ran right into each other.
Ugh. That apple doesn't fall far...
No sin goes uncovered.
Is smoking a sin anyway? It is certainly not on God's Top 10 Things You Don't Do list.
But, I also know that my body is the temple of the holy spirit and I am probably choking the crap out of him.
I go for long periods of time, and then I light up.
Just one, I think.
That "just once" always gets me!
The problem for me is that God is dealing with me on it and I have not been obedient enough to just let it go completely once and for all.
And I have a trainload of excuses right now. I know they're excuses. Walk in my shoes a while and then we'll talk.
For many years, he never mentioned smoking to me at all. I suppose he figured it was more important to heal me and help me to grow up in other areas first.
Truthfully, because of my past, I have needed such major "fixing", that I'm sure he was just kind enough to not hit me with it all at once, so I wouldn't get totally freaked out.
I love God. He's so good like that.
It truly is his kindness that leads us to repentance. I am trying. I truly am. I'm also trying to maintain sanity right now and it is occasionally helpful when my mind gets racing and trying to figure things out.
I just really need him to pony up the power so I can run with it once and for all, because when I try to do it myself, in my own strength, I fail and end up hanging my head down lower than Tom Dooley!
There is also the peer pressure from 89% of the people around me who despise it, many who try not to show their complete disdain at my failure to flush my flesh. But I feel it.
Always.
This includes my mother who keeps assuring me, "You're better than that."
God bless the 11 % for understanding my struggle and letting me be such a little moocher. :)
There are about 5 convenience stores in town and I'm now down to only 2 who will even sell them to me if I Super Cave and go buy my own pack.
The problem is, one of those stores has some stupid built in noisemaker and when I say, "Marlboro Ultra Light, Shorts" this little bird thing goes off and makes this high pitched, "uh-oh" sound.
I'm serious!! It's terribly taunting and only adds to my inward humiliation.
Humiliation is character building I always say to my daughter. :) It keeps us humble.
One day, I was heading to a Girl Scout meeting and spraying down the car with one of the random 4 or 5 cans of air freshener that I carry under and behind my seat when Natalie said, "What on earth are you doing besides gagging me? Enough spraying!"
"Well, I don't want to smell like smoke and be a bad influence on the Girl Scouts."
She gave me 'the' look and replied, "Yes, God forbid you be a bad influence on the Girl Scouts."
Ouch!
I did quit for quite a while after that zinger.
Another time, I was standing in line at my Valero in San Antonio and asked for a pack of Marlboro Light 100's. Do you see the progress here? Lights to ultra-lights, 100's to shorts. American Spirits sometimes, because they are natural.
I think I just heard my mom roll her eyes as I typed that.
The familiar clerk behind the counter said loudly for all to hear, "Girl, I thought you quit?" to which I replied, "Okay, you know what? Paul, who was a great apostle even said, the things I don't want to do, I do do, and the things I do want to do, I don't do. And he was a great apostle! So, with all due respect, please don't harass me and just sell me the cigarettes."
The dread locked Rastafarian standing behind me said, "Hey mon, that sounded like scripture or something."
"It is. It's Paul's letter to the Romans, Chapter 7. Check it out."
(Maybe read Chapter 8 too) Amazing.
Driving and puffing on the way back home, I got pulled over by the police.
"Do you know why I pulled you over?"
I held up my pack of cigarettes, "Yes officer, yes, yes, I do. Right here it is, disobedience at it's best!"
He looked at me with raised eyebrows, like I was a crazy person (let that go) and said, "You're inspection sticker is expired."
"Oh, I know you think it's about the inspection sticker, but it's not. It's God. I would not be getting pulled over right now if I didn't have to come get these!"
He smiled back and let me go saying, "You've punished yourself enough for today, just get your inspection sticker soon and go home."
Punishment? Guilt? Condemnation?
That's what I received from my Catholic upbringing.
I'm not being disrespectful or bashing that religion, I'm just sayin'.
It felt performance based and left me always feeling guilty. It came across like a bunch of hoop jumping that I needed to do correctly just to get Jesus on my side and keep God from smiting me like the almighty smiter I was sure he was.
I thought I had to earn God's approval, and knew I never could.
A few weeks later, I was telling Pastor Pat about it, "Read on," he said. "It goes on to say that because we are new creatures in Christ when we accept him, we are dead to sin and can have victory through Christ who lives in us."
Party pooper!
He is also a God who loves me so much that he sent his son to die on a cross for my sins.
A God who forgives when we call on him and then casts it into a sea of forgetfulness.
Every time I turn around lately, I am hearing or reading something about forgiveness and since I kind of consider myself a fast forgiver, I've been trying to figure out what the heck is up with all the F words?
So, I take it up with God and ask if there is someone I need to forgive? Am I walking in unforgiveness? Maybe there is some situation that still irks me and gets under my skin? I don't think so.
Oh, yeah, right. There's that.
And that.
But I'm not holding unforgiveness, I'm over it.
"Good," he whispers, "then quit bringing it up and let it go already."
Gulp.
Anyone else, Lord?
"You."
Me?
"Yes, you."
This makes me chuckle, because sometimes I'm like 5, "Who me, couldn't be then who, Macarena stole the cookie from the c-c-o-o-k-i-e jar." Skip that, it's a childhood sing-song thing they probably didn't do in Texas.
I do have a really, really hard time with forgiving myself when I stumble, fall or nose dive into it.
My mom also tells me that I've always been the most paranoid, guilt bearing person on the planet.
A good friend told me the other day, "If I'm your friend for another 80 years, I will continue to tell you that Christ "did" for you, what you cannot "do" for yourself, at the cross. Period." There was a lot more to what he said and it was so sweet.
I felt Jesus on the phone with us and it moved my spirit in such an incredible way. The heavy yoke was broke, no longer weighing me down or accusing me.
Joyce Meyer confirmed it the day after, "You can't let your "do" effect your "who", which is what I totally do when I blow it.
Christ finished this on the cross!
That is the good news! Man, can I just get a hold of that and keep it?
I don't have to go around beating myself up every time I make a wrong turn or a bad choice.
His mercies are new every day.
Also, it says, I set before you life and death, choose life! And I want to!
But as soon as I find myself getting into works of the flesh and "trying to do the right thing", I am negating what he did on the cross and the grace and mercy that set me free when I asked him to be the savior of my life.
One of my favorite verses is Galatians 5:1 that says something like this, "It is for freedom that Christ died for us, therefore do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
The yoke is no joke. Have I said that already?
I pray this frequently because it gives me strength to help me not walk in the bondage of old ways of doing things. I read it again this morning and the gist is, don't put yourself under the law. It is not the things that you do or don't do that make you righteous. You are the righteousness of Christ, in Christ.
Period.
The whole freedom and "free to be me" thing comes into play when I can be joyous, thankful and grateful that God loves me and recognize that out of this great love, he cares enough about me to deal with areas that may need a little tweaking.
The love remains, always, regardless of my sometimes unpolished behavior.
No, it's not giving license to live recklessly and selfishly, because I know that we are supposed to be a light!
Need a light?
Yes, I want to stay in the race and fight the good fight of faith, but there is a huge difference between condemnation and conviction, and there is no condemnation in Christ.
Growing daily in my relationship with God is my goal and quite frankly, I get tired of the finger pointing and people who are just looking outwardly at what they see.
I was stopped once in an HEB parking lot where I was smoking, (before I had the sense to hide) ;)
The woman handed me a tract and said, "Excuse me, but I'd like to introduce you to Jesus and invite you to church."
"Thank you so much, but I already know and love Jesus and have a strong church family."
She looked at me, then at my cigarette and then back to me and with pursed lips said, "Do you now?" and huffed away in disgust and disbelief.
I puffed and then huffed at the lack of love that we Christians sometimes convey.
"It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and end up destroying your freedom, but rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love, that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom." Gal. 5:13, The Message.
American Spirit anyone?
Friday, March 23, 2012
Happy Fun Girl: Adventure Travel Package Deluxe
Happy Fun Girl: Adventure Travel Package Deluxe: Recently I got excited about entering the Faithwriters.com writing challenge. The point of the contest is to write creatively about a given...
Adventure Travel Package Deluxe
Recently I got excited about entering the Faithwriters.com writing challenge.
The point of the contest is to write creatively about a given topic within the time frame given.
"Predicament," was the challenge word and I scoffed at the irony in relation to my current situation.
But, I wanted to write something a little more original and inspiring than a "How To Guide: Keeping a Good Attitude when your World is Upside Down."
My first thought was fishing. I'm not sure why, it just was.
Lately I've been thinking about going back to my original birth name, Tina Mollie Fisher.
It's a long story, but growing up, I was Tina Shogren. All of my Iowa friends know me by that name.
Then, it was Tina Rich.
This is the name I took one fateful Friday the13th. Knowing that the marriage would be a flat out nightmare, I romantically chose that date.
Next, Tina Hoffman.
Another long story, but having been divorced now for over a decade, much longer than the marriage actually lasted, I figure it's about time for a name change.
God even said, "I will give you a new name."
He did it for Saul. He became Paul.
But I would not make a good Paul, at all.
I make a better Peter.
Let that one go.
I've always thought "Mollie Fisher" would be a great anonymous pen name. But then who would know it was me? Or maybe that's the whole point of anonymity. And maybe that's a good thing.
Fish. Fishing. Fisher. Fishes.
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea...Joy to you and me....
I'm sorry. I randomly rabbit trail in both word and speech.
But then I remembered where Jesus said, "I will make you fishers of men."
Umm.Yeah. No thanks.
Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt.
Oh! Wait!
I Googled "Predicament" t-shirts.
Unbelievable internet find at Threadless.com!
It's a light blue t-shirt where this guy is fishing under a beautiful tree, and he has a tiny bait fish on his pole. His predicament is that he is actually standing on a very, very huge fish already and just doesn't know it.
I Googled it again just now and they are on sale for $9.99!
Check out this totally cute shirt!
Anyway...I pondered a bit more about fishing, and being a fisher of men and then BAM!!
God drops Jonah into my head and I'm so excited! I can't imagine a bigger predicament than being swallowed up by a giant fish, whale, shark...or whatever it really was. Everyone has an opinion about that.
So, for a week I'm forming the entry in my head while working in my garden and then I end up in my own pitiful predicament. I misunderstood the deadline. They said it was Next Thursday, which was in fact This Thursday.
Needless to say, I ended up, "missing the boat."
Here is what would have been my idea of an original entry for "Predicament":
Need to Get-Away?
Which way would you go? East Coast or West?
Actually, I don't have any extra spending money for luxurious trips or even weekend escapes, but I still enjoy reading the daily deals I get from LivingSocial.com.
Sometimes they are real bargains, and I feel compelled to share them with friends or family who might be interested in something fun and new to do, at a great price!
Living Social: Bright White Smile - $29
Living Social: Family Portrait - $19
Living Social: Zoo for Two - $10
Living Social: 3 days & 3 nights in the Belly of a Whale, The Adventure Pack - Priceless.
Okay, so Jonah didn't have a travel agent or access to the internet back then, but he sure got himself on board for the trip of a lifetime with his unwillingness to do a job that God gave him to do.
He was told to go to Nineveh. But he blew it off for the better beaches at Tarshish.
Now, when you're a prophet, there is probably a certain amount of required socializing that is going to have to take place. It's a public speaking kind of gig.
God was telling Jonah that he needed to go to the capital of Assyria to warn the people to get it together and get right with God, or it was going to be Hammer Time.
But Jonah didn't want to. He wasn't feeling particularly sociable towards the people of Nineveh.
He didn't even like them. Inwardly, he despised them, because although they were a great empire, they were evil. They mocked God and were Israel's greatest enemy.
Jonah didn't want to go to them because he was prideful and arrogant and had a serious attitude problem.
I would go so far as to say, Jonah was a jerk!
I used to think I loved Jonah because I could totally relate to not doing what God tells you to do the first time. Or the second, or even third.
Not only am I sometimes disobedient like Jonah, but I am also a person who has a job that frequently requires me to live socially.
The major difference between us though is that I love all people. Or at least I try to be loving.
Most of the time.
Admittedly, I love the misfits most of all.
My people are the outcasts, the dismissed, the forgotten, the losers and the unlovable.
Jonah was a jerk because he didn't want to deliver a message of God's love to people he didn't approve of.
He knew that God's character was good, merciful, gracious and compassionate, but Jonah didn't want him cutting them any slack.
What Jonah really, really wanted was a fire and brimstone light show that rivaled any modern day rock concert!
He didn't want them redeemed and set free. He wanted judgement. Jonah and the Jews, not to be confused with Josie and the Pussycats, wanted them to suffer for their sins and transgressions.
He believed that his own people were "the good ones."
They thought they were better than everyone else and the gentiles didn't deserve God's mercy and grace.
Jerk.
So, Jonah ignored God, went his own way and ended up getting thrown off a boat and into the ocean to then get swallowed up by a giant fish of some sort. At this point, he was probably wishing he'd have listened to the almighty tour guide.
Jonah spent an all-inclusive, 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of that great whale.
And then he prayed a thankful prayer.
It wasn't a "get me the heck out of here" prayer, but more of an, "Oh, wow! You are an amazing God who saved me from a certain death in an unimaginable way! How great you are! I praise you even in this situation and I will do what you told me to do to begin with. So sorry, seriously. My bad and I love you."
Next, the Lord caused the great fish to spit him out on the beach and told him again to go to Nineveh and preach to the people.
Talk about pier pressure!
This time, Jonah obeyed immediately and gave the urgent message.
They responded willingly and were saved from a certain type of self-destruction.
But, being a slow learner, like some of us, Jonah got angry and God had to school him again in the lessons of compassion and love, kindness and mercy.
God saved the sailors who threw Jonah overboard. He saved the people of Nineveh, and again, saved Jonah with his unconditional love.
The Lord answers our prayers when we sincerely call on him.
He says, "You will find me when you seek me with your whole heart."
It is a message for all people.
"Call on me and I will rescue you."
"I will give you rest."
Although I would love to go on a nice beach vacation, I better just do what he's telling me to do.
Right now.
Otherwise, I may end up with my own kind of Super Saver Travel Voucher.
Living Social: Seaweed Wrap for One - Free!
The point of the contest is to write creatively about a given topic within the time frame given.
"Predicament," was the challenge word and I scoffed at the irony in relation to my current situation.
But, I wanted to write something a little more original and inspiring than a "How To Guide: Keeping a Good Attitude when your World is Upside Down."
My first thought was fishing. I'm not sure why, it just was.
Lately I've been thinking about going back to my original birth name, Tina Mollie Fisher.
It's a long story, but growing up, I was Tina Shogren. All of my Iowa friends know me by that name.
Then, it was Tina Rich.
This is the name I took one fateful Friday the13th. Knowing that the marriage would be a flat out nightmare, I romantically chose that date.
Next, Tina Hoffman.
Another long story, but having been divorced now for over a decade, much longer than the marriage actually lasted, I figure it's about time for a name change.
God even said, "I will give you a new name."
He did it for Saul. He became Paul.
But I would not make a good Paul, at all.
I make a better Peter.
Let that one go.
I've always thought "Mollie Fisher" would be a great anonymous pen name. But then who would know it was me? Or maybe that's the whole point of anonymity. And maybe that's a good thing.
Fish. Fishing. Fisher. Fishes.
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea...Joy to you and me....
I'm sorry. I randomly rabbit trail in both word and speech.
But then I remembered where Jesus said, "I will make you fishers of men."
Umm.Yeah. No thanks.
Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt.
Oh! Wait!
I Googled "Predicament" t-shirts.
Unbelievable internet find at Threadless.com!
It's a light blue t-shirt where this guy is fishing under a beautiful tree, and he has a tiny bait fish on his pole. His predicament is that he is actually standing on a very, very huge fish already and just doesn't know it.
I Googled it again just now and they are on sale for $9.99!
Check out this totally cute shirt!
Anyway...I pondered a bit more about fishing, and being a fisher of men and then BAM!!
God drops Jonah into my head and I'm so excited! I can't imagine a bigger predicament than being swallowed up by a giant fish, whale, shark...or whatever it really was. Everyone has an opinion about that.
So, for a week I'm forming the entry in my head while working in my garden and then I end up in my own pitiful predicament. I misunderstood the deadline. They said it was Next Thursday, which was in fact This Thursday.
Needless to say, I ended up, "missing the boat."
Here is what would have been my idea of an original entry for "Predicament":
Need to Get-Away?
Which way would you go? East Coast or West?
Actually, I don't have any extra spending money for luxurious trips or even weekend escapes, but I still enjoy reading the daily deals I get from LivingSocial.com.
Sometimes they are real bargains, and I feel compelled to share them with friends or family who might be interested in something fun and new to do, at a great price!
Living Social: Bright White Smile - $29
Living Social: Family Portrait - $19
Living Social: Zoo for Two - $10
Living Social: 3 days & 3 nights in the Belly of a Whale, The Adventure Pack - Priceless.
Okay, so Jonah didn't have a travel agent or access to the internet back then, but he sure got himself on board for the trip of a lifetime with his unwillingness to do a job that God gave him to do.
He was told to go to Nineveh. But he blew it off for the better beaches at Tarshish.
Now, when you're a prophet, there is probably a certain amount of required socializing that is going to have to take place. It's a public speaking kind of gig.
God was telling Jonah that he needed to go to the capital of Assyria to warn the people to get it together and get right with God, or it was going to be Hammer Time.
But Jonah didn't want to. He wasn't feeling particularly sociable towards the people of Nineveh.
He didn't even like them. Inwardly, he despised them, because although they were a great empire, they were evil. They mocked God and were Israel's greatest enemy.
Jonah didn't want to go to them because he was prideful and arrogant and had a serious attitude problem.
I would go so far as to say, Jonah was a jerk!
I used to think I loved Jonah because I could totally relate to not doing what God tells you to do the first time. Or the second, or even third.
Not only am I sometimes disobedient like Jonah, but I am also a person who has a job that frequently requires me to live socially.
The major difference between us though is that I love all people. Or at least I try to be loving.
Most of the time.
Admittedly, I love the misfits most of all.
My people are the outcasts, the dismissed, the forgotten, the losers and the unlovable.
Jonah was a jerk because he didn't want to deliver a message of God's love to people he didn't approve of.
He knew that God's character was good, merciful, gracious and compassionate, but Jonah didn't want him cutting them any slack.
What Jonah really, really wanted was a fire and brimstone light show that rivaled any modern day rock concert!
He didn't want them redeemed and set free. He wanted judgement. Jonah and the Jews, not to be confused with Josie and the Pussycats, wanted them to suffer for their sins and transgressions.
He believed that his own people were "the good ones."
They thought they were better than everyone else and the gentiles didn't deserve God's mercy and grace.
Jerk.
So, Jonah ignored God, went his own way and ended up getting thrown off a boat and into the ocean to then get swallowed up by a giant fish of some sort. At this point, he was probably wishing he'd have listened to the almighty tour guide.
Jonah spent an all-inclusive, 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of that great whale.
And then he prayed a thankful prayer.
It wasn't a "get me the heck out of here" prayer, but more of an, "Oh, wow! You are an amazing God who saved me from a certain death in an unimaginable way! How great you are! I praise you even in this situation and I will do what you told me to do to begin with. So sorry, seriously. My bad and I love you."
Next, the Lord caused the great fish to spit him out on the beach and told him again to go to Nineveh and preach to the people.
Talk about pier pressure!
This time, Jonah obeyed immediately and gave the urgent message.
They responded willingly and were saved from a certain type of self-destruction.
But, being a slow learner, like some of us, Jonah got angry and God had to school him again in the lessons of compassion and love, kindness and mercy.
God saved the sailors who threw Jonah overboard. He saved the people of Nineveh, and again, saved Jonah with his unconditional love.
The Lord answers our prayers when we sincerely call on him.
He says, "You will find me when you seek me with your whole heart."
It is a message for all people.
"Call on me and I will rescue you."
"I will give you rest."
Although I would love to go on a nice beach vacation, I better just do what he's telling me to do.
Right now.
Otherwise, I may end up with my own kind of Super Saver Travel Voucher.
Living Social: Seaweed Wrap for One - Free!
Friday, March 9, 2012
Happy Fun Girl: Webster & Wikipedia vs. Word
Happy Fun Girl: Webster & Wikipedia vs. Word: Okay. So once again. I was wrong. I had always thought of restoration as it's defined in the dictionary. Webster's says that the word "re...
Webster & Wikipedia vs. Word
Okay. So once again. I was wrong.
I had always thought of restoration as it's defined in the dictionary.
Webster's says that the word "restore" means to "bring back or put back into a former or original state."
When I've thought about it in that sense, I think of a beautiful antique piece that has lost its' elegance over time and has started to look a little more like 'shabby chic'.
Sure, you can do like me and just throw a crocheted doily over the bad spots and call it a day.
That's the easy way.
Cover it up and pretend it's not there. Stack a few home decorating magazines or even a bible on top and now it at least "looks" good.
But, if you wanted to bling it out, Bob Villa style, it would require actual work and effort.
You would have to sand it down to bare wood, re-stain, varnish and put a nice protective coating on it.
Then, it would be restored to its' original beauty.
The actual example they give at Webster's online is the following:
Here's the deal though.
We quote all the time, "he will restore the years that the locusts have eaten."
Yes!
I will totally wave my hands all around, jump up and down, "Yes! Yes!!"
I quote Nike, "Just do it!! Already!!"
But, according to 2G, TBN and reading about it in Joel, the word's definition of restoration is totally different!
It's not about an old thing at all.
It is a new thing all together!
The latter will be better than the former.
He's not fixing the old.
He's bringing something new!
Talk about yelling, "BRING IT!!"
Basically, what I get out of this chapter is that Judah was totally blessed. They were prospering in all they did, I mean, they seriously had it going on.
Huh.
We used to be a prosperous nation.
Weren't we?
Anyway, over time, in their easy breezy Cover Girl lifestyle, they had gotten complacent, become self-centered, idolatrous and sinful.
And they had forgotten about God.
In the words of Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar, "No, no, no!! This cannot be!"
So God told Joel to warn the people about a plague of locusts that would destroy their land and crops.
It was a very real account of how it might all go down. (I can't quite figure out if there actually came a trainload of disgusting bugs or not, I think they were, "figuratively speaking" if you know the movie word for word like I do.)
These destructive and devastating locusts flew in massive swarms through the nation's capitol.
They molted like five times to get to into their frenzied, swarming state.
I'm this. No, I'm that. I'm this, no I'm that.
lol.
That sounds about right.
And I just made up the capitol part.
They actually were going to destroy the whole nation, if they did not take heed to God's warnings.
It starts out like this per my Tyndale NLT, "Hear this, leaders of the people. Listen, all who live in the land. In all your history, has anything like this happened before? Tell your children about it in the years to come, and let your children tell their children. Pass the story down from generation to generation.
After the cutting locusts finished eating the crops, the swarming locusts took what was left! After them came the hopping locusts, and then the stripping locusts, too!"
That's hysterical! The stripping locusts!
A timely topic in my household.
I love it!
God bless the strippers!
Seriously though. It's not a joke.
It goes on to describe a people who were numb to what they had become.
Their physical and moral compasses had gotten them lost.
"Turn to me now. While there is still time. Give me your hearts," Joel 2:12.
God was saying, "I don't want your stuff. I don't need you to show up with new, pretty clothes.
I need you to show up with your heart. A changed heart.
Repent.
Turn back to God.
I'm paraphrasing here, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, (call on me) and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and I will restore their land."
I don't know about you. But I would like some restoration.
'Shabby Chic' is not as charming or as pretty as I used to think it was.
I want the new thing!
Hello? Is this my hardened and deceived heart?
Hello? Is this Capitol Hill?
I'm not a political person.
I know nothing about politics.
I don't say that proudly.
I am trying to better educate myself, but I don't know who to believe or who to trust anymore.
Still though, I'd like to see us better. Healed.
Individually and as a nation.
As the United States of America, can we unite?
Can we come to a place where we love God and one another, as much as we love ourselves?
The word says if we will do this, he will fix us.
Better than Bob Villa ever could I'm sure!
Knowing that I fall short in so many areas, I am also aware that it's gonna take a whole lot more than a crocheted doily!
What I need is a strong, protective coating.
Oh, and by the way, here's what Wikipedia has to say about "restore".
I love that!
Can we be a habitat for humanity?
I also love Lowe's for building supplies.
(FYI, they have ferns on sale right now for $3.75!)
Woo-Hoo!
Amazingly, their marketing director woke up in the middle of the night and had a conversation with God and he gave him the idea for their new campaign.
"Let's build something together!"
Okay. I made that up too.
But still.
Let's!
I had always thought of restoration as it's defined in the dictionary.
Webster's says that the word "restore" means to "bring back or put back into a former or original state."
When I've thought about it in that sense, I think of a beautiful antique piece that has lost its' elegance over time and has started to look a little more like 'shabby chic'.
Sure, you can do like me and just throw a crocheted doily over the bad spots and call it a day.
That's the easy way.
Cover it up and pretend it's not there. Stack a few home decorating magazines or even a bible on top and now it at least "looks" good.
But, if you wanted to bling it out, Bob Villa style, it would require actual work and effort.
You would have to sand it down to bare wood, re-stain, varnish and put a nice protective coating on it.
Then, it would be restored to its' original beauty.
The actual example they give at Webster's online is the following:
- The government needs to restore confidence in the economy.
Here's the deal though.
We quote all the time, "he will restore the years that the locusts have eaten."
Yes!
I will totally wave my hands all around, jump up and down, "Yes! Yes!!"
I quote Nike, "Just do it!! Already!!"
But, according to 2G, TBN and reading about it in Joel, the word's definition of restoration is totally different!
It's not about an old thing at all.
It is a new thing all together!
The latter will be better than the former.
He's not fixing the old.
He's bringing something new!
Talk about yelling, "BRING IT!!"
Basically, what I get out of this chapter is that Judah was totally blessed. They were prospering in all they did, I mean, they seriously had it going on.
Huh.
We used to be a prosperous nation.
Weren't we?
Anyway, over time, in their easy breezy Cover Girl lifestyle, they had gotten complacent, become self-centered, idolatrous and sinful.
And they had forgotten about God.
In the words of Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar, "No, no, no!! This cannot be!"
So God told Joel to warn the people about a plague of locusts that would destroy their land and crops.
It was a very real account of how it might all go down. (I can't quite figure out if there actually came a trainload of disgusting bugs or not, I think they were, "figuratively speaking" if you know the movie word for word like I do.)
These destructive and devastating locusts flew in massive swarms through the nation's capitol.
They molted like five times to get to into their frenzied, swarming state.
I'm this. No, I'm that. I'm this, no I'm that.
lol.
That sounds about right.
And I just made up the capitol part.
They actually were going to destroy the whole nation, if they did not take heed to God's warnings.
It starts out like this per my Tyndale NLT, "Hear this, leaders of the people. Listen, all who live in the land. In all your history, has anything like this happened before? Tell your children about it in the years to come, and let your children tell their children. Pass the story down from generation to generation.
After the cutting locusts finished eating the crops, the swarming locusts took what was left! After them came the hopping locusts, and then the stripping locusts, too!"
That's hysterical! The stripping locusts!
A timely topic in my household.
I love it!
God bless the strippers!
Seriously though. It's not a joke.
It goes on to describe a people who were numb to what they had become.
Their physical and moral compasses had gotten them lost.
"Turn to me now. While there is still time. Give me your hearts," Joel 2:12.
God was saying, "I don't want your stuff. I don't need you to show up with new, pretty clothes.
I need you to show up with your heart. A changed heart.
Repent.
Turn back to God.
I'm paraphrasing here, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, (call on me) and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and I will restore their land."
I don't know about you. But I would like some restoration.
'Shabby Chic' is not as charming or as pretty as I used to think it was.
I want the new thing!
Hello? Is this my hardened and deceived heart?
Hello? Is this Capitol Hill?
I'm not a political person.
I know nothing about politics.
I don't say that proudly.
I am trying to better educate myself, but I don't know who to believe or who to trust anymore.
Still though, I'd like to see us better. Healed.
Individually and as a nation.
As the United States of America, can we unite?
Can we come to a place where we love God and one another, as much as we love ourselves?
The word says if we will do this, he will fix us.
Better than Bob Villa ever could I'm sure!
Knowing that I fall short in so many areas, I am also aware that it's gonna take a whole lot more than a crocheted doily!
What I need is a strong, protective coating.
Oh, and by the way, here's what Wikipedia has to say about "restore".
- ReStore - Retail building supply stores run by local Habitat for Humanity affiliates.
I love that!
Can we be a habitat for humanity?
I also love Lowe's for building supplies.
(FYI, they have ferns on sale right now for $3.75!)
Woo-Hoo!
Amazingly, their marketing director woke up in the middle of the night and had a conversation with God and he gave him the idea for their new campaign.
"Let's build something together!"
Okay. I made that up too.
But still.
Let's!
Monday, March 5, 2012
Happy Fun Girl: You Really do Learn Something New every Day!
Happy Fun Girl: You Really do Learn Something New every Day!: I love to learn new things. Sometimes they're important and provide me with actual knowledge, but many times they are just fun facts that do...
Happy Fun Girl: Learning my ABC's and Loving 3G's
Happy Fun Girl: Learning my ABC's and Loving 3G's: For the last several months, the local cell phone company, West Central Wireless, has had a billboard in town that said, "3G coming soon" or...
Learning my ABC's and Loving 3G's
For the last several months, the local cell phone company, West Central Wireless, has had a billboard in town that said, "3G coming soon" or something like that.
I drove by yesterday and noticed that they have changed the sign and it now says, "We double dog dare you!"
First of all, NEVER double dog dare me to do anything....'cause I probably will.
But, that's not the point...that's just what got my attention.
You see, I live in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere...Mason, Texas.
"Home of Old Yeller," as I proudly tell everyone who will listen.
Seriously, if you go back and read it, Fred Gipson wrote about his dog and him roaming the hills of Mason County. How cool is that?
But seriously. It is kind of like the middle of nowhere...
This is the Texas Hill Country...beautiful with sprawling ranches, the Llano River, the only place in Texas where you can find blue topaz, the land where bluebonnets abound and the deer and antelope play.
(The antelope are behind high fences, but I'm pretty sure I've seen them playing.)
Actually, now that I think about it...there are a few buffalo that roam, much like your cell service will, because really, we're kind of in a dead spot here.
Getting good service can be pretty iffy.
Depending on your provider.
Can you hear me now?
I don't care that my Iphone is a 3G, and I don't care if I get an Iphone 4, because it won't work right anyway.
This all got me thinking about the G's in my life, and I'm not talking about my G-string.
Though, I do need to restring my guitar desperately.
Sheesh! Renew your mind!!
That would just be inappropriate!
Which makes me think about my first G. He's hilarious. In fact, he owns a shirt that says, "Relax, I'm hilarious." and he is.
In every completely inappropriate way you can imagine. 1G is probably one of the best friends I have ever had in my life. He made me laugh. A lot.
But then I married him.
I chose someone funny over someone gainfully employed, and believe me, that's only funny for a little while. 1G is a good time guy.
I say this respectfully and with no bitterness in my heart whatsoever, but he was the kind of guy that when the going got tough, he'd get going.
Then, when things were put back together, he'd resurface and we'd start the cycle of insanity all over again. We were two completely dysfunctional people that somehow found each other and connected in a very deep way. I was an absolute crazy person. And so was he.
We met when I was in my early 20's and he was seven years older. I was also a single mom with two kids and at a horrible place in my life. We met on "Ladies Drink Free" night at my favorite bar.
And we danced to "Dream Weaver."
And then he slept through our first date.
Seriously.
Literally slept through it.
He "didn't hear his alarm" and never showed up.
I love old houses and I think a lot about restoration. After our divorce 12 years ago, I wanted God to restore the relationship. I never wanted a divorce to begin with.
I wanted him to grow up.
I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and when you restore something, you take it back to its' original beauty.
Trust me. There wasn't a lot of original beauty to it.
He showed up at my house with a 6 pack of beer, a bag of weed and Monte Python videos.
I tolerated the Monte Python, because, well...he had good weed.
And he was a good kisser.
I'm just sayin'. (Sorry to offend, I'm just tellin' the truth.)
He moved in a few months later and it was non-stop chaos from there.
There are endless stories, that we now find humorous, though absolutely heartbreaking and horrendous at the time.
We went through hell together. And we put our children through hell.
Guests on Jerry Springer have nothing on us. Absolutely nothing.
I actully tried to run him over once with our car.
He wouldn't take us out for Chinese food on Mother's Day after church got out.
I just kept yelling at him. "All of the the other husbands are taking their wives!"
He responded I think with, "All of the other wives are not psychotic!"
And then it was on like Donkey Kong.
I've got your "take out" baby!! "I will "take you out with the front bumper of this Volvo you *&^ (* ^^%$!"
I can still see that picture of him running and looking back in my head and it is hilarious.
In a really, really disturbing way of course.
Just a few weeks ago, I went to see 1G on a whim in Wisconsin.
And I left there feeling very saddened by it all.
Although a lot of time has passed, the hands haven't seemed to move at all.
Things were different. And still so much the same.
He will always be the Eyore, to my Tigger.
I bounce.
And he will always be annoyed by my bouncing.
Then there is the other G.
I can't even call him my G, because he is not.
Years ago, I knew him as a happily married man with 3 wonderful kids. I thought he was the epitome of Ward Cleaver.
2G always appeared to be so reliable, responsible, kind, honest and super squared away.
He was the kind of guy you could depend on.
"That's the kind of guy you want." I would think to myself.
"Not that kind of guy I get, but the kind I want."
Not in an ogling, inappropriate way, just nice.
He was a brother in Christ and nothing more.
A year after my divorce from 1G, he came back from Philly to San Antonio and took us all out to eat at Pizza Hut.
I think he even paid!
I was particularly broke at that moment, and the roller coaster of living on commission sales had me once again, living in fear of having my utilities shut off.
When we got back home, I noticed an envelope on my stove that said, "Jesus Loves You."
Inside, there was $250.00!
It's a great story about the faith of a child, but that's not the point right now, so I'll save that for another time.
Days later I found out that the money was from 2G.
Almost a decade later, I was talking to a friend on the phone and asked about past friends...and him.
"How's G doing?"
"Oh, I saw him. He looks good. It's sad though. He's divorced, or going through a divorce, or something like that...I'm not sure."
Now I'm not really proud of my immediate reaction, but it went kind of like this,"OMGosh!! Okay...I have two things to say.."Hallelujah!! And I've got dibbs!!"
Sidebar: Never call "dibbs" on something until you know exactly what you're even calling "dibbs" on.
I proceeded to immediately send him a friend request on Facebook and the rest is more heartbreaking history.
I adored that man. Literally. I worshiped the ground he walked on. He became everything to me. I couldn't believe that God would actually give me exactly the kind of man that I had wanted my whole life.
In reality, He didn't...I just thought so.
We functioned together, it felt equal, give and take. He treated me like a princess and I felt like one when I was with him. We loved craftsman bungalows, and food and the outdoors. We loved getting up and having coffee and planning whatever time we could spend together.
He opened doors for me, played amazing guitar, held my hand in church and prayed with me.
The incredible chemistry caught me off guard from the beginning and I caved big time. He was a great kisser, and then some.
My conscience ate at me day in and day out. For many reasons.
I was living a double life.
Certainly, I didn't feel like I deserved to be with him and I knew I was in a situation that was disappointing to Jesus. I clearly left no room for him.
A mustard seed certainly couldn't squeeze into that tight of a space!
Insecurity inched it's way into my soul, or maybe it had been there all along.
I've never had a good relationship with a man before and avoided them fervently for a decade....until him.
All my previously feigned, "I don't like PDA's" went out the window. I am in fact, the queen of PDA's it turns out.
I think I truly fell in love with 2G the day we were to attend a life group event and I was running late getting into town. When I got to his place, he was ready to go. Not only was he ready, but he had snacks prepared because he knew I wouldn't have had time to cook that day. That did me in.
It seems silly maybe to get so excited about something so simple, but it brought tears to my eyes that someone could be so thoughtful and considerate and amazing.
But daily, I was terrified that I would lose him to someone closer, more successful, prettier, more mature, more squared away, someone more like him and admittedly, I stalked his Facebook until I made myself crazy.
Ironically, psychotic.
I even came up with a back up plan, just in case it all crashed and burned.
That was H.
Yes, the letter in the alphabet that comes after G. But that's another story and also ironically, H is with I.
2G was everything that 1G was not.
And I loved every minute of it.
Except for all of those minutes that I felt unsettled for some reason.
All of those minutes that I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I drove home that last weekend crying and calling out to God and my steering wheel.
"If this is not your will for my life, then remove it. Please. Even if it hurts like hell. Take it from me. Above all, I want your will, and not my own."
And then came the other shoe.
Just a few days later I received an email that it was over.
I have great doubts that it was ever even really real. I was the transition girl. It's what I do.
I just wanted it so much to be the happy ending that I had always hoped for, I guess I didn't really see it.
I wanted to believe it was for real and that beauty would really come from my ashes. And it will.
Reading back over this, I know it reads like a big fat buzz kill...And it kind of is.
But really, I'm good.
Seriously, I am.
Happy even! In spite of all the things that have spun out of my control, I really, really do believe that he will work ALL things out for good.
Nearly one year later, and my whole world turned totally upside down, this is what I have learned about love and the communication industry:
I only need one G.
The G above all other G's.
God.
He is the only one who has never, and I mean never left me...His love has been unconditional, even when I didn't deserve it. He has been patient and kind. He has shown me true mercy and grace.
He considers me precious, the apple of his eye, his beloved, his bride.
I saw a bridal magazine yesterday at HEB, and never, and I mean never being the kind of girl that would ever buy such a thing, I actually glanced at the cover and smiled inwardly.
Someday, maybe.
Maybe someday, that kind of love will find me. The right kind of love.
Until then, I will wait for his perfect provision.
I'm a God girl. I want a God guy.
Maybe even one that's a great kisser and, well, you know...
I've been told all of my life that I am a go-getter and I've taken great pride in my independence.
Now I see myself for what I really am...so, so, so, truly dependent on God for every breathe I take, every move I make, every hurt that's needed healed, every inspiration to create and especially, every chance to love...again.
Thank you God for always being my most reliable, service provider!!!
Can you hear me now?
I drove by yesterday and noticed that they have changed the sign and it now says, "We double dog dare you!"
First of all, NEVER double dog dare me to do anything....'cause I probably will.
But, that's not the point...that's just what got my attention.
You see, I live in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere...Mason, Texas.
"Home of Old Yeller," as I proudly tell everyone who will listen.
Seriously, if you go back and read it, Fred Gipson wrote about his dog and him roaming the hills of Mason County. How cool is that?
But seriously. It is kind of like the middle of nowhere...
This is the Texas Hill Country...beautiful with sprawling ranches, the Llano River, the only place in Texas where you can find blue topaz, the land where bluebonnets abound and the deer and antelope play.
(The antelope are behind high fences, but I'm pretty sure I've seen them playing.)
Actually, now that I think about it...there are a few buffalo that roam, much like your cell service will, because really, we're kind of in a dead spot here.
Getting good service can be pretty iffy.
Depending on your provider.
Can you hear me now?
I don't care that my Iphone is a 3G, and I don't care if I get an Iphone 4, because it won't work right anyway.
This all got me thinking about the G's in my life, and I'm not talking about my G-string.
Though, I do need to restring my guitar desperately.
Sheesh! Renew your mind!!
That would just be inappropriate!
Which makes me think about my first G. He's hilarious. In fact, he owns a shirt that says, "Relax, I'm hilarious." and he is.
In every completely inappropriate way you can imagine. 1G is probably one of the best friends I have ever had in my life. He made me laugh. A lot.
But then I married him.
I chose someone funny over someone gainfully employed, and believe me, that's only funny for a little while. 1G is a good time guy.
I say this respectfully and with no bitterness in my heart whatsoever, but he was the kind of guy that when the going got tough, he'd get going.
Then, when things were put back together, he'd resurface and we'd start the cycle of insanity all over again. We were two completely dysfunctional people that somehow found each other and connected in a very deep way. I was an absolute crazy person. And so was he.
We met when I was in my early 20's and he was seven years older. I was also a single mom with two kids and at a horrible place in my life. We met on "Ladies Drink Free" night at my favorite bar.
And we danced to "Dream Weaver."
And then he slept through our first date.
Seriously.
Literally slept through it.
He "didn't hear his alarm" and never showed up.
I love old houses and I think a lot about restoration. After our divorce 12 years ago, I wanted God to restore the relationship. I never wanted a divorce to begin with.
I wanted him to grow up.
I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and when you restore something, you take it back to its' original beauty.
Trust me. There wasn't a lot of original beauty to it.
He showed up at my house with a 6 pack of beer, a bag of weed and Monte Python videos.
I tolerated the Monte Python, because, well...he had good weed.
And he was a good kisser.
I'm just sayin'. (Sorry to offend, I'm just tellin' the truth.)
He moved in a few months later and it was non-stop chaos from there.
There are endless stories, that we now find humorous, though absolutely heartbreaking and horrendous at the time.
We went through hell together. And we put our children through hell.
Guests on Jerry Springer have nothing on us. Absolutely nothing.
I actully tried to run him over once with our car.
He wouldn't take us out for Chinese food on Mother's Day after church got out.
I just kept yelling at him. "All of the the other husbands are taking their wives!"
He responded I think with, "All of the other wives are not psychotic!"
And then it was on like Donkey Kong.
I've got your "take out" baby!! "I will "take you out with the front bumper of this Volvo you *&^ (* ^^%$!"
I can still see that picture of him running and looking back in my head and it is hilarious.
In a really, really disturbing way of course.
Just a few weeks ago, I went to see 1G on a whim in Wisconsin.
And I left there feeling very saddened by it all.
Although a lot of time has passed, the hands haven't seemed to move at all.
Things were different. And still so much the same.
He will always be the Eyore, to my Tigger.
I bounce.
And he will always be annoyed by my bouncing.
Then there is the other G.
I can't even call him my G, because he is not.
Years ago, I knew him as a happily married man with 3 wonderful kids. I thought he was the epitome of Ward Cleaver.
2G always appeared to be so reliable, responsible, kind, honest and super squared away.
He was the kind of guy you could depend on.
"That's the kind of guy you want." I would think to myself.
"Not that kind of guy I get, but the kind I want."
Not in an ogling, inappropriate way, just nice.
He was a brother in Christ and nothing more.
A year after my divorce from 1G, he came back from Philly to San Antonio and took us all out to eat at Pizza Hut.
I think he even paid!
I was particularly broke at that moment, and the roller coaster of living on commission sales had me once again, living in fear of having my utilities shut off.
When we got back home, I noticed an envelope on my stove that said, "Jesus Loves You."
Inside, there was $250.00!
It's a great story about the faith of a child, but that's not the point right now, so I'll save that for another time.
Days later I found out that the money was from 2G.
Almost a decade later, I was talking to a friend on the phone and asked about past friends...and him.
"How's G doing?"
"Oh, I saw him. He looks good. It's sad though. He's divorced, or going through a divorce, or something like that...I'm not sure."
Now I'm not really proud of my immediate reaction, but it went kind of like this,"OMGosh!! Okay...I have two things to say.."Hallelujah!! And I've got dibbs!!"
Sidebar: Never call "dibbs" on something until you know exactly what you're even calling "dibbs" on.
I proceeded to immediately send him a friend request on Facebook and the rest is more heartbreaking history.
I adored that man. Literally. I worshiped the ground he walked on. He became everything to me. I couldn't believe that God would actually give me exactly the kind of man that I had wanted my whole life.
In reality, He didn't...I just thought so.
We functioned together, it felt equal, give and take. He treated me like a princess and I felt like one when I was with him. We loved craftsman bungalows, and food and the outdoors. We loved getting up and having coffee and planning whatever time we could spend together.
He opened doors for me, played amazing guitar, held my hand in church and prayed with me.
The incredible chemistry caught me off guard from the beginning and I caved big time. He was a great kisser, and then some.
My conscience ate at me day in and day out. For many reasons.
I was living a double life.
Certainly, I didn't feel like I deserved to be with him and I knew I was in a situation that was disappointing to Jesus. I clearly left no room for him.
A mustard seed certainly couldn't squeeze into that tight of a space!
Insecurity inched it's way into my soul, or maybe it had been there all along.
I've never had a good relationship with a man before and avoided them fervently for a decade....until him.
All my previously feigned, "I don't like PDA's" went out the window. I am in fact, the queen of PDA's it turns out.
I think I truly fell in love with 2G the day we were to attend a life group event and I was running late getting into town. When I got to his place, he was ready to go. Not only was he ready, but he had snacks prepared because he knew I wouldn't have had time to cook that day. That did me in.
It seems silly maybe to get so excited about something so simple, but it brought tears to my eyes that someone could be so thoughtful and considerate and amazing.
But daily, I was terrified that I would lose him to someone closer, more successful, prettier, more mature, more squared away, someone more like him and admittedly, I stalked his Facebook until I made myself crazy.
Ironically, psychotic.
I even came up with a back up plan, just in case it all crashed and burned.
That was H.
Yes, the letter in the alphabet that comes after G. But that's another story and also ironically, H is with I.
2G was everything that 1G was not.
And I loved every minute of it.
Except for all of those minutes that I felt unsettled for some reason.
All of those minutes that I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I drove home that last weekend crying and calling out to God and my steering wheel.
"If this is not your will for my life, then remove it. Please. Even if it hurts like hell. Take it from me. Above all, I want your will, and not my own."
And then came the other shoe.
Just a few days later I received an email that it was over.
I have great doubts that it was ever even really real. I was the transition girl. It's what I do.
I just wanted it so much to be the happy ending that I had always hoped for, I guess I didn't really see it.
I wanted to believe it was for real and that beauty would really come from my ashes. And it will.
Reading back over this, I know it reads like a big fat buzz kill...And it kind of is.
But really, I'm good.
Seriously, I am.
Happy even! In spite of all the things that have spun out of my control, I really, really do believe that he will work ALL things out for good.
Nearly one year later, and my whole world turned totally upside down, this is what I have learned about love and the communication industry:
I only need one G.
The G above all other G's.
God.
He is the only one who has never, and I mean never left me...His love has been unconditional, even when I didn't deserve it. He has been patient and kind. He has shown me true mercy and grace.
He considers me precious, the apple of his eye, his beloved, his bride.
I saw a bridal magazine yesterday at HEB, and never, and I mean never being the kind of girl that would ever buy such a thing, I actually glanced at the cover and smiled inwardly.
Someday, maybe.
Maybe someday, that kind of love will find me. The right kind of love.
Until then, I will wait for his perfect provision.
I'm a God girl. I want a God guy.
Maybe even one that's a great kisser and, well, you know...
I've been told all of my life that I am a go-getter and I've taken great pride in my independence.
Now I see myself for what I really am...so, so, so, truly dependent on God for every breathe I take, every move I make, every hurt that's needed healed, every inspiration to create and especially, every chance to love...again.
Thank you God for always being my most reliable, service provider!!!
Can you hear me now?
Friday, March 2, 2012
You Really do Learn Something New every Day!
I love to learn new things. Sometimes they're important and provide me with actual knowledge, but many times they are just fun facts that don't necessarily improve my quality of life, but I still find them interesting.
In the last week or so, I've learned a little of both.
Just the other day, a life long mystery to me was finally solved and although there is no great significance in it, I simply enjoy the now knowing.
I have always loved the ELO song, "Don't Bring Me Down."
Of course, like the rest of us who are lyric freaks, I always wondered who Bruce was?
You know, "don't bring me doooown.....Bruce...don't bring me dooooown, Bruce..."
Well, as it turns out, the word they are actually singing is the German word "grroosss."
Jeff Lynne just made up the word while recording in the studio. But apparently, it surprised the German producer who informed him that it really was a word. In German, grroosss means, a type of greeting.
I find this amusing considering its' context and placement in the song.
"Don't bring me dooown...hello?"
You'd think it would be better to end that line with an exit word like, "don't bring me doooown.....bye!"
But, I guess "don't bring me dooown...Auf Wiedersehen," wouldn't really sound right either.
So, there ya have it.
Mystery solved.
Wikipedia and Facebook are awesome resources when there's an immediate need to know. :)
My interesting and useful nugget of knowledge this week was learning how Joshua made it into the promised land.
You know, the one we are always hearing about.....That land flowing with milk and honey.
I have yet to find it with my lame mapping skills, but I believe it really does exist.
Most of us have seen, "The 10 Commandments" the one with Charlton Heston.
I think it's pretty much required viewing around Christmas time, right up there with The Christmas Story, It's a Wonderful Life and Elf.
Most of us also remember the dramatic point where Moses parts the Red Sea with his giant staff in hand.
(and yes, I know God did it, not Moses, but you know what I mean.)
Well guess what I found out?
That was not the ONLY wall of water incident in the bible!
Joshua did the same thing at the Jordan River!
Huh! Who knew?
Okay, probably lots of people. But I did not.
Somewhere, somehow between the "thou shall not eat" and the "blowing of the trumpets" dramatic ending, I missed that part.
Now, I have never claimed to be a bible scholar, teacher, preacher or anything remotely like that, but I do love reading the word and hearing other interesting tales outside of Noah, Jonah and The Story of Baby Jesus.
I get super jazzed when it leaps out in a 3D kind of way and really grabs my attention and actually feels relevant to my life here and now.
Daily, I am learning how to live and it's in those pages that I usually get the best advice. Admittedly, I don't always listen, but it's there for the taking. Just like God said the Promise Land would be.
Moses and the previously enslaved Israelites left Egypt and set out to find this abundant and blessed land only to end up wandering in the desert for 40 years!
It was supposed to be about a seven day journey (correction..11 days), but their considerable amount of disobedience and jacking around made the process take a whole lot longer than a week.
Talk about a miscalculated ETA!! (estimated time of arrival)
I get that.
I would have been right there with them, cursing God instead of looking at my part in my misdirection and singing loudly, "You've got me running going out of my mind...you've got me thinking that I'm wasting my time...." :)
Well, Moses never made it and died in the process so Joshua, his assistant, became the task master of bringing God's people to cross the Jordan River in order to inherit the wonderful lands that God had promised them so many years before.
God gave Joshua the pep talk of all pep talks that went something like this, "Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Be of good strength and courage! Don't get off track, don't veer to the right or the left, and don't get discouraged!! I am with you every step of the way!"
He also gave them a few days to camp out and rest before the big crossing over, take over.
Cause that's what it was going to be. Yes, he said they would have it...but they were going to have to fight for it. Hence the saying perhaps, anything worth having, is worth fighting for.
But lets get back to the resting part....God's good like that, he'll let you hang out by the campfire, sing some songs and refresh your spirit before getting into the real battle.
Sadly, they had manna....not s'mores.
On the final day, the leaders started shouting specific orders for exactly how they were going to get to the other side. Do this, do that, do this, do that. Pretty specific instructions.
Two important things that jumped out at me were this; Joshua and the leaders told the people to prepare themselves...they said, "you've never been down this road before...sanctify yourselves for so much more!"
In other words, this is a new thing! This is a way that you have not known.
Cut away the old way of doing things and prepare yourselves for something better.
Not better, but, God's miraculous best!
They obeyed, stood at the flood waters of the Jordan River...and God caused a great wall of water to rise up so they could cross and finally enter into their Promise Land.
I would like to think that after witnessing something as unbelievable as that, I could then march confidently straight towards my enemies with great boldness!
If I were Joshua, I think I maybe would have instructed the people like this,"Now..we are about to be where we were intended to go forever ago...Here's what I want you to do...As we are announcing our arrival to our enemies...I want us to have this big massive sing-along...and very loudly, at the top of your lungs I want you to sing...."
"Don't be bring me doooown......grroosss!"
Hello!!!
We're here and we're taking what's ours!
In the last week or so, I've learned a little of both.
Just the other day, a life long mystery to me was finally solved and although there is no great significance in it, I simply enjoy the now knowing.
I have always loved the ELO song, "Don't Bring Me Down."
Of course, like the rest of us who are lyric freaks, I always wondered who Bruce was?
You know, "don't bring me doooown.....Bruce...don't bring me dooooown, Bruce..."
Well, as it turns out, the word they are actually singing is the German word "grroosss."
Jeff Lynne just made up the word while recording in the studio. But apparently, it surprised the German producer who informed him that it really was a word. In German, grroosss means, a type of greeting.
I find this amusing considering its' context and placement in the song.
"Don't bring me dooown...hello?"
You'd think it would be better to end that line with an exit word like, "don't bring me doooown.....bye!"
But, I guess "don't bring me dooown...Auf Wiedersehen," wouldn't really sound right either.
So, there ya have it.
Mystery solved.
Wikipedia and Facebook are awesome resources when there's an immediate need to know. :)
My interesting and useful nugget of knowledge this week was learning how Joshua made it into the promised land.
You know, the one we are always hearing about.....That land flowing with milk and honey.
I have yet to find it with my lame mapping skills, but I believe it really does exist.
Most of us have seen, "The 10 Commandments" the one with Charlton Heston.
I think it's pretty much required viewing around Christmas time, right up there with The Christmas Story, It's a Wonderful Life and Elf.
Most of us also remember the dramatic point where Moses parts the Red Sea with his giant staff in hand.
(and yes, I know God did it, not Moses, but you know what I mean.)
Well guess what I found out?
That was not the ONLY wall of water incident in the bible!
Joshua did the same thing at the Jordan River!
Huh! Who knew?
Okay, probably lots of people. But I did not.
Somewhere, somehow between the "thou shall not eat" and the "blowing of the trumpets" dramatic ending, I missed that part.
Now, I have never claimed to be a bible scholar, teacher, preacher or anything remotely like that, but I do love reading the word and hearing other interesting tales outside of Noah, Jonah and The Story of Baby Jesus.
I get super jazzed when it leaps out in a 3D kind of way and really grabs my attention and actually feels relevant to my life here and now.
Daily, I am learning how to live and it's in those pages that I usually get the best advice. Admittedly, I don't always listen, but it's there for the taking. Just like God said the Promise Land would be.
Moses and the previously enslaved Israelites left Egypt and set out to find this abundant and blessed land only to end up wandering in the desert for 40 years!
It was supposed to be about a seven day journey (correction..11 days), but their considerable amount of disobedience and jacking around made the process take a whole lot longer than a week.
Talk about a miscalculated ETA!! (estimated time of arrival)
I get that.
I would have been right there with them, cursing God instead of looking at my part in my misdirection and singing loudly, "You've got me running going out of my mind...you've got me thinking that I'm wasting my time...." :)
Well, Moses never made it and died in the process so Joshua, his assistant, became the task master of bringing God's people to cross the Jordan River in order to inherit the wonderful lands that God had promised them so many years before.
God gave Joshua the pep talk of all pep talks that went something like this, "Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Be of good strength and courage! Don't get off track, don't veer to the right or the left, and don't get discouraged!! I am with you every step of the way!"
He also gave them a few days to camp out and rest before the big crossing over, take over.
Cause that's what it was going to be. Yes, he said they would have it...but they were going to have to fight for it. Hence the saying perhaps, anything worth having, is worth fighting for.
But lets get back to the resting part....God's good like that, he'll let you hang out by the campfire, sing some songs and refresh your spirit before getting into the real battle.
Sadly, they had manna....not s'mores.
On the final day, the leaders started shouting specific orders for exactly how they were going to get to the other side. Do this, do that, do this, do that. Pretty specific instructions.
Two important things that jumped out at me were this; Joshua and the leaders told the people to prepare themselves...they said, "you've never been down this road before...sanctify yourselves for so much more!"
In other words, this is a new thing! This is a way that you have not known.
Cut away the old way of doing things and prepare yourselves for something better.
Not better, but, God's miraculous best!
They obeyed, stood at the flood waters of the Jordan River...and God caused a great wall of water to rise up so they could cross and finally enter into their Promise Land.
I would like to think that after witnessing something as unbelievable as that, I could then march confidently straight towards my enemies with great boldness!
If I were Joshua, I think I maybe would have instructed the people like this,"Now..we are about to be where we were intended to go forever ago...Here's what I want you to do...As we are announcing our arrival to our enemies...I want us to have this big massive sing-along...and very loudly, at the top of your lungs I want you to sing...."
"Don't be bring me doooown......grroosss!"
Hello!!!
We're here and we're taking what's ours!
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