HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2010

Today is New Year's Eve Day, and as I get ready to ring out the old year and welcome in the new, I am busy filling in calendars with important dates, putting away decorations, figuring out the 2010 budget, and setting up new planners and journals. It has become a tradition that I thoroughly enjoy.

As I go about my preparations, hope, anticipation, and excitement. start to build. It's the same magical feeling I experience every time I get ready to write something in a brand new notebook full of fresh, blank pages just waiting to be filled.

2009's slate will soon be wiped clean. What does 2010 hold in store? My wish for you is that it will be a year of peace, health, joy, prosperity, blessings, and many awesome surprises.

Happy New Year, dear bloggy friends!

OFFSHORE OUTSOURCING -- A CHUCKLE FOR YOU

A few months ago, one of my virtual jobs got what promised to be a fantastic contract that would ensure plenty of work for all on an ongoing versus temporary basis They even hired a bunch of new agents to help with the expected overflow. We had to take a special training to qualify, and were excited to see there really was a flood of work coming in. Quite a contrast to the previous drought we had been experiencing.

We all contentedly settled in to a work schedule soon taken for granted. Our fortunes had taken a turn for the better, and 2010 was looking good as far as our pocketbooks were concerned. Little did anyone suspect that this was all about to change.

When I turned on my computer yesterday morning, all ready for a full day's work, I was greeted by a most apologetic e-mail from our manager, telling us we had lost the contract.

Surprisingly, I felt a perfect peace in the face of this potentially devastating news. I even got a second chuckle out of this video clip one of the other agents had posted on our Bulletin Board a while back, and that immediately came to mind. It seemed so appropriate, I dug it out of my saved favorites and have posted it here for you to enjoy too (just click on the link, and then on the play button arrow at the bottom of the screen).


Offshore Outsourcing

THE WAY IT WAS

IN GOD WE STILL TRUST



The words to this song used to ring true, but these days they seem less and less so. How tragic!

Post edited on 12/30/09

BEYOND THE PARTY

This excerpt from one of Ron Hutchcraft's Christmas Moments says it so much better than I ever could.

They called it a Christmas miracle. A California dad drove into a Sierra forest, parked his truck and went looking for a Christmas tree with his three teenage children. Then the snowstorms came. They were lost and they were unprepared. After searchers looked for three days, two pilots finally saw the word “HELP” stamped in the snow and a man waving. For that lost family, Christmas meant rescue.

And that is really what Christmas is about for every one of us. Behind the big party called Christmas is a mission as serious as life-or-death—yours and mine. That first Christmas, God announced Jesus was coming to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). He didn’t come to start a religion or be a good example. He came here to rescue people who would die otherwise forever, because our sin carries a forever death penalty that He paid with His life on the cross.

This Christmas season, He wants to make you a Christmas miracle, if you’ll grab His outstretched hand as your Rescuer from your sin. Don’t miss what He came for. If you’re ready for His rescue, call us at 888-NEED HIM.

WHERE'S THE LINE TO SEE JESUS?

"Where's the Line to See Jesus?"

An original song performed by father and daughter, Steve Haupt and Becky Kelley
Recorded at Shock City Studios, Saint Louis, MO
Produced by Chris Loesch
Video by Robbie Haupt and Greg Haupt

The story behind the song, as told by Steve Haupt, is as follows:

"While at the mall last year, my 4 year old grandson saw kids lined up excitedly to see Santa Claus. Having been taught as a toddler that Christmas is the holiday that Christians celebrate the birth of God's son, with the innocence of a child, he asked his mom, 'Where's the line to see Jesus? If Christmas is Jesus' birthday, why don't we see Him more?'

As his grandpa, I was so happy that little Spencer understood the meaning of Christmas at such a tender age, and then the words for a song were jotted down in just a few minutes. The song was inspired by my grandson, and the message was inspired by my Savior.

Out of the mouths of babes come profound truths that many adults can not understand. Hopefully Spencer's observation and our song will cause people to reflect on the love of Jesus, and the certainty that one day we will all stand in line to see Jesus."

Wishing you all a beautiful Christmas and a very blessed New Year!

Great-Granny Grandma

AFTERMATH OF THE STORM

It never ceases to amaze me how one day we can be in the midst of a blustery storm, and then the next day the wind has quieted down and the sun is shining. Same thing with the ocean, whose angry waves can wreak havoc of tsunami proportions, only to be followed by stillness and calm.

Yesterday we experienced the worst blizzard in this neck of the woods since the 1990's. Accumulation was close to 24 inches. Today the sun is shining. Nevertheless, I did have to wear my boots just to go out on my balcony to take these photos.

SOME ENCOURAGING THOUGHTS

Here's another e-mail I'd like to share. Hope it blesses you as much as it did me.

* * * * * * *

The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember:

• Noah was a drunk
• Abraham was too old
• Isaac was a daydreamer
• Jacob was a liar
• Leah was ugly
• Joseph was abused
• Moses had a stuttering problem
• Gideon was afraid
• Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
• Rahab was a prostitute
• Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
• David had an affair and was a murderer
• Elijah was suicidal
• Isaiah preached naked
• Jonah ran from God
• Naomi was a widow
• Job went bankrupt
• Peter denied Christ (3 times)
• The Disciples fell asleep while praying
• Martha worried about everything
• Mary Magdalene was promiscuous
• The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
• Zaccheus was too short
• Paul was too religious
• Timothy had an ulcer
• AND, Lazarus was dead!

Now, no more excuses! God can use you to your full potential. Besides, you aren't the message. You are just the messenger.

And one more thing:

• God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts.
• When you have a problem, God has the solution.
• Growing old is inevitable, growing UP is optional.
• There is no key to happiness; the door is always open.
• Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.
• Do some math--count your blessings.
• Faith is the ability to not panic.
• Laugh every day; it's like inner jogging.
• If you worry, you didn't pray; if you pray, don't worry.
• As a child of God , prayer is kind of like calling home every day.
• Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.
• The most important things in your house are the people.
• When you get tangled up in your problems, be still so God can untangle the knot.
• A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.
• Carrying a grudge is allowing someone to live rent free in your mind.
• He who dies with the most toys is still dead.

Have a great day!!! The SON is shining and He can certainly use you!

INVITATION TO THE GREATEST PARTY OF ALL

Am just loving this invitation I found in my e-mail the other day, and would like to pass it along to all of you too. Don't miss out on the greatest party of all.

Beloved;

As you know, it's time for my birthday again. Last year they had a real big party for me and it seems like they will again this year. After all, they've been shopping and preparing for it for months now, and there have been announcements and advertisements almost every day about how soon it's coming! They really do go overboard about it, but it's nice to know that at least on one day of the year some people are thinking about me a little.

You know, it's been many years now since they first started celebrating my birthday. Back then they seemed to realize and appreciate how much fun it was for the little children. Just the same, it seems that most folks are missing the point of it all.

Like last year, for example, when my birthday came around they threw a big party, but can you believe it, I wasn't invited? Imagine! The guest of honor, and they forgot all about me. Here they had begun preparing for the festivities two months in advance, but when the big day came I was left out in the cold. And it has happened so many times in recent years, I wasn't even surprised.

Even though I wasn't invited, I thought I'd just quietly slip in anyway. So I came in and stood off to the side. Everyone was drinking, laughing and having a grand time, when all of a sudden, in came this fellow in a bright red suit wearing a phony white beard and shouting "Ho Ho Ho." Everyone cheered. All the children came running over to him, excitedly yelling, "Santa!" You would have thought that he was the guest of honor. Then he began telling them the most ridiculous stories you've ever heard. Finally I had to leave, and walked out the door, but no one even noticed that I had gone.

I'm planning on holding my own party. How about that? It's going to be the biggest, most fantastic feast, you could possibly imagine. I'm not saying the date yet, but I'm sending out invitations now because I hope you'll want to come. There's going to be room for everyone. So hold on to your hat, because when everything is ready, I'm going to spring it as a big surprise and a lot of people are going to be left out in the cold because they didn't respond to my invitation.

Let me know right away if you'd like to come* so I can reserve you a place and write your name in large golden letters in my BIG GUEST BOOK, the LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE!!

Much Love,

JESUS

*To find out how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit Yours for Life or call 1-888-966-7325.

THE BIG 7-O

It wasn't so long ago that I joyfully celebrated the big 7-O. At the time, I didn't give it much thought and enjoyed the festivities. I even felt proud of having reached that milestone. But what was I thinking?

It didn't take long for that bubble to burst. When asked on a survey if I was the 70-year-old female in my household, it came as a shock to realize they were referring to me. It's a shock I still feel every time I see a document with my name and age on it.

True as it may be, I'm having a real problem acknowledging it. Why, I don't know. I have no problem speaking my age out of my mouth, but seeing it with my eyes is another story altogether. Can anybody relate to that, or am I just weird?

I don't feel old and have never really thought about my age. I guess I must have been living in a fantasy world where we stay young forever, because I act as though I were the same age as everyone else I'm with at the time, even if I'm really old enough to be their mother or grandmother.

How did the seasons pass by so fast? I feel like the evergreen in my winter photo, with no age to label me, but a glance in the mirror can quickly dispel that thought. Oh woe is me. Can anyone relate? Or am I truly the most ancient of all my bloggie friends too?

WINTER

As I balk at accepting the winter of my life, may this view remind me that every season has a beauty of its own.

CREATE YOUR OWN SNOWFLAKE - 2

Now that it's that time of year again, here's something fun to do. Just click on the picture, and create your own snowflake.



Enjoy!

THANKSGIVING ROSE

It is now the very end of November and most of the trees are bare, but here and there, beautiful things are still blooming, like these trees in the parking lot behind our library.

I have no idea what they are, but I love the splash of color they add to the wintery backdrop. Sort of like an artist might use to accentuate sections of a grey-toned photo.

And check out this amazing rose my daughter found blooming in her front yard on Thanksgiving.

Is God's creation awesome, or what?"

THE JOURNEY

This is a copy of a post I recently read on Marie's blog, and which she so graciously gave me permission to post on mine. It really did give me the goose bumps.

THE JOURNEY

Once upon a time there was a man and his son who lived in a tiny village in a country named Japan. They didn't have much to call their own, except for a tiny plot of land that they farmed. Once or twice a year they would load up an old ox drawn cart with vegetables which they had grown and make the long journey into the nearest city to sell them.

With the exception of their last name, and this little plot of land they worked together, the father and son had very little in common. The old man was a 'stop and smell the roses' kind of guy, and the son, well he was more of a 'go-getter,' always in a hurry.

Bright and early one morning, they loaded up their cart, hitched up the ox and began the long journey to the city. The son had it in his mind that if they walked faster and kept going all day and all night, they'd make the market by early morning the next day. So he kept prodding the ox with a wooden stick, urging it to walk faster.

"Take it easy son," the old man remarked, "you'll last longer."

"IF we get to the market ahead of the others," argued the son, " we'll have a better chance of getting good prices."

There was no reply from the father. He simply pulled his hat down over his eyes and went to sleep on his seat next to his son.

Itchy and irritated, the young man kept goading the ox to walk faster and kept getting even more irritated when the ox refused to hasten it's pace.

Four hours and a few miles further down the road, they came to a small house. The father woke up and smiled at his son. "This is your uncle's place," he said. "Let's stop by and say hello."

"But we're running late already," complained the young man.

"Then a few more minutes won't hurt," was his father's reply. "My brother and I get to see each other so seldom."

And so the two older brothers were able to spend an hour together in each other's company, chatting away and laughing whilst the young man sat nearby fuming and grumbling.

Soon enough, they were back on the road again, continuing their journey. As they approached a fork in the road, the father led the ox to the right hand branch. "The left way is shorter," cried the son.

"I know," replied his father, "but this way is so much prettier."

"Have you no respect for time," his son shouted impatiently.

"Oh," his father slowly replied, "I respect it very much. That is why I like to look at beauty and enjoy each moment of my life to the fullest."

The winding road led them through graceful meadows filled with wild flowers and past rippling streams so very beautiful to look at, but all of which the son missed. He was too busy and preoccupied with his misery. He even failed to notice the beautiful sunset.

Twilight found them in what appeared to be a huge colourful garden. The old man stood by breathing in the scent of what seemed to be a million flowers. A babbling brook lay nearby and the gentle sound of it's trickling waters sounded in the air. "We will stay here for the night," said the father.

"This is the last time I am coming on this trip with you," fumed the son. "You waste far too much time smelling flowers and watching sunsets, when we could be in the city already making money."

"Why, that's the nicest thing you have ever said about me," replied the father, and within a few minutes he was snoring away as the son sat there and fumed up at the stars. The night dragged on slowly and the son was quite restless.

Before the sun even rose in the sky the son hurriedly shook his father awake, anxious as he was to get back on the road. Before they had gone too far, they came upon another farmer, a complete stranger, trying to pull his cart out of the ditch it had tumbled into. "We will stop and give him a hand," said the old man. The younger man exploded with rage.

"Relax, son. Don't forget that one day you may be the one in the ditch needing help," his father said. "We must always stop to help others that are in need." The boy looked away in anger.

It was almost eight o'clock in the morning by the time the other cart was on the road. Suddenly a great flash of light split the sky and what sounded like a huge clap of thunder followed. The very ground shook beneath their feet and the sky beyond the hills turned very dark.

"Looks like rain in the big city," said the father.

"If we had hurried," replied the son, grumbling as they went on their way, "we'd be almost sold out by now."

"Take it easy son," said the father. "You'll last a lot longer that way and you'll enjoy your life a whole lot more."

It was late in the afternoon by the time they got to the hill overlooking the city. Both of them stood still in their tracks and stared down at it for a very long time, neither of them speaking a word. Finally the younger man, turned to his father and, putting his hand on his shoulder, said, "I see what you mean father."

They turned their cart around and began to make the journey back to their home, rolling slowly away from what had once been the city of Hiroshima.

***********************

What a great reminder to go with the flow and , as Marie said, take time to smell the roses along the way. That unexpected delay or disruption to our plans could very well be God's way of diverting us from our path for our greater good. Think of the people who have missed a train or plane, and their tardiness wound up saving their lives when it crashed. Or the many folks whose lives were spared on 9/11 because something caused an unexpected change of plans in their usual routine.

So next time things seem to be going all wrong, instead of getting mad or frustrated, consider the fact that the God who is watching over you, and who is the only one who sees the whole picture, may have you exactly where He wants you to be.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, 2009

NAMES OF GOD

Today I came across an awesome website with a list of the names of God, and even a video clip at the bottom with the names put to song. I wasn't sure if it was okay to put the video clip in my post, so if you are interested, you'll have to click on the link and go over there to hear it.

God has many names through which He reveals Himself to us, names that show different aspects of His character, His nature, and His care and concern for us. Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals; Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides; El Shaddai, the all sufficient one, and God Almighty; Jehovah Rohi, the Lord our shepherd. Those are just a few, and today I've come up with a new name, but let me not get ahead of myself.

I've been living in my apartment for just over two years now, and have been happy with how most of it looks, except for something about my living room I couldn't quite put my finger on. Was it the color of the sofa, or was it the insufficient lighting? Decorating is not my forte, and I have a hard time visualizing what something will look like until it's actually in my room and I start moving it around.

Well one thing was for sure. I did need to do something about the lighting. Although the room is bright and cheery during the day, the little lamps on the piano and bookshelf definitely did not cut it after dark.

As I was pondering all this, that still small voice within (which I wrote about in my last post) was prompting me to take the crook neck lamp off the piano and donate it to the thrift shop. So I did. But before leaving the store I decided to look around, and wound up buying another lamp that I thought might be a good substitute.


As I just said, I'm not too good at visualizing, and when I got home I could see there was no way that lamp would fit on the piano. So what to do? There was only one thing I could do. Put it on the card table next to the sofa where I have a bunch of plants. It was the only spot in the living room it could go. And guess what? It was perfect. That was the missing link. The room needed something to pull it together, and that did the trick. Now my living room has a look I really, really like.

So what is the new name I can use to praise my God? The God of Interior Design. It gives me goose bumps to think that the Lord God Almighty, Ruler of the Universe, cares enough about me to show me how to decorate my room in a way that is both pleasing and affordable. Nothing concerning me is too small or insignificant for Him. And nothing concerning you is either.

HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD

"Then He [the Lord] said, 'Go out and stand on
the mountain . . . And behold, the Lord passed
by, and a great and strong wind tore into the
mountains and broke the rocks in pieces . . .
but the Lord was not in the wind; and after
the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not
in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a
fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after
the fire a still small voice."
(1 Kings 19: 11-12)

The Lord has never spoken to me audibly. It's either a still small voice within, a sudden thought out of the blue, a gut feeling, a warning to change course, a forgotten scripture that suddenly pops into mind just when I need it, a gentle nudge to do something other than what I started out to do, an accident that turns out not to be an accident, but rather a way of diverting my attention to something else--like when I hit a wrong key on my computer and a screen or pop-up appears showing me an option to do something I had not been aware I could do before.

Many times the prompt has not made sense to my natural mind and I have questioned whether it really could be the Lord, but when I've let my intellect persuade me to ignore it, it has usually led to regret. I remember once heading out the door to run some errands and suddenly feeling I shouldn't go. I went anyway, and as a result, missed an impromptu visit from a friend I rarely see. Another time that happened, it was a phone call I could have kicked myself for missing. These days I am more prone to obey, figuring better safe than sorry.

This morning I went to my weekly prayer meeting and gave one of my favorite praise and worship CD's to a friend. It was a CD I had been listening to in my car for the last couple of weeks. One day as I was singing along, that friend's name popped into mind and I heard that still small voice within telling me to give it to her. At first I was fine with the idea, but then I started thinking, what if she doesn't like that kind of music? Why give up something I would really like to keep when I don't even know for sure that it would be appreciated? Maybe I could ask her to give it back if it's not her thing? But even while I was thinking these thoughts, I was already writing on a sticky--"For you. Enjoy!"

The meeting had already started when I got there, and so I just put the CD with the sticky on it in front of her as I walked toward my seat. When I sat down and looked across the room, I saw this huge beaming smile spread across her face that just warmed my heart.

As we were leaving, she told me how perfect the timing of the gift had been. That very morning she had been looking for something to play in her car and was exasperated that she couldn't find any music on the radio she liked. This CD absolutely was her favorite kind of music. Her excitement was contagious, but as overjoyed as she was, I think my joy was even greater. I'm so glad I listened and obeyed.

LEARNING TO LOVE

". . . love your enemies, bless those who curse
you, do good to those who hate you, and pray
for those who spitefully use you and persecute
you . . . For if you love those who love you,
what reward have you? Do not even the tax
collectors do the same? And if you greet
your brethren only, what do you do more
than others?" - (Matthew 5: 44-47)


Learning to love is so hard. Here I think of myself as an easygoing person with a thick skin, and yet this morning I started off my day by snapping at the tech service rep who told me she could not send out a technician to fix my computer until Thursday (four days from now).

I was angry because I depend on my computer to earn my living so I can pay my bills. I was angry because she told me that if I upgraded to a business account (which would cost a great deal more than what I am paying now) they would have sent someone out right away. I was angry because I couldn't reason with her that if they could send someone out right away for people with a business account, obviously there were techs available who could come out to see me sooner. I was angry because the reason she said I needed a tech to come out was because she couldn't find the problem over the phone. I was so angry, that before I hung up I even told her she didn't sound like she knew what she was doing, and even made some threats about switching to another Internet service provider.

Well, after I had stewed for a while and realized it wasn't helping, I grudgingly decided to do what the phone tech had initially said to do (disconnect the modem and reconnect), just so I could prove her wrong. And oh, did I forget to mention that when she had told me to do it, I hadn't actually done it because it didn't make sense to disconnect and reconnect something that I had only just turned on? Well, guess what? When I took that one step of obedience, the problem was instantly resolved, just like she had implied it would be.

I felt so ashamed of my outburst and rebelliousness. I thought of how I had recently asked the Lord to help me learn how to love like Jesus, and whenever I have prayed to learn anything--like patience, strength to stand against the enemy, whatever--the tests and trials start to come. The tech rep incident had just been a test, a test I failed, and a test that showed me how easily my buttons can still be pushed. Next time I need to be more alert to what is happening. And for sure there will be a next time, maybe even sevceral of them, until the lesson is learned.

After I repented and told the Lord I was ready for the next go round, the Scripture I quoted at the top of this post came to mind, in particular the line, "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?" Hmm. I hadn't thought much about that part.

The head property manager of my complex has been rude and unreasonable on several occasions, even to the point of acting unjustly, and since I have been powerless to do anything about it if I want to stay in my apartment (which I do), I have retaliated by ignoring her presence whenever I see her. Although I never consciously thought of it as retaliation, I now see that's exactly what it is. And so who is the one being hurt by this? Has it not just been a way to keep my grievances against her alive?

I thought of how rebellious I had been when the tech told me to disconnect the modem this morning. I was so sure I knew better and it would be a totally annoying and unnecessary step. And yet, when I relented and obeyed, the problem was resolved. So what does that tell me? It's a good idea to obey the instructions of a more knowledgeable person, no matter how petty or insignificant those instructions may seem, and surely the God of the universe who created me and even provided me with a "product manual" to help troubleshoot the problems I encounter in life, is the ultimate authority for fixing what ails me.

God's Word tells me that the best solution for anger is to "pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." And that does not mean pray for revenge, but pray for their good. That may hurt my pride a bit, but when I am willing to give in and just do it, it definitely has a way of softening my heart and taking the sting away like nothing else has been able to do.

BUILD ON THE ROCK

"He is like a man building a house, who dug
deep and laid the foundation on the rock.
And when the flood arose, the stream beat
vehemently against that house, and could
not shake it, for it was founded on the rock."

(Luke 6:48)

The rains have come and some fierce winds have blown, and most of the magnificent trees in my neighborhood have shed their colorful foliage. There are a few though that still stand intact, so I went out in the morning drizzle to take pictures of this marvel. Amazingly, the colors are just as bright in the rain as when the sun was shining.

GOD'S ART WORK - P.S.

I knew something didn't look quite right on my previous post, but couldn't put my finger on it until this morning. A couple of pictures I'd intended to include had been left out.

So much beauty. Such a difficult choice. LOL

GOD'S ART WORK

"...Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory."
(Isaiah 6:3)

Look at the masterpieces God's paint brush has created. Does this not take your breath away? When I look around and see myself surrounded by all this beauty, it sure does mine. I keep taking so many pictures, it was a real challenge trying to decide which ones to include in this post.

FEAR

A couple of days ago, I celebrated a landmark birthday (though I'm not telling which one. LOL) It was a gorgeous day, perfect weather for walking, and so I took my camera with me.

As I basked in the beauty surrounding me, I felt so blessed, and started thinking of how good the Lord has been to me even though I've been far from deserving. I thought of the awesome things He has done in my life over this last decade, and the unexpected surprises He delighted me with for my birthday--such as a laptop I've been dreaming about for quite some time now, but didn't really expect to materialize. But then fear started to get the upper hand.

With the joy of each birthday surprise came a pang of concern that something bad was about to follow. Can anyone relate to this?

I have to run now, but am planning to write more about it on my other blog--http://atfootofcross.blogspot.com/--when I get back. The post is still ruminating around my mind, but I do have a title picked out--OLD SUPERSTITIONS DIE HARD!

HARBINGERS OF FALL

Pictures I took while out for a walk—some last blooms of summer and some harbingers of fall. This place is so lovely, I feel blessed to be living in the midst of it.