Waiting

Wait

Wait

Wait.

Not something that we enjoy. Sometimes we wait with expectation and anticipation. Sometimes we wait with fear and dread.

Wait.

Wait.

Wait.



Isa 40:31

Never mistake activity for achievement

A couple of weeks ago Pastor Jeff used an avalanche beacon to illustrate a point in his Sunday Tru message. That next Monday morning I was meeting with a group of people to train them on a new product we were releasing that week. While we were waiting on all of the folks to attend someone asked me how it was going. My reply; “I am running as fast as I can to stay ahead of the avalanche of things that need to be done.” The good news is that our company is starting to accelerate; the bad news is that they are not hiring anyone so all of us have more work to do.

We can all get very busy, but are we really accomplishing anything? That is the question that I have to ask myself. I work through lunch, I go in early, I work in the evenings all trying to stay in front of that avalanche. What I really have to focus on in this time is keeping my priorities straight: 1) God, 2) Husband, 3) Family, 4) Church, etc.

I have to remember that work is not my life. I am blessed because I have a job I truly enjoy, but it still needs to be kept in the proper place in my life.

Ecc 9:10

Simple Fun

One of my favorite summer memories growing up was the summer my family traveled from our home in Michigan to Kansas City Missouri pulling a rented popup camper trailer. We stayed in a campground that was up on a hill and had very few trees. The sun shone bright every day and the temperature would reach 120 degrees or more each day, that was hot. Down at the bottom of the hill was this big lake full of cool blue water, but for some reason it was not safe to swim in. We were there with the Majorette/Drum Corp for a National Championship so there were approximately 15 families all camping in the same area.

So what do you do when it is 120+, out in the bright sun, 50 or more people and a water pump? Well you have water fights. It didn’t matter whether you were 7 or 70 everyone got involved. Any and all buckets, balloons and cups were used when a water fight would break out. These were not planned and everyone had so much fun that it is one things that 40 years later anyone that was there talks about.

We have forgotten the heat, the dried out grass, but everyone remembers working the pump handle to get more water for the action. We didn’t care that we had to work for that water, we were just grateful it was there. That was part of the fun, working that pump handle. That memory just reminds me of a time when it was the simple things that were the most fun.

Psalm 116:5-7 (New Living Translation)

Absolutely Amazing

I want to tell you about my new friend. Her disposition is just that Absolutely Amazing. Give her circumstances she could easily be justified in feeling sorry for herself and yet she is the first to greet you with a big smile, a merry song and cheerful “how are you today”.

My friend is a lot like me, she is young; probably in her late 40s early fifties (see I’m that age so I consider that young). She has an engineering degree and worked for many years for Boeing. The big difference is that my friend is unable to form words to speak anything but a few phrases. There is a disconnect in her brain. I met my friend at the nursing home where my mom lives. She is has been a resident there since she was beaten, leaving her unable to use her right hand, unable to walk because her right leg is also partially paralyzed. Her mind has full capability except speaking. She knows what is going on and what she needs to say, but the words just don’t come. Her vocabulary is limited:

“How are you today?” “I’m fine thank you.” “Absolutely Amazing”

How I wish I knew my friend before, if those are the only things her damaged brain can say today. Think of all the angry, foul phrases that she could be spouting?

I look forward to seeing my friend every time I visit my mom; even though I do most of the talking we hold entire conversations. The speech therapist is amazed, I guess because we are so similar we converse easily.

I am truly blessed to have made a new friend.

Matthew 12:34

More Than a Meal

When we fix ourselves a meal we make our selection based on a number of factors. Maybe you are into organic food, maybe it is the ethnenticity, or maybe on convenience. But there are just some times that we select our meal based on the emotion behind it, thus the meaning of ‘comfort food’.

I have had a tough couple of weeks and last night when I got home from a long day I needed something in my body, not necessarily nutrition(I could miss a meal and be none the worse for it) but I needed to feed my soul. I needed something that would bring a little joy to my life. I have the ability to buy a lobster dinner, an expensive piece of beef but I needed Spagetti-Os.

I remember the 1st can of Spaghetti-Os I had, it was such an extravagant expense for our family. Such a diversion from the meals that we had it was sweet and fun and pure enjoyment for a child. I remember warming up Spaghetti-Os in a hotpot in my dorm room during my freshman year of college, another time where money was scarce.

I dumped the can in a bowl and popped it into the microwave while I spread lots of butter on a couple of pieces of good ole white bread. When the microwave finished I took my bowl to the table and sat and dipped that bread into that red sauce then into my mouth and I was reminded of all that I have survived, overcome and accomplished in my life and my soul was encouraged.

Not everyone may look at Spaghetti-Os that way, but last night it was just what I needed.

Deuteronomy 4:9-10

Good stuff