It’s a little pathetic, but I’m still not over the Vikings’ NFC Championship loss. Yes, I know many weeks have passed since that game was played. Yes, I know that the Super Bowl has come and gone. I know I should be over the loss by now, but I’m not!
When I think about why I just can’t get over that game, I realize my frustration stems from one thing … missed opportunities. Fumbles, bad coaching and the disturbing interception by a veteran quarterback could all be considered missed opportunities. I’m sure the Vikings would like to have those plays back, but that’s not going to happen. They missed their opportunity.
The topic of missed opportunities came up in a conversation with some friends last week. We talked about how, at one time or another, we’d felt the Holy Spirit nudging us to do something and we didn’t obey. We talked about times when we felt called to send a card, bring a meal or pray over someone in need and we didn’t do it. We all felt like we had missed opportunities.
Personally, I am guilty of making excuses for not obeying the Spirit’s prompting. “I’m too tired.” “I’m a bad cook.” “I’m too busy.” “If I send a card to someone, they’ll think I’m weird.” The truth is that they probably already know I’m weird, so I may as well send a card and confirm it!
Recently I received an “opportunity” when I felt the Lord prompting me to call a friend from my Bible study class. I ended up calling her on the afternoon before one of our studies. When I asked her if she was enjoying the study, there was a long pause. She replied, “Actually, I just decided a few minutes ago that I wasn’t going to come to the study anymore. “ When I asked her why she had made that decision, she explained that she felt like she had too many questions and that everyone else seemed to know more than she did. I assured her that none of us had all the answers and we were all in the same boat – seeking to know God better. After we talked a little longer, she decided to continue attending the study.
I hung up the phone and immediately thanked God for His perfect timing. I was glad that He had prompted me to call at the exact time my friend had decided to stop attending the study. We both realized that God knew exactly when I should call her. This experience gave me deep feeling of God’s presence and it made me wonder why I don’t obey every time I hear His voice!
The best way we can recognize an opportunity is through reading God’s Word and listening to the Holy Spirit. When we feel His prompting, we have to go for it! Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” What opportunity is God sending your way this week?
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
McDonald’s Angel
Today the kids and I went to McDonald’s for supper. We placed our order and the cashier told us we owed $9.52. I swiped my credit card, but the transaction didn’t go through. The cashier told me to swipe it again, but it still did not work. Her manager told her their server was down, so they would only accept cash.
I don’t carry much cash, so I fumbled through my purse to see if I could scrounge up the money. As I was looking in my purse, I saw a ten dollar bill land on the counter in front of me. I looked up to see where it came from and noticed a high school kid standing next to me with his wallet open.
Imagine my surprise when a high school boy who I had never met was offering to buy my kids and I dinner. Now that doesn’t happen every day! When I was in high school, the only thing I was thinking about was myself. I don’t think it would have dawned on me to pay for someone else’s meal.
I was able to find ten dollars in my purse and humbly gave the kid back his money. I thanked him profusely and told him that by offering to pay for meal, he had made my day! He said that he worked at McDonald’s and felt bad for customers when the computers didn’t work right. How sweet is that?
Galatians 6:10 says, “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people.” I wonder if that high school boy knew how much his willingness to “do good” meant to me? He really did brighten my day. He was my "McDonald’s angel." Now … if he could only transform their food into something nutritious!
I don’t carry much cash, so I fumbled through my purse to see if I could scrounge up the money. As I was looking in my purse, I saw a ten dollar bill land on the counter in front of me. I looked up to see where it came from and noticed a high school kid standing next to me with his wallet open.
Imagine my surprise when a high school boy who I had never met was offering to buy my kids and I dinner. Now that doesn’t happen every day! When I was in high school, the only thing I was thinking about was myself. I don’t think it would have dawned on me to pay for someone else’s meal.
I was able to find ten dollars in my purse and humbly gave the kid back his money. I thanked him profusely and told him that by offering to pay for meal, he had made my day! He said that he worked at McDonald’s and felt bad for customers when the computers didn’t work right. How sweet is that?
Galatians 6:10 says, “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people.” I wonder if that high school boy knew how much his willingness to “do good” meant to me? He really did brighten my day. He was my "McDonald’s angel." Now … if he could only transform their food into something nutritious!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Jethro Knows Best
When my husband and I were first married, we had our eyes on a certain car we wanted to buy. We had both recently graduated from college and money was tight. Wanting advice about our situation, we decided to call my parents and run the idea by them. All we heard on the other end of the phone line was silence – a silence that spoke volumes! We read between the (phone) lines and knew they were not in favor of our upcoming purchase. In the end, we decided not to buy the car.
I was reminded of this story this week while the kids and I were reading Exodus 18. The chapter title in my Bible reads, “Jethro Visits Moses.” My initial thought was, “Is this the ‘Beverly Hillbillies?’” You don’t see a name like Jethro in the Bible very often! That show was way before my time, however I do remember Jethro actually is a character from the show. Jethro is also the name of Moses’ father-in-law.
Jethro (the one from the Bible) played an important role in Moses’ life in many ways. He helped take care of his daughter and grandsons while Moses was away. When they reunited, he listened to Moses as he shared what God was doing in his life. Then Jethro rejoiced with Moses and they praised God together.
As Jethro spent time with Moses, he saw how much Moses was working. Moses was serving as judge for the Israelites, who required his attention from morning until evening. To put it bluntly, Moses was overworked! Jethro noticed this and told Moses that if he kept up at this pace, he’d wear himself out! He told Moses, “Listen to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you.” Jethro proceeded to suggest ways to divide the work between other capable leaders.
Thank goodness for close friends and family who can see areas in our lives that need to change and care enough to talk to us about it. It didn’t hurt that Jethro had tangibly shown Moses he cared about him by building a relationship with him. Verse 24 says, “Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.”
I think the moral of this story is that sometimes people who are older and wiser than us can help us make good decisions and choices. Let’s face it, they’ve been around the block a few more times than we have! We can learn valuable lessons from both their mistakes and successes.
Wise old Jethro also gave me the opportunity to talk to my kids about why they should listen to their teachers, parents, pastors and other wise adults. It was a valuable lesson I was all too eager to point out!
There’s another old TV show that also fits in with what I’m trying to say. It’s the show “Father Knows Best” (also way before my time). I would like to take some liberties and suggest a new title for Exodus 18: “Father-in-Law Knows Best.” Jethro, you’ve got the leading role!
I was reminded of this story this week while the kids and I were reading Exodus 18. The chapter title in my Bible reads, “Jethro Visits Moses.” My initial thought was, “Is this the ‘Beverly Hillbillies?’” You don’t see a name like Jethro in the Bible very often! That show was way before my time, however I do remember Jethro actually is a character from the show. Jethro is also the name of Moses’ father-in-law.
Jethro (the one from the Bible) played an important role in Moses’ life in many ways. He helped take care of his daughter and grandsons while Moses was away. When they reunited, he listened to Moses as he shared what God was doing in his life. Then Jethro rejoiced with Moses and they praised God together.
As Jethro spent time with Moses, he saw how much Moses was working. Moses was serving as judge for the Israelites, who required his attention from morning until evening. To put it bluntly, Moses was overworked! Jethro noticed this and told Moses that if he kept up at this pace, he’d wear himself out! He told Moses, “Listen to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you.” Jethro proceeded to suggest ways to divide the work between other capable leaders.
Thank goodness for close friends and family who can see areas in our lives that need to change and care enough to talk to us about it. It didn’t hurt that Jethro had tangibly shown Moses he cared about him by building a relationship with him. Verse 24 says, “Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.”
I think the moral of this story is that sometimes people who are older and wiser than us can help us make good decisions and choices. Let’s face it, they’ve been around the block a few more times than we have! We can learn valuable lessons from both their mistakes and successes.
Wise old Jethro also gave me the opportunity to talk to my kids about why they should listen to their teachers, parents, pastors and other wise adults. It was a valuable lesson I was all too eager to point out!
There’s another old TV show that also fits in with what I’m trying to say. It’s the show “Father Knows Best” (also way before my time). I would like to take some liberties and suggest a new title for Exodus 18: “Father-in-Law Knows Best.” Jethro, you’ve got the leading role!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Stomach Flu Blessing
On Wednesdays I get to help in my daughter Shalyn’s second grade class and then eat lunch with her. This Wednesday I enjoyed turkey gravy over mashed potatoes, mushy peas, a pumpkin muffin, canned pears and chocolate milk. I’m sure your mouth is salivating as you read this! She was happy and healthy when I left school, but I received a call from the school nurse only an hour later. She asked if I could pick up Shalyn from school; she had thrown up in music class!
How mortifying to throw up in front of your class! I asked her if she at least made it to the garbage and she answered, “The second time I did!” Her body continued to rid itself of the unwanted food for the next few hours. At one point she looked at me and in a sad, quiet voice asked, “Why is God letting this happen?” Oh, the drama of a seven-year-old! I wanted to tell her that other people were struggling with worse things than the stomach flu, but I didn’t think it was the right time or place!
On Thursday night as Shalyn lay resting on the couch, my son Caleb excitedly told us about the “best day in the world.” He was referring to Friday, when his fourth-grade class would spend the entire day in their pajamas, reading and eating healthy snacks. From school he would go to a friend's house and then cap off the evening by attending “Friday Fun Night” at school.
Unfortunately, he woke up with the stomach flu and spent the "best day in the world" on the couch. The three of us spent the day doing puzzles, watching movies and snuggling. I tried valiantly to make them eat and drink as much as their tummies could handle. At one point in the evening, Caleb looked sad. I asked him what was wrong and he said, “I was just thinking about what my friends are probably doing right now.” I sympathetically replied, “It’s no fun to be sick, is it?”
As we wrapped up our final movie, I told them it was time for bed. Caleb looked at me and said, “I had a fun day with you, mom.” I asked him why it was fun and he told me it was fun because I spent time with him and sat next to him.
Wow!
If those kind words from my nine-year-old son were payment for hours spent cleaning the bathroom, washing sheets and dispensing Tylenol…I’ll take it! And as much as I don’t enjoy wearing my “nurse mom” hat sometimes, hearing those words actually made these past days feel worthwhile. I’m not saying I want the stomach flu to stay around or come back anytime soon, but I will say there was an unexpected blessing this time around!
How mortifying to throw up in front of your class! I asked her if she at least made it to the garbage and she answered, “The second time I did!” Her body continued to rid itself of the unwanted food for the next few hours. At one point she looked at me and in a sad, quiet voice asked, “Why is God letting this happen?” Oh, the drama of a seven-year-old! I wanted to tell her that other people were struggling with worse things than the stomach flu, but I didn’t think it was the right time or place!
On Thursday night as Shalyn lay resting on the couch, my son Caleb excitedly told us about the “best day in the world.” He was referring to Friday, when his fourth-grade class would spend the entire day in their pajamas, reading and eating healthy snacks. From school he would go to a friend's house and then cap off the evening by attending “Friday Fun Night” at school.
Unfortunately, he woke up with the stomach flu and spent the "best day in the world" on the couch. The three of us spent the day doing puzzles, watching movies and snuggling. I tried valiantly to make them eat and drink as much as their tummies could handle. At one point in the evening, Caleb looked sad. I asked him what was wrong and he said, “I was just thinking about what my friends are probably doing right now.” I sympathetically replied, “It’s no fun to be sick, is it?”
As we wrapped up our final movie, I told them it was time for bed. Caleb looked at me and said, “I had a fun day with you, mom.” I asked him why it was fun and he told me it was fun because I spent time with him and sat next to him.
Wow!
If those kind words from my nine-year-old son were payment for hours spent cleaning the bathroom, washing sheets and dispensing Tylenol…I’ll take it! And as much as I don’t enjoy wearing my “nurse mom” hat sometimes, hearing those words actually made these past days feel worthwhile. I’m not saying I want the stomach flu to stay around or come back anytime soon, but I will say there was an unexpected blessing this time around!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
First Time for Everything!
Here goes. I'm officially a blogger! Deep breath. Silent prayer. Away I go!
It's been 18 years since I started college. Please don't try to figure out my age. (Would you believe I started college when I was nine?) At a young age I had an interest in reading and writing, so I decided to major in Communications with a Journalism emphasis. I'll save the college stories for another day!
After college I had numerous jobs, only one of which included writing. Then I had kids and realized that writing would be taking a back seat to diapers and play time. I did dabble in writing for our local MOPS group and various other creative, yet personal projects. (Do Christmas letters count?) I always said that once my kids were in school I would pursue writing. Well, my kids have been in school for a year and a half! It seems like it is time to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak.
To jumpstart my writing endeavor, I attended a Christian writing conference this past summer. What a great experience! On the last day of the conference, those of us on the writer's track said our final goodbyes and gathered into writing groups. Our goal was to continue sharpening our writing skills with the help of other sisters in Christ who enjoyed writing.
One of the first emails from our newly-formed writing group suggested we exchange blog addresses. Hmmmm. Blog address. My eyebrows went up as I pondered the daunting thought of a blog. In all honesty, I didn't really even know what a blog was. I felt like an out-of-touch, stay-at-home mom who'd been living under a rock for the last nine years.
Suffice it to say, the list of blogs was sent out sans mine!
As I thought more about getting back into the writing game, I realized that a blog would give me the accountability I needed to write on a consistent basis. However, I worried that I would be just another blogger in a sea of millions. Did we really need another blogger? Another opinion? Another two cents in a bank of millions?
While I prayed about whether or not to start a blog, the Lord reminded me that He values everyone. From the poorest and most destitute to an exalted king. He reminded me that He gave me the desire to write many years ago, even before I majored in Journalism. I believe that He puts passions and desires in our hearts for a reason. I may not be a published author (yet!), but everyone has to start somewhere. I'm starting here, with this blog. I'm taking a step in faith. Even though my writing is far from perfect or polished, writing this blog is what I'm supposed to do. I have the time, my kids are in school, so here I go! I guess there really is a first time for everything!
My final thought for today is my prayer each time I write. "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14
It's been 18 years since I started college. Please don't try to figure out my age. (Would you believe I started college when I was nine?) At a young age I had an interest in reading and writing, so I decided to major in Communications with a Journalism emphasis. I'll save the college stories for another day!
After college I had numerous jobs, only one of which included writing. Then I had kids and realized that writing would be taking a back seat to diapers and play time. I did dabble in writing for our local MOPS group and various other creative, yet personal projects. (Do Christmas letters count?) I always said that once my kids were in school I would pursue writing. Well, my kids have been in school for a year and a half! It seems like it is time to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak.
To jumpstart my writing endeavor, I attended a Christian writing conference this past summer. What a great experience! On the last day of the conference, those of us on the writer's track said our final goodbyes and gathered into writing groups. Our goal was to continue sharpening our writing skills with the help of other sisters in Christ who enjoyed writing.
One of the first emails from our newly-formed writing group suggested we exchange blog addresses. Hmmmm. Blog address. My eyebrows went up as I pondered the daunting thought of a blog. In all honesty, I didn't really even know what a blog was. I felt like an out-of-touch, stay-at-home mom who'd been living under a rock for the last nine years.
Suffice it to say, the list of blogs was sent out sans mine!
As I thought more about getting back into the writing game, I realized that a blog would give me the accountability I needed to write on a consistent basis. However, I worried that I would be just another blogger in a sea of millions. Did we really need another blogger? Another opinion? Another two cents in a bank of millions?
While I prayed about whether or not to start a blog, the Lord reminded me that He values everyone. From the poorest and most destitute to an exalted king. He reminded me that He gave me the desire to write many years ago, even before I majored in Journalism. I believe that He puts passions and desires in our hearts for a reason. I may not be a published author (yet!), but everyone has to start somewhere. I'm starting here, with this blog. I'm taking a step in faith. Even though my writing is far from perfect or polished, writing this blog is what I'm supposed to do. I have the time, my kids are in school, so here I go! I guess there really is a first time for everything!
My final thought for today is my prayer each time I write. "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14
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