What Have You Done With Your Life?

                                              Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.



What have you done with your soul, 
my friend?
Where is the ray you were wont to send,
Glancing bright through the outer night,
Touching with hope what was dark before,
Glimmering on to the further shore?

--Arthur C. Benson.

I would rephrase that first line; What have you done with your life, my friend? In the end, we all want our lives to have mattered, to be remembered for something. I am always looking for things that I can pass on to my children and grandchildren. Maybe, some small heirloom figurines or carousels? A crocheted blanket or two? A happy moment or two?

Honestly, in the end, it's all about the memories. Only when we have a relationship with the people in our lives can there be memories and by that I mean good memories. That's what I want with everyone, good memories that they can relive them over and over again. That comes with work.

If we care how our relationships with others is progressing and hopefully growing, we will be able to put in the effort. Of course, if someone doesn't want that to happen, then it won't. You cannot make anyone pursue working on your relationship if they simply have no desire for it to blossom. Some people simply cannot forgive, let go or admit their part in it. They just can't and we have to accept that. We have to move on.

I certainly know I want to live my best life ever. I have no desire to retire in any way, except from the day job. The rest of my activities I plan on doing until my last breath! Live your life to the fullest to the glory of God! 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

The Noise Around Us

                                                  Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.




There's many a time when the bitterest thing
Is said without reason, and God knows
The courage it takes to suffer the sting,
By hiding the wounds that the heart shows.

There's many a sob we bravely keep down
For the sake of old times revered so,
There's many a head with thorns for a crown
Where kisses would soon make the heart glow.

--Edwin Leibfreed.

It is so easy to get lost in the trivial bits of our life. The world is basically screaming at us from all corners. Be like me. Try this. Do it like this. Like me. Take care of me. Notice me. I'm in pain! Life is becoming harder and harder. The world is so full of hurting people, all crying out and searching for peace. 

I find myself longing for the Fridays of this world to come faster each week. I try to lock myself away in the sanctuary of my apartment. There is peace here. There is quiet. The problem is that they disappear so quickly. They vanish into thin air faster than we would like. Then it is Monday once again.

It is becoming extremely difficult to be a Christian in this world, let alone a serving one in a leadership role. Is it possible to feel alone in a crowded room? Absolutely. 

I have never experienced a midlife crisis, but I actually feel like it's happening now. I've been a servant to others all of my life. I've been the peace negotiator between family members often sacrificing my own needs and wants for the betterment of the family. It has been the same at work. Or at Church. Or my family. My friends. My whole life has been a duty and a responsibility. 

The noise around me has become louder and louder drowning out the slow beating of a heart filled with longing. It seems I'm the only one that can hear it beating against my breast. What about me? What about my noise? Is everyone deaf to it? Lord, are you my El Roi? Are you the only one who stills the noise around us so you can see and hear me? Only you, Lord. Only you.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Again At A Standstill

  

                                                                              Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                               everyday is a journey.




Quench thou the fires of hate and strife,
    The wasting fever of the heart;
  From perils guard our feeble life,
    And to our souls Thy peace impart.
J. H. NEWMAN, Tr. 

So the latest from the work front is that we are at a standstill. We will not be moving forward with the new Company starting November 1. It has been postponed until a whole month later, December 1. We all have been on tender hooks all week long, working a lot of overtime to finish up our orders by the due date. We have made adjustments to our lifestyle for the three closing dates we were to be closed without pay for the change to occur. We made accommodations by allotting some vacation days for those dates all to no avail.

Now, that doesn't mean we are not being transitioned from New Avon LLC to Fareva, because we are, just a month later. I want to clarify that point in case people think that negotiations have gone sour. They haven't, it's just that the transition from the legal side of things, the paperwork, the computers and such are not ready. It's like when we move from one home to the next, it takes a lot of work, doesn't it? 

As to my neighbor Allison, I rarely see her now. I wonder if I scared her away with my constant knocking on her door. Maybe, she wants to be alone. Occasionally, her car is parked outside, but weekends are spent elsewhere. Maybe her family or some friend? This is a total first for me. My involvement is usually welcomed and a friendship is formed from it. Her behavior totally baffles for me.

There is nothing, but gloominess outside with overcast clouds and rain. Again! I should have known it was coming, because my sleep has been interrupted constantly for the past several nights. My knees have felt like cement blocks, I tossed and turned aimlessly. I am exhausted.

Same thing in regards to Emily's work situation. She has been training basically her replacement so she can move over to another department. That was the plan originally, but now it looks like it might not happen. Or at least, another delay. Her replacement has not shown up the last two times which probably means she no longer will be coming in. Very disappointing when you try to train someone in order for you to move up. The delay is difficult, because no one wants to wait longer than what is necessary. Her manager is not easy to work with and that's a major reason why people don't want to stay. 

As you can see, things have stopped altogether, just when we thought they were beginning to move. How very disheartening. How very disappointing. Sigh.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

When We Fall Back

                                                          Everyday is a brand new day. everyday is a journey.


Stilled now be every anxious care;
  See God's great goodness everywhere;
  Leave all to Him in perfect rest:
  He will do all things for the best.
FROM THE GERMAN.

There is something about losing control that keeps us awake at night. It stays with us for days, this feeling of regret and remorse. I hate losing control. It could be something very small like a raising of my voice or a moment where we didn't behave in the right way. It will stay with me. 

You see, I do not have the capacity within me to love people I don't like. I find it extremely difficult to do so. This is not easy to admit. It is terrible, for we are here to love one another, yet, I find it difficult. So what does that have to do with losing control?

Well, I lose patience with difficult people or unlikable people. You know what I mean. There are all sorts of characters in the world, all sorts. It's easy to dislike someone, but difficult to pray for them. Or at least, for me. I may pray for many people, but I don't really pray for the ones that hurt me. To do so, really marks you as a Christ follower. 

I know who are very good at praying for their enemies. Heck, they don't even consider them their enemy or adversary. They love on them with all their strength, falling on their knees in deep prayer for the ones who hurt them. How do I become like that? How do we keep turning that other cheek?

If there is one thing I have learned that everything good in life takes time and practice. The more we do something, the easier it becomes with plenty of usage. It may have been difficult at first, but we become better and suddenly it isn't such a struggle after all. That's what I am hoping for here. The more I pray, the easier it will be and quite natural for me. 

So let's start together! Have a blessed day everyone. 

Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

                                                      Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                       everyday is a journey.




'Mid pleasures and palaces 
though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble, 
there's no place like home!
A charm from the skies seems
 to hallow us there,
Which, sought through the world, 
is ne'er met with elsewhere.
Home! home! sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home!

--John Howard Payne.

I've had oatmeal cookies on my mind for days now. I like them with either cranberries or raisins. Either is fine with me, especially since we just bought freshly ground whole wheat flour. 

So I said to Emily that maybe we should make some cookies. The next thing I know, she whips up a batch in a mere ten minutes. That is why she is the cook around here. I certainly am no match for her abilities. I never cease to be amazed by what she can do in the kitchen.

The cookies are made and I make a post on Facebook about these cookies. I received in my inbox a hilarious message from a co-worker that I call my little brother. He writes to me, what's this "we should make oatmeal cookies, Emily" business? Everyone knows that Emily does the majority of the cooking.

Those cookies tasted delicious, especially straight from the oven. I always tell Emily that one's home should be a sanctuary away from the world outside. Your home should be peaceful and drama free, a place that reflects the love resided inside our hearts. 

The weather is definitely getting colder with some states reporting snow already. Brrr! This is the time where we bake quite a lot and make hearty soups/stews. A batch of cookies straight from the oven sure helps, too. Stay warm and eat some cookies!

Have a blessed day everyone. 

A Mere Week Left

                                                                       Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                        everyday is a journey.


In love, if love be love, if love be ours,
Faith and unfaith can ne'er be equal powers:
Unfaith in aught is want of faith in all.
It is the little rift within the lute
That by and by will make the music mute,
And ever widening slowly silence all.
The little rift within the lover's lute,
Or little pitted speck in garner'd fruit,
That rotting inward slowly molders all.
It is not worth the keeping: let it g
But shall it? Answer, darling, answer no.
And trust me not at all or all in all.
--Alfred Tennyson.


We are a week away from my old company being no more. As of November 1, Avon Morton Grove will no longer exist. All weekend long, I have been seeing my co-workers posting on social media (especially the younger ones) how sorry they are to see it go. They are being nostalgic since the majority of them have spent all their working life here at Avon. 

I read on with mixed emotions. Since the Summer and all the changes that really only involve the senior associates, I have been feeling a bit unappreciated by them. I can understand the youngsters feeling of sadness. Many of them have married and had children while working here, but they are still not old enough to understand the implications of what has happened to the rest of us. It could also happen to them when they are our age. 

When I first started, 23 years ago, the seniors then were retiring in glory. They had a dinner for them, a bonus check of X amount of money plus their years. Normally, it added up to three months of pay. They received a portrait and a cake of their choosing, along with a full payout pension, insurance and their 401K. Almost everyone that was retiring, the last two years of their time was spent working overtime to up their gross income. The larger the income, the larger the pension payout. 

That is no longer true. We are the last of the pension associates. There is no more any insurance, dinner, bonus check. I'm not sure about the portrait or cake, but then, why do I need a picture of myself? They can keep that! At least, they have their pension and 401k. Things have certainly changed and I am almost sure it will change for the youngsters when they are retiring. Would they still be posting nostalgic reviews of their Company? I doubt it. 

It's like a lot of things in life, when it doesn't really touch you or disturb your lifestyle, it's a different reaction. Most of the time, a good one. Believe it or not, I am ready for a new beginning with Fareva. I normally do not hold onto the past, I embrace the future. I can't see the future in my mind right now, but it will change eventually as I process all the things around me. 

I do realize that we needed to be bought out, because a drastic change needed to happen. We were in such a bad state that we could have closed and been out of a job. Drastic measures were called for and I am glad Fareva bought us. A new beginning, whether a good one, we are not sure yet. It has to be, because the only other option would have been the unemployment line. 

There's a good thing that came out of this, I can move whatever money I have into something else. By doing that, I am free to leave the Company anytime I want. It is no longer about the pension money holding me back. I have now freedom to leave on my own accord, my own terms. 

As I see the personnel dismantling the pictures off the walls and anything Avon, I thought I would be feeling sad. The truth is I am encouraged and excited about the future and where it will bring me. I am no longer disillusioned by large Companies. To them, everything is connected to making money. They do not care about you or me. All they care about is how much money they can save so their bonus check will be bigger than last year. Does that sound bitter? Maybe, but it is the truth.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Baby, It's Really Cold Outside

                                                                     Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                      everyday is a journey.


Still heavy is thy heart?
    Still sink thy spirits down?
  Cast off the weight, let fear depart,
    And every care be gone.
P. GERHARDT.


Boy, the weather has certainly changed around here. Some people claim we had sleet the other day. I think we did. The wind was so severe, one could hear the howling of it outside. 
Winter is just around the corner. 

This weekend, I ran around with the thought of Winter fast upon my heels. There was so much to do around the apartment that I couldn't tarry any longer. The windows had to be weatherstripped with plastic. These are not very good insulated windows that we have. The last apartment had  great windows and we didn't have to do anything to them for the five years we lived there. We just locked them into place and we were snug all Winter. Not so here.

We also stripped our beds and flipped our mattresses. We do this every six months, once in the Spring and the other in the Fall. We wash all our bedding blankets and quilts. Our sheets are changed on a weekly basis, in case you may think we only do so twice a year. The same goes for any afghans we have on sofas or arm chairs. We do have a sofa cover that needed it badly since Diamond sheds quite a bit. 

The hats, scarves and coats come out for inspection. Emily needed a new coat this year which we bought at the Burlington Coat Factory. Let me tell you, we had a heck of a time finding one. Plus, it looked more like a thrift store than the store I remember from the past. We are not weekly shoppers in stores like a lot of people. Things could have changed, but then, we are a bit outdated on things like that. 

I pulled out our medicine chest which is actually one of the three drawer plastic containers one sees in Walmart. Made a list of what we needed to replenish for the Winter. Things like cold/flu medicines, Vicks vapor rubs and cough drops. 

Next, the pantry. I love to keep the pantry full for those last minute meals, but most of all, for the snow days. I have plastic containers filled with all sorts of dried beans, rices, grains and pasta. I need to go to Aldi's and get some tomato sauces, pastes and canned tuna. These are the only canned items we buy. Nothing else. 

Yes, a very busy weekend indeed. Have a blessed day everyone. 

Old Battle Wounds

                                                          Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                           everyday is a journey.



I heard a voice in the darkness singing
(That was a valiant soul I knew),
And the joy of his song was a wild bird winging
Swift to his mate through a sky of blue.

And his song was of love and all its bringing
And of certain day when the night was through;
I raised my eyes where the hope was springing,
And I think in his heaven God smiled too
(That was a valiant soul I knew).

--J. Stalker.

I receive multitude of e-mails daily that I have subscribed to many years ago. I don't want to miss out on anything. These subscriptions vary from all types of subjects and I like it like that! This one surprised me a bit, because in a way, I am dealing with this subject. Hmm, gets one thinking if this is something that should be taking cared of now.

I love question and answer time! Whenever we get together as a family with Joe and Aubs., we have a family time activity. If they kids were older, we would definitely do one of these together as a family.

1. Do you happen to have any unfinished business in your life?
I would like to know who doesn't? I think everyone has some unfinished business, good or bad. We live in a very broken world full of broken people having broken relationships. I do have unfinished business, a couple actually and I hope to take care of one very soon. More on that later. 

2. Do you have any old scores that need to be settled Christ's way?
I feel this is a little different than number one, because it sounds a wee bit revengeful. Do we have any issues that we could solve in a more Christian way than the way we have already? There are people who become angry and bitter with an outcome and want to resort to the same tactics that were served on them. It never brings any satisfaction, only misery. Revenge only separates us. 

3. Any chapters that need to be completed?
Some of us are on a journey that should have ended a while ago. We can't seem to let go of what once was and will never be again. Maybe it's time to finally close that chapter, a painful chapter, in our life. 

4. Any ends that need to be rewritten?
I think we all have some regrets in life that we wish we could change. If it is possible for us to right the wrongs, would you? Or would you just shake your head and berate yourself? Sometimes, we are too embarrassed or angry to go back and make amends. We find many excuses on why it wouldn't work anyway. We tell ourselves that the person doesn't even like us or cares or surely they would make the first move? 

5. Anybody need your forgiveness? Your acceptance? Your release?
I think just about everyone raised their hand here. I remember once when Emily had this issue with someone. She actually sat down and wrote a letter to this person, all seven pages! This person was nowhere in her life and could not receive the letter, so she buried it in a place where they would visit together. That was her way of letting go, forgiving this person and living her life.

It's time to close some of these old battle wounds. It's time to rest in peace. It is time to finally forgive ourselves for our past, for anything done to us and for our old bodies before Christ. It is time. My family happens to be a pro when it comes to harboring old battle wounds. It's time to change the way we think and act as people, as friends and definitely as a family. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

The Chaotic Pantry

                                                               Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                everyday is a journey.



Chance cannot touch me! 
Time cannot hush me!
Fear, 
Hope, and longing,
 at strife;
Sink as I rise, on, on,
 upward forever,
Gathering strength, 
gaining breath--
Naught can sever
Me from the Spirit of Life.

--Margaret Fuller.

My beautifully organized pantry of old has turned into a chaotic mess! I would take a picture, but I'm way too embarrassed. Every time I walk inside, I imagine all of it tumbling down on top of me. I hate a mess! I detest clutter of any kind! To me, it just represent the mess in my life. 

Do I feel as if my life is a mess right now? Yes! I need order and stability. Right now, I have neither. There is this longing inside of me, a deep yearning and it cannot be materialized. Hence, the insecurity, the instability, the unease. Ugh, life is so hard!

I've been slowly cleaning up the shelves in that pantry. It was the pantry that sold me on this apartment. Otherwise, the place needed some work, but I always wanted a walk in pantry. Even as a child, I dreamed of having one where the shelves were stocked with everything up to the ceiling and I wanted nothing. All was there for my taking. To me, it seemed that the pantry represented security. Funny, isn't it?

Last year, we also stocked it up with items that were okay, but it took that long to finish it off. Would I buy it again? Nope, not all of it. My first pantry, I went a little crazy stocking up on almost everything at the store. I am a little selective this time around. The pantry is also filled with other things as well like cookware, coats and cleaning tools like a vacuum cleaner. What's in your pantry?

So I'm cleaning it up slowly, as I go. Sort of like my life right now. We are not living in a sitcom where our problems are solved in 30 minute intervals. Solutions take time and a lot of work. Besides, just like the pantry, you want to fill your life with all the right stock. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Just Share It: Anne Graham Lotz

                                                                       Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                        everyday is a journey.



If my shut eyes should dare their lids to part,
  I know how they must quail beneath the blaze
  Of Thy Love's greatness. No; I dare not raise
  One prayer, to look aloft, lest it should gaze
  On such forgiveness as would break my heart.
H. S. SUTTON.

As many of you know, Anne Graham Lotz is going through chemotherapy as we speak. Her cancer happens to be breast cancer, one that has affected so many women. Today, she posted on her devotional this message about death. I wanted to share with you her story as it continues to unfold. She is an encouragement to us all, as is any cancer journey. All of us survivors are a testimony to our living God and His goodness. 

No Fear of Death

By: Anne Graham Lotz

Since the children have flesh and blood, he (Jesus) too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 My cancer journey continues as I begin chemotherapy this week. My heart aches for the multitude of people who have also dealt with this deadly disease. Yet I am praising God for His keeping power and for your prayers that I know are sustaining me in a constant state of peace, joy, and expectancy of blessings along the way. I have been told that my prognosis is excellent. But to be honest, even if it wasn’t, I can truthfully say I have no fear of death. None at all. My perspective is the same as the apostle Paul when he declared, For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21) As my brother-in-law, Dr. Denton Lotz, stated when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the same time I was diagnosed with breast cancer, we are in a win-win situation. Facing death without fear was eloquently expressed by Jac, the grandson of my husband’s brother, John Lotz.  Jac’s mother knew he had been assigned by his teacher a written report on the person who had greatly impacted his spiritual life, but she didn’t know what he had written. After he left for school, she found the following on his computer. She then forwarded it to me. It was such a blessing, I asked Jac if I could share it with you, too, and he agreed. Denton, Jac and I are looking up!  Have a blessed day everyone.

This Is Life

                                                                       Everyday is a brand new day,

                                                                        everyday is a journey.

I can hear these violets chorus

    To the sky's benediction above;

  And we all are together lying

    On the bosom of Infinite Love.

 Oh, the peace at the heart of Nature!

    Oh, the light that is not of day!

  Why seek it afar forever,

    When it cannot be lifted away?

W. C. GANNETT.

We officially slept in today, waking well after 9:30 a.m.Yes, believe it alright. We came home late last night, tired and worn out from an exhausting day at work. Both of us have been struggling lately with our work situations and we were mentally drained. We stayed up well into the night sharing with each other our sorrows. Sometimes, we all need a good cry, don't we? Sometimes, we all need a shoulder to lean on.

I wish I could tell you everything has been resolved, but unfortunately this isn't a sitcom where the problems are solved in one episode. This is life. We need to make some tough decisions and it's not a pleasant endeavor. Life can be extremely difficult at times, our minds completely muddled where no outcome can be seen. Trusting in the Lord requires a deep faith. Do you have it? Sometimes, I wonder if I do.

My mind has been on these two friends of mine going through cancer treatment now. Each one is going through their journey rediscovering their path along the way. It isn't an easy one, but quite the opposite. One never knows what is hidden behind a rock, a bend in the road or a thick brush. Whenever I'm ministering to fellow cancer patients, I can always feel their pain. I can tell what struggle they are going through, but I know there is nothing I can do. They need to enter that tunnel so they can emerge on the other side so completely different, yet better.

Yesterday, we spent the afternoon saying goodbye to a couple moving back to Poland. He has early stages of dementia and their decision to move back had to do with health care. We had a wonderful time, but it is also sad to think how quickly our plans can change. I am sure this isn't anything how they thought their retirement would look like a few years back.

My heart and my mind is heavy, carrying the stress of everyone's sorrow. This is life and we are the ones who have to live it. We keep moving on accepting what is meant to be. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Uncommon Friendships

                                                              Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.






  I cannot feel
  That all is well, when darkening clouds conceal
      The shining sun;
      But then, I know
  He lives and loves; and say, since it is so,
      Thy will be done.
S. G. BROWNING.

Uncommon friendships, there are the rare ones where love and respect truly resides..

1.Uncommon friends can speak their minds without fear.
Do you have a friend like that? I've had many girlfriends where I thought we could actually speak like that to one another without offense. Well, let me tell you, be careful when doing so. I have found that the generational rules have changed when it come to friendships. To me, a friend was a friend forever. It isn't so any longer. People are placed in compartments of different type of relationships. 

2. Uncommon friends can share their hearts without shame.
Absolutely! Folks, I have finally been blessed with some grown women friends. By that I mean, we all have numerous friendships, but get yourself a really good friend that can listen to you without judgement. If we are honest with one another, that type of friend is rare. I have many acquaintances, but only one bestie. I'm always careful what I confide to a new person in my life. A bestie isn't someone you just met a week ago. This is someone who has earned that title by being around when you needed her.
3. Uncommon friends can be vulnerable with one another and still retain their dignity.
A friend to whom you can bare your soul, the ugliness and the pureness, yet they still love you. They wipe away your tears, give you a great hug and tell you it's okay. Do you have a friend like that? Unfortunately, I only have one, but I rather have the one than none. 

4. Uncommon friends can stay close even at a distance.
They can also pick up exactly where they left off as if they never been apart. My mom has a left like that and their friendship has lasted over 40 years. I hope my friendships can last as long, faithful and true.

Recently, I was in a Women's Bible study on David. We studied the great relationship he had with Jonathon. All four of these comments about uncommon friendships came from that study, because they had that kind of relationship. It is rare, it is beautiful, it is love.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

A Crocheting Life

                                                                           Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                             everyday is a journey.




 It is not that I feel less weak,
 but Thou
  Wilt be my strength; 
it is not that I see
  Less sin;
 but more of pardoning love with Thee,
    And all-sufficient grace. 
Enough! And now
  All fluttering thought is stilled;
 I only rest,
  And feel that Thou art near, 
and know that I am blest.
F. R. HAVERGAL.


I think it's very obvious how much I love to crochet. It wasn't always the case. In fact, even though I learned how to crochet as a child, I didn't pick it up again until the age of 42 years old. I have written about that time of my life on numerous occasions so I won't bore my regular readers. 


When I reflect on these past 11 or so years, I find it sad, because I could have spent my youth crocheting as well. Why didn't I use it then? I could have clothed so many more people. How very selfish of me not to do so.

I am often asked why I never went into counseling in regards to my cancer. Well, the answer is very simple. My counseling sessions are right here on a daily basis and all of you are my therapist. I write or journal or whatever you may call it, but you guys are the ones who listen to me rant and rave. 

That's how I feel about crocheting, too. It has become a very therapeutic past time for me. I find it very relaxing, especially after a long and difficult week at work. I have dreams of spending my first Winter as a retiree just crocheting all snuggled in my tiny place. 

Today, was a great day to crochet and catch up on some YouTube channels that I have been following. It has been raining on and off all day. Both of us have been off from work and we put it to good use. I've been working on a homeless mat hoping to have it finished by the end of the night. Very relaxing day, indeed. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

The Underdog

                                                                        Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                        everyday is a journey. 





In the bitter waves of woe,
    Beaten and tossed about
  By the sullen winds that blow
    From the desolate shores of doubt,
  Where the anchors that faith has cast
    Are dragging in the gale,
  I am quietly holding fast
    To the things that cannot fail.
WASHINGTON GLADDEN.


I've  always sided with the underdog and in the Bible, there are many of them. I've always been able to relate to the people in the Bible, especially the ones that no one else understood nor wanted around. Take the woman at the well. How many of us have actually been that woman at one time or another? The same can be said of others in the Bible. We all have been there.

Take the Mary/Martha story. Honestly, it has been difficult for me to understand this Bible story. My son Joey, the Pastor, would remark: " Mom, if you had the chance to listen to Jesus speaking, would you be doing the dishes?" Unfortunately, knowing how I am in regards to work, I probably would be doing the dishes. I would want everything to be perfect for Jesus, but I do understand his point. If the opportunity arose for me to hear Jesus, I need to be sitting at His knee. 

It's the same in my everyday life. I get involved without being asked to get involved. If I see some injustice occur on the street, in the mall or neighborhood, I'm charging right toward it. I do so without thinking and that can get me in a lot of trouble and judgment from others. I get myself involved in things that I later regret.


Last night, I asked my friend at work: When did I become so unhappy here? Was it before or after I came to this shift? The answer? After. I don't like these people and I certainly don't like the management running this shift. Yet, here I am, stuck and unable to go anywhere for over four years. I have tried to love these people and it's not working out. I cannot wait for this new company to take over so I can move elsewhere. 

I have been helping the underdog at work for years and suddenly, I've become one. Who is coming to my rescue? Last night, another difficult night. I'm tired and I need to get out. I just don't know how. I have talked about this forever and I always get the same reply. God placed you there. Yes, He did, but there comes a point where the action has to come from me. I've also written about this anger that is coming out of me. I have no idea where or how this will end, but I do know  that action needs to come from me. I think I need to take care of something first and then everything will fall into place. Please pray for me and my family.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

Just Share It: John Piper

                                               Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.




Never yet was a springtime,
Late though lingered the snow,
That the sap stirred not at the whisper
Of the south wind, sweet and low;
Never yet was a springtime
When the buds forgot to blow.

Ever the wings of the summer
Are folded under the mold;
Life that has known no dying,
Is Love's, to have and to hold,
Till, sudden, the burgeoning Easter!
The song! the green and the gold!

--Margaret E. Sangster

I have always loved a good old fashioned storm, especially if I was on the inside. To me, storms are a great representation of God's Power. Just sit down and watch one in action and you will be amazed at the strength and beauty of God's handiwork! The next time you witness a storm, sit back and take a moment to admire the beauty of it.

Worship in a Lightning Storm By John Piper “For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.” (Luke 17:24) I was flying at night from Chicago to Minneapolis, almost alone on the plane. The pilot announced that there was a thunderstorm over Lake Michigan and into Wisconsin. He would skirt it to the west to avoid turbulence. As I sat there staring out into the total blackness on the east side of the plane, suddenly the whole sky was brilliant with light, and a cavern of white clouds fell away four miles beneath the plane and then vanished. A second later, a mammoth white tunnel of light exploded from north to south across the horizon, and again vanished into blackness. Soon the lightning was almost constant, and volcanoes of light burst up out of cloud ravines and from behind distant white mountains of clouds. I sat there shaking my head almost in unbelief. O Lord, if these are but the sparks from the sharpening of your sword, what will be the day of your appearing! And I remembered the words of Christ: “As the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day” (Luke 17:24). Even now as I recollect that sight, the word glory is full of feeling for me. I thank God that again and again he has awakened my heart to desire him, to see him, and to sit down to the feast of Christian Hedonism and worship the King of Glory. The banquet hall is very large. Come. Have a blessed day everyone.