RANDOM THOUGHTS

This has been a strange week. Somehow Friday arrived before I was ready for it and did not get a blog written so will go with random thoughts.

I am reading a novel about a man who finds a carpetbag that is empty except when someone needs something. Then there it is, in the bottom of the bag. ?? What would you need and find when you reached in the bag?

When reading, I love to come across a sentence that just stops me. "Her silence roared in his ears." ?? When is silence in your life loud?

What to have for lunch? So thankful we have choices.

Just how much dust needs to accumulate before you feel guilty enough to clean?

We lie down, close our eyes, think whatever thoughts enter our brain and then it is morning. Why don't we realize when we go to sleep?

How does a hawk balance on the very thin branch, at the very top of the tree?

Why does tomorrow never come, but we never leave yesterday behind?

Why isn't the Bible in alphabetical order? It would make it much easier to find Jude.

Why does the price of gas go down right after you fill your car?

How did Friday get here so quickly?

AND NOW

What are your random thoughts? Kinda fun to let your mind wonder. So, today, no scripture and no prayer. Do your own random thoughts. Junk the bad ones. Hold onto the good ones. Thank God for the blessed ones.

PERCENTAGES AND BUT WAIT

"25% off for one day only," the email said. There was some fine print about not good on sale items, stamps, alcohol and prescriptions.

"This is the best skillet ever," the really loud man said on the infomercial. "It is only $9.98 plus shipping, BUT WAIT, for the next 24 hours we will send you two." The fine print was that you pay shipping and handling for the second skillet and the shipping and handling turns out to be more than the skillet.

"Come in on Columbus Day Weekend and get two suits for the price of one," the commercial offered. "This is a BOGO sale." The problem is that last weekend they were offering buy one and get two.

"Give a gift subscription for $5," the magazine letter offers. "And renew yours for $19.98."

Such good deals how do we pass them up? We are bombarded by coupons that entice us to buy products we do not need. We receive two skillets and neither one keeps the cheese from sticking to the skillet. Buy one suit and get two free? They must change the price tags every time they have a sale. And really? Maybe I should gift a magazine to myself!

25% off! But Wait! BOGO! Gift subscription! When do I know I am getting the best deal?

SCRIPTURES

(Jesus speaking) "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever -- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." John 14:15-17

(Jesus speaking) "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes he will guide you into all truth." John 16:13

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22

AND NOW

I know I am getting the best when I accept the deals God has for me.

Have you accepted the extravagant deals God has for you? Love? Joy? Peace? Patience? Kindness? Goodness? Faithfulness? Gentleness? Self-control? Or do you want them all? Go ahead and be greedy. But don't stop there! Tell God, "I want it all! On top of these I want forgiveness, eternal life, salvation and Your grace."

LET US PRAY (Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.)

Such offers Lord and Your deals do not expire. They do not come with a condition to buy one and get one free. Lord, I want them all! I want to know Your love and be joyful. I want to accept Your peace and be patient. I want to share Your kindness, goodness and faithfulness with others. I want to use Your gentleness to give me self-control. I want the salvation and forgiveness bought by Your Son and I want eternal life received through Your grace. Lord, I want it all and I want it now. Thank you and Amen

WOULD ANYONE NOTICE?

How would you finish the sentence: Would anyone notice _____________ ? The possibilities are endless. Would anyone notice---

• my hair is now gray?
• I studied hard for this exam?
• I wasn't in church last Sunday?
• supper took a lot of work to prepare?
• I worked extra hours so we could go on vacation?
• if this blog was not written?

Those are all normal things we wonder. We all want the validation that what we do, how we look and how we act are noticed. Not necessarily in a "prideful" way. We just need to know that someone cares about our lives.

I volunteer for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) and the children I represent might have entirely different ways to finish the sentence. Would anyone notice --

• the bruises on my back?
• I am hungry because I did not eat breakfast?
• my parents cannot take care of me?
• me at all?

Being a CASA volunteer is not easy and it is not fun. We work for the best interest of the child and encourage parents as they work to learn parenting skills. We celebrate when children and parents are reunited. Smiles and hugs overflow when a family once again becomes whole and strong. We shed tears when a child learns they will not be going home and we pray a new family will form through adoption.

Would anyone notice if I was not a CASA volunteer? Yes, the children I am appointed to represent would notice, because without a CASA or, in some areas, a Guardian Ad Litem the child has no voice. The child has no one to stand up for them. The child has many people looking out for them - government agencies and service providers - but the CASA looks at the whole picture and speaks for the child.

Would anyone notice if there are more children than there are CASA volunteers?

The answer is YES. Sadly, there are children waiting in almost every county in the United States for a CASA volunteer. These children have government agencies and service providers looking out for them BUT they do not have someone who will represent them and say, "Judge, it is in the best interest of the child that…"

SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 9:37-38

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

AND NOW

Workers are needed!

LET US

Lord of the harvest, send workers into the lives of these children. Amen