STITCHES AND LEFT HAND ADVENTURES

If you are reading this around 11:30 AM, I am getting the stitches out from my carpel tunnel surgery.  I had the left hand done in March and the right hand the 11th.   Soon I will be back to normal (or as normal as I ever get) except my hands will not hurt. 

When the use of my left hand was limited, it did not seem too bad.  I am right handed.  Very right handed.  So, day to day life moved along.  Not so much this time!

You did see the “very” before right handed, didn’t you?  Do you know how hard it is to wash one hand?  I learned from last time and set hand wipes at every sink for this recovery time.  I also found out my tooth brush is for right handed people.  It did not want to work properly in my left hand, so I held the brush still and moved my head.  (Go ahead and laugh at the picture you have in your mind.  Better yet, try it.)  Putting on make-up sorta worked.  I got the foundation on with my left hand.  Easy!  Then came eye shadow and lipstick.  I quickly decided eye shadow was not that important and the lipstick was on the lips … so declared my attempts a success. 

Hair is another matter entirely.  How easy it was with my right hand.  Brush the wet hair to the back.  Make a part and pull some down above my ears.  Scrunch in a bit of curl.  Done!  BUT – left handed, the brush just did not cooperate.  Maybe it is a right handed brush.  And try making a part.  And I gave up on the cow lick I have had since birth. 

Hubby, bless his heart, did his usual chores and took on cooking while I supervised.  A two pound weight limit, on that right hand, limited what I could pick up.  I swear there is nothing in our kitchen that weighs less than two pounds!  We did eat!  After hubby cut up my food. 

Picking up that fork or spoon with my left hand made me quickly realize I should have paid more attention to angles in math class.  The angle of the right hand inserting food into the mouth is not the same for the left hand.  Maybe there is left handed silverware. 

Plus, scissors do not cut paper and snippers do not cut roses when held in the left hand.  Yes, this has been a learning experience for a very right handed person to do things with her left hand.

Having no idea what to write for this week, I started in and hopefully this gives you a chuckle.  Is there a lesson in here somewhere?  Probably but I am not going to look for it.  So if you find a lesson, let me know.

Celebrate each day and stock up on left handed toothbrushes, hair brushes, silverware and scissors.  You just never know when you might need them.  You might want to practice using the left handed silverware.  Or go back to math class and study angles because everything sure is backwards.

A FAR COUNTRY

I love to travel!  It started slow.  One very tiny trip.  Another small trip two years later.  I knew I wanted to travel but there was also a necessary item called money.  We did not have much of it!  A few years later made numerous trips to Florida because that is where hubby’s uncle lived.  Eventually –

Eventually, as we saved a bit here and there, we expanded our horizons.  Some women shop.  I put money back for vacations.  Some kids got toys for Christmas.  One year, our kids got a cooler, a two gallon water jug, an atlas, a couple of really bright flashlights and a newspaper grill.  (Yes it is a real thing.)  I never thought how that would sound when they went back to school and were asked, “What did you get for Christmas?”  I am not sure how they responded but I bet the other kids felt sorry for them.  I mean, who wants an atlas under the tree?

Thankfully, hubby finally realized vacations were going to happen so he might as well relax and enjoy our adventures.  He has fun as I navigate him onto interstates, two lane highways and dirt roads.  The dirt roads always came as a surprise.  Somehow, I always think a tiny line in the atlas only means less blacktop.  We have been on one lane roads and extremely crooked roads.  I swear they do not look that crooked in the atlas.  Have those atlas people ever driven on the Going to the Sun Road or US 191 from north to south?  Now that I have an iPad, I can see exactly what we are in for and warn him in advance.  No!  I do not route him to a more direct route.  What fun would that be?

I am one state and a few islands ahead of Bill.  Silly man likes to keep his feet on the ground and would not fly to Hawaii nor sail off into the sunset.  We have been very blessed to travel to lands near and far. 

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A minister was talking about the parable of the prodigal son and said that “distant country” or “far country” meant being separated from God.  I had never thought about it that way.  I just thought the young son left town, didn’t do so great and came home. 

My next thought was THANK YOU LORD THAT WHEN I HAVE BEEN IN A FAR COUNTRY I WAS NOT SEPARATED FROM YOU!!!

What followed in my head was a whirlwind of thoughts. 

-          Traveling does not separate you from God.

-          You could be separated from God while sitting in your easy chair.

-          Oh, I never want to be separated from God.

-          But how can I be separated when God is always with me?

-          What would it feel like to be separated from God?

-          What if you had never known God?

-          What?  If?  How? 

Slowly, my mind decided the word separated is a place I never want to be.  But guess what – IT AIN’T GONNA HAPPEN!! 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written:  “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:31-39

Of all things I might think I need to worry about, being separated from God is not one of them.  With Jesus as my Lord, I am a conqueror!  It does not say this or that can separate me.  It says NEITHER and NOR.  Those words mean this sheep is never – NEVER – separated from God.  Not when I am in my easy chair and not when I am thousands of miles away.

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This picture is titled The Glory of God.

This Glorious God loves you and you are never separated from Him!!!

THE MAGIC 8 BALL

There was an article on what you could take on a plane with you and guess what was on the no-no list. ….. A Magic 8 Ball! 

From the TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION:

Magic 8 Ball

Carry On Bags:  No        Checked Bags:  Yes

For Carry-on bags: We asked the Magic 8 Ball and it told us…Outlook not so good!

For Checked bags: We asked the Magic 8 Ball and it told us…It is certain!

Who knew the TSA had such a sense of humor?

I had a Magic 8 Ball.  It was a long time ago, but I remember asking it a question:  Will I pass the English test?  Then I would turn the ball over and look at the answer.  NO?  What do you mean no?  That is not the answer I wanted.  So, I would keep turning the ball over until it came up yes. 

It seems many people use the Bible like a Magic 8 Ball.  Maybe I should try that.  I do have a lot of questions.  (I promise to use the scripture my finger lands on the first time!)

Will this experiment turn out as I expect? === When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”  John 21:15 === I must admit it took three times.  First try my finger landed on a description of the book of Esther instead of a scripture.  Second try my finger landed on a blank part of a page.  Third try and I am not sure how this answers my question.  Maybe a different question.

This will be a simple yes/no question:  Will it rain tomorrow? === The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him – may your hearts live forever!  Psalm 22:26 === Well…..the poor will eat and be satisfied could be taken that the rain came and the crops were abundant and, therefore, even the poor will have food.  Sorta.  I could make it apply to my question.

Let’s try another question:  Should I go to church? === BIG DISCLAIMER:  I wrote the question.  Closed my eyes.  Opened the Bible.  Put my finger on the last part of Acts 11:17:  who was I to think that I could oppose God?” 

And God put his 2 X 4 down and said, “Mary, you are kidding right?  Is this how I want you to read my Word?  I whacked you with this verse so you would stop using the Wisdom of my Word like a silly Magic 8 Ball.”

But God, that 8 Ball was fun and …..

“Oh my goodness.  Look at Genesis 1:1.  What does it say?”

In the beginning God ..

“Stop right there.  Does it say in the beginning the Magic 8 Ball ..?”

No, but I was just …..

“Remember, My Word is true.  Unchanging.  Now go read Psalm 139.  I know it is your favorite.”

With that God turned to Gabriel and said, “Do you think she gets it?”

With a smile, Gabriel answered, “It is certain.”

BEGINNINGS

Tonight there is a new beginning.  Our grandson graduates from high school.  He will begin a new part of his life.  Going from high school to college might not qualify as new to some.  He will exchange one set of classes for another.  One set of teachers for another.  He will study in a different location, but he WILL study.  Grandma will make sure. 

There will be major changes.  Although he will be surrounded by people, he will leave his brothers behind.  He will not have his mommy looking over his shoulder nor his daddy setting a curfew.  He will begin to control his own life.  He will keep track of his own schedule and when reports are due.  (To be honest, this grandson already does that.)  He will be – are you ready?  He will be responsible for himself! 

Responsibility – for sure a new beginning.

This makes me think about all my new beginnings.  Do not run in fear.  I am not going to tell you all of them!

Graduation:  I was sooooo happy to graduate.  I love to learn but I never did like school.  I love to read, but was forced to pick from a list created by someone who had no idea what my interests were.  I love numbers but could not understand why I needed to learn all those formulas when they were right there in the book.  I wanted to play drums but was told girls do not play drums.  For sure I was not the cheerleader type, the choir director ran when she saw me coming and I had to keep my shoes on.  I do want you to know I was a very well behaved.  A few of us skipped out on an assembly and the principal marked me present because he just knew the teacher missed me.  I did not correct him.  Graduation!  YES.  But the real reason…..

Love and Marriage:  Well, first came business school until I got a job paying $90 a week.  I had gone to business school long enough to know $ 90 a week in beat $90 a month out for school.  And that $90 a week sure beat the 35¢ an hour as a car hop.  Of course there were tips at the car hop job.  And a good lookin guy in a really cool, black car.  A first date, a few more and wham.  He was mine.  First came love, then came marriage, then came

A Boy:  I had never even babysat!  And there were no classes at the local hospital.  This beginning did not come with instructions.  Feeling really sharp pain in the middle of the night.  Hospital.  Child.  Home.  What if I stick him?  (We used cloth diapers and pins back in the dark ages.  No fake diaper with Velcro)  What if I drop him?  A bath?  I have to give him a bath?  Ok.  It was not really that bad.  I fell in love that little guy the minute I laid eyes on him.  I rocked him.  I read him stories.  And thought he looked absolutely adorable in bib overalls.  Oh my ..

A Girl:  Then there were two of those little people.  But this one was a girl.  With hair that needed combed and put into pigtails.  A sweet little thing that loved to climb.  I never knew where I would find her.  Often it was in the doctor’s office getting stitches!  She would put her dishes in a dump truck.  She carried her dolls upside down.  She carried a cat in the crook of her arm and squeezed until its eyes were ready to pop out.

New Homes:  A home is where you hang your hat and, during my adult life and if I wore a hat, it would have hung in seven different homes.  I never minded moving.  It is a great way to thin out possessions, meet new people and celebrate new memories.

Retirement:  Talk about a change.  Yes, we still do some real estate sales, but no more sitting at a desk because I have to.  Now I google away for fun.  Or to get facts because I am battling with our local school board.  Now I can read whatever I want from my own list.  I do not care how to find the square root of anything.  We can go on vacation when we want and do not have to worry about getting reports out.  I can write this blog and let the cleaning wait until whenever.  And I can go to a high school graduation tonight.

= = = = = = = = =

This has absolutely no point.  It is about beginnings.  It is about life.  Oh, …..

Maybe it does have a point.  Each day is a new beginning.  It is full of wonder.  Excitement.  Joy.  Calm.  Trouble.  Each day is a new beginning and an opportunity.  Enjoy it.  Be good enough to get marked present the only time you skip school, read those crazy words in Dr. Seuss (with sound effects), help load toy dishes into a toy dump truck, do not get stuck in comfortable and relax. 

THANK YOU LORD I HEARD THE PHONE

I heard a new song, Dream Small, by Josh Wilson and I thought, “What?  I thought we were to dream big.  Strive to achieve our wildest dream.”  This song said just the opposite.

Dream Small (excerpts)

It’s a momma singing songs about the Lord --- It’s a daddy spending family time

Simple moments change the world --- Little ways

It’s visiting the widow --- Dancing on a Friday

Don’t bother like you’ve gotta do it all

Jesus use you where you are

Dream Small

:  :  :  :  :  :  :  :  :  :  :  :

THANK YOU LORD I HEARD THE PHONE --

The sweeper makes a lot of noise but I thought I heard the phone ring.  Yes, it was ringing and thank you Lord I heard the phone.  A friend and I talked for 45 minutes as she told about her husband being in the hospital.  He is taking chemo, his white count was down and his fever was up.  I listened.  I asked how she was doing.  I listened.  Dream small:  Thank you Lord I did not miss a phone call from a friend.

THANK YOU LORD THE MORNING WAS FREE --

A gal I have been friends with for years called.  You must know, we have shopped, laughed, bowled, shared many meals, and she was there when I got stopped for shop lifting.  (A story for another day but she stood outside the store and laughed.  She also laughed when I got stopped for speeding on the way home.  Yes, we are still friends.)  “What are you doing Friday?”  It depends.  What do you need and what time, because we have plans that evening?  “I need a ride to a doctor’s appointment at 10:00.”  Can do!  I will pick you up at 9:00.  Dream small:  Thank you Lord I could be available to do a small favor.

THANK YOU LORD I HAVE THE TIME --

“Mom, want to spend time with Tim on Tuesday?”  What does he have on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning?  “Nothing.”  How about I pick him up Tuesday morning and bring him back Wednesday around 1:00?  I have to be your way both days.  “That works.”  Time with a grandson who does not yet know he will be helping clean house!  Dream small:  Thank you Lord I have time to share.

:  :  :  :  :  :  :  :  :  :  :  :

Dream small?  Simple moments change the world?  Maybe this song makes more sense than what I first thought.

I will never make a tremendous difference in the world like Mother Teresa.  I will never be heard by millions and millions like Billy Graham.  I will never …..

BUT I can listen to a friend.  A small thing.  I can help a friend.  A little thing.  I can enjoy a grandson.  A simple thing.

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:9

Three phone calls.  Each with a simple request.  Thank you Lord I heard the phone.

:  :  :  :  :  :  :  :  :  :  :  :

Link to DREAM SMALL:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=dream+small+josh+wilson&&view=detail&mid=F0775C959C7F9D79088DF0775C959C7F9D79088D&&FORM=VDRVRV

Link to DREAM SMALL lyrics.

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/joshwilson/dreamsmall.html

GOOD ENOUGH

Other than when I am working with numbers, I am not a perfectionist.  Often, good enough is fine.  Almost works.  No one will notice covers many situations. 

Believe me; more meals would be chopped than allowed into the next round.  Dusting around the edges would be normal and not the current, most likely short-lived, cleaning mode I am in.  (My grandkids would say our house is very clean even before I hit the edges.  Plus, I have convinced hubby dust is protecting the wood from ultraviolet sun rays.)  I love to sew, but can guarantee the teacher for home economics (That is what it was called in the 60’s – that would be the 1960’s not any century prior to that.) would shake her head and point out which seams had to be ripped out and sown again.  Yup.  I am not a perfectionist.

But I am trying to be perfect.  I want to be perfect – not at cooking or cleaning or sewing ---- I want to be perfect as a Christian.  I want to be the perfect Mary.  I want God to look down and say, “Oh my.  There is Mary.  There is my perfect little girl.”

I looked up scriptures with the word perfect, perfecter, perfecting, and perfection.  Not a single one contained my name or assured me I am perfect.  It must be a misprint!  Surely some monk came across that verse, thought, “Mary.  Perfect.  No way.”, and deleted it.  (Just kidding Pastor Larry.  I listened to you telling how meticulous those monks were with making sure every ‘i’ was dotted and every ‘t’ crossed.)

Jesus speaking:  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:48

Oh great.  There is a verse telling me to be perfect.  Now what?

Okay.  Time to be serious. 

I read a number of commentaries on Matthew 5:48.  This excerpt written by James Burton Coffman explains:

No one can say that Christ did not set a high standard for man to follow! To be perfect as God is perfect, what a challenge this is! At the outset, every candid student of the Holy Scriptures should admit and understand that there is not the slightest possibility of his ever graduating from this school, "Magna cum Laude"! Nobody, but nobody is ever going to be perfect; and yet, it is the genius of the Christian religion that perfection is required of its adherents. A contradiction? No, only a paradox. The goal or ideal is necessary that man may continually know that he is unworthy of salvation, that he can never in a million years merit it, and that any real perfection he might eventually attain must be the free gift of Christ.

Nevertheless, how boldly Christ flung down the challenge! PERFECTION.

I am to be perfect AS the heavenly Father is perfect.  First, I know I am not perfect.  Second, I know I will not be perfect until I hear the words, “Welcome home Mary.” Third, I can try.

To be perfect AS the heavenly Father, I need to learn His wisdom, His goodness, His truthfulness, His love, His mercy, His grace, His forgiveness, ----- and extend those to everyone I meet. 

Am I up to the challenge?  I am going to do my best! 

BECAUSE, to not aim to be AS perfect as the heavenly Father is settling for good enough or almost. 

AND to not aim to be AS perfect as the heavenly Father will guarantee that others will notice when they hear me called a Christian.

THIS WON’T TAKE LONG

It started with an idea.  My grandchildren are no longer into crafts with grandma.  They are “too old” for water colors, crayons and stickers.  Hopefully, there will be great-grandchildren to join into my creative fun someday, but, right now, there seemed to be no good reason to keep those supplies.  They will dry out and be no good to anyone.  I would give those supplies to a friend with grandchildren just the right age.

I opened the drawers holding the markers.  There were a lot more markers than I remembered.  Keeping back a few, I put the rest into bags.  (Did you get the plural on bags?)  The crayons came next.  Thinking hard I tried to remember why I had so many boxes of crayons.  Oh well.  I kept one box and the rest were placed in another bag.  The construction paper was picked over.  Why do brown, black and that one shade of green never get used?  The paper disappeared into the bag.  I was quickly getting closer to the end.  Yes, we had fun making decorations with those little pieces of Perler plastic that you put on a form and then iron so they stick together.  I also had fun stepping on the ones that somehow escaped and were trying to get away.  Into the sack they went.  DONE! 

Or so I thought.  There was only one problem.  The space taken up by unused crafts was now empty.  Opening the doors to my sewing supply closet, I figured I would quickly move a few items into those drawers.  I figured wrong!  I did sort some items into the drawers.  But that left an empty space on the shelf.  I moved items around and filled that space. Then….

Do you see what happens with one small idea?  I ended up cleaning the closet.  When did I ever think I would use a very small triangle of hot pink fabric?  I started pitching pieces of material too small to use.  I moved items to another closet that had somehow migrated from their original location.  Of course, I also rearranged that closet.  There were items in the closet I had no use for.  Mattress pad covers that were so lumpy no self-resecting dog would even lay on them.  Into the trash they went. 

Then, the floor needed sweeping.  You do not clean without making a mess!  So the closet was cleaned, the floor swept but that made the dust show on the bookcase.  Why did I not turn out that light bulb that went off in my head and made me want to give those craft supplies away!

Have you ever had this happen to you?  One small idea, which should not take long to accomplish, that leads to another and another and another and….

I tell about my day because there is something I am very guilty of.  I study to teach Sunday School or when taking a Bible Study and I read this and that to help me be a better Christian.  I search the scriptures.  I google.  I can fill myself with a lot of knowledge.  What I need to do is dig deep, find a really big trash bag and get rid of all the things I no longer need, such as old habits, things I have believed that are not Biblical, and wanting things my way.  That will mean there is room for God to fill up my heart and load down my inner being with patience (I really need that), kindness, compassion, love …..

And then God can sweep up the mess I made and dust the bookcase.

(Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians)  For this reason I kneel before the Father, for whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Ephesians 3:14-19

What do you need to toss out so God can fill you?

IF I WERE IN CHARGE

I do not know about you, but I want spring!  You know, those nice cool in the morning, sunny in the afternoon and still a bit chilly at night days that come after winter and before summer.  Spring seems to be a bit confused this year.  Maybe it got lost when we did that stupid change-your-clock thing.

If I were in charge of the weather, it would be spring!

I do not know about you, but I hate weeds.  Weeds do not seem to care if their feet are too wet or too dry.  They grow and grow and grow.  And try pulling a weed.  I swear their roots go all the way to the Indian Ocean.  (The Indian Ocean is on the other side of the world from where I live.  What about you?  Check out:  https://www.freemaptools.com/tunnel-to-other-side-of-the-earth.htm )

If I were in charge, there would be no weeds!

I do not know about you, but I love chocolate.  Chocolate has attitude.  Add it to hot milk and it will make a cold night cozy.  Put it around peanut butter and you would swear you were in heaven.  A small piece of chocolate will chase away a bad mood and make children smile.

If I were in charge, chocolate would be at the very top of the good-for-you food chart.

I do not know about you, but I love to blow bubbles.  First dipping the wand into the bubble stuff, taking a deep breath, blowing it out and, as if by magic, a bubble floats into the air.  It swirls, colors appearing as it climbs and climbs and – bursts.  Breathe.  Blow.  Bubbles.  Over and over and over.  Till the sky is full.  And as those bubbles float away, my body relaxes, worries seem a bit lighter and the world is not so crazy.

If I were in charge, every person in the world would blow bubbles.

I bet you are thinking, “Wow!  I am sure glad she is not in charge.”

I am glad I am not in charge either.  My idea of a perfect world…a perfect life…a perfect day…would be at odds with just about everyone else in the world.  If I wanted a nice rain, the people wanting to go on a picnic would not be happy.  If I declared it to be summer all over the globe, the penguins in the Antarctica would have no place to care for their eggs.  If I ---

If I were in charge, there would be chaos.  I am good at a few things, but running the world – the universe – is not a challenge I am up to.  Not me!!

And God said,

Genesis 1:  The first words of verses 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 29

“And God said,” – I love those verses.  All God had to do was speak and it happened.  God created this world, this universe, me.  God is in charge.

Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm.  He said:  “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?  Brace yourself like a man;  I will question you, and you shall answer me.

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?  Tell me, if you understand.  Who marked off its dimensions?  Surely you know!  Who stretched a measuring line across it?  On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone – while the morning stars sang together and the angels shouted for joy?

“Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’?                     Job 38:1-11

If I ever even begin to think I should be in charge, I read Job.  In Job 38 – 41, God has a talk with Job.  (Think about a time someone had a talk with you.  Now multiply that times, oh let’s say, a gazillion.  That is how Job must have felt.)  During this talk, among other things, we learn that God:

• Laid the earth’s foundation
• Controls the seas, the sun, the moon, snow, hail, lightning, winds, rain, ice, and stars
• Provides for the lioness, raven, mountain goats, bears, wild donkey, wild ox, ostrich, horse, hawk, and eagle
• Is adorned with glory and splendor and clothed in honor and majesty
• Will release the fury of His wrath, dispense justice, bring the proud low and humble them, and crush the wicked

Then Job replied to the LORD:  “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.  You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’  Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.  Job 42:1-3

Job got it!!

God has a plan and I do not want to hear, “What are you thinking Mary?  You in charge?  You want to dispute me?  You want to argue with me?  You want me to set times for judgment?  You want answers?  This is going to be fun.  Brace yourself …..”

I get it. 

The LORD has a plan and for sure I do not understand it.  I just know it is the perfect plan and HIS plan has been in place since the very first “In the beginning.”

NATIONAL TELL A STORY DAY

Today is National Tell A Story Day. It is celebrated in the United Kingdom, Scotland and the USA.

So, let’s start with a story.

Once upon a time there was a very sweet, 16 year old girl.  Her mother wanted her to do some errands and told her she could take the car.  Being a new driver, the young girl was very excited.  Off she went to town.

The errands were completed and the girl returned home.  Her mother, without even the hint of a smirk, asked, “Where is the car?”

Yes, I am that girl.  I was so used to walking everywhere.  I finished the errands and walked home.  Of course, then I walked back to get the car.

You have my permission to laugh and tease me.

Where can you find stories?  BOOKS....I wish I had kept count of the books I read to our children and grandchildren.  Fairy tales.  Riddles.  Chapter books.  Dr. Seuss.  Books without words so we could make-up a story.  I wonder how many times we were in the library.  I wonder if they remember me reading to them as a special memory or just a normal part of their day.

I love to read.  Not history nor westerns, but I love a good mystery.  Sometimes I want a romance.  A story that does not require any thought.  A story that begins, “Mary took one look at Bill and knew he was not the guy for her.”  Right away I would know they would fall in love, get married and ride off into the sunset in a very clean, pick-up truck.

Sometimes, I want to read true stories.  Stories that teach me about other cultures or how to cope or make me laugh.  Sometimes I want to read books that make me learn, teach me something new.

Where can you find stories?  OTHER PEOPLE….I love to hear other people’s stories.  One day, in a small town, in his grandfather’s restaurant, I met a young man who was headed to Juilliard School of Music.  While on a girl’s get away, the man behind the counter told me he is a single father, raising a very special little girl.  I cannot read music, but a wonderful pianist told me she could play a hymnal full of songs from memory.  ---- I wish I had asked my grandmother to tell me stories.

Where can you find stories?  IN YOUR IMAGINATION....I have a very vivid imagination.  A fun thing to do is start a story and then allow others to finish it.  Imagination!  The story can have twists and turns.  Characters will take shape and then disappear as the next person continues.  The story might begin in an amusement park, work its way through a cemetery and end up with the final scene on an almost deserted island.  Use your imagination.

Where can you find stories?  IN THE BIBLE….If you want to read about landscaping, a great big boat, murder, bravery, fashion, strange water phenomenon, spies, love, family (good and bad), a furnace and fear, read the Bible!  And that is only a small fraction of the stories in the Old Testament.

My favorite Bible story begins like this:  Once upon a time there was a baby boy born in the Town of Bethlehem.  His name is Jesus.

SURPRISE

I am not a fan of surprises.  For some reason, they do not always turn out quite right.

Surprise Party:  Really?  Do people enjoy them?  Maybe the person planning it.  The person walking into a surprise party, usually, either has found out and has to act surprised or has had the worst day ever and has to act excited. 

The Gift:  “Honey, I knew you wanted a __fill in the blank__, so I bought you one.”  Let’s be honest here.  “Honey” (that can be male or female) was not hinting for you to get the __fill in the blank__, they were warning you they were going to buy it.  And I can guarantee, what you buy will not be exactly what they wanted.  (This does not apply to birthday or Christmas gifts.  Those gifts need to be something that has been hinted for.  Those subtle hints when walking through a store.  Almost a whisper or sigh.)

Breakfast in Bed:  How sweet!  You are being served breakfast in bed.  What a wonderful surprise.  Advice to the children and men that prepared this breakfast:  Clean the kitchen after making this surprise breakfast or the person that ate the breakfast will give you a surprise.  (Usually this involves a banging of pans as they clean up your mess and the silent treatment as you try to figure out what went wrong.)

You Won a Car/Vacation/House:  Oh my gosh!!  How great would that be?  A car just appears in your driveway!  The tickets arrive in the mail!  Your dream home ready to move into!  Warning:  There will be taxes due.

We are surprised when we like a new food or discover a new back road.  A new author can surprise us with the ending of a really suspenseful book.  And our family never fails to surprise us, but I am not going there. 

Life is full of surprises.  Some are unexpected.  Some are wonderful.  Some break our hearts. 

Faith can surprise us.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

Faith can teach us to trust when we doubt.

Faith can make us strong when we feel weak.

Faith can give us hope when we do not see a way out.

Faith gives us the assurance that God’s love is constant.

Faith gives us the confidence to believe the Word of God.

Yup.  Life is full of surprises.  Some are unexpected.  Some are wonderful.  Some break our hearts.  And our faith makes it possible for us to survive all of them.

THINK ABOUT IT

I love numbers, but they need to be straight forward:  add, subtract, multiply and divide.  Give me a spreadsheet and I will find the missing penny.

On the other hand, I never was any good at math questions such as:  Train A leaves Chicago at 4:00 PM traveling 35 MPH and train B leaves Dallas at 6:00 PM traveling 40 MPH, what time will they arrive in Paris, France?  Yes, I know.  The tracks do not go to Paris, but for me the destination might as well have been that extreme.  I just did not get it.

I do, however enjoy a good ‘make you think’ question.

1.  Before Mt. Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain in the world?
2. What word in the English Language is always spelled incorrectly?
3. If you were running a race and passed the person in 2^nd place, what place would you be in now?

Do you know the answers to these?

I don’t know about you but sometimes I have problems understanding the Bible.  It is as if I am trying to figure out how the trains can get to Paris.  Other passages just do not make any sense.  They might as well be written in a foreign language.

Then there are passages, I have read and read and read.  Finally…..the light bulb comes on and bingo!  I get it.

Of course, there are many that are straight forward!  They add up.  They make sense the first time I read them.

The easy thing would be to keep reading the parts I understand, but, if I did that, I would become stagnate.  I would only learn a small portion of what the Bible has to teach me.  Therefore, (Love that word in the Bible.  Shows there is more to come.) I continue on.  I read and get excited when the light bulb shines and I finally get it.  I still struggle when directed to those passages that I do not understand.  I read, ponder, read again and know that someday, when I need that particular passage, I will understand it.

How about you?  Are you the same way?  Do you ever feel like you are just not smart enough or Christian enough to understand?  Other people get it.  Why can’t I?

Never fear!!! You are not alone.  Keep reading.  Pray for understanding.  Read a commentary.  Ask your minister.  Take a Bible study.  Remember, even the disciples did not get it.

Jesus said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you:  Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”  Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.  Luke 24:44-45

How do we learn?  We are open.  The hymn, Open My Eyes, That I May See, says it the best. 

Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Open my ears, that I may hear
Voices of truth Thou sendest clear;
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
Everything false will disappear.

Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my ears, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Open my mind, that I may read
More of Thy love in word and deed;
What shall I fear while yet Thou dost lead?
Only for light from Thee I plead.

Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my mind, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Open my mouth, and let me bear,
Gladly the warm truth everywhere;
Open my heart and let me prepare
Love with Thy children thus to share.

Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my heart, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Now go forth and read!  God will do the rest.

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ANSWERS:

1. Mt. Everest.  It just was not discovered yet.
2. Incorrectly
3. You would be in 2^nd.  Well, you passed the person in second place, not first.