Does this make my butt look big?

I like to go shopping…..but not for clothes.  It’s difficult for me to find clothes that fit and are flattering.  I guess that’s what happens when you’re shaped like a potato.  When I go shopping for clothing, there are certain people that I want with me and certain people that I don’t.  For me, the perfect shopping partner is honest, perceptive, and not afraid to give their opinion while still being kind.  They know that I value their insight and are willing to share it with me.  It’s easy to be the person who tells me that everything looks good on me.  The problem is that when I wear that clothing later, it isn't flattering at all and I have wasted money. 

I find it interesting to see that same concept in other areas of life.  There are times when people only seek out those who will tickle their ears and tell them what they want to hear.  They know that there are struggles and sin that they are facing, but rather than seek out and listen to the counsel of people who care enough to be honest; they only associate with those that will rationalize their sin and support their bad choices.  Someone who is immature will avoid wise counsel, but maturity is evidenced by seeking truth. 

In the same way, people often avoid those parts of the Bible that lead them to maturity in their walk with God.  They only want to know the parts that give them a warm-fuzzy feeling and skip the parts that tell them that they need to change. That approach to faith cannot result in a deeper walk with Christ.  It results in ongoing immaturity and not experiencing the relationship with God and others that He desires for us. 

Don’t be satisfied with immaturity. Use the whole Bible as a guide to a deeper relationship with God.  Seek out those people that will be honest with you.  Don’t be afraid to hear that something makes your butt look big.  

A Leader on His Knees

Every Sunday, there is a time in our church service when people are welcomed to the altar to bring their prayers and petitions to God.  I have been attending this church since 1995 and almost without fail, there is one man that is consistently at the altar.  I don’t know why…that’s between him and God, but from what I know of this man, I am guessing that at least some of the time he is carrying our community to the cross and asking for God’s wisdom and direction in the face of change.  He is our city’s mayor, Ward Koeser.  This man has been in a position of leadership for many years.  He has weathered the challenges that come with both prosperity and disparity, with integrity.  He has been ripped apart in the newspaper by people hiding behind made up names, but continues to be a reflection of steadfast leadership.  He has appeared in numerous national media outlets, only to have them edit out some of his statements and then have to take the backlash of people who do not understand.  People may not agree with every decision he makes, but we always know that he has the best interest of the city in mind. Mayor Koeser’s relationship with God doesn't just appear when he is trying to win votes or look good for the public. It is evident in the life that he leads every day.  As a member of this community, I am so thankful that we have a leader that will bow on his knees before God and seek His guidance. 

What defines you?

I have been confronted lately with the belief that a person’s worth is based, in some part at least, by their physical appearance.  Toddlers participating in beauty pageants are judged on whether or not they are “facially gifted”.  A man decides to make concessions in the area of physical beauty and gets to know a woman anyway, acting as if she should be grateful that he lowered his standards for her and makes a point of letting her know that.   I find it sad that while he describes that same woman as strong, analytical, honest, funny, interesting, intelligent, and supportive,  it does not outweigh the fact that she is not facially gifted.

How awesome that God sees the heart….where true beauty and true ugliness lie!  What a difference it makes when He sees us through eyes of love.  He sees us as being so beautiful that he paid the ultimate price just so He could spend eternity with us.  How different would our world be if we could use those same eyes of love and see beauty for what it really is?  How many people have we overlooked because we defined people by what they looked like rather than who they were?  Just sayin’

Signed….a strong, analytical, honest, funny, interesting, intelligent, and supportive woman

Like Father, Like Sons and Daughter

This past Friday marked the 4^th anniversary of my husband’s death.  I have learned that it doesn't get easier.  I miss him as much today as that day 4 years ago.  As the day went by, I found myself thinking about my kids.  I read some things that they had written about their dad and I was reminded that although Dan is no longer with me, he lives through his children.  It’s the sense of humor that you can’t help but smile about.  It’s the patience and care that is shown for children. It’s the friendliness that quickly dispels being a stranger.  It’s the encouraging word when it’s needed.  When I look at my children, I see their father.  The resemblance is unmistakable.

John 14:9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  

Escaping the Fire

Friday night, I stayed late at work to get things ready for this week.  There weren't very many people in my part of the building, but there were basketball games starting in both the High School and Middle School Gyms.  There were probably about 200 people in the building.  About 6:30, I was running copies.  Then the fire alarm went off.  We have procedures to follow in the event that this happens during school and I felt it was prudent to follow the same procedure….well, not exactly.  I didn't have to take my emergency kit with me, yell for attendance when I got outside, keep students off of the neighbor’s lawns, and report to the designated people to make sure that all of my students were accounted for.  I left through the main entrance with 3 other people.  I glanced toward the entrance to the gym and was surprised to see that no one was exiting the building.  After several minutes, the alarm stopped, we reentered the building, and I went back to what I was doing.  Apparently, someone had burned the popcorn and it set off the smoke detectors.  Everyone was safe, but what if had been a real fire.  There were about 200 people that heard the alarm or saw the flashing lights and chose to ignore them.  I wonder what was going through their minds to bring them to that conclusion.  Were the games that riveting?  Had they become complacent because it had happened before?  Did they think they were invincible to danger?  Whatever it was, they stayed.  But, what if it had been a real fire.  The high school section was built in the 1950’s. That means materials, varnish, and construction that would result in a significant fire spread.  Think about 200 people now needing rescuing.  Think about the professionals that would have to risk their lives to do so.  Think about those that didn't make it. Think about the families and friends affected by the loss.  That’s pretty sobering, in my opinion. 

As usual, God tapped me on the shoulder and told me to pay attention.  The 200 people in the building didn’t see any evidence of fire.  They had no way of knowing if it was a concession stand catastrophe or a real danger.  Sin is like that.  We are so wrapped up in what we are doing that we ignore all the alarms that God has put in place to protect us.  We are so focused on enjoying ourselves that we just keep sinning no matter what the dangers are.  We can’t always see the evidence of sin so we think we can just ignore it.  In our opinion, no one is getting hurt at the moment so it doesn’t matter.  What we can’t see is that the fire is spreading and we are in danger.  Not only that, but we put other people in danger also.  We don’t think about the other people who get hurt either trying to rescue us or watch helplessly while they wait for us to admit the danger of the sin.  We don’t think about the fact that present sin may not seem all that bad, but can greatly alter what God had planned for our futures. 

God already gave us the procedures to follow in the event of being faced with sin.  Just like those who work at the school, we need to plan ahead, be prepared and follow the guidelines that are in place.  We need to stop ignoring the alarms that God is giving us.  Then we will be able to escape the fire.

A Reminder to Myself

This week I had the displeasure of being outright dismissed…..no warning….no explanation.  For the last 6 months I have been communicating with a guy.  This was mostly texting with a few emails thrown in for good measure. In November, he assured me that we would have some phone dates…it never happened.  In December, he said he would call on Christmas…..it never happened.  In fact, the last message that I got from him Christmas night was positive…no indication that there was a problem.  Subsequent texts to him were unanswered so I decided to give him space.  After two weeks, I sent another message.  He replied to this one with basically a “Sorry, but not interested.”  Uhm what!!!!   I know what you’re thinking and trust me, I have thought the same thing over the past several days.  I see how totally pathetic I am to even put myself in the position to experience this situation.  I’ll wait for you to stop the laughing at the ridiculous notion of hope that I had……..Are you done?

I am so glad that God doesn’t dismiss me.  He will never leave me or forsake me.  He will never stop communicating with me.  He will never suddenly disappear, leaving me to wonder.  He will never make promises that He has no intention on keeping.  He is consistent and true and wants to have a relationship with me.  That’s a pretty hard act to follow, but I think I’ll wait for the man that can live up to those expectations.  After all, if Jesus thinks I’m to die for, I shouldn’t settle for anything less.

What I learned in 2011

1.            My kids, daughters-in-law, and grandkids continue to be amazing.  Seriously….have you seen my kitchen!!!!  Jeramy did an awesome job!!!!

2.            I am incredibly blessed to have a job that I love, and a home of my own.  Those from the Williston area will understand how special that is.

3.            I need to remember that not everyone appreciates or shares the passion that I have for my job and my students.  That doesn’t change my passion though. 

4.            I really don’t like being treated like I’m invisible or not worth the effort and time that it takes to make a phone call or send a text.  I’m not sure how to stop that from happening though.

5.            I freely admit that I hope to find a godly man that will love me completely.  I miss sharing my life with someone.

6.            Corelle plates work very well for keeping furniture out of water when the basement floods.

7.            You cannot successfully run a sump pump using a converter plugged into the cigarette lighter of the car.

8.            I am very blessed to have friends who will come to my aid when I find myself inadequate to handle issues with my house.

9.            I don’t like being in church alone.

10.          I need to not place any expectations on other people.  I need to be grateful for whatever I can get.