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My grandma is 93 today. Or 25, or 98, or 103, depending on the minute in which you ask her her age. I made a delightful trip to my hometown to take Grams her birthday cookie as requested a couple of weeks ago. It turns out, after 40 years of celebrating Grama's birthday with a cake, she doesn't like cake. She likes cookies. Interestingly, when she saw me, the first thing she said was, "Where's my cookie?" I never dreamed she would remember that short conversation!
She was really good today, mind-wise. Sometimes, she really isn't! A few little missteps, but not bad ones. Here's one example, from a lady who is wheelchair-bound and hasn't been out-of-doors for several years. (Exceptions: Very warm summer days when I visit.)
(My father had just commented on how cold the wind was today.)
Grams: It isn't cold out today.
Me: Yes, it is. It's pretty cold out there.
Grams (in a huff): Well! I was out there this morning and it was NOT COLD!
Me (knowing she wasn't): What were you doing outside?
Grams: I was busy--I had a lot to do!
Me: What all did you have to do?
Grams: Well...I didn't have anything to do, but I DID IT ANYWAY!
And we all looked at each other and burst into laughter. I said, "Grama, that's just CLASSIC!! I'm going to remember that!"
There's always something to do, even if you're wheel-chair bound and not always in your right mind.
So, even if you don't have anything to do, do it anyway! |
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I hope everyone had a satisfying Christmas. Ours is no longer the extended-family, travel-every-which-way-to-see-all-grandparents-on-the-same-day fiasco that it used to be, and frankly, I miss the traditions. Our families on both sides have retreated into their own traditions, none of which include extended family. Many are far away, either in mileage or in spirit. Or, sadly, both.
However, we have always tried to teach our children flexibility in whatever situation they are in, and most of the flexibility lesson involves reacting properly (righteously) to the actions of others. In this case, we choose to be happy with the smaller traditions. It has its good points--for example, it's definitely easier and less chaotic. The missing ones are truly missed, but the ones who are present are truly a gift to be cherished.
The end of another year is always nostalgic and bittersweet. I'm glad God gave us the concept of Time, so we can number our days. Can you imagine not having a way to keep track of our lives? We would wonder why our hair is turning gray and wrinkles are showing up and why we suddenly need reading glasses. As it is, we can say, "Oh, well, I'm 40+ years old, that explains everything!" Not that we accept it so easily, but facts are facts.
2008 has gone by faster than any of the years before it. It seems that way EVERY year. For a planet that is apparently slowing down, our ride on Earth is still a quick one, with so many ups and downs, but generally over sooner than we expect or even hope, in some cases. Definitely a roller coaster ride, but without the long wait in line. If you feel like you are waiting in line for Life to start--you are missing the ride! It is time to get in, buckle up and take off, no matter where you are on the timeline.
I don't write down New Years Resolutions, because I don't like repetition, and it's the Same Old Stuff every year. I am not looking to re-create myself into a model of perfection; I'll just be happy with a few small improvements, as long as I keep heading the right direction. A pound lost here and there, rather than a massive goal of 50 pounds. A little Bible study every day, instead of the somewhat difficult goal of reading through the Bible in a year. I used to be a classic perfectionist overachiever and spent my life chasing after the wind. Lowering my expectations of myself has been very productive, believe it or not. Not to the point of backsliding or having no ambition at all, but just relieving the pressure by admitting that I am not and cannot be "perfect" and it isn't a worthy goal since it is impossible. "Good enough" really is good enough. "Improving" is the goal.
This message will do no good at all to those who need a little more ambition and drive, and if you fall into that category, please know that having too much ambition or too little are two sides of the same coin and both are not right. Both cause chaos in your life and require changes in attitude.
I encourage each of us to examine ourselves. Remember that our motive for everything is "unto the Lord" in a spirit of love. If you can't explain what you are doing that way, it's possible that you shouldn't be doing it. The opposite is also true--do that which can be explained with the above motive. Working, taking care of our families, keeping house, teaching our children, teaching others' children at church, running errands, in our entertainment, in all things.
As the new year approaches, I don't need to make a list of 10 resolutions. I just need to make sure my attitude is righteous and not self-righteous, that my actions reflect God's light in every way, and that my intentions are only for good.
Have a safe and blessed New Year! |
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Merry Eve of Christmas Eve, if that means much to you.
I have not much to write today. I'm just procrastinating, to be truthful.
Irritated that something I ordered for one of the girls for Christmas is not going to be here in time. My girls are not getting much this year as we are not into quantity; quality will suffice. We are so blessed, none of us can think of anything we need or even want.
We are apparently slated for ice, sleet, and freezing rain this afternoon, and that excites me. I *love* bad weather of all kinds!! I have no idea why, but gloom and doom makes me happy. It's fun to go to the grocery and watch people wrestle over the last loaf of bread. I don't understand that--you can be sure that most people have enough food in their kitchens to get by for a day or two of bad weather, and if not, they likely have generous neighbors. But that doesn't stop them from overcrowding the grocery for milk and bread. Personally, I like the adventure of eating Whatever Is Available during a spell of bad weather.
I remember an ice storm that knocked out the power for days on end (1979, maybe) and we had no way of heating food. My mother fired up the gas grill and cooked tomato soup on it. I'll never forget the smoky taste of BBQd tomato soup--it wasn't "good," but the novelty and memories are fun.
Before you make a panic run to the grocery for bread and milk, consider Matthew 6:25,26: "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"
Although we should not worry about our basic needs because God will provide, there are times when His providence comes in the form of aid from others. If you have a need, please share with your brothers and sisters. If you can fulfill a need in someone else, do not hesitate--just do it. James 2:15, 16: "If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?"
There are folks (some right here on Pleo) who have very little this year. Financial woes are hitting hard. As I think about it, I'm ashamed to be irritated that a gift for my very fortunate daughter won't be here for her to open on Christmas--it isn't something she needs. She will be fed and clothed on Christmas Day, just as she is every other day of the year. And if that was all she had, she would still be blessed beyond measure.
I wish you the happiest of holidays and blessings that cannot be bought with money or wrapped in bright paper. Love those you are with, and even if you are alone, remember that you are truly not alone. Thanks, Pleo friends and family, for sharing your lives with me. I appreciate each of you! |
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A conversation between dear daughter and me, demonstrating my patient, loving maternal advice.
(H is chattering away, obviously killing time instead of readying the house for the neighborhood open house.)
Me: Doesn't your room still need some attention?
Her: Yeah, well...I have this stack of stuff that I just don't know what to do with.
(I peer into her room, and there it is, the aforementioned stuff teetering precariously in the vague shape of a haystack...)
M: That's not a stack of stuff, it's a PILE of stuff! A pile is not the same as a stack.
H: OK, it's a pile. But I still don't know what to do with it.
M: Stack it. A stack of stuff looks intentional, while a pile of stuff is just a mess.
Lo and behold, after stacking the stuff, much of it disappeared! (I don't know where and am not inclined to ask.) The room instantly looked neater. It took about 10 minutes at the most. In the process of stacking, she had to sort, at least by size and probably by kind as well, because it didn't make sense not to, and you can't stack things without some sorting. Some of the stuff was Trash and could be thrown away.
Sometimes my "pile of stuff" is all in my head--too many unrelated things crowd my brain and I panic and fret, thinking that there is no way to accomplish all of this, and I end up losing it, or at least losing part of it. A missed appointment, or a missing ingredient because the quick trip to the grocery wasn't complete because I was in too big of a hurry...missing a deadline...constant last-minute panic...some of you know what I mean!
I'm learning (in a snail-like way) to "sort and stack" all this Stuff in my head. A calendar and to-do list help tremendously. Some of the stuff is Junk and should be tossed away--worrying about people whose actions and thoughts I have no control over, for instance. As I am a procrastinator at heart, some of the stuff just needs to be done and checked off the mental list. Some of it, I simply don't know what to do with--and that's the Stuff that should just be entrusted to God.
In fact, ALL of it should be entrusted to God, and if it isn't worth bothering God about, it probably isn't worth bothering ourselves with.
What's in your pile of stuff? Is it trash or junk? Do you have everything sorted and stacked so you can deal with it, or is it all piled up together and looking overwhelming? For me, it doesn't matter where to start--you just start with whatever's right in front of you and do SOMETHING with it. It's amazing how much of our Stuff--physical or mental--is really just junk. This takes over our lives and eats away at us. We can't expect to have a clear view of life when we're trying to look at it through such a huge pile of whatever it is that overtakes our lives.
It's nearing the end of the year, and many people use the new year to take stock of their lives and make improvements. My challenge to myself is to work on the piles of stuff, to sort and stack them, and to deal with them. |
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...is brought to you by God, proud sponsor of Global Climate Control International and Supernatural.
"While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease."
Genesis 8:22
What a relief! I don't have to waste time and energy worrying about climate change, real or imagined, because God is in control of it. He Who Cannot Lie said it and I believe it.
This is an issue of faith, and views on "global warming" are probably a matter of stronger/weaker brethren, so we need to handle the brethren with plenty of tender loving care. I view it as a matter of conscience, a la "meat-eater vs. vegetarian".
My personal view is "use, not abuse." God gave us this earth to use as needed, and we can and should make use of the gifts God has given. Just like anything else, we have an option to abuse our gifts, and moderation is the righteous way to be cautious about our God-given resources. We must practice good stewardship in all of our blessings, including our natural resources--it's a way of showing gratitude for what God has provided to us.
However, environmentalism would have to be the fast-growing religion in the world, and it is, at its root, idol-worship. We are lifting this created world above its Creator when we spend vast amounts of time, energy, concern, and thought on anything that is not of God and righteousness. If your first thought is, "How will this impact the environment?" rather than "How will this impact God's purposes?" you are practicing the idolatrous religion of Environmentalism.
About global warming: It. Doesn't. Matter! It really doesn't matter. One cool breath from the Master of the Universe, and we can be plunged into an Ice Age. One small, swift nudge from His finger to the Sun, and we will spontaneously combust. What an arrogant humanity we are to assume we have any control over the climate--the climate!! God created it, and God controls it.
Please look at the people who espouse the global warming theory. Are they, in general, godly people? Does their favorite hobby horse (for which some get incredible sums of money) demonstrate their faith in the Almighty God of heaven and earth? I believe that the global warming is a hugely successful scheme of Satan to pull people further away from God, and its roots can be found in atheism.
All of that said, I do realize that there are many Christians who are concerned about the environment. I don't think it's 100% wrong, but the degree to which we tend to worry about it is quite possibly wrong and may demonstrate a lack of faith in God as the Keeper of the Climate.
What say ye? |
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