Tuesday, September 28, 2010

disaster zone recovery plan

My upstairs neighbors have a toddler who likes to ride his toy train around 12:30 every night. And despite the fact that I sleep with 2 box fans and a white noise application on my IPHONE, I am awoken by this terrible noise almost every night. I know that it is a toy train but it resembles a real train barreling through my apartment at an hour when all toddlers should be sleeping. As a result of this midnight ritual, my early mornings often start off in a whirlwind. Today was exceptionally crazy! I changed my outfit three times (leaving each unworn piece of clothing on my bed), spilled my powdered blush all down my bathroom sink, and left a dusting of baby powder all over my bedroom floor.  Since I had been in Louisiana for 4 days, the tornado of this morning only added to the disaster zone forming in my apartment. When I came home from a long day at school, I didn’t know where to begin. Should I start with laundry, unpacking, my blushed stained sink, the piles of clothes overtaking my bedroom,  or my least favorite making my bed (I washed my sheets yesterday and couldn’t force myself to make my bed last night). As I stood debating my options, my best approach was to turn up my music and keep working until my surroundings resembled my apartment again.  Since there was no method to my madness, I currently have a clean bathroom sink, organized piles of clothes to put away, rugs in the washer, a bag of recycling, scrubbing bubbles in my shower, a new picture hanging in my bedroom, and baking soda in my coffee pot.  My tornado this morning led to me randomly finding objects to clean, papers to recycle, and home improvement projects. Yet, somehow my bed is still unmade and I managed to only move my clothes from my bed to my clothes basket.  And I am making chicken stock for homemade chicken noodle soup!
How many times have we created a tornado in our lives and instead of focusing on a few “messes” added many more “messes to our lives? Or how many times have we became distracted by other tasks in our lives and ignored what needed out attention the most? When I get caught in the middle of a tornado, I keep spinning around until I have left myself in pure anguish. My life is so uprooted that I can’t begin to clean up the aftermath alone.  Fortunately, for us God always has a method to his madness. He isn’t distracted when we create disaster zones for ourselves but instead he arrives, dressed in his Hazmat gear, ready to clean up our dirt (sin) and untidiness. When we weigh ourselves down, He doesn’t add more to our load but instead He exists to either lighten our load or give us more strength to withstand our load. And when we create the tornados He definitely doesn’t scatter the pieces of our lives apart but instead He is the glue that keeps us bounded. When you find yourself standing smack in the middle of a life disaster don’t get caught in the eye of the storm or plagued by the aftermath but instead trust the method to God’s madness.  God’s method has led me through many tornados and put my life back together better than it was before and my method has left me in a continuous spiral of madness and left me with an unmade bed.  

Verse to remember:  Isaiah 48:17 This is what the Lord says-your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.”

Thursday, September 23, 2010

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop

Today I learned that the oldest living American is 114 years old. Can you imagine living for 114 years?  That is four times my age! When I heard this American history fact this morning, I couldn’t help but wonder what his life had been like for all these years.   My eagerness to learn more about this man and my inability to pay attention during my 9:00 am lecture, led me to my go-to knowledge base-the Internet.  My Google search didn’t come up with the results I was looking for but my favorite radio station came through for me again and retold the story on my drive home from school.  This man gave a speech earlier in the week at his birthday celebration sharing his keys to a successful life.  He stated three simple truths that he believed would lead to a long healthy life: eat a healthy diet, work as long as you can, and always help others.  I too, believe that these words of truth can only benefit us throughout our lives and I would stand corrected if I said these simple truths didn’t also add years to our lives.  Since my brain is constantly challenging me use it, I thought of what my tips for a successful life would be.  Of course, my tips would have to include laugh a lot, sing loudly even if your voice hurts your own ears, eat bowls full of ice cream, and NEVER cheer for Pitt. When I began thinking of my serious list of life tips I tried to think of just 3 simple truths in honor of this man who had lived far beyond anything I could ever imagine.  In my pursuit to sum up my life in three simple truths, I came to the conclusion that my life can be summed up in one truth.  To live each day not for what you have here on Earth but for what awaits you in Heaven.  
I could come up with hundreds of truths and tips on how to live a successful, happy, healthy life but what is the point of having the greatest or longest life possible, if you miss your true reward at the end?  Our reward is every indescribable gift that awaits us in Heaven.  We weren’t created for this life; we were created to inherit the kingdom of God. Living our lives without God is like eating a tootsie pop and getting to the end only to find no tootsie roll inside. You go through the thickest and toughest parts of life that were filled with flavor at times but when you get to the end, you are left with nothing.  The time we have on earth whether it is 114 years, 114 days, or 114 months is meant for us to worship Jesus and lead others to believe in him so they won’t be stuck with a hollow tootsie pop.  Are you living your life for Jesus? Do you have the assurance that after you have finished your successful, happy, healthy life you will life eternally in God’s paradise? Or are you walking around focusing on the here and now with pockets full of useless lollipops?  When you start living for your true reward, you won’t want to be the oldest living American but instead you will want to be among those living forever in Heaven.  

Verse to remember:  John 10: 27-28 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

The smell of popcorn fills my kitchen and I watch as my microwave begins to countdown from 20. I usually opt for stove top popcorn but tonight all I had was Kroger’s movie theater butter microwavable popcorn. As I crack open the bag, I wish I had a movie to watch but nothing in my collection seemed appealing. I considered going to Redbox a movie but once I started eating popcorn there was no leaving and coming back to it. After I had eaten a few handfuls of popcorn, I wished I had Junior Mints or Snowcaps (I like to make popcorn sandwiches with these chocolate delights) to cap off my late evening snack.  And then I wished I was drinking a diet coke (9:30 caffeine consumption leads to late nights) instead of water. And before I could wish for anything else, I stopped my thoughts and realized that I was missing out on the beauty of my popcorn(now half gone) because I was too busy picking apart what was missing.
This weekend I was a bridesmaid in a lifelong friend’s wedding. As she walked down the aisle and I stood at the front of the courtyard I wasn’t thinking about the clouds moving in taking away the rays of sunshine overhead, I wasn’t making sure her veil was on her head straight or her lipstick was evenly applied, and I wasn’t paying attention to anyone in the rows of chairs…I was completely fixated on the beauty that was radiating from both her image and her soul.  I know I am not alone in my fixation. When a bride walks down an aisle, most people attending the ceremony allow everything else to fade away and their only focus is the bride. It’s so easy to behold the beauty of a bride but why is it so hard to behold the beauty of God?  When we are surrounded by his beauty why do we, at times, pick apart the volume of his bliss?  Through his beauty, my life has been changed and He has picked apart every “ugly” trait I have ever possessed and he has picked apart every “ugly” situation I have ever faced. God is constantly surrounding us with his beauty but sometimes we have to go through the mud in order for Him to display His beauty.  It’s easy to allow God’s beauty to go unnoticed and to pick apart what is missing from our lives when we are in the “ugly” times of life but fortunately for us friends God is never in “ugly’ times.  He never stops providing us with His beauty both in us and around us. And if life were always full of glamour and glitz we wouldn’t need his beauty because we would be satisfied with our own version of beauty. The next time you don’t behold the beauty in a situation, ask yourself, “What would happen if God decided to focus on what was missing from my life instead of seeing the beauty I possess?”  I can assure you that God wouldn’t stop at Junior Mints and diet coke if he picked apart my life to see what was missing and I can also assure you that I wouldn’t captivate him like a beautiful bride. But mostly I can assure you that by beholding His beauty, my life hasn’t been missing anything and I find myself lost in His beauty daily.

Verse to remember: Psalm 27:4 One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

Don't settle for less than you deserve

This morning as I started my car, still half asleep, I was jolted by the sound of music. KLOVE was back! For the first time in over a year, I had a car radio. Honda had outsmarted me and my attempts to get a 6 digit code needed to rest the radio/CD player in my car but they couldn’t outsmart my brother-in-law.  During the 2 hour drive to the airport this past weekend he managed to unlock the code that had been tormenting me for so long and he did it with such ease.  In my pursuit to find this valuable code, I removed the console of my car, climbed in the trunk to look behind the inside panel, called Honda numerous times, and entered many codes I had found or had been told would unlock my radio. All of these attempts yielded no success and added to my frustration at the inability to fix something so small. During the 16 months that I was radio less, I compromised and listened to my IPOD or listened to Pandora on my phone to make my drives more enjoyable and more tolerable. Although this was better than complete silence, I got tired of the monotony of my IPOD and annoyed when I would lose cell phone service causing Pandora to stop working. Today not only was my music uninterrupted and variant but it was uplifting and unpredictable. With my IPOD I knew that there were only so many songs to choose from and with Pandora, I chose the artist I wanted to hear, so again my song choices were limited. This morning, I got more excited with each song that played on my radio and turned up the volume to jam out on my way to school.  One of my favorite delights in life, Christian music, was just made better and I couldn’t believe that I had lasted this long without a radio!
In life, we all make compromises and at times they are good compromises but at times they are not so good. How many times have we compromised our relationship with God? How many times have we tried to bargain with our Lord in order to get what we want? Or how many times has our inability to “fix” something led us to a negative compromise? At times, we all get impatient and settle for something less than we deserve but we should never settle for anything when it comes to God.  The truth is you can’t compromise God.  But you can compromise your life, your faith, you circumstances, your family, your friends, and your needs. God isn’t a negotiator and isn’t interested in making a deal with us. Instead, He is there with His endless grace and forgiveness when we compromise what is most important to us.  I made a compromise by using my IPOD and Pandora in place of my radio and was still able to benefit from music.  Unfortunately, I have made other compromises in life that didn’t yield any benefits at all. I found myself in a constant bargaining battle until I surrendered myself to God and made the decision to never compromise my relationship with him. When we stand strong in our faith and don’t allow anything to compromise who we are in Christ we stop making deals with life. More importantly, we stop limiting God and stop settling for less than he has to offer.  Today not only will my music be uninterrupted and unpredictable but God’s love and blessings in my life will be uninterrupted and unpredictable all because I have chosen not to compromise with Him.

Verse to remember:  John 15:16 You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

 

Friday, September 17, 2010

Caught in the rain

At some point during the day, I talk with my grandmother on the phone.  Some days I talk to her numerous times and some days our phone conversations last for hours. (I’m thankful AT&T has rollover minutes) If there happens to be a day when I don’t talk to her it’s because she doesn’t answer when I call. There are 2 reasons why she doesn’t answer: she is driving around town (I’ve given up the fight to get her keys) or taking her breathing treatment (I quit campaigning for her to stop smoking years ago) and has the TV turned up very loud to drown out the machine so she can’t hear the phone when it rings. Since I have mastered her breathing treatment schedule and I call repeatedly when I think she is cruising around town, there are very few times when I miss a daily conversation with her.  Tonight when I talked to her she said she was in the basement. My grandma only goes to the basement when it storms. She has quite a ritual. First, she packs a bag complete with snacks, Misty Lights, her medicine, her breathing machine, a diet sprite, and a cordless phone. Then, she gets a LARGE cup of ice and a spot light (a flashlight doesn’t seem adequate enough) and rides her chair lift to the basement. Awaiting her at the bottom of the stairs is a recliner and an end table complete with a blanket and an ashtray. After she makes it to her “storm shelter” she is prepared to stay there for as long as it takes for the storm to pass. And I have seen her stay there for a long time.
Although I don’t find it necessary to go to my basement every time it storms with a bag packed full of my necessities, I do usually stay indoors to avoid the madness happening outside. But how do I handle the storms of my life? Am I prepared to face the madness? Better yet, am I prepared to ride out the storm? The truth is, when I am standing in the storms of life and the wind is beating me around, the rain is overriding my body, and thunder is shaking my soul I am like a generic umbrella that lasts 2 minutes before falling apart and resembling a torn plastic grocery bag. That is why I have to turn to my true “storm shelter”: God. God gives me the strength to withstand whatever is beating me down, the will to keep swimming when the waters are rising, the comfort when explosions tear my heart apart, and the foresight to get through the fog. When I try to face the storms of life alone, I have my bag of necessities but there is a hole in the bottom of the bag. So, when I go to get out whatever it is I need, I come out empty handed. I can’t outride a storm without God because I have nothing to sustain me. Flashlights will eventually die, food supplies will eventually run out, and cordless phones will only be convenient for a few days but God’s shelter will last forever. With God you won’t be running for the basement at the first sign of a storm but instead looking out the window awaiting the beauty of your rainbow.

Verse to remember: Psalm 61:4  I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, "who's the fairest of them all?"

I was happily asleep in dreamland when my alarm clock went off this morning. After being jolted from a deep sleep, I hit the snooze button on my phone. As my mind slowly came to life and my eyes opened for the first time, I decided to reset my alarm and enjoy the coziness of my bed a little longer. The extra 30 minutes of sleep was much enjoyed but as a result I had to “rough it” for class today. When I choose to “rough it” I only add the essentials to my morning routine: coffee, a shower, minimal makeup, and of course my quiet time with the Lord. Since I choose this morning ritual once a week, I have become quite familiar, as have my classmates and professors, to the disheveled appearance that comes after my hair has dried and the tiny bit of makeup I applied has worn off. Today as I was washing my hands in the bathroom in the HSC, I noticed that the soap had changed. When you consume as much caffeine as I do and spend 36729 hours a week at the HSC you notice when the soap you have used a million times is different. (and for the record the new soap smells terrible) As I was standing at the sink casting my vote on the new soap, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I began laughing because my hair looked as if I had been caught in a wind tunnel. I tucked a few pieces of hair behind my ears and realized that despite my bad hair day, my reflection was still me. I was still the girl who enjoyed my car ride to class by thinking about what my day had in store. I was still the girl who laughed when I showed up without lab clothes for a LAB. I still played music on the elevator to ensure that everyone else inside started their day off with one of my favorite songs. I was still the girl who enjoyed the presence of friends despite the fact that we were attempting to study.  All morning, I was still the girl who had compassion, humility, and joy in my heart and who pursued happiness in every situation.
My happiness continued as I was having coffee later in the afternoon with the other half of my brain (for you first time or forgetful readers, I am referring to Amy). We enjoyed coffee, a beautiful afternoon, laugh after laugh, and most importantly a friendship that is exceptionally rich, exceptionally perfect and exceptionally rewarding.  In our time together she said a very simple but very profound statement…why not be happy.  She is right friends; why not choose happiness in every situation?  When you look at yourself in the mirror who do you see? Are you proud of your attitude and satisfied with not only your outer appearance but your inner appearance?  More importantly, what do others see? Are your actions and outlooks on life uplifting to others or are they defeating? Life is too short and too rewarding to be anything but happy. Don’t deny yourself the gifts of each day because you are caught up in all the unknowns and hardships of life.  Do yourself a favor, when you face a situation or a trial or even an individual who makes you unhappy ask yourself how to change it into happiness instead of choosing anger or bitterness. Seek out happiness and pursue it instead of being disgusted by what you “see”.   When your heart is happy, you won’t be blinded by bad hair days or blemishes when you look in the mirror because the radiance shining from your soul will overpower your outward reflection.

Verse to remember:  Proverbs 27:19 As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

All you need is love

Today is grandparents’ day and for the first time in my 26 years of life, I wasn’t able to share today with my pap. Today wasn’t the only time I had to face something without my pap and it most definitely wasn’t the first time I felt his absence. This year has brought many hard days with it and left my heart sad on many occasions due to the void that only my pap could fill. On Easter, I took a pink Lilly to the cemetery instead of eating dessert and drinking coffee with my pap after he awoke from his nap on Easter Sunday. When I passed my first practical in the spring, I wasn’t relieved that I had survived a JP critique but instead I was sad because my first call was always to my pap and on that day I couldn’t call my biggest supporter and deliver the good news. On August 10th, I wasn’t eating cake and watching him blow out candles but instead I was lighting sparklers outside and singing happy birthday to the sky. When the Mountaineers lost to Duke in this years final four, I missed hearing my pap tell me how much he despised Duke and how it pained him to see them win. The truth is I could go on forever with moments where I have missed my pap this year and as a result had gloomy and empty days but instead I am thankful that for 25 years, I had the most perfect days with him. Throughout my perfect days with him, he showed me the power of forgiveness, the importance of family, and that sacrifice isn’t sacrifice at all when you invest in the life of someone else. He taught me how to value a good cup of coffee, to appreciate sitting on the porch in the evenings, and to value a good nap. From him, I developed my loyalty to sports teams (even though I will never be a huge Yankee fan) and developed a passion for Christian music. It is because of him that I never make my bed (whether it was 6 am or 3 pm when I woke up, he always made my bed instantly), it is because of him that I can win a game of Rook with a terrible hand, and it is because of him that I know how to order a perfect banana split. My pap filled my days with happiness and his love for me was endless. His greatest accomplishment in his entire life was his family and today I felt so unworthy to have been blessed with such a great man. Because of him, I never had a single need or a single want and the best part is my pap changed my life simply because nothing made him more proud or more fulfilled than to love me.


My pap’s love for me was constant and instinctive. At times his love was undeserved but that’s when my pap loved me the most. Tonight at church, as I was singing, I was overcome at how much God loves me. At how many times his love is undeserved and at how many times he chooses to love me more instead of punishing me. And then I began to weep. Weep for all of the times that I didn’t make my God proud or fulfilled but instead brought him pain. As the tears were running down my cheeks, I felt God’s comfort, I felt that love that had sustained me for so long. In that moment, I realized that despite my failures, my God will continue to love me. God’s love is constant and endless and because of his love my days are complete and perfect. Through his love my pap taught me to be a person I could be proud of and shared with me many of his favorite aspects of life. Through His love, God has taught me that there are no limits to how much he will love me and that his love surpasses all. As a result of this love, my days won’t contain any voids and my heart won’t contain any emptiness and when I finally do arrive in heaven; the two men who loved me the most will be waiting with open arms and banana splits complete with wet walnuts, hot fudge, and strawberries.



Verse to remember: Ephesians 3:18-19 18(I pray that) you may have power, together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Personal delivery: First class letter

As an avid college football fan, I am excited for tomorrow night's Friends of Coal bowl…WVU and Marshall University will take the field in Huntington and the old rivalry will continue. I have been in attendance for the previous 3 games between these two schools and although I went to Marshall for undergrad, my heart always bled blue and gold. If I didn’t have a late class, I would be making the 3 hour (or 2 ½ hours for those of us who set the cruise control to 80) drive to Huntington. I will be missing the game from the stands and I am boycotting Comcast cable so I can’t stay at home and watch the game so I have found myself in a dilemma. A very small dilemma since every public venue in Morgantown will be televising the game but nonetheless a dilemma. I was considering a few options and then tonight as I was preparing cards for my grandmothers in honor of grandparent’s day, I made my decision. I am going to Mannington with dinner and surprising both of my grandmothers tomorrow evening. We can all watch the game together and they can chat as I squeeze pillows and yell at the TV! Despite my game time antics, I know that they will both enjoy this time together more than just the cards I was preparing for grandparents day.


Sometimes my schedule doesn’t allow me to give more than just a card and unfortunately PT school captured my brain for the past 2 years and my absent mindedness, at times, prevented me from even giving a card. But the truth is; I am a card giver. I can come up with any reason to send a card! I spend hours looking at cards and somehow I manage to leave with 10-12 cards each time. Usually, I just pick ones that are funny, sweet, or uplifting and in most cases don’t have an intended use except to write a letter that will hopefully brighten the recipient’s day. Over the years, I have received many cards and letters as well. I have a collection of my favorite ones that I re-read on occasion and the message inside means just as much as it did the first time I read it. For some reason, when you put something in writing it is more impactful and more powerful than words alone. I can honestly say that I have never ignored or failed to appreciate the words in a letter or card. But have I, have you, ever ignored or disrespected God’s word? We may not have outwardly rebelled but have we refused to let the words of the bible touch our lives? God has put all of his love in writing for us to enjoy and re-read as much as we want and need. Think of God’s words as a personal letter to you straight from his heart…A letter that has the ability to touch our lives every day because it contains that much love and fulfillment. God communicates in many ways, but he chose to put his “letter” in writing so we would always have a tangible reminder of his love for us. I encourage you to take time each day to open his “letter” and discover what he wants to tell you and be amazed at how many times you re-read his letter. The words will never grow old and his message will never fade away and years from now this will be the letter that changed your life the most, the letter you cherish the most, and the letter you can’t wait to share with others.



Verse to remember: 2 Corinthians 3:3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

He's in your corner

Well friends, I finally did it. I had my first nonfat pumpkin spice latte of the year. And I must say, even though it was a good afternoon delight, it wasn’t nearly as good as my staple: a nonfat raspberry latte. As I was at the counter, having a tug of war battle with myself on which drink I was going to buy, I started talking to the barista. She was impressed that I knew pumpkin spice lattes don’t usually arrive at Starbucks until the end of October, she laughed when I told her national coffee day was September 29th, she appreciated that I was frustrated at my inability to remember my reusable mug, and she was amused when I handed her 3 Starbucks gift cards because I wasn’t sure how much money was on each card. Needless to say, she gathered that this wasn’t my first trip down coffee lane or my first stop at Starbucks. More than my knowledge of coffee, this kind girl noticed my personality and my eagerness to talk and laugh with her opposed to just ordering a coffee and going about my day. After telling me about her favorite afternoon delight (a frozen mocha frappuccino), she said, “Do you like cookies?” to which I responded,” Who doesn’t like cookies?” She then gave me 4 boxes of shortbread cookies that had passed the date in which Starbucks was allowed to market them but they weren’t expired. As I was thanking her, she said “You were so friendly to me and so happy that I wanted to share them with you.” Now my afternoon delight had tripled…I added cookies and made a new friend!


Tonight I was having dinner at Muriales (For the record, I opted not to get cheese sticks this time) and my date (Fairmont’s best attorney) told me that he hadn’t seen me this happy in a long time. He also commented on my personality and how it had brightened his day. Throughout our dinner we talked about many things one of which was being truly happy. I admitted to him that the past year had treated me like a punching bag, delivering blow after blow and that the trials and circumstances of my life were winning. BUT just as I was about to stay down for the count, I stood up and allowed the joy God had put in my heart overcome the trials and circumstances in my life. When we are defeated and beat down God comes in, raises us up, and gives us the strength we need to restore our joy. Nothing in this world can steal our joy, if we are allowing God to fill our cup, or better yet, allowing God to overflow our cup. Of course, I have bad days and I run into stumbling blocks all the time but nothing in this world is worthy of stealing my true joy that comes from loving and seeking God. Ask yourself what is stealing your joy. Maybe it’s your job or disrespectful neighbors or rebellious children. Or perhaps, it’s just the struggles and circumstances that come with each day. Whatever it is, realize that God has overcome this world and nothing in it can destroy us or steal our joy. When you allow God to control your joy you won’t be the punching bag anymore but instead you will be delivering the TKO’s. And during the fight that I like to call life, not only will you be the grand champ, but you will acquire fans along the way that aren’t drawn by your victories but by the joy you possess throughout each round.

Verse to remember: Hebrews 12:2-3 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and profecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (3)Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Big Savings: This week only

Sunday afternoon following church I made my way to the big city of Mannington to visit my family and fulfill my weekly granddaughter duties. I can’t possibly continue without giving you some insight to my relationship with my grandma. My grandma is the most talkative, entertaining, straight forward lady I’ve ever known. She also happens to be my very best friend, my biggest supporter in life, and my greatest source of love. Our relationship is rare and I cherish everything about it…even when she tells me my jeans make me look poor (she doesn’t understand that I buy jeans with holes in them on purpose),my coffee taste like tar because it’s too strong, drives on the interstate( with a cigarette in one hand ) after my many, many attempts to stop her, or when she calls me at 7:30 on Saturday morning and is surprised that I am still sleeping. This lady makes me laugh and ages me many years at the same time but I still love her so much. Now that I have given you the rough and dirty version on my grandma let me continue with my babble. As I arrive in Mannington, my grandmother’s car isn’t in the driveway. I start laughing and begin thinking of the endless possibilities to where she could be. Knowing that she will eventually come home or that the state police will call me when she needs me to come get her, I head to my dad’s house. In the half of a mile drive from my house to my dad’s house I am distracted by the city cop on the side of the road and a car alarm going off continually. And then I see her. My grandma is standing beside the car that is causing all of this noise, smoking a misty light, and carrying her cane on her arm instead of using it correctly. She had activated her car alarm as she was checking her powerball tickets and the cop had stopped to help her. This was just another story to add to my ever growing list. Sometime after I successfully get her home from her afternoon adventure, we sat down to make her grocery list. It’s not really a list but instead she takes the sales add from the paper and circles exactly what she wants and then adds a few extra items. Sometimes (or every time), she circles items that she already has or she will want 10 of the same item because it’s on sale. Nonetheless, when I leave for the grocery store, I know EXACTLY what she wants and if she circles Country Crock butter I better not come home with Parkay butter. It took me awhile but I have finally mastered the skill of correctly buying all of her groceries or should I say she finally trusts me to do her grocery shopping and stops checking the receipt when I get home to make sure I followed her instructions.


My grandma gives me specific instructions for many tasks and many areas of life. Sometimes she doesn’t trust me and sometimes she just wants to make sure I listen. I don’t get angry but instead laugh and appreciate her wisdom and innocence in her “commands”. By listening to my grandma, I have gained so much from life and saved myself a return trip to the store on many occasions. Not only do I listen to my grandma and follow her instructions but I also listen to God. God hasn’t spoken to me audibly but he speaks to me through the Bible and through the Holy Spirit. There are times when he is shouting at me with the answer I need but I can’t hear him because I am too busy frantically trying to find my answer on my own. How many times are we all guilty of not listening or not trusting God? I know I am guilty. And during those times when I stop listening and stop trusting, I struggle and life becomes so much more difficult. Life doesn’t have to be difficult friends. When we trust God and listen to his “commands” he takes care of everything and all we have to do is enjoy and appreciate this life. Think of your life as my grandma’s grocery list. God knows exactly what you want and exactly what you need and he has it circled in bright red pen. All you have to do is trust him and follow his instructions and when you do, you won’t spend extra time searching for whatever it is you need. Even if He says you need 8 cans of tomato soup because it’s on sale, listen because, in the end, it won’t just be the return trip to the store you regret.

Verse to remember: Deuteronomy 30:20 And that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Will work for food

This entire week, I have been exceptionally hungry. Every evening when I come home I go on a treasure hunt in my kitchen in search of some delicious snack. And this ritual continues until I go to bed. For instance, last night I came home from class and ate a salad (not for dinner but for an after school snack).After my snack, I went to the store to get food for my slumber party in the making! I had planned an evening filled with my sister’s favorite foods so I made pigs in a blanket (or as I like to call then weenie beanies) and taco dip. I also got all the ingredients for ice cream sundaes. For the record, ice cream is my all time favorite food so when I say I got ALL the ingredients I meant: ice cream, hot fudge, caramel sauce, peanut butter, sprinkles, cookies, cinnamon rolls (in place of brownies as requested by my sister), and whipped cream. And what slumber party is complete without raw cookie dough! As I was preparing my slumber party foods, I ate cottage cheese and peas. Sounds gross but it is amazing and I eat it frequently. When my sister arrived (a short time later), I ate all of the above mentioned snacks and not in moderation either. I managed to keep “snacking” all night but every time I opened the refrigerator, I was hungry. Even last night as I was going to sleep I thought, maybe I’ll make muffins in the morning for breakfast! Where was this hunger coming from and why did I constantly find myself searching for a new snack? I’ve heard the saying, “he’s a growing boy so let him eat” but never “she’s a completely grown woman so let her eat.” Today, I again came home from class and again helped myself to an after school snack and ate taco dip as I watched college football. Although my hunger still remained, I managed to control my excessive “snacking” tonight. (I would be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about making an ice cream delight before bed as I type this.) In between my thoughts for food cravings and trips to the kitchen, I thought am I hungry or just not satisfied with my food choices? Usually, I just like snacks but this week, for some odd reason, I have been plain out hungry.


The hunger I’ve had in my belly is comparable to the hunger I have in my heart for God. I have a hunger to grow in my relationship with him, I have a hunger to spend time reading his word, I have a hunger to talk with him in prayer, and I have a hunger to love him. In order to fill my hunger for God, I must take time each day to do all of these things. When I don’t feed my heart, it becomes like a newborn that is hungry: cranky, grumpy, and angry. And as a result, I spend my day empty and hungry for my true nourishment in life. Do you spend time each day feeding not only your belly but your soul? If you don’t, think about how you feel when you had to work through your lunch, the vending machine won’t accept dollar bills and you still have 3 hours of work left. You become cranky, irritated, and your stomach is yelling at you because it isn’t happy. Now think about how good it feels to lie on the couch after Thanksgiving dinner when you are completely stuffed, relaxed, and happy. Our heart requires the same nourishment as our belly and our heart leaves us feeling just as miserable when it’s hungry. Start out snacking with the Lord and before you know it, it will be like Krispy Kreme doughnuts, everyday you will crave him and your heart will be full and happy. Tonight, I may go on another treasure hunt in my kitchen but my heart won’t be searching for what it needs because I gave it extra helpings this morning and this evening.



Verse to remember: Psalm 107 8-9 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.