People are funny

 It’s been such a long time since I’ve written anything on this blog, but I feel like writing.  Sometimes I just like to put down on paper whatever comes into my head.  Whatever, I’ve been thinking about lately.  I think about so many things, as do most people.  Right now, I feel like writing about people.  We are such very interesting and unique creations aren’t we?

  I often wonder why people get hung up on such very minutiae things and why they are sometimes so intent on getting their point across.  We all want to be sure to make our point, to get heard, to show someone else that we know what we are talking about.  There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be noticed and heard, it’s a normal human trait, but putting in bluntly, some people are just so annoying because they go on at length about “their point” and barely even listen to what other people have to say.  I mean listen as in actually pondering for a couple of seconds what the other person means and where they are coming from; if we really want this to become a better world that is a good place to start.

  Sometimes there is just no way that you are going to totally be able to see someone else’s point of view or be able to understand because of backgrounds that are so different, and because of cultural, spiritual and/ or emotional experiences that get tangled up in the mix.  But that doesn’t mean we can’t try, and it doesn’t mean that we can’t amiably agree to disagree.  For instance, you are free to believe that I am “out to lunch”  for what I believe but you are not free to belittle me for believing it or to use sarcasm to tear down my beliefs.   Maybe some people do this to make themselves feel better or superior, or because they are really feeling insecure that they might not know everything or have it all together.  (Is that sarcastic?)  Anyway, it makes me sad when people at times spew such venom.  The tongue is full of deadly poison.  (See Bible for details) 

  Kinder words would do a lot to soothe wounds and diffuse tense situations.  It doesn’t matter how many times you have been hurt or misunderstood or put down, don’t return venom for venom.  The change has to start somewhere and it may as well be with you or with me. Let’s just give it up and put down the walls and the notion that we have to be right.  I only know one person that was right all the time and that was Jesus.  Jesus didn’t, and doesn’t force his agenda on anyone but He does meet people where they are.  Can’t we try to do the same?

AMAZING words!

“Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude.  Love does not demand its own way.  It is not irritable or touchy.  It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong.  It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever truth wins out.  If you love someone you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost.  You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him.  (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 Living Bible)

These are such amazing words!  Have you ever just read that and really really thought about it!  I mean thought about every single word.  It’s pretty much the answer to everything!  I think everyone should read these verses every day.  I was reading them this morning and became newly aware of their significance.  If the whole world lived by these words, wars would cease and people would just enjoy each other and serve each other and live peacefully in this beautiful world God gave us.  There I go dreaming again!

Anyway, thank you God for those AMAZING words and please help me to live by them!

Politics, ugh!

I used to get kind of interested in political stuff but lately I’m just getting sick of it. The politicians and presidential candidates sometimes remind me of children having an argument, each one saying the other one started it.  “Oh, it’s all the Republicans fault, no it’s all the Democrats fault.” The current administration always gets blamed for everything, even if the problem was started rolling by a previous administration .  Who can really say for sure where the blame lies and maybe we should be a little more grateful for our country instead of complaining so much. 

 If there’s something you don’t like, do what you can to help fix it.  Write letters, make phone calls, vote, be informed, etc. etc.  I’m not one to talk, because I usually don’t get too involved except for trying to stay as informed as my time will allow and voting and praying.  Some people have more time than others to devote to causes they feel strongly about. 

Frankly, I would like to vote for someone other than anyone who’s running for President.  Anyone out there want the job?  I’d like to vote for someone, anyone, who would just not stoop to slamming their opponent.  They can say they disagree with their policies and beliefs, and they can say that strongly, but I believe it can be said without dishonoring each other.  

It would be nice to live in a world where everyone was nice!  I know that will never happen on this earth, but hey, it’s not against the law to dream and if it was no one could enforce it anyway.  So, I’m just going to go on dreaming.  Someone can wake me when it’s over. 

Looking at life through the eyes of eternity

If you look at life through the eyes of eternity it seems to make a lot more sense. If you look at life any other way it doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense.  There has to be more to it than we live and die and that’s all there is.  Some might believe in eternity apart from God, like reincarnation, or that our souls just float around in some sort of state of limbo.

I hope neither of those are true.  If you believe in eternity in the light of the God who created us then this life is all in preparation for the next.  If you believe in Jesus and decide to let Him into your heart and give Him control of your life, and if God’s word is true, then you are assured a place in heaven.  His word says that He goes to prepare a place for us and that where He is, there we will be also. 

Sometimes it sounds like a fairy tale but I’m sure a thousand or even several hundred years ago if you told someone about airplanes, cars and computers they would say it was a fairy tale too.

God is so much more huge than any words could ever begin to describe.  After one second in eternity I think that anything we went through here, no matter how atrocious, will seem like nothing in comparison to the all encompassing love, peace and lightness that we will feel.

I don’t think that any of us realize just how many burdens we carry around with us. But when we reach eternity and they are lifted, I believe it is going to be such a feeling of freedom that we will be astounded. 

Anyway, knowing what is waiting for me gives me strength to keep going when I’m bombarded by one thing after another.  Sometimes I feel like I’m going to crumble so I don’t know what I would do if I had to face starvation or torture, but I have faced some things I never thought I would have to and God did give me strength while I was in it. I was “pressed but not crushed, persecuted but not abandoned” like it says in 2 Corinthians 4: verses 8 and 9       

 I don’t know why life is so hard sometimes, but I guess it’s all a matter of perspective. The Bible also says “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, for the things that are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4: 17 and 18 (New King James)

 

Sometimes we make things hard on ourselves and sometimes they are just hard all on their own, but life can also be awful darn good and keeping a good sense of humor, and not allowing anger or bitterness to control you helps too. Thank God there’s more to life than life on this planet.   

Marriage

Since I haven’t blogged in forever I decided maybe it was time to say something.

I was thinking I might write about marriage.  I’ve been married twice.  I lost my first husband after 10 years of marriage and have now been married to my second husband for almost 24 years. 

Marriage is not for the fainthearted or for those who want to go along for the ride.  I love being married and I love my husband but the road to where we are now has had a lot of twists and turns and potholes.

It’s also had many blissful days and days where it’s been like a fairy tale.  One thing is for sure, it hasn’t been boring!  Sometimes it’s like a roller coaster ride where you don’t want to get on, but once you do you don’t want to get off, because it’s thrilling and scary all at the same time. 

I have to say that I am married to an amazing man.  Even though we are quite different in many ways and even though we have gone through some very hard things, we have both been committed to seeing it through and that has brought me to a place where I don’t feel complete without him.  I know that sounds cheesy but it’s true. 

God really did design for a man and woman to enhance each other and to be an example of what it means to honor and respect each other.  There is nothing quite like that bond. 

So if your married do your best to stay that way.  That’s all I have to say about it for now!

God is weaving

I haven’t written a blog for so long!  I thought I would try it again. 

I wanted to share something that I felt God was showing me as I was praying a few days ago.  I was just sitting being quiet with God and trying to listen and I saw a picture in my mind of a hand weaving a beautiful tapestry.  I got the impression that God was trying to tell me that He is weaving a tapestry out of everything in our lives.  Everything that is done or said and every encounter with another person is a thread that is woven into the tapestry.  Nothing is insignificant. 

Then he will put all of our tapestries together and the body of Christ will be knit together as one gorgeous tapestry displaying the wonder and creativity of our God.  It will show how he used every circumstance and even the mistakes we made to create something beautiful. 

That’s God.

another notë:  love people and you will be loving God

Why are people shooting people?

I was just reading an article about all the shooting sprees that seem to taking place in the U.S.  They talked a lot about gun control.  I won’t get into the whole issue of gun control because I don’t know exactly what the answer is but I don’t think it is taking away everyone’s guns.  It doesn’t seem hard to see that the problem is in people’s hearts.  No amount of legislation or education will change a person’s heart.  It seems to me there is a lot of anger, confusion and hatred running around.  People are in despair, they feel like there is no meaning to life.  Seems someone wrote about this in Ecclesiastes saying “vanity of vanities, all is vanity” What are we here for, what are we working for, why is life so hard for some people?  Children are abused, and ignored, families are shattered, boys are told its okay to be a girl, girls are told its okay to be a boy, we get so busy that children get pushed aside, and then they grow up feeling unwanted, unloved, confused about who they are, and just plain angry.  I don’t know all the answers and I know that there are plenty of people that do care and that do invest a lot of time and energy into helping people and trying to make things better in the world.  There are people with mental illnesses that need professional help, there are so many things that come into play and we will never solve all the world’s problems, but we do have to realize that people are responsible for the things they do, not the guns they carry or the laws that allow them to have or not have them, or the people that sell them.  The person that pulls the trigger is the one responsible.  You can try to take away all the guns, knives, baseball bats, cars, tobacco, caffeine, anything that could kill, maim, pollute, or cause you to have a heart attack.  They could make  thousands of laws to try to protect us from everything and everyone including ourselves, but change happens from the inside out.  For me, knowing that what I do counts for eternity helps me in the here and now.  Believing that God is preparing us for something better and that we are in training so to speak, makes more sense to me than thinking that this is all there is.  A relationship with God through Jesus Christ transforms hearts and minds.  A revelation of His love causes me to want to get to know how he thinks and what my part is in the whole scheme of things.  Many will say religion kills, it causes too many problems and I would have to agree, but I am NOT talking about religion.  Of course, many things have been done in the name of God and religion that are awful, there will always be that.  Many will say God and Jesus are so outdated, that it’s ridiculous to believe that anymore.  I still believe it, and I also believe that really knowing and loving Him (relationship not religion) and allowing Him to love you is the one and only answer.  I only have a tiny inkling of the mysteries of God.  All our knowledge and our books on quantum physics, neurobiology, technology, astronomy, physiology, to name just a few are nothing in comparison to the knowlege of God.  He knows what it takes to hold the universe together.  In fact he probably can not be contained in the universe.  Our images of God are far too limited.  He gave us the knowledge to write those books, He gave us the breath that we breathe.  He is not a casual observer sitting up in the sky.  Maybe if we stop long enough to listen we will hear what God is saying, maybe we will know better what to do and how to pray for those people who are so angry that they pull the trigger on a gun and kill other human beings, maybe we will realize that there is a real enemy of our souls out there that wants to rob us of life.  There is so much I don’t understand but I am still seeking.  I Corinthians 13:12 and 13 says, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.  Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three: but the greatest of these is love.”  Call me crazy, but I still think Jesus is the answer and when I see Him in His pure form face to face I will understand.  I will be looking at love in its purest form and isn’t that really what our hearts are crying out for.  Love someone in Jesus name and make a difference now and for eternity.

miscellaneous

Here I am again.  I don’t know for sure why I started this blog since I hardly ever have time to write anything!  I’m sure there are thousands of people just dying to read my blog and anxiously awaiting to see what I write.  What could be more exciting than hearing about the life of a mother and grandmother in a small town in California.  I took my son to fencing class this evening.  He started taking fencing lessons a couple of months ago and loves it.  It’s a pretty good work out too.  He never has seemed to like very many sports so I’m glad he finally found one he enjoys even if it is out of the ordinary.  I think it’s kind of cool!  I’m so glad I have my son!  After four daughters it has been quite different having a boy.  I wouldn’t say one is better than the other just different.  It is past midnight so I really should hit the sack as they say.  I know this has been terribly exciting to read.  No deep thoughts here!  Too tired!  For all my many fans; I shall return!

Dreams, listening and misc. stuff

It’s been almost a month since I’ve written here.  Life has a way of just going.  I can’t believe that another year is almost over.  2008 is just around the corner.  Why is it that as you get on in years that time seems to whiz by instead of going at the snails pace you thought it went at when you were a kid.  I remember all the hubbub about the year 2000 and the whole Y2K thing which seemed to be a big non-event.  That seems like it was just a couple years ago, not 8.  Sometimes we just get going in life doing the things we do every day and we forget to be spontaneous and to pursue some dream that we have always had.  Someone told me just a few days ago that they thought God wanted them to tell me that I should start writing a few songs.  I play the piano and have started writing songs a few times but never really finished any of them.  This encouraged me to try to do just that.  Sometimes we bury our dreams because we’ve been hurt or we think we’re not really good enough to do a certain thing, or maybe it just gets put on the back burner for so long that we let it sizzle out.  I think I’ll try to make 2008 a year of trying some new things.  Probably not skydiving or bungee jumping or anything crazy like that but I’ll have to think about it and explore the possibilties.  Maybe I’ll try to make of list of things I’ve always wanted to do and haven’t.  Paula, if you’re reading this, what about that long road trip we were always going to take?  The things don’t have to huge things, they can be simple things like planting a garden, learning to paint, learning to dance or just visiting people that are lonely.  Anyway,  a lot of times I have good intentions but don’t always follow through.  Maybe I feel like life is going faster and faster and I have to hurry up and do everything I want to do.  Mostly though I just want to hear what God is saying to me so that whatever I end up doing will be God directed and not me directed.  I noticed a set up Cd’s for sale the other day that were called “Listening Is An Act of Love.”  I think they were different people telling stories, but later on I thought about it in relation to God and I thought, what better way to show God that I love Him than by just listening.  Don’t you feel loved when someone really listens to you and wants to know about you?  Don’t parents feel loved when their children listen to them and do try to please them by their actions?  I know I do.  Of course, some people say God told me to do such and such and you know that it’s not a God thing, so be sure to read what he says in His book so you can tell the real deal, and most importantly, let it go through the filter of having Jesus live in your heart.  That’s all for now.  Good night!  

Nothing much

Today I am wondering what to say here.  I spent the day laying tile with my daughter.  I like my life here in this little town.  Some would say it’s boring and there’s nothing to do but I like it.  I don’t have anything profound to say, I just thought that maybe I should try to blog more often.  It is kind of therapeutic.  I love getting comments and stuff.  Some other good blogs are gmkeck.wordpress.com, tomskledany.wordpress.com and donnysramblings.com.  (I’m giving you a plug there guys)  It is getting late so I guess I should go get some slumber time in.  Today was a beautiful fall day and tomorrow is supposed to be the same.  Fall is my favorite time of year.  Beautiful leaves, birds in the trees, life is for living and I can smell Thanksgiving.  (My attempt at poetry)  I’m a dork.  Goodnight.