|
Filing your "return"Here we are again. It happens this time every year. No new surprises. Your income taxes are due. As April 15th quickly approaches, some are still scrambling to get their taxes done and out the door. Of course if we think we’re due a refund, it’s a whole lot easier to get them signed, sealed and delivered. But if not….well, we’ve got a few more days, right??! “Putting off the inevitable”….one of my very favorite oxymorons. Death and taxes are two things we can always count on, or so they say. I’ve heard of people “forgetting” about their taxes for a few years before it ever caught up to them. But death….one cannot forget about death. It has a way of being sort of “in your face” when it’s time. I believe our lives, our souls, are much like income taxes. There is one difference however. For our lives, we have no idea when our deadline is (no pun intended). Mine could be today, next week or 18,896 days from now. That is not for me to know. But it is absolutely for me to prepare myself for when it does occur. You see, I know I sealed my return 4 years ago when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. My dues are paid. Not because I paid them, but because I acknowledge that He paid them for me. He paid them with his blood; with His life. The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 I am forever washed in the blood of the Lamb, on this earth and in eternity forevermore. Do I fear death? Well I think all of us fear the unknown a little; Christian or not. But am I afraid to die? No. That is the hope in me. My hope rests in the Truth of the Bible; the inspired Word of God. His Word says in John 6:47 He who believes in Me has everlasting life.Dennis De Haan once said “Christ’s empty tomb gives us full assurance of heaven.” My return is filed. My refund awaits me. I’m ready for my deadline whenever it is my time. That is where my hope lies. Learning by ACLI'll bring you in on this chapter of my life somewhere in the middle….On Feb 16th I went skiing for the 3rd time this season. I caught on pretty quick so I considered myself somewhat "experienced"....pa-leeze! First run down the hill I wiped out. I heard it snap on my way to the snow. I tore my left ACL, accompanied by a small fracture where it attaches to the fibula. Who ever said I was an underachiever??? Surgery was on Mar 6th. After that it has only been an adventure. Crutches for 2 weeks was....well....humbling, to say the least. To have to ask for help so frequently and for so many things. Praise the Lord I could still drive! But even a short trip to the store turned into something I can still look back on for a quick smile. Two crutches and a shopping cart just don't go hand in hand (no pun intended). So biting the bullet I traded my crutches in temporarily for a motorized shopping cart. Never in my wildest dreams:) I thank God for the experience. I have learned so much about patience and gratitude. Not to mention the greatest lesson of all....people really do want to help you! If you ask, they really want to. They don't care where you live, what you drive, what your political affiliation is, how much money you make.....generally people just like to help other people out. They get pleasure from it! I had more people ask if I needed anything than any other time in my life. I consider myself pretty independent, so it was a lot to swallow in the beginning. But as I realized how much joy it was bringing to others to merely “get” or “do” for me, I accepted it openly. Dare I say it even spoiled me a little bit. At the advice of a friend I focused on Romans 5:3-5 But we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
· appreciate a “one up” story because they usually reiterate the whole it could always be worse lesson · appreciate resting because you have to; it will make you want to rest when you think you don’t need to · appreciate being so frustrated you could spit; it will make being patient with someone struggling much easier for you in the future · appreciate the simple kindness of strangers; it was probably there before but you never bothered to notice it · appreciate the pain of teaching your body to move again; even at its very worst, it was nothing even close to what Jesus did for me Thank You God for this wonderful opportunity to slow down, regroup, heal, learn, and love! It has truly been a blessing in disguise. Crossing the finish line...I'm proud to say that marathon day has come and gone and I survived...God gets all the Glory on that one! On that Sunday 33,000 runners (9.000 full marathoners and 24,000 half marathoners) participated in PF Chang's Rock n' Roll Marathon in Phoenix, AZ. Of those, 1,100 of us were with Team in Training to benefit the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Together we raised 3.6 million dollars! In our Kentucky & Southern Indiana Chapter alone we raised nearly $100,000. Pretty cool! Race day itself could not have been more perfect, as far as weather goes. Sunrise was about 41-42, but it quickly rose to 65 and it was a beautiful sunshiney day in Phoenix. My biggest problem throughout was with my knees. I opted for Tylenol over Ibuprofen beforehand and it just wasn't a wise choice on my part. I might as well have taken nothing at all. But I was there to finish so I adjusted my IT bands and pressed on. I had also struggled with monotony while training before; just the whole forward motion thing got boring sometimes. But there was no time to be bored on this course. It's called the Rock n' Roll Marathon because there were live bands and radio stations planted throughout the course. Not to mention all the people on the sidelines cheering you on. That made the biggest difference. It was awesome. My goal in all this was to make one small difference in the lives of people somewhere that needed help….that needed a little hope. Did I do that? I’ll never really know. In my heart I think that I did. Jesus said in Matthew 25:40 “…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” That makes me feel like I did it for Him, which was on my heart the entire time I ran...talk about inspiring! This year marks the 20th anniversary of Team in Training. Twenty years after it began, the Leukemia Lymphoma Society's Team In Training (TNT) is the world’s largest endurance sports training program, providing coaching and support for people to cross the finish line at marathons, half marathons, triathlons and 100-mile cycling events. Over 360,000 participants have raised more than $850 million for lifesaving cancer research and to help blood cancer patients live longer, better lives. I'm not sure that I'll run another half marathon anytime soon. Some people are just born to run, others are just born to work out. So bring on the working out!! I would like to do a Triathlon with Team in Training next year, if my schedule permits. I'll keep you posted on that. If you would like to participate in a marathon, half marathon, triathlon, or 100-mile cycling event please go to www.teamintraining.com and it will direct you to the next informational meeting. I promise you won't be sorry that you did it.
Trust 6 oz. of dynamite!?Before I begin the topic of this entry, I'd like to wish each of you a Happy New Year. I pray that your Christmas was full of blessings and that above any gift, that you were loved this season. Mine was wonderful. So while I'm preparing for 08' this weekend, just catching up on things I've neglected this month, I'm doing my boyfriend a favor. Like me, he has never been married and has no children...well, "real people" children. While my kids are limited to 2 dogs and a hermit crab, his daughter is a bird. A Conure. When we first met it was apparent that there only needed to be one woman in this man's life, and she was pretty content on it being her. From that point on I was never to be in sock feet at his house because I was always greeted with toe nipping. I wish I could say that was the worst of it. Depending on her mood, I could always be lunged for at any given moment. So needless to say, I always had my guard up. Oddly enough, she liked eating with me. Well, as long as she actually liked what we were having:) She's a temperamental little snip. This weekend he is skiing/snowboarding with some friends. I opted out for lack of skill and the fact that the marathon is 2 weeks from today. So who is bird-sitting??? You guessed it - me! When he left her it was pretty apparent that she was ticked. So I left her alone in her cage Friday night. Saturday AM was not much better. After my morning run, she wouldn't even come out of the cage. Not normal for Chica. She just absolutely didn't trust me, and this time I was the one holding the cards....on my turf. Sounds a little ridiculous to be that competitive with a bird, doesn't it? Well, let me just say that she is not just any bird. She is both the smartest and the meanest bird I've ever met (I have wounds to prove the latter). I knew our work was cut out for the both of us. After the first hour or so out of the cage on Sat AM, I managed to get her on my shoulder without losing any digits. From there we had breakfast, did dishes and started laundry...all things that she enjoys. She even let me give her a little neck massage while we were on the couch. After that, I can honestly say that we were cool with each other. She trusted me. I think that's just the way people are with God sometimes. He is All-powerful, Protector, Provider, Nurturer, Care-taker, and so much bigger than we are. And yet, some people just choose not to trust Him. Not knowing what He can provide and how He can take care of us so much better than we think we can care for ourselves. Some just choose to go it on their own completely. But we as Christians do this many times as well. We fall back into the "I got this" mindset and we blunder through our lives making one decision after the next, never consulting the ultimate Care-taker. He wants to care for us so badly. He wants to thrill us each and every day. He wants to provide for us and nurture us. He wants us to prosper and thrive. And He will, if only we will trust Him. “Because he Loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my Salvation.” Ps 91:14-16 As I write this my feathered friend is resting high on my right shoulder up against my neck. She is cuddled up under my hair a bit and I just reached around and tickled her neck. We have made so much progress this weekend. She decided to trust me as her care-taker and I rewarded her with love and affection....and Cheerios:) We'll be ok. I pray that you have a wonderful New Year's. And if you haven't decided to trust God as your ultimate Care-taker, I pray that this year you will. Talk about a resolution! Resolve to change your heart. It's one resolution that you won't want to break!
Unconditionally LovedDo you remember being scolded by your parents when you were younger? Not everyday correction, but really messing up and having to pay your dues for it? Well I was an angel so I never really got in trouble....totally joking by the way! I'm not a mom by the regular definition, but I am a dog mom. And if you have dogs, or pets of any kind for that matter, you know that there are "situations". My Jack Russells for instance, love to dig holes in the backyard. Now it was cute the first time they went after that mole. But 30 holes later, I grit my teeth every time I nearly twist my ankle cutting the grass in the backyard. Not so cute anymore. But I just can't seem to break them of it. And just when I'm really mad about it I look at them. (please refer to the most precious picture) Now you tell me....how can I be mad at a face like that? She's a baby. And though she's only a dog, she's my baby. I love her. I can't ever be mad at her too long. I can scold her, walk away, then turn around and fall in love all over again. That's what we do with our kids. We love them unconditionally. That's the way our Heavenly Father loves us...His grown children. Even when we screw up bigtime, He may scold us, but He will never, ever stop loving us. Never. Without fail. Unconditionally. Always. How great is the love that the Father lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 Jn 3:1a So when we feel like we'll just do it our way and continue to walk through our lives taking things into our own hands, know that our Heavenly Father is waiting patiently. He's waiting for us to fess up and ask forgiveness. Then you know what He will do? He will love us just the same. He will bury that sin and just continue to love us. He's a great Dad. Come to the quiet...I've talked about it before; about my morning quiet time. It's so important. And I treasure it. But this past weekend I tried something different. No radio...in the car or at home. No music channels on TV. No noise. It wasn't the whole weekend, but about 90%. It was great. I don't have anything against good music. In fact, I love it! Music stirs emotions in me that just aren't possible any other way. It can be a true blessing from God. But it can also be a wonderfully subtle distraction. Can I feel the power of the Spirit while I'm blaring Casting Crowns? You bet. Can I hear the voice of God talking specifically to me, to my heart? Not so much. You see, there is a difference. I can praise Him all day long with music. But I can't have a conversation with Him one on one unless I sit down and make that time to do so. He wants to have an intimate relationship with me, and I want to know Him like a best friend. I want to experience His peace and be saturated in His grace. I want Him to instruct me and teach me in the way I should go through the Word. I want all that....and more. To find this, you must first find time to be still. Be still and know that I am God. Ps 46:10 Find time to be quiet. God is always in the quiet. Whether it's the early morning quiet, drive time quiet, in the shower quiet, walking the dog quiet, or before I fall asleep quiet....God is always in the quiet. It sounds like it would be pretty challenging to most people with kids or a spouse. But it is so imperative to your spiritual connection with the Father. I pray that you'll try it. I promise you that it will make a difference in your day; in your heart; in your life. Won't you find time to come to the quiet? God is always in the quiet, patiently waiting with open arms.
Rest for your souls...I’m still here; still running. I wanted to share yet another fascinating thing I’ve learned about the sport. This sort of endurance is hard on your body. Especially when it’s new to your body and you’re not conditioned for it. It was mapped out early in the training that you needed to take a minimum of 2 rest days per week. REST? Ok, I thought…that was nice of them to throw us a bone. What I found was this. I could do a really challenging run, like 5 miles on hilly terrain; a real workout for me at this point in the training. Then I take the next day off. That day didn’t amount to much that I could tell. But I began to notice that my body was still at work during those REST days. The day after the REST day I was tighter overall. I felt better, stronger, more aggressive about it. And I couldn’t wait to do it again! You see, on those REST days my body is regenerating itself for the next run; in a constant state of repair. Rest is imperative to reset your mechanism. As in life, we need to find time to re-coup ourselves. Going 100 mph, 24-7 does NOT sound appealing to me. Busy does not equal progress. Mind you, I stay pretty darn busy most of the time. Just flip through my planner and you’ll see. But I make time for things that energize me and fuel my spirit….my morning quiet time, bible study, walking my dogs, choir, taking a long weekend nap, reading...even exercise is therapeutic to me. And when things get too busy to fit these things in, I regroup. Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 Let me tell you friends, success can be great…but not at the expense of missing out on the blessings that the simple things in life offer. I'll refresh tired bodies; I'll restore tired souls. Jeremiah 31:25 Stop. Breathe. Pray. Meditate. Love. Laugh. Find peace. Refuel. Recharge. REST once in a while! You’ll be glad you did. 70 mph....Let me set the scenario for you.....early Sunday morning I'm on my way back home from a business trip to Nashville. It's maybe 8:30, and I haven't even had 3 sips of a brand new cup of coffee I just picked up. I've made that trip several times. And I'm here to tell you that 90% of it is posted at 70 mph. But this particular time and place it wasn't 70...but 55mph. That's when I noticed him. So many times I've had close calls when I'll slow down quickly and just sail on by promising God and myself that I've given up speeding for good this time. Well I suppose that spoiled me a little because I was pretty surprised when he pulled out and turned those blue lights on. My friends told me I should've cried or charmed my way out of it. Well, charming is tough when I could bite a nail in two. And cry??? Please - I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. So what's my problem? That's what I finally asked myself. I broke the law and I paid the price for it. I knew the speed limit was 55. Who cares that there was almost no one on the road with me and I was from out of town and whatever else I could come up with here as an excuse. I broke the law and I paid the price for it. You know sometimes we think that just because it's not hurting anyone, it doesn't really matter; that it should be ok if we bend the rules a little bit. No harm, no foul. Who's going to know, right? God will. As Christians we are called to be set apart and holy. This includes skimping on your taxes, milking the clock at work, laughing at inappropriate jokes, watching TV shows you probably shouldn't be, swearing in private....I could go on and on. And let me tell you, I struggle with a lot of these just like you do. Meanwhile, live in such a way that you are a credit to the Message of Christ. Let nothing in your conduct hang on whether I come or not. Your conduct must be the same whether I show up to see things for myself or hear of it from a distance. Phillipians 1:27a (MSG) As Christians we are never alone, for the Holy Spirit is always with us. So when we think of it like that, there is nothing that we can do in private that God doesn't see. Let's honor our Father with our lives....set apart and holy. I got promoted!How exciting - I got promoted very recently!It was a surprise and I was thrilled to accept this position within the company. I said upon acceptance "I KNOW this job was made for me and I will do my absolute BEST at it!" The company rallied around me with cheers and pats on the back. It was a great moment for me. This position is not available in many companies, but should be created and required in all. It is one of the most important roles filled and necessary to the core of enthusiasm within the company itself. Promoted to what you ask??? CMO, of course. Did I mention that I created the position myself? Yes, I did. Because I knew I was the person for the job. I am the Chief Morale Officer; in charge of all day to day encouragement and positive energy within my power. Funny thing, when I announced my "promotion" nobody challenged me. In fact, they really did applaud me on it. Because they know I am the only person for the job in our company of 32. Sometimes I think they just keep me around there because I'm so much fun to work with. What a compliment! How about you? Could you be the CMO at your job? Or are you more like the CBO (Chief Belly-aching Officer)? Attitude is contagious. If you can do nothing more with your day then to put yourself in a good mood for everyone else's sake, then you WILL accomplish something that day! Now, I need to go order some new business cards;) And away we go.....Well, I'm going...just not too fast. The training for the marathon has begun.I'll be totally honest with you. If I complete this 13.1 mile half marathon it will be by nothing other than the grace of God Himself! Because this just isn't as easy as I thought it was going to be!! Fun ?? Did I actually think this was going to be fun? Running waaaaaay past when I thought I could run not one more step, and in 95+ temps I might add. Fun is not a word that comes to mind while I'm running. But you know after I'm done, I'm glad I did it. And tomorrow when I feel even stronger than I did today, I'll be glad I did it. If you know anything at all about me you know that I've been trying to get this website launched for....well, the whole year. But I finally did it a couple of weeks ago. Was it fun? Not usually. Was it stressful and frustrating? Many many times yes. Did I want to quit time and again. YES! But now it's done and I'm so glad that I did it. From there I'll build on it, then launch another one. Just like running, you have to start somewhere with a dream. Sometimes it really just stinks how much you hate it and want to quit it altogether. But then you just hang in there and put one foot in front of the other, then the other, and so on. Eventually you'll finish the race and do something you've always wanted to do but never dared to try. And how awesome is that going to feel??! seeking a voice in the words....For bible study this summer I'm doing Beth Moore's Daniel. It is amazing to say the very least. My favorite session in recent weeks is in Daniel 9. We study that Daniel realizes the desolation of Jerusalem is at hand and he turns to the Scriptures for wisdom. Notice he went to the Scriptures for discernment. He didn't go to them for encouragement (but there is plenty of that in there). He went seeking what he knew was there. Not hoping or wishing he could find the answer; he knew the answers were there and he was aggressively seeking them. So what happened next? God revealed to him exactly what he was looking for. Of course He did use His angel Gabriel as well...but stick with me here. How wonderful to go to the Source knowing full good and well you would be served what you were seeking? So if it's that easy, why don't we all do that? I think many of us seek Him in our prayers, but many times they're delivered in passing; a few minutes before a meal, a couple of sentences before we drift off to sleep. Not really ever stopping to have a one on one with God, pouring out our heart, reading His Word, then patiently waiting for Him to answer us. Sitting still for most of us is a stretch we can't wrap our minds around. But what a blessing to devote a few minutes each morning to see what God would like to say to us that day. I'm certainly going to try harder on the listening end of it. God just might have a few things to say to me that I've been missing. If we earnestly seek Him and His direction then He will deliver. His Word says that's the way it works. So who are we to question that? Just do it already....I'm just going to vent for a bit on how important good health is for a fulfilling life. This would of course include all aspects of health (mental, spiritual, physical, emotional, etc...). But I'm just going to touch on exercise right now. There are 1,440 minutes in each and every day. And the way I see it, there is really no reason why a person couldn't devote a few of them to making his/her machine run better and last longer. I'm one of those freaks that gets up before the chickens....actually around 4:30am. This is my quiet time of the day. I start with prayer journaling. This is usually followed by the bible study I'm currently involved in. Then I get to exercise!! Anywhere from 30-60 minutes at least 4-5 days a week. Did you notice that I emphasized that I "get to" like it's special or something? Well, it is special! I've done a lot of work outs where all I wanted to do was quit. But I stayed the course now I actually crave it in my mornings. It gives me energy for the day and keeps my clothes fitting the way I want them to. Of course I had to start somewhere. And when I get out of my routine on vacation or something, it usually does take an act of congress to get it back in line again. I went to Poland on a mission trip this past June and it just wasn't as easy as I thought it would be to get back into my routine. It took almost 2 weeks. Then it was only once every few days. Now, I'm back full speed with it. And I love it!! My point is this....it makes a difference. Not that I'm a smaller person. That I feel good about my health and I'm making daily choices to live a healthy lifestyle. My body is my temple, given by my Father and entrusted to me to care for. What about you?? Does yours feel more like a garage than a temple? Start today. Take a 10 minute walk outside. Then build from there. Now I'm going to step off my soapbox.... Talking with Jesus...Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit down and talk with Jesus over coffee? I have. I went to a private showing of Another Perfect Stranger this past weekend at my church. If you don’t know the story, the gist is that a young girl is traveling to visit a college by plane after just having a big fight with her parents about religion. And well, there just happens to be this other passenger sitting next to her that is so easy to talk to and even easier to relate to. He is Jesus by the way. Through a casual question-answer conversation they cover many of the big "issues" involving religion in current times. But it got me to thinking. What if I ran into Jesus in the world somewhere? What if I could actually sit down with Him over a cup of coffee and just talk about life? I have to be honest with you….if I had the chance, I wouldn’t be asking "what’s the big deal about religion?" Speaking from the heart here, it would be all about me. So Lord, what about that husband you promised? And what was that whole thing I went through in the 90’s about? What good did that serve me? Oh yeah, why do I still have no clue what my purpose is in this world – when do You think you can let me in on that one? And don’t forget about all the things I’ve done without in my life...when is it my turn? But you know, that wouldn’t last long. I could say all I wanted to say and I’m sure there would be an answer for every question; most of the answers (the lessons learned) I already know in my heart. But then it would be His turn. That would be the hard part….Jackie, what about when I asked you not to do that, and you knew it was me, but you chose not to listen and do it your way? And what about all those times you said one thing but did something completely different? Or when your friend needed you to stand up for them but you went with the crowd? And what were you thinking when you didn’t speak up for something I know you believed in because you didn’t want to feel like the Lone Ranger? What about all those times the Holy Spirit was moving in your heart and you clearly felt it but chose not to respond? Do I need to go on here?? No Lord. When I look at it that way I almost think I’d rather pass on that conversation. But of course ultimately it is inevitable. One day we will each be responsible for our lives, our thoughts, our choices, our freedoms, our attitudes, our responsibilities and our hearts. Whether you believe in Him or not, there will come a day. And I choose to do the best job I can now to prepare myself for that meeting with the Ancient of Days. What about you? I will instruct you...The verse I selected for my home office was Proverbs 16:3...Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. I thought it appropriate for the room that I'll do the most work on this business. But there is one that speaks to me more. When I'm working in my home office and I'm flustered, confused or just plain out of motivation I usually prop my chin up on my right hand and take a breather. This systematically points my eyes to the beginning of the verse I have in my hallway - Ps 32:8. Of course from my desk I can only see the first 5 words...but aren't they great ones?! I will instruct you and.... The many times I've glanced at those few words, they finally burnt themselves into my heart. God didn't say I'll think about instructing you, or I'll get back to you on your instruction, or I might instruct you. No. He said I "WILL" instruct you. The second part of those amazing few words is the you. Who's He going to instruct? YOU...the one who reads my Word and allows me to dwell in your heart. Me? Yes - ME! So as a Christian who believes that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, I can't just take that half-heartedly now can I? If God's Word promises that He will instruct me, than I will wait on and seek that instruction. The entire verse reads: I will instuct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Wow - that's good stuff. |
