What Did You Get?

How was Valentine’s day for you? Did you get a beautiful vase of flowers, candy, a card, or a date at a fancy restaurant where the appetizers cost as much as your car? I heard a lot of talk the past two days about how disappointed people were with Valentine’s Day. Women whining that the went all out for their husbands and boyfriends who either forgot or gave them only a card. One girl I know got a gift sent to her by her husband through Facebook. Facebook? Who does that? It wasn’t just women complaining. Men were too. One man I know took his wife to a very nice restaurant and then he was mad that she didn’t even get him a lousy card. For a holiday that is supposed to be filled with love and compassion, there sure wasn’t much love going around.

I happen to be one of those women who didn’t even get a card from my husband. I didn’t whine or complain. My friend asked, “so what did you get?” At first I said nothing. Then I gave it some thought. I did get something. Early in the day I got a text from my husband, in the middle of a stressful moment at work that said,”I luv u my valentine!” I smiled and knowing he was thinking about me got through the rest of the day.  When I got home and  gave my husband the card I had picked out for him on my way home, he read it and smiled. I got a hug and a kiss. Then I got a heart felt, “I love you.” He was sincere and meant it from the bottom of his heart. Isn’t that what Valentine’s day is about? Sincere displays of love?

I told one person, who by the way was in tears explaining to me how she didn’t get a thing for Valentin’s day, that wouldn’t it be better to not expect a thing then when it doesn’t happen you will not be disappointed? Rather than look for something, look for nothing and embrace the love when it comes your way. You will protect your heart from sadness and then when the love comes, it will be sweeter than you could have dreamed.

Love each other every day, not just on Valentine’s Day with cards, candy and roses. Be sincere about your displays of love and stopped expecting love in the form of gifts. Love is not supposed to be this difficult, people.

And what if I had faith
that moved mountains?
I would be nothing,
unless I loved others.
³ What if I gave away all
that I owned
and let myself
be burned alive?
I would gain nothing,
unless I loved others.
⁴ Love is kind and patient,
never jealous, boastful,
proud, or ⁵ rude.
Love isn’t selfish
or quick tempered.
It doesn’t keep a record
of wrongs that others do.
⁶ Love rejoices in the truth,
but not in evil.
⁷ Love is always supportive,
loyal, hopeful,
and trusting.
⁸ Love never fails!

1 Corinthians 13:2-8 CEV

Lent Again Already?!

Seems like I just posted about lent! Well, here it is again. Keeping with my new tradition, instead of giving up something I add something to my life. I hear ya, “Lori, your life is so busy, when do you sleep?” I had a sleep study done recently and they said I was a 100% efficient sleeper, so sleep is not a problem. This is the third year that I add something positive to my life. The other things I added have stuck around so I am doing the same thing again. Actually, I am adding and taking away for lent.

On Ash Wednesday, I went to the gym. I know that sounds like a selfish thing to do for lent. Getting the old body back in shape doesn’t sound to spiritual.Well, yes it is. “You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own. ²⁰ God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God.” 1 Cor 6:19-20

How can I honor God if I can’t walk to the mailbox with out loosing my breath? OK, I am not that out of shape but if I don’t do some thing now, I will be soon. How can I serve God effectively in other areas of my life if my body can’t keep up? Simple, I can’t. I can not let my body decline where it is of no use for God. That is irresponsible of me and, dare I say sinful.

This year I am giving up time, a commodity that is more valuable that money in my life, to improve myself so I can serve God the way he wants me to serve. So, here’s to lent, and here is to improving myself for the glory of God…..(as she hoists her large self up on the elliptical.)

What’s Stopping you?

You can change who you are. It’s not too late. No yet. You can never go too far away where God is not. He is everywhere. It is you who moves away from Him in to the darkness. Don’t think there is anything that God doesn’t know about what you have done, all the sin, the drugs, sex, lying, cheating, and other harmful hurtful things you have done. He knows. He is just waiting for you to tell him that you are sorry.

He is waiting for you to come home.

What are you waiting for? An invitation? He already sent one in the life and death of Jesus Christ.

What more do you want? Proof? All you have to do is listen to your heart for that, the proof is in you already.

You can make mistakes, you can learn from them or not. Either way God is waiting for you to get it through that thick head of yours that all the things you worry about is not what this life is about.

Get with it. Right now it isn’t too late, but that is changing. All you have to do is look around you to know that it wont’ be long.

God is there, waiting….for now.

Disconnected

After all this time of stress, confusion, depression and other things I have been dealing with, it finally hit me. I am a disconnected person.

I have a crazy sectioned off life. It is almost like I am schizophrenic in the things I do. I have, in no particular order, a job a writing career, graduate classes, church, family and friends. I have prided myself in keeping these things separated.  They very rarely if ever cross paths. Yet, I am the same person in all these things and at the same time I am not the same. I feel like different people. It is almost an out-of-body experiences sometimes when I hear myself speak in different situations.

I stared looking for the common threads that run through my life. Like George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, I get this sense that I am in island not really effecting others in much and that people really do not notice me. Well after I do something wrong or forget to do something then they notice me. Then it’s where have you been? Why haven’t you called? Where is this or that report, assignment and hey you forgot to buy this or that when you went to the grocery store. The rest of the time I am an enigma that seems to slide from one life to another, in and out of my body in different scenes of this life.

In prayer this morning I had this clear message from God.  I was thinking about this disconnectedness in the  experiences I have. “You were not made to live like this. Stop.”  This idea of mixing things, sharing things between my worlds terrifies me. I hear the voice of my doubt ring loud and clear. No, I can’t what if this explodes in my face?

Then I realized the only thing exploding or imploding is me. I am pulled and pushed in ways I can not take much more of. How do I connect the pieces of my life? How do I change from this fragmented person to a whole person?

Connect the parts, find the common ground in all that you do….clear your plate of the unnecessary stuff. Oh, ok, I get it…..simply be true to who I am. The few threads I found running through all I do were God, love and hope. God is in all I do. I love people no matter where I am and I have hope that God will bless me and keep me.

In light of that I am going to do something unprecedented for me. I am going to share with you a piece of that other life of mine. Earlier this week I shared a pieces of this life, my writing life with that other part and surprisingly enough, the world kept spinning.

My writing which never has been a part of my “day job” now is. I am not so sure I am comfortable with it yet. I know I can not live this sectioned off life any longer. I have to find ways to combine all I love and all I do into one seamless existence.

So I start today. Hold my hand God, stay with me, I think the tide is changing and the surf is getting rough, but I know with God all things are possible. Even making me a whole person is possible.     Connection #1    Connection #2

In An Instant

Last Tuesday Mr Poland had no idea that it would be the day his life would end. He made his usual cup of  coffee, did his usual pre-trip walk around of the big yellow school bus, and went about his normal every day routine. He picked up the kids took them to school and picked them up for the ride home like any other day Something happened when he wasn’t expecting it. A man, maybe a crazy man, came to a bus stop with a gun and an intention to harm. He wanted two children, he said, but Mr. Poland said no. Mr. Poland protected the children on the school bus the only way he knew how. He stepped in front of them, between the children and the evil, ushering them away from the man with the gun. As a result, the man shot Mr. Poland.

I bet Mr. Poland never thought in all his years driving a school bus that a man with a gun would come to a bus stop to steal his precious  cargo. None of the parents of  the children’ on the school bus that day thought a man would take a child from what is supposed to be one of the safest places for a child, on a school bus with a caring driver. In an instant, their world, and ours changed.

Evil growing in leaps and bounds. School children are no longer safe. People enjoying a movie are no longer safe.  People standing at a grocery store listening to a congress woman speak are not safe. You take your life in you own hands if you simply take a nice evening stroll down your neighborhood street.

Make new gun laws some people say. Take all the guns and lock them away others say. Tighter laws on crime say even more. Strict penalties for buying certain guns.  Yes, civil changes,  control society,  yes that is the answer they shout from the steps of every court and government house in the union.

Maybe some of those things will help but, I doubt it. The shout comes from the scared, We have to do something. We must fight for our lives.

Christians, where are you? What are you doing? It isn’t time to be soft and meek Christians. It is time to get your armor of prayer, fight for good, get loud proclaim what is right.

Stand strong in what you believe is truth. Remain faithful to God.

Evil is coming. It is just a matter of time before it is on your doorstep too. Will you fight and protect what is good, like our brother Mr. Poland? Oh we say it, yes we will protect all good at any cost, Really? I keep looking for the rise up of Christians, the voice of many, yet I only hear a faint few……..Evil is here and evil is moving.

Where are the Christians?

“You blessed them with a kingdom and with an abundance  of rich, fertile land, but they refused to worship you or turn from their evil.” Neh 9:35