Remember...

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. - Deuteronomy 6:4-9

I've gotten older!!! Not quite sure how that happened, really. ;) Each day it seems I have forgotten more things than I can keep up with! And then to look at how much time passes between...things...it is mind-blowing. (I cannot believe it has been nearly four years since my last post.)

One of the reasons my time flies is because life is so full - husband, toddler, mother-in-law living with us, job, other family, church...you get the idea - the hours of each day slip by like clouds in the sky. We get up for each day and it seems it's just a few hours and we're laying back down to get some sleep before we start all over again the next day. I'm so busy, I let myself think there's not enough time to sit down and read God's Word. So I have nothing to meditate on, talk about, chew on all day and I have forgotten too much. Busyness leads to forgetfulness.

When I started this blog eleven years ago (Oh. My. Gosh.), I was just trying something "new" that everyone was doing. I had thoughts and ideas and wanted to contribute something to someone. Yes, there were a few people along the way who commented on my posts, telling me how it helped them or challenged them. But the truth is, this blog became a huge part of growing my faith. I was always thinking of how God was working in my life and was looking for ways to share that through the written word. My thoughts were on God and finding Him in the daily routine...the small things in life. These days, there's just the routine. It has overwhelmed me and kept me from thinking and wanting to share.

There is power in the written word. Just look at The Bible - the single most printed and influential book in the world. Moses even reminded the children of Israel to "write them (the commandments) on the doorposts of your house and your gates." The process of putting thought to paper (or keyboard) requires moments of quiet and introspection. It takes time to put together a coherent thought.

It's time to get back to that. Time to focus. Time to remember. I must make the time to read, talk, remember and be quiet. I'm not pledging to write "x" number of posts each day, week or month, but I am pledging to do the things that will lead to me writing again. I need more of God in my life because I've never felt further from Him than I do right now. Writing is what I need to help bring me back to the right mindset.

Fortunately for me, God is faithful even when I'm not. He never forsakes, leaves or abandons us, and if we just read, think, remember and listen...He speaks so clearly. I want to hear from Him again. I need to hear from Him. I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter that needs to know her Creator and I'm the one to teach her. Maybe my words here, forever captured on the internet (you know where nothing ever disappears!) will be there for here when I'm gone and will remind her to read, think, remember and listen.

When we see His face...

They all looked straight in his face...And when some looked, the expression of their faces changed terribly - it was fear and hatred...And all the creatures who looked at Aslan in that way...disappeared into his huge black shadow...But the others looked in the face of Aslan and loved him, though some of them were very frightened at the same time. And all these came in at the Door...
- The Last Battle from The Chronicles of Narnia

Encapsulated in this brief quote from The Last Battle is a fictional representation of the moment of our judgement before God. Many volumes have been written on this subject - final judgement - by people much more educated than I and with much deeper understanding. I am no theologian or Bible scholar, however when I read this part of the story, I was struck at the language C.S. Lewis used to describe the scene.

For those opposed to Aslan, fear and hate was on their face when they saw him face to face. For those "on his side" when the time came to meet him, there was fear and love. Interesting how everyone felt fear. Perhaps the fear came from having heard stories of Aslan and who he was, imagining in their minds what he looked like and how he was, but, when face to face with him, the stories became reality and he was more than what they had ever imagined. There was no longer any doubt about the truth of his existence and at that moment the fullness of his power and authority. The hearts of each creature produced the other emotion evident on their faces - either hate or love. Those whose hearts were for their own interests, desires and power hated Aslan once they saw him. They knew his authority was real and absolute over everything. They hated him for that and their fate was sealed. Same thing for those who always believed what they heard and longed to see him. Once they saw him, their wildest hopes and expectations were confirmed and they loved him for who he was - and their fates were sealed.

Don't you think that is exactly what our choice is when it comes to Christ? For those who desire their own pleasures, desires, passions, power, etc....there is no room in their heart for love of Christ, His will or His ways. For those who deny self, give of themselves for others and sacrifice their wants, wishes and desires, their hearts are filled with love of Christ and their focus is His will and His ways.

I believe when we meet Him face to face, all the details of the "how" we went about our lives for Him won't matter. All that matters is one choice we make that determines the "how" of our lives. Either we hate everything about Christ or we love everything about Him and embrace it fully. The things we do don't determine our heart choice, but it sure represents that choice. If we love Him and choose Him, our life is going to have more of the self-denying, self-giving, self-sacrificing, self-revelaing love one for another and the actions that come with that than it won't. Sure we all stumble and fall and miss the mark (why else do we need a Savior?) but for the most part, our lives will reflect His love.

Those who choose themselves, their wishes, wants and desires first may be able to display moments of "love" but it won't last long and it won't be what they are remembered for.

Oh how I long to meet my Savior and Lord face to face....and enter in through the Door. How I wish everyone I knew and loved felt the same way.

Where does the time go?

I'm not sure where the past month and a half (or has it been two months since my last post) have gone. :( I'm ready for things to slow down a bit!

This is our busy time of year with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, so maybe I'll be able to really pick back up in a couple of weeks.

If anyone is reading, or cares.... :P

Something Amazing!

The following video simply moved me to tears! What an incredible story!

Susan Boyle - Singer - Britains Got Talent 2009
Uploaded by moovieblog

What isn't surprising is the response of the judges and the crowd when they first meet/see Susan. Too many times, we as humans, are so quick to make judgements about people simply based on what we see. Their assumption was that she couldn't possibly have anything "golden" to offer, because she didn't look like she would. What a surprise for all of them! I love the fact that a simple, ordinary woman was able to knock the socks off of an entire country....and hopefully the world!

I hope it inspires people who feel like they don't belong because they don't "fit in" or look a certain way.

God bless Susan and protect her as she enters the spotlight of the world.

Mississippi Tea Party!

Well, I'm looking forward to attending the Mississippi Tea Party event here in Jackson, MS on April 15th! I hope that everyone who can will attend. It is so important for us stand up for our rights and be the silent majority no more!

Those of us who know what is good and right must speak out!

Trusting - Part 1

Well, it has been some time since I've posted on this blog. Writing down my thoughts causes me to be more introspective and I think I've been missing something by not writing more regularly. Anyway - I hope to be more consistent in writing...just for my own benefit. I hope something I say will spur others on to greater growth!

Since my last post, many things have happened in my life. The biggest "thing" is that I got married! I have a wonderful husband and I know having him in my life is a direct result of trusting God. Let me tell you the story!

God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes His mind. Does He speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19

In February 2006, after many years of praying for a husband, the Holy Spirit placed in my heart the promise that I would know who I would marry by the end of the year. I know, many people would say, "yeah, right!". Trust me - I did too! I told myself that I was just making that up to comfort myself - after all, I was turning 33 that year and I was tired of waiting for a husband. But deep down, I knew that I had heard from God. Through the year, I kept watching and waiting....evaluating the guy "friends" I had to see if I could tell which one was "the one." The funny thing is this - the man who is my husband (whom I met online around the time God gave me His promise) never even entered my mind as a possibility!!!

To make a long story short - we met through Skype thanks to his brother in February 2006. He lived in Israel at the time. In the summer, he told me he wanted to come visit, so it worked out for him to come in November. He and his father came to visit and during the 10 days he was here, he basically courted me - treated me to dinner, spent time with me, bought me some gifts....and was a perfect gentleman! Up to this point in our relationship, I had not considered any type of relationship with him other than friendship. In fact, while he was here that year, I kept saying to my friend, "I don't know why he's here!" And I didn't! I really had no clue what his purpose was but I found out on Thanksgiving 2006. The evening of Thanksgiving, we were at my house and he was baking me a cake (yes he cooks!!) While it was baking, I asked him why he came and that's when he told me he wanted a Christian wife and it was hard to find one in Israel. He had evaluated my character and now that he had met me and spent time with me, he knew he wanted to marry me.

Can I just say I was blown away? :) I told him I'd have to think about it and I wasn't sure if I could give him an answer before he left the next Tuesday. He said that was ok because he wanted me to be sure of my answer. No regrets....no looking back.

I took all of the next day to think and pray about what he had said. God reminded me of His promise to me, reminded me of things I had prayed for in a husband (which was embodied in my husband) and also reminded me of a prayer I had prayed SEVERAL times. He reminded me distinctly about this prayer I had prayed: "God, if the guy I'm going to marry would just show up and tell me he wanted to marry me and I didn't have a clue, that would be great!" It was a prayer of frustration - not with God but with my own efforts to "find" a husband. But for some reason, it was a prayer God heard!! Well, maybe He heard it or maybe it was just a means for Him to speak His purpose into my life - because that's exactly how it happened! That day I was praying, I told God, "I am trying to come up with a reason to say 'no' but I can't - except for this one thing: I don't know much about him, God, but I know I don't have to. You made him and know all about him, so I'm expecting you to show me if I should say no." Well, God made it clear to me that "yes" was to be the answer. And as people say - the rest is history!

I share all of this to demonstrate what it has meant for me to trust God. It took coming to a complete surrender of my will to be able to receive God's best for me. Two weeks before Sasha visited me, I was praying and said to God, "Lord, I don't know what I need but you do. Whatever that is - no matter who it is - I am willing to accept it because you know what is best."

Isn't that the whole idea? God does know what is best and we can trust him? I have found the scripture I referenced to be completely true - "God is not a man who lies...or changes his mind." Wow! What a great promise to trust in!

I wish I could say I never doubt anymore. LOL! I'm still human. But I know one thing, I sure give up my doubt and control much faster than I used to! Lord, help me to trust you at all costs!

It's time once again...

It's been eons since I last posted! Wow-so many things have happened in my life. I got married, we bought a house - well, that's all the big stuff, but it's been enough to keep me busy!

I hope to get back into the habit of posting something. Seems like writing to this blog helped me stay a bit more focused on God and His Word.

I've missed it!

Oh how I wish!

Editor's note: it's been so long since I posted this, the webpage link is no longer valid! I don't even remember what it was!!! LOL

What matters most

It has been far too long since I have written my thoughts here.

Like most everyone I know, life has become crowded with so many things. Work, family, friends, church, sporting events (for those with children), tv, computers, dating....take your pick. There is a veritable buffet of items one can pick and choose from to fill those waking moments of the day. Of course, every one of them are an essential part of our lives. I mean, what would we do without work, which allows us to spend time with our families...and then go to church, hang out with friends, minister to those in need...and don't forget watching the latest episode of Grey's Anatomy or, heaven forbid, Desperate Housewives?

Things. Time consumers. Some of them definite necessities. The others just things we enjoy.

And then something happens to make you look at all of these "things" more closely.

The brother of a former classmate was killed this week. That is a story in itself, but I don't want to write about that here. What I want to write about is the fact that it usually takes something as dramatic as this to make one stop and evaluate life. At the funeral home tonight, one of the conversations I was privy to was about this very thing: "Life is so fast these days. We need to stop and spend time with those we love."..."We work hard and try to provide the kids with nice things, but what is all that stuff really worth?" It makes you stop and think why do I go about life the way I do? What is my purpose and reason for existing?

As a person who loves God and strives to live my life for Him, an event like this really makes me stop and consider all the people I know and have known that face these questions without any idea of the answer. Yes...there is an answer. God created us and has a purpose for each of us. Collectively, He created us all to love and worship Him of our own accord. Individually, He has given each of us gifts and talents to be used to bring Him glory. Everything we do should be for Him.

What is life without Him anyway? You can turn on any news channel and see the results of lives lived without God...of people who try to live and have a purpose that they conjure up and fabricate...borne out of their own strength and ideas. James 4:14 says:

You don't even know what tomorrow will bring--what your life will be! For you are a bit of smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes.

What is it that really matters most?

This is a question I have been asking myself recently...even before the tragedy of this week. I say God is most important to me and sharing that with others is important to me too, but what do my actions really say? I have allowed too many "things" to crowd my time and my focus.

I wonder if anyone ever shared Christ with the guy who was killed. I wonder if there was someone in his life who may have been able to relate the truth of God's word to him and challenge him to apply it to his life. Certainly, I don't know the condition of his heart at the moment of his death, but the life he was living seemed to be far apart from God. That thought made tonight very difficult for me.

I hope I never lose my focus on what matters most and as a result, miss an opportunity to share with someone the One who matters most - Jesus.

Time is short. Let's not waste it.

Proud to be from Mississippi

There is a fantastic ad campaign that has been developed to help change the image of Mississippi. I'm always amazed at how uninformed people outside of our state are about us. Sadly, there are those within this state who are uninformed as well, and that's what makes this campaign so great. We (the people of our state) will be able to project a better image once we know who we are. We have much to be proud about, but I think the real picture of who we are was best presented in this ad:


In case you have a hard time reading the small print, this is what it says:

And the last shall be first. We always hear about Mississippi being last. Last in this, last in that. Well, at last, Mississippi is first. And what a first place to hold … in generosity. For eight years in a row, our generosity has won out over every other state in the nation. Per capita, we give more in relation to income than any other state. Any other state. Mississippi. Yes, our hands are out. And our hearts are open.

What a state!! :)

"Focus Daniel-san"

Remember that line from "Karate Kid"? :)

I have come to realize (and admit to myself) that I have not been focused. One quote I've heard many times in FCA is, "let's keep the main thing, the main thing." I have been keeping the main "things" the main thing. It is time for a change.

God brought this home to me in a conversation I had with a friend this weekend. I have been spread too thin (and I've known this for a while) and God's grace for doing all the things I'm doing is going to run out. He's telling me I need to focus on what it is He's called me to do. I think I've been running from it because it requires a lot. Shame on me.

I'm not sure how it will all pan out, but I believe as I begin to weed the things out of my life that I have been "filling in" for, God is going to open some doors for me that I can't even imagine. I'm reminded of the scriptures that tell us His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 58:8)....or how about the one that says, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9)

The fact is, I want to be closer to my Lord and Savior so I will hear His voice clearly. I don't want any interference...especially interference I've put there. How sad would it be to be too busy "doing" so that I miss "being" with Him?

So, here begins the process....weeding out the things He tells me to and digging in more where He tells me. It is scary and yet very exciting.

What kind of car are you?

I'm a Chevrolet Corvette!

You're a classic - powerful, athletic, and competitive. You're all about winning the race and getting the job done. While you have a practical everyday side, you get wild when anyone pushes your pedal. You hate to lose, but you hardly ever do.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Getting away from it all...

I need to do that much more often. I'm realizing I let myself stay much too busy and don't give time for God to really speak to me. I'm not taking time to listen....but I need to.

This weekend, I'm at a College Getaway, way out in the middle of nowhere....deep in a forest in Mississippi. We're at a beautiful campground - the facilities are nice, the food is pretty good, the fellowship with all these athletes, coaches and fellow staff members is wonderful - I'm having a great time!

But today, I was walking around during our free time, going from activity to activity taking pictures, and the sound of the wind blowing through the tops of the trees just overwhelmed me. It was such a calming and soothing yet powerful and majestic sound. I could imagine the voice of God sounding something like that...there was such power in it because these huge pine trees were swaying from the effects of the wind. The rustling of the branches and leaves (or pine needles on the pine trees!) was their response to the impact of the wind. It caused me to just begin to praise God for who He is, and what He has done in my life.

I also realized, that if I don't allow myself to be touched by the voice of God, I won't have an opportunity to respond to it. I need to be like those pine trees and stand still long enough that His presence can blow in, out, over, around and through me. I want my life to be a response to His presence, to His work in me and His voice.

Get away. That's what I need to do more frequently. I need to get lost in His word, in His presence....in Him.

Who knew?

Be careful what you ask for. Especially when you are asking God!!!

I knew this year was going to be different...2006 just seems to be the year for many things: new stuff popping up and old stuff going away or being resolved.

Don't get too excited, it's not like I'm engaged or anything (dangit!)...I'm no where close to that (since it requires dating a guy)...but anyway....there are other things happening.

One thing in particular: I've been asking God to show me the "more" of being a Christian. Don't get me wrong...I've been a Christian for 18 years now and it has been anything but dull...but in the back of my mind and deep in my spirit, I've known that there is more to be had. So I asked..and keep asking...for God to show me the "more" that He has for me. Here it is, only 17 days into the new year, and already things are happening at a swift pace!!!

I have made some new friends through a Bible study. The first time I met with them (last week) my heart was instantly joined with theirs. The Holy Spirit is amazing in how He does that! So tonight, I went to an intercessory prayer meeting with them. I've felt that God is calling me to be more of a prayer warrior and intercessor this year. Funny how He does that...prayer is not my strongest area. :( But I know I have to get better at it if I am going to hear God's voice....and that is really what I've been praying for.

I want to know His voice amidst all the clamor of my daily life. Just like a sheep grazing on the hillside, I want to be able to hear my Shepherd's voice from a distance and come running to Him to see what He is saying....to be under His protection. I want to be walking so close to Him, that as He is speaking, I am already acting on His words. This may not make sense to some of you who are reading this...but I wish it did! There is so much joy in knowing God's voice. The times I've heard Him clearly in my life have been incredible...not always easy...but incredible just the same.

As I said...we're only 17 days into the new year, but man...what a ride already! I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store!

Stuck on the bank of the river...

I won't bore you with excuses or reasons for no posts over the last....oh who knows or cares. Obviously, I haven't written anything.

Not that there hasn't been plenty going on.

I've just been in a dry spell of writing about life and it's ups and downs, ins and outs, dips and curves...well, you get the picture. I haven't wanted to look at things to carefully to get a deeper meaning or understanding.

But things are changing.

Life is passing me by and I haven't been paying attention like I need to. I'm afraid of what I might have missed while I was stuck, so I'm going to jump back into the water. No more allowing myself to be caught on the bank of life's river like a broken piece of driftwood. I want to ride down the middle of the river...over the rapids...getting drenched and having to gasp for air at times. That beats being stuck in the mud. It means I'll be moving, going forward, getting caught in small eddies to get a dazzling glimpse of new landscapes just before being swept away to start the journey all over again.

Maybe I've just been in an eddy and not really stuck in the mud these past couple of months. Hmmm...I'd better get a good look at the view before I move on!

MIO (Missing in October!)

I don't know how I managed to miss posting for the whole month of October. That has never happened in the history of this blog - missing a whole month!!!

Well, I can assure you, it wasn't because I had nothing going on. Quite the contrary! Somehow, I have managed to become involved in more things. (Although, sadly, "more things" does NOT include a significant other!)

Anyway - life is good, and rich, and full!!! Not only am I the youth pastor at my church, but now I am also the leader of a cell group. (For more info on cell group churches, visit this link.) I love the people in my group and am looking forward to learning more about them and all of us growing in our faith walk. In addition, I'm excited about how God can use us to reach out to others in the community. That's what cell groups are all about - reaching out to others to bring them into community with believers so they, too, can accept Christ into their life, grow in the faith and then reach out to others. A place to belong. That's what we're all looking for, right?

So life is full. I'm always amazed at how God teaches me through stretching me or forcing me outside of my box. I'm learning a lot, and haven't quite been able to put it all into words. Hopefully soon. I need to get better about keeping a written journal. I'm sure there is much I'm losing because I'm not writing it down! (Note to self: write things down!!!) Hahaha!

I will leave you with this thought - just about the time you think you've figured out what it means to "be" a Christian, God is very good about challenging that idea. It's exciting to find out it's much more than I thought.

Here's to my favorite month of the year: November!! I hope to stay much more current with posts to my blog during this month. I feel certain there will be exciting things to share!!

When I am weak, He is strong

(Jesus) My strength comes into its own in your weakness...(Paul) Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size - abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (The Message)

I got to live this experience out in a strange way last night.

Most Wednesday nights, I have the opportunity to go out with a group of fellow believers and minister to the homeless of Jackson. It is always interesting and never the same experience. Some nights we have moments of intense ministry one-on-one with people we meet and other nights we end up seeing a lot of people but don't get much time to minister to individuals. Sometimes there is a healthy mix of ministry opportunities.

Last night was one of those...we saw a lot of people but had some moments of intense one-on-one ministry in the midst of the crowds.

I wasn't necessarily feeling like a "super-Christian"...you know - ready to charge into hell with a water-pistol, but I was excited about meeting people and having the opportunity to share Christ with them. We had already been to a couple of our "hotspots" and were at our last stop of the evening. I was talking with this guy, who was a little on the confrontational side. He said it was his birthday. We had already given him some food and a t-shirt, but he wanted another one. I was trying to figure out how to talk with the guy, so I told him I would get him another shirt. We were just about out of all our supplies, but I knew there were some small t-shirts left. It wouldn't have fit him, but I was going to give him one anyway. So I asked him to wait and turned to head back to the van, when all of a sudden I find myself plunging towards the gravel/concrete sidewalk, hands first. I busted my tail so bad....and tore up the palms of my hands.

The only thing really hurt was my pride. Well, that's not true...my palms hurt, too - especially when I washed them off with cold water and then doused them with some anti-bacterial handwash. Yikes!

But the coolest thing happened. This guy I was talking to, Patrick, came running over and tried to help me up. Then he offered the t-shirt we had given him for me to wipe my hands on. I told him I was ok (and I was except for my bloody palms) and we began to talk. God used my moment of weakness to soften this guy's heart so that I could talk to him about God. It started when he told me "You have to be careful out here - it's dangerous and hard!" We talked about the scars he had from his life on the streets and I began to share Christ with him. In my mind, I was thinking about the placement of the scars on my palms and the scars Christ has on his palms. I wanted to relay to Patrick that there is One who knows all about scars, but the conversation didn't go that way. I did get to pray with Patrick and I just knew that God was planting seeds in his heart. I told him I wanted to see him in Heaven when this world was all said and done. He agreed. I told him not to wait too long to do things God's way - none of us are promised tomorrow.

It was a neat experience. I'm always amazed at how God uses everything to speak to us - if we just listen. I want to hear all He is speaking to me. More importantly, if it takes me having moments of weakness for someone else to see God's strength, I'm willing to pay the price.

The funny thing was this - as I was "cleaning" my hands (as best as one can without running water and peroxide) some of the guys on my team were standing there with me. When I put the anti-bacterial handwash on my palms, one of them mentioned something about "suffering for the Gospel's sake" and "counting it all joy". I wanted to complain about the pain in my hands, but as I looked at my palms, enduring the burning pain of alcohol in my open wounds, I was reminded of what my Savior suffered on the cross for me. At that moment, I was filled with a sense of joy I cannot explain and the pain faded away into nothingness. My suffering was/is nothing...but the fact that God could use an embarrassing moment and my pain to reach someone else was overwhelming. Still is.

But that's why when I am weak...He is strong.

Idle words

"And I tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak." - Matthew 12:36

I knew it would happen again. Just about the time I feel like I have accomplished something in my walk with God, He shows me another area that needs working on. I guess He does it to keep me from being too proud and caught up in my own accomplishments.

My mouth has always been a problem for me. Growing up, my dad has told me more than once that my mouth was going to get me in trouble. He's been right more than I care to admit. I thought that I had outgrown that problem and along with the experience of a few years under my belt, had gotten to a place where I didn't speak out of turn. How silly of me to think such a thing.

I've realized I still struggle with wanting to be "right" or being able to comment on every topic that comes up. I foolishly believe I know things. I may have some knowledge about things, but more often than not, my knowledge is totally one-sided and doesn't encompass the whole picture. I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't completely learned the principles of James 1:19 -

My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

My quick responses are just idle words and often result in someone being hurt. I'm learning that even if a response is required for something, there is nothing wrong with waiting to make sure my answer is in line with God's heart. I need to practice this more.

I hate it when God shows me how "wrong" I am. But I'm glad He does - it shows how much He loves me and that He considers me His child. What an awseome thing that is! Here is what His Book says about it:

Proverbs 3:11 - My child, don't ignore it when the LORD disciplines you, and don't be discouraged when he corrects you.

Hebrews 12:6 - For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes those he accepts as his children.

Quick response

Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father. - Colossians 3:12-17

I've never been so aware of how important it is to make sure I am dealing correctly with people who may not agree with me or who have offended me in some ridiculous way. (When compared to the offenses my Savior endured, I can't help but see all my reasons for being offended as ridiculous.) I recently had the privilege to be offended by someone. They reacted to something I did in a totally inapprorpriate manner (in my opinion), but there I was, faced with the choice of how I was going to respond to them.

My first desire was to tell this person exactly what I thought about their behavior and even their character, but far too often, I have let "Christy" determine the path - and most times with dire results - so I asked God to show me His heart and how I should respond in this situation. It was in a manner totally foreign to my first inclination.

It scares me to think that my response to others will in some way impact God's response to me. Have you read Matthew 6 lately? Verses 14-15 say: "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." Yikes! God doesn't play when it comes to Christians dealing with others - whether they are believers or non-believers. We are held to a higher standard - to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48).

I only hope that God is pleased with my response. He knows that my heart's desire is to reflect His love to others and that the things I do will point directly to Him.

The things you don't see...

Today I went and spent four hours at our local coliseum, volunteering for a carnival that had been organized for the benefit of the displaced citizens now calling the coliseum "home". There are about 1,200 people living there - almost all of them from the New Orleans area.

The one thing that aggravates me with the news these days, is their refusal to focus or even mention the good that happens in times like this. Of course, it is necessary to report the bad so that something can be done to stop it and keep it from happening again, but even the really bad stuff isn't reported in the mainstream media. You have to go to sources like Scoopster News to hear all of what's going on.

So I was determined to listen closely and observe the good things that are happening in the midst of this sort of disaster. I was not disappointed.

Our group was there to present a puppet show to entertain anyone who would stop long enough to listen. We did some "oldies" tunes (along with more modern tunes) with new lyrics that share the Gospel...i.e., "Return to Sender" now sung "Return to Jesus", "Don't Worry, Be Happy" now sung "Don't Worry, Trust Jesus", "Everybody Dance Now" sung as "Everybody Praise Now". These are a few of the many songs we did. We had a blast! We had four teams, alternating 15 minute shows.

In addition to our tent, there were other tents with activities for the kids and those huge inflatable slides and jumping rings. They had a temporary basketball court set up for the guys to play ball and in one corner of the lot, a tent was set up with chairs for people to sit in and enjoy the live music. Free sno-cones were available for everyone, too.

There was always a constant flow of people walking by, and frequently, the kids would congregate under the tent to listen to one of the shows. The rest of the team members who weren't presenting a show, were free to walk around and interact with those enjoying their afternoon - or trying to. You could see the pain and uncertainty behind the eyes of some of the adults walking around. No home to call their own, no assurance for the future, no knowledge of what is to come - those kinds of things would weigh heavy on anyone. One lady was walking by, eating a sno-cone and just kind of roaming from activity to activity. I walked up to her, threw my arms around her and told her, "You look like you could use a hug!" She smiled and choked back tears. I began to ask her how she was doing, was she getting everything she needed and was her family all well and accounted for. She just was so thankful that she was good, her family was good and all the volunteers at the shelter were doing a great job of helping out. It's just an unimaginably difficult thing.

But, it is amazing to me the resiliency of children. They were able to let loose and have a good time running around, playing on the inflatable slides, getting their faces painted and just enjoying life. They will talk to anyone, too! I met this one kid who was as cute as he could be. He was 5 years old, and I couldn't understand his name. He is rather tall for his age, too. There was a guy there who was making balloon art and had made this kid a swordbelt and sword. The kid was so proud of it. He wanted to slide down the slide, so I helped him take his sword off and promised I'd hold it for him. When he came back, shoes in hand, I thought I was going to break down on the spot. His poor little toes were all sticking out through huge holes in his socks. While I turned around to get a grip on myself, he managed to get his shoes on...although on the wrong feet! I leaned down and helped him change his shoes around and pulled his socks so his toes weren't sticking through his socks. He didn't seem to care that his socks had holes! Ahh...the innocence of childhood. I wanted to get a picture of him, but he disappeared before I could.

Later on, there was this little girl who parked herself right in front of the puppet stage. She was so cute!!!! She caught my attention because she was bouncing to the music. She had her sno-cone cup in her hands and was just bouncing up and down to the beat of the music. Adorable! There was a young lady standing nearby, so I asked if that was her child. It wasn't. The lady was a volunteer, and they didn't know who the little girl's mother was. I was shocked! I looked back at the little girl and before I knew it, she walked over to me and raised her arms in the universal signal to "pick me up!" She was so sweet! I guess they found her mother, because the next time I went to look for her, she was gone.

I just want to say, for all the bad press the Superdome is getting, good things are happening at the Mississippi Coliseum. I got the chance to walk around inside and although the conditions aren't what anyone would choose for themselves, they are not bad. The restrooms are nice - no overflowing refuse in there and no bad smells! And the coliseum floor, where hundreds of mattresses and cots are laid out like a small village, was neat and orderly. I noticed several people sweeping and cleaning. For all the bad press of New Orleans, Jackson, MS has opened it's arms wide to those who fled here for safety. The number of people who are volunteering to help is incredible too. I overheard one of the Red Cross officials telling people that they were no longer accepting walk-up volunteers. They had so many now, and were requiring people to go through the Red Cross training class to become a certified Red Cross volunteer.

People helping people. That's the real story. Little things like making sure a mother has diapers for her kids or providing an afternoon's entertainment to bring joy to people - those are the things that make horrible circumstances like this bearable. The human spirit cannot be quenched and although there are thugs, thieves and murderers on the loose everywhere, the overwhelming majority of people care for their fellow man.

These are the kinds of things you don't see....and that I wanted to share with you.