Reflections and Responses

Sounds cliche, but I'm really thankful for the friends God has placed in my life. It's interesting how friends come in and out of our lives in seasons. My grandparents told me that they have several friends who they were close with as newlyweds, then moved to different cities and then 20 years later, they come back into contact with them and become close again. I have certain friends from high school or college who I no longer see on a regular basis, but when we get together now, we can pick right back up where we left off. Not all friendships are like that. I don't know if there's a certain formula to create friendships of that level of intimacy. I know that they require a level of self-disclosure and a spending a lot of time together, but there's also an unexplainable factor. The Holy Spirit just makes us connect with some people on deeper levels than others. I can't really explain them, but I am so thankful for the deep friendships God has allowed me to enjoy...

I've decided that I am a biennial sports fan. In case you are wondering what that means, it means that I become a sports fan every two years. Basically, I care very little for sports except for when the Olympics are televised. I suddenly become captivated and fascinated by sports - even the obscure ones like luge. It's really more than the sports that lure me. The combination of countries and cultures, the great lengths the host country goes to in order to prepare for the games, and the amazing dedication of the athletes is really fascinating to me. Have you thought about their commitment? In many cases (ski jumping, speed skating, luge, many others), athletes train for more than four years for an opportunity to compete that only lasts for seconds. The only problem with being a biennial sports fan is that I completely forget my knowledge of the sports themselves by the time those olympics come around again (FOUR years later). Oh well - the games provide me great entertainment f...

Some days, it seems like there are simply not enough hours in the day. And then I remember the first and second priorities God has for me and my time: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Matthew 22:36-40) We should always count our days as successful and our time well spent if we have accomplished those two things. A third command for when we are feeling restless or like we just can't finish everything - "Be still, and know that I am God..." Psalm 46:10 Three agenda items that almost always ward off frustration and bring peace.

I am the queen of good intentions. Unfortunately, by default that makes me the queen of execution failure also. Let me explain what I mean. I have many things that I often intend to do but fail to deliver. Some of the things I often intend to do but fail to carry out include: - Leave home on time and not be late - Resist a second helping of food - Do all of my daily Bible reading - Cook something special for my husband - Go to bed on time - Relax more and worry less - Resist the temptation to speak negatively about someone These are just a few examples. When I say I am going to do (or not do, depending on the scenario) these things but end up not completing them, I end up frustrated and discouraged at my failure to follow through, be disciplined and accomplish all that I set out to accomplish. Unfortunately, this can affect my mood, which sets off a downward spiral that results in a negative outlook and also affects those around me. Two things could be the reason behind this phenomenon...

Funny how God always knows what we need. Actually, it's not funny at all - what's funny is that WE think we know what we need! Ha! The Bible says in Psalm 139:16: "Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Yet we think we know what we need. We who see only an index card. God sees the entire canvas. I searched for verses about waves tonight because I have been very emotional lately, feeling like my thoughts have been jumbled like waves in the ocean. However, look at what I found: Job 9:8: He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. Psalm 107:29 He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. (Pleasant sigh). That is exactly what I needed to read. Thanks, God, and goodnight, all. Let's rest humbly in the hands of our Maker who is so, so capable of calming the waves of any storm we find ourselves enduring.