Month: December 2015

Hidden Headlights

This Christmas season, I have done a bit more thinking than I normally do about the Christmas season as a whole…the Christmas lights and tree and other decorations, the original reason for our celebrations, the way Christmas has become so commercialized in the last few decades, the way we take for granted that everyone we celebrate with this year will be here to celebrate with us next year.

Many years ago I drove a gorgeous, black, 1980-something TransAm. It had all the options, gold ground effects, nice wheels, and T-tops, of course. I loved that car. I looked good driving that car. I did have one problem with it, though. After I had driven it for a while, the headlights started to stick. They would turn on, but they wouldn’t open out of the hood like they were supposed to. I had lights, but no one could see them. I may as well not have had any lights at all.

This Christmas season, I have done a bit more thinking than I normally do about the Christmas season as a whole…the Christmas lights and tree and other decorations, the original reason for our celebrations, the way Christmas has become so commercialized in the last few decades, the way we take for granted that everyone we celebrate with this year will be here to celebrate with us next year. I have thought a lot about the loss of both sets of my grandparents, the loss of a close friend of my boyfriend, the loss of another friend’s father, and the many people I know who are feeling the recent loss of a close relationship. We’ve all heard the old saying, “We don’t know what tomorrow may bring;” but we don’t always take it seriously until it is too late.

In Matthew chapter 5, versus 14 through 16 Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” If you are a forgiven child of God, you have a light in the form of the Holy Spirit living in you. Do you let that light shine so the people around you can see it? Do you, instead, keep it “under the hood” and hidden most of the time? Do the people closest to you know you are a Christian? Do you play it safe in this difficult political climate our nation is in and keep your light private so only you and those closest to you can see it?

We really don’t know what tomorrow will bring. We don’t know if the people around us will be here in another year, month, week, day or even hour. We have been instructed by Jesus to keep our light shining so that those around us can see it and come to know God by seeing His light in us. If your light cannot be clearly seen, take the necessary steps to uncover it and make it shine brightly. Just like I had to have someone work on my car so the lights would open out of the hood and be seen, we should take our hearts to the One who can make sure we are shining like a headlight on the narrow road.

A Look Back…At Worry

It amazes me when I read back through things I wrote just one year ago. So much has changed. Actually, everything has changed, but everything is so much better for that change that I fought against. I worry very little now in comparison to just a few months ago when worry consumed me. I love the life I have now. I love my kids; I love the wonderful man in my life; and I love my dog. God has truly blessed me, and when I gave up on all the worrying He took control and weeded out the things He never wanted me to worry about.

You can see how far I’ve come by reading my post from a year ago using the link below.

http://wp.me/s55ncY-worry

My New Year’s Resolution

As hard as I’m going to work on becoming physically healthy this year, my physical health will not be my main focus. My new year’s resolution for 2016 is to become healthy in EVERY aspect of my life. To do this, I must concentrate my greatest focus on becoming spiritually healthy.

I have put a lot of thought into what will be my new year’s resolution for 2016. It needs to be realistic so that I don’t give up by week three of January. I realize fitness as a new year’s resolution is so common that it is almost a joke, but I desperately need to get healthy. I have lived way too many years with the thought that I’m young enough to concentrate on getting healthy “next year” but “next year” never came. I woke up this morning feeling tired and old and wondering when “next year” passed me by. All I do know is that it must have been a very long time ago because I have felt old and tired for a very long time. This week I plan to research diet and exercise plans and find the one that I am most likely to stick with and, therefore, most likely to be successful with.

As hard as I’m going to work on becoming physically healthy this year, my physical health will not be my main focus. My new year’s resolution for 2016 is to become healthy in EVERY aspect of my life. To do this, I must concentrate my greatest focus on becoming spiritually healthy. I Timothy 4:7b-8 says, “…train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” This year I plan to…no, scratch that. This year I WILL become healthy. I will focus my mind on my relationship with God and become a better steward of everything He has given me, especially on my body which desperately needs both spiritual and physical toning.

At the End of the Day…

During my lunch break today, I ran some errands. The first stop was to the post office closest to my office. I only have an hour for lunch, so I assure you I cringed inwardly at the long line and the fact that only one person was working the counter.

During my lunch break today, I ran some errands. The first stop was to the post office closest to my office. I only have an hour for lunch, so I assure you I cringed inwardly at the long line and the fact that only one person was working the counter. “I am in a hurry and this post office should know better than to have only one person working when so many people will be running their errands during their lunches. Good grief! And it’s Christmas package mailing season on top of that,” I thought to myself. I watched silently not revealing my thoughts as the line slowly crept forward and did my best to hold a smile on my face even though I didn’t feel that smile in my heart during those moments. It didn’t take me long to realize the young woman at the counter was being trained by the man standing beside her.

In the fifteen minutes I was in that line, I heard four people make a string of very loud comments about how slow the line was and how inadequate the service was. There was not one person in that room smiling…or even not frowning…other than the young woman at the counter and myself.

When it was finally my turn in the line I bought my stamps, paid my postage and told her to keep smiling. “You are doing a great job. Ignore anything that says otherwise from the other customers today. I mean it. You’re doing a great job and while in training, too. Don’t let them get you down.” Her smile grew just a little as her trainer smiled at me and told me he had said the same things to her this morning.

Did I get all my errands run during my lunch today? No, but does it really matter? The errands missed will get done after work tonight or during lunch tomorrow. I wanted them done today, but at the end of the day will this really matter enough to give it another frustrated thought? No.

Did any of the other customers in that post office today change their circumstances by scowling or saying what they thought about the service? No, they continued to stand in that line until they made it to the counter and took care of their business.  When they were done, they left with their frowns showing clearly on their faces and their negativity showing clearly on their hearts. I’m sure many if not all vented afterwards about their visit to the post office to everyone they spoke to that afternoon, but what does venting about it accomplish? It spreads the negativity in the heart of the complainer to the mind of the listener. Sadly, that negativity will spread not just to the minds of the listeners but also to the hearts of some listeners.

Wouldn’t this world be a better place if instead of venting about minutes lost, we chose to spread grace and mercy from heart to heart this holiday season? At the end of the day…at the end of all days…it’s the condition of the heart that matters. Does the condition of your heart encourage or discourage other people who cross your path each day?

Not a New Chapter, but a New Book

As I have traveled the difficult road through divorce this year, several people have suggested I consider the many changes as a new chapter in the book of my life. I disagree. What I am living right now is not a new chapter. It is a completely new book. I will not let anyone wrestle the pen and blank pages from my hands this time. I will hold the pen and I will fill the pages. This new book will not be like the last. It will not be able to be labeled as a drama full of sadness and betrayal as the last book could be. If this new book were to be labeled to put on a shelf, it would be considered an inspirational novel full of love, passion and spiritual growth.