FEARLESS

The fearless have courage.  They are the brave ones.
I am more likely to possess that trait in the daylight hours.

The "fearful" talk that I  hear in my head between 2 and 4 am seems to come down from the ceiling---similar to a night in a ER hospital room when I heard announcements for a doctor, or a code blue.
A jolt of words that seem to "rattle" me and stay with me. Hard to get out of my head.

I, like a few other folks, need to fear less and trust more especially during the night watch. Those hours when the thoughts in one's head can resurrect fear.
More often than not, they are thoughts of which I have no control over the outcome---think worry. (Philippians 4: 6-7)

To be fearless in the wee hours, I need to fear less of those things which I cannot control and trust more in the One who controls everything.

Tonight's bedtime story will be the twenty-third psalm---

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

Celebri-TEA---smallest cuppa is more than enough

Author, screenwriter, TV star, Alan Alda, is truly a celebrity. Just his name brings his face to mind. Just a glimpse of his face or the sound of his voice usually brings his name to mind.

But....what I appreciated in his book, Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself, was his understanding of the impact of celebrity on our lives---not always in a positive way. 

Celebrities are affirmed by # of hits on their FB or number of retweets on their twitter accounts, to mention a few. Name recognition becomes key. Everyone "knows" the Kardashians, who are famous for being famous!

USA Today keeps us abreast daily of WHO is "trending." Naturally, celebrities are always the ones trending! That's what trending is----more media exposure.

"Google Trends" in 2005 had Angelina Jolie trending back and forth as a popular search term with Hurricane Katrina (Oct.) When she and Brad Pitt announced a baby, (Dec) the search term, Angelina, got more attention ("hits") than the Iraq war. (Alda, p. 185)

Familiarity. Their names can be bantered around as if they are family members or BFFs. Politicians used to court celebrities---now they try to become celebrities themselves. Name Recognition is so powerful.... (Alda, p. 186)

Felons have been elected to office because their name is known----at least in our town and in DC. 

In our culture, these days celebrities can win without qualifications. 

That's a cuppa celebri-TEA I don't want to serve to anyone, much less sip for myself.

But God....reminded me of my responsibility--thanks to Lo's scripture choice during our prayer time.

This small pre-election cuppa celebri-TEA was more than I could swallow during the debate debacles.
Once the election winner is confirmed, I will honor Titus 3:1, regardless of the outcome---celebrity or not.

A Picnic is a picnic is a....

....PICNIC!

A picnic is.......

• An outing 
• FOOD--folks bringing their own indigenous dishes 
• Sunny and Breezy 
• Scenic landscape 
• Mississippi River lapping the rocky shore 
• Squealing kids
• Friendship
• FUN!!!

Laughter, squealing, lip smacking eating.....are the same in any language.

Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare. (Jeremiah 29:7)

When our city, in all its diversity, prospers----we prosper---so enjoy the picnic!

"SIRI"--ous Mistakes

Siri gets so many things wrong. Dictation becomes an edit nightmare.

Owen, which I type often, becomes Ah wind, Alan, Oh-and, or Oh win. Maybe it's my southern accent.

Dotsy is often Ditsy. Even prayers can be pears.

Do you ever feel like people don't hear you as well? Don't listen? Misunderstand?

But God.....listens, hears, and understands. 

• God listens. (Psalm 54:2) 
• God hears. (1 John 5:15) 
• God understands. (Job 28:23) 

He even intercedes when we don't have the words to pray and guides us in wisdom. 

God intercedes for us. (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25)

God wisely guides. (James 1:5, Psalm 31:3)

Today I grateful that I can depend on God---not Siri for understanding, "Her" mistakes can get personal. Ditsy Dotsy knows!

A Cuppa Acceptance....

For every season there is a time for every activity under heaven.....a time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to grieve and a time to dance....(Ecclesiastes 3:1-4)

Laughter can be the best medicine. It's good for the soul. Often just what the soul needs---a little levity in the midst of life struggles.

A cheerful heart brings good healing---so needed by one who is crushed in spirit. The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? (Proverbs 18:14)

The perfect "happy" from Wynellen. A brisk cuppa with an apropos quote. 

The need for a merry heart must be a universal need as it is mentioned twice in Proverbs.
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. (Proverbs 15:13)  A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.(Proverbs 17:22) 

The cup says it all. Sometimes we just need to accept life just as it is, with all its struggles.......and laugh---AND....it's much more fun to laugh with a dear friend! 

JEOPARDY!

Friend Jerrie's gift, a Jeopardy! 2016 Calendar, has become a fun part of "our" (hubby plays too) morning routine. Just like when we know the answers during the TV show, it brings a bit of excitement to the day---not to mention competitive fun! What a thoughtful gift.

In Jeopardy! TV series, there is a risk everytime you "ring" in and there is always "double trouble," a hubby term, when you choose the "daily double" square, and have to decide if your confidence in the category allows you to make it a "true daily double." Risking everything ($$$) you have accumulated so far. Is the risk worth the loss? The final outcome could be on the line!

The answers on the calendar version, as always, are in the form of a question but how easy it is to just turn the page over when you are stumped. And you don't risk loss of anything---unless losing face with your spouse counts.

There written out in large bold print and "all caps" is what you need to know. You can't miss it. 

Answer given. Problem solved.

Don't we all wish our life questions were that easy to figure out! Those that really stump us. The "whys" we don't understand. The "what ifs" when we are trying to make the best decision. 

For me, there are so many parts of life that I don't have an answer for---but God reminds me, to call unto Him. (Jeremiah 33:3) He is the answer. 

I don't risk anything when asking. (James 1:5) 

There is no JEOPARDY!-type consequence when asking, (Romans 8:1) just forgiveness and wisdom.

Wisdom freely given by the ONE who is the answer.

I might not know the answer but I know the One who is the answer. 

GLORY-GIFTS

Glory-gifts---a Sarah Young term for love, peace and joy. (Jesus Calling, April 5)

Along with Sunday's emphasis on God's glorious gifts of grace, love and fellowship from the benediction to the Corinthians, I considered His surrounding glory seen in creation.
I thought of all the glory of His nature around our 901 town---urban parks, Mississippi River sunsets, azaleas, cherry trees, dogwood and even the invasive wisteria!

Enjoy a glory-gift from my camera----look up and gaze on the glory of the wisteria!
Wisteria covered silos----God's glory-gift to me every spring as I drive to church---it fills me with peace and love as I begin the day in fellowship!

ACCEPTANCE--a sereni-TEA sweetener

My Gratitude Journal's "word of the month" is "acceptance."

Key to waiting is acceptance. Acceptance of the present over the perfect.
What one "has" might be different from what one "wants." A statement that one needs to give credence to in order to move away from self-absorption and go forward.

There are NO perfect relationships, NO perfect physical health for the aging, NO perfect night's sleep every single night, NO emotional health without hormones, etc.---at least not ALWAYS.

Life can be full of head "noises" and random aches, and troubles galore. Expect that fact.
Perfection in life is an unrealistic expectation.

But God....know that God can be in the midst of all these struggles and provide the peace that calms one's heart as one's life questions, without answers, whir by and circumstances remain the same.
Answers one so desperately wants. Accepting that answers might not be ours to have at this time. Refocusing. Getting eyes off of self and on to the Lord and others.

Shakespeare said it well, " God's goodness hath been great to thee---Let never day or night unhallowed pass but still remember what the Lord hath done."

So...as I steep my cuppa acceptance each morning this month, I'm going to reach for the sweetness that can accompany it----sereni-TEA---not an artificial sweetener to gloss over or deny. A true sweetness with truth from His word. (Psalm 119:103)
Tasting and seeing His goodness as I approach each day knowing that inner peace is possible even if the outward conditions do NOT change.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests......mental, emotional and physical health....look to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:4)

Living Expectantly, even in waiting

Wordsmith Bernie's slug mail enclosure was a timely delivery.

It was an affirmation of yesterday's Blue Skies blog THOTS (Trusting Him On This Subject) 
Joy and suffering can both be a part of the equation of life, existing side by side. 

Taken from INTOUCH 3/26 devotional these "gems" jumped out at me. 

• .....letter from a friend struggling between the already but not yet. (Hm-m-m, "not yet" sounds like waiting to me. Dotsy) 
• “All I can do,” he wrote, “is live each moment as it comes and be aware of God in it.” His conclusion: “I want to let struggle, grief, and hurt exist side by side with joy, peace, and hope.” 
• It may not be easy to live expectantly between present and future realities, but I believe it’s the best approach. A mom grieving the death of her son explained, “I’m discovering how grief and hope dance together, often exchanging the lead. Yet without Christ’s sacrifice, there would be no hope—and what a cruel dance that would be.” (emphasis mine)

Now, that’s living expectantly and a great adverb for waiting----my toes are tapping expectantly as I type!

BLUE SKIES/GRAY SKIES OF LIFE

Blue skies, nothing but blue skies----isn't that what most of us want---everyday. 

Just listen to your favorite nighttime TV meteorologist bemoaning the rain ahead and celebrating the next chance for sunshine and blues skies.

Ella Fitgerald could certainly "belt out" the beauty of love in one's heart making everything go so right, metaphorically equating it with blue skies.





Blue skies smilin' at me

Nothin' but blue skies do I see
Bluebirds singin' a song
Nothin' but bluebirds all day long
Never saw the sun shinin' so bright
Never saw things goin' so right

Then, Tony Bennet would teach us to "put on"  a happy face. Is "putting on" a metaphor for masking the heart's condition.

Gray skies are gonna clear up
Put on a happy face
Brush off the clouds and cheer up
Put on a happy face

As much as I appreciate the voices of both, the lyrics of neither are quite correct. 

Circumstances in life are not necessarily "either-or" conditions. There is more to life than the exclusive division between only the two alternatives, just as grief and joy are not mutually exclusive. Even in the hard places of life, those gray skies, joy can be found because of Him who loved us. We don't have to put on a mask.

But God in His word teaches, that regardless of the circumstances---blue skies or gray skies, He, by His love, has mades us more than conquerors. (Romans 8:37)

Enjoy today's blue skies because tomorrow the rain is coming----but it can be enjoyed as well, because we know Him who sent it.