tenDANCE---NEW WORD, NEW DANCE

Tendance is a word in and of itself. Who knew? Not I.

At least not until this morning.

 Here's what I found---

Definitions of tendance

n. - The act of attending or waiting; attendance. ²
n. - Persons in attendance; attendants.

Waiting jumped off the page and into my psyche. Visions of a "waiting room" loomed.

No one was dancing for sure as waiting is difficult even if it's God's waiting room. For us, this week has had people "waiting" with us. Prayerfully in "attendance" from coast to coast and across the "big pond, " they call and text and encourage.

Sarah Young's reminder in Jesus Always March 4 entry was so timely!!!

• Blessed are his who wait for the Lord. (Isaiah 30:18)
• Waiting patiently does not come easily but can be good for us.
• Those who obediently wait can build up equity for not-yet blessings.
• The waiting process can be beneficial. 
• Waiting keeps your "soul on tiptoes" as you look up to Me in hope! (emphasis mine)
• Acknowledge the One who is in control and rest in His goodness.

May all of us in this "adoption" waiting room put on our "dancing" shoes and allow Him to lead us in our tenDANCE that we might glorify Him as we wait!

COOKING UP LEFTOVERS

Friday's blog entry concerned "new" to me words....and phrases! They kept stewing in my mind. I cooked them up much as I'm doing our food leftovers for tonight. Trying to use them in a palpable way.

So...today as I turned the corner from West Street to Poplar Avenue, I did a double take at a "new" to me restaurant with a "new" to me offering.

RIGHTEOUS CHICKEN!*

I recognize that righteousness is a little scarce among humanity these days. Our pleasure-seeking, self-serving culture seems to have given up watching out for his fellow man. 

For me, the good I want to do tends to not be what I do. (Romans 7:15)

But a chicken? Righteous?

I have no idea what a righteous chicken is! Can you just  pick it up at the drive-thru?

If any of you blog readers have a clue, let me know. I might need to add righteous chicken to our Monday night menu. 

I've got some roasted chicken I can heat up---I just don't know the recipe for righteousness.  

Apart from God's word that is----righteousness meant for humans, not chickens!

Oddly enough, I ran into the new owners at lunch today (3/8/18) across the street at West Street Dinner. I asked what righteous chicken was and they said come in and we'll show you! I'll keep you posted once I take them up on the offer. Not sure why they were at a competitor's establishment. Maybe they ran out of righteous chicken. and were looking for an ordinary substitute.

COOKING UP NEW WORDS

There are so many new words that even the Oxford English Dictionary and Webster add new words annually. Lately most of them are concerning our digital age or are words I have never even heard before. Of course, even we elderly know "fake news," selfie (a 2013 word), baby bump and brexit.

Here are a few new ones to me......

blamestorming---the word coinage might be new & very political but it sounds like the blame game siblings play in their early years of "not me."

"ping me"---Not sure of that---does that mean text or just any digital communication whose notification involves a "ping" sound?  I can't distinguish my phone pings from hubby's phone pings.

worstest---that just sounds like bad grammar to me

Friendsgiving---I like the sound of that if one includes inviting international friends or friends w/o family to their Thanksgiving table, but if the focus is more on alcohol with friends (OED) than giving thanks, then count me out.

fitspiration---I'm too old for that word to be in my vocabulary---it describes people or photos of fit folks that are inspiring. At my age, old people who are still sane and mobile inspire me.

word salad---sounds like the way I talk when I'm talking in circles and hubby and others don't have a clue to what I'm saying. 

But God introduced a "new word"  for our family this past week via Pastor Cole, who's really good at word creation! A fitting one as we "wait," with our daughter and her family, for adoption news.

Pop Pop's Hands

Hopetimist----I like the sound of it.
Not just an optimist, or an immature cock-eyed optimist---who thinks that thinking good thoughts alone, or working hard will make all things "perfect," because that's not always true.

HOPEtimist. (emphasis mine) One who is hopeful and on their knees trusting the outcomes to the Lord. (Zephaniah 3:17)

Be strong and take heart all  you who hope in the Lord. (Psalm 31:24)
That's Bible-speak for a hopetimist!

WAITING: A TEST OF PATIENCE

What do we do while we're waiting is a question asked in Beckett's "Waiting for Godot?"

 

While Bernie and I were "waiting" for the 2nd act to begin......the word absurd came to my mind.
Yet, I was intrigued by the premise of this play. Silence was prevalent.
The pauses were long and l-o-n-g-e-r.
For an impatient-type gal it was an eye-opener. There was a depth of understanding that one could only glean through the silences.
Silence can tend to make extroverts uncomfortable. But....words are not always the answer.

Even scripture "speaks" to this conundrum, even speaking to the futility of many words.(Ecclesiastes 6:11) "....but he who restrains his lips is wise." (Proverbs 10:19) Is there no limit to "windy" words? (Job 16:3)
Often, too much empty prattle robs the true listeners of understanding especially in the quietness of a theater.

One can only imagine how much loquacious folks "miss" by filling every moment of silence with chatter. ( I know.....I'm typing to the choir here!)

FEED YOUR SOUL

Where does one find a diet consistent for "soul" feeding?

After a discouraging start to my morning, I found my daily bread in Psalm 107. Though I've been considering the truths in this psalm for several weeks now, today I "tasted" a new version, NKJ.

4/ They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;

They found no city to dwell in.
5 5/ Hungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted in them.
6 

6/ Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He delivered them out of their distresses.
7 7/ And He led them forth by the right way,
That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.
8 8/ Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
9 9/For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness. (emphasis, mine)

Think of it as trying a different food brand. Cereal or tea come to mind.The nutrients are still there but sometimes the variety gives us a new flavor to nibble on though the ingredients are the same.

Reading of the wanderer in Psalm 107:4-9, it became so evident that my "mood" this morning was as one in a dry place looking for a dwelling place. Hungry and thirsty for peace in my soul.

But God, in His word, showed me the He is my dwelling place and He will satisfy me, and others for whom I am praying today, with His redeeming love.

Today, "taste and see" (Psalm 34:8) with me the goodness of the Lord.

Real soul food for a hungry heart.

CONSIDER YOUR LEGACY

Billy Graham died today, February 21, 2018. Christians worldwide know that he just changed his address to a heavenly abode.

What a life! What a legacy! https://memorial.billygraham.org

The way we live, what we believe and care about are all a part of the legacy we leave. Billy Graham lived out his beliefs before his family and the world. 

Such a spiritual heritage that is rare these days.

"If we don't intentionally pass on a legacy consistent with our beliefs, our culture will pass along its own." (Focus on the Family)

One cannot leave what they do not possess. (B. Liles, ABC)

Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, ......... And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. (2 Peter 1:12-15, ESV)

Like the apostle Peter, Billy Graham's life of belief in the love of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ is reminder to all generations to live a life that is worthy to be recalled by our world, after their passing.

May considering Graham's legacy reminded us to consider the importance of our own---a spiritual heritage worthy of recall.

consider--Consider--CONSIDERING

A morsel for musing.

I seem to be seeing the verb "consider" in degrees. Degrees of intensity.

Some consideration. (lower case) 

More consideration. (w/ capital C) 

MOST CONSIDERATION. (ALL CAPS)

A quick glance (consider) might capture a few words or one idea.


A more thorough "seeing" (Considering) as thought patterns evolve.....and sometimes even echo in my head as I ponder.

Most CONSIDERATION comes with understanding when paired with scripture which gives illumination--the true light.

Scriptural context takes CONSIDEIRNG TO THE nth degree!



*Original place holder that spawned the comments.
More later.

Considering a nap at the moment.

CONSIDER LOVE OF FRIENDS

"Loved, (I am loved) you are loved (I am loved)---better far than any metaphor can ever, ever, be."     I am loved. (lyrics from memory, what little I have)

I can still remember dancing around on the 5th floor of Rawls Hall (with Winslow) to the 33 1/3 vinyl record format blaring down the hallways. From Hoptown neighbor, to college roommate,  to bridesmaid---a true friend  with whom I'm still in touch.

That's what friends do. 

Friends keep in touch in special ways, even if not often, by special acts of love. 

Real friends are always there for you!

Family has to love you (or should) but friends choose to love. 

For his valentine's day, I received a perfect, SPECIAL gift from long-time dear friend, Ashley Bryan. I AM LOVED.

With an inscription that has love jumping off the pages of his latest illustrated book.

And I'm singing about a "new" metaphor for love. I AM LOVED. Right out of the pages of a book of poetry! 

Thanks, Ashey!

CONSIDER FAITH

Considering faith gives you hope and confidence in hard times. (even in 18 days of sickness)

Considering starts with perceiving in the mind and after some pondering, it enables one to perceive clearly and move toward understanding. Quite a process for this finite mind.
So....How thoughtful of the Lord to provide it in BIG bold print.

Consider faith and then choose faithfulness.

It's head to heart action---then the feet take over.

Know it. Do it.

Because of His faithfulness, I can do it.

I have chosen the way of faithfulness, I have set my heart on your laws. (Psalm 119:30)

FOOD FOR THOUGHT FRIDAY

Today's entry has me continuing "Food for Thought Friday," which I thought would only be for the first month of 2018.

Just some tidbits.
Even a funny anagram. STRESSED becomes DESSERTS. It certainly happens to me! Even when I'm sick and on prednisone.

Morsels to chew on which have come up as I have read, studied and prepped to teach as well as listening to others or the news or watching Jeopardy. So.....citations are sketchy at best, but will confirm as I am able. 

➨A fool has no appetite for God's word/wisdom. (Proverbs 1:7)

• ➨You can never outrun the fork. (Commercial Appeal, ?) I guess that means it's more important to push back from the table than to tie on your running shoes.
• 
  
• ➨Peace is a result of giving someone a piece of your heart, not a piece of your mind. (Debbie Moore quoting Ann Voskamp)
• 
  
• ➨decision fatigue---(Emily P. Freeman)--it must be a communicable disease because the older I get, the more I "catch" it. (DAL)
• ➨Stupid is as stupid steps, so be careful of your steps. (Buddy Liles, Allen Bible Church)  'nuf said, even tho "stupid" is not a word I like, it gives a clear assessment of this truth.
• Ahab and Jezebel were a gruesome twosome. (DAL)---doing evil is a gruesome way to live!

• Fool's Errand---a device of Satan to distract us---to keep us in motion without meaning---living by our nerve endings, off course instead of in purposeful meaningful ways. B. Liles)
• To consider a matter, one must take time to think. (DAL)

Certainly some were healthier intake but all caught my attention and I "chewed" on them a bit.

Hope you can "digest" today's variety in my "thought" diet.