TRUE CONFESSIONS

11/23/10 They say confession is good for the soul. In this case, it’s not me I’m concerned about, but you, my blog reader. My confession is for you. I don’t want my blog entries to set myself up as a user of Jesus as a “quick fix”---though He certainly can be if He chooses.

If you read yesterday’s entry, it probably seemed that I went from anxiety to calm in a matter of moments. What was not written was the times of anguish and out of control behavior that preceded that calm. Often times the blog entries are a synopsis of the event---from my poor choices to my right choices so that all is well. Trust me, all would be well a lot sooner if I would just keep my focus on Him. Some days I’m better at that than others. The good news is that regardless of my choices, He remains faithful. I want to inspire others with that truth---even when my actions seem to disregard it.

So--------------here’s the confession. Before I got to the washing away of the anxiety by being in His word and having a cup of tea alongside, I had complained to my hubby, had some “justified” anger that caused tears and tossed and turned several nights. I decided to “do something” for someone else. (still not sure if it was totally for someone else.) I made peanut brittle for Daddy. Old handwritten cooking times on the recipe were obviously for the old microwave because I burned the whole batch. I had a real come apart. Then I preceded to eat almost the entire SCORCHED batch

Anxie---TEA

10/22/10 Anxie---TEA. Not the drink of choice but I have certainly been drinking a lot of it lately. (Hm-m-m, maybe it is a choice.) I do know it’s so strong it has my stomach feeling pitted. It’s just all of life’s “stuff” and much of it I can’t change. I can only change my at-TEA-ude about it. One of the big problems of the continual sipping of this anxie—TEA is that it tends to overflow and “burn” others in my life. More often than not, the one’s closest to me. I need to put this cuppa down and refuse to pick it up.

I need a cuppa of soothing, calming serene---TEA! The best way to get that it is to sweeten whatever tea you’ve been given with
thanksgiving. I chose some chamomile and these verses from Paul.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

BTW---In the midst of all of this, in the dark thirty of arrival at work ,I broke my favorite tea cup---favorite because of its size & because I bought it in Cambridge, England. I remember running in the rain (getting drenched) with Larry & Abe & Peggy. (2002) Our little walkway lead us serendipitously down a lane to a tucked away tea room---so warm & cozy and their pot of tea hit the spot. Paying our tab I saw the little blue & white tea cup on a “sale” shelf----well the rest is history and on a rainy Tuesday a week ago the teacup itself became history. I call it my ”stress” fracture. Stress caused it & now both I and my cup are fractured.

Happy Birthday, Josh!

11/21/10 It seems that 35 years have flown by since I first brought my second son home from the hospital. I remember his little cap of dark hair so similar to what I saw on his nephew, Andrew’s, little head just last week. I also remember that he was born early in the morning and they only let me stay one night. 5 years earlier, with his brother’s birth, I had stayed 3 or 4 nights. On his our first night home in our big old Memphis State faculty house on Central, (I was teaching at the university at that time.) Josh got choked on all that fluid that still needed to be suctioned out. I panicked and it was Larry’s mother, Mommar, who came to the rescue.
He also had his days and nights mixed up and about the only thing that would make him sleep would be riding in the car. Many a late night, we would bundle him up and go for a spin---no seat belts, just a babe in arms or a car bed. (Haven’t times changed!)
I also remember my Christmas present from Larry that year (1975)---he stayed up with Josh all night, mostly walking the floor with him. I got a full night’s rest for the first time in over a month. Now that’s a gift.
Of course, Josh has been the real gift. And with him, as with each of his siblings, I’ve had other sleepless nights during those teen years but never once has he shown anything but love and respect for us and has brought us great joy.
Through the years, my gift to him has been prayer. I’ve prayed Proverbs 21 for him for both direction and protection……from verse 3, that Josh may always choose “To do what is right and just” because that “is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice,” and I praise the Lord for his generosity to us and others as he chooses not to “shut his ears to the cry of the poor” (v.13) as he continues not to show partiality.
Tonight his wife, Megan, has given him a gift of tickets to the Patriots/Colts game in Foxboro, MA. Now that’s his kind of gift!
(I keep scanning the fans as the camera pans the stadium to see if they focus on my baby boy on his birthday---so like a mom.)

Estate Sale

11/20/10 Passing the corner of Shady Grove & E. Shady Gove, I saw the Jerry Copeland Estate Sales sign in a familiar yard. I was “taken aback” as Mama Davenport used to say.

Usually an estate sale is held to “dispose of a substantial portion of the materials owned by a person who is recently deceased, or who must dispose of his personal property to facilitate a move.” (Dictionary.com) If not death, then downsizing, possibly to assisted living, comes to my mind. I was wondering about the reason for this sale because I have a connection, albeit small, to that home.

The house is close enough to my neighborhood that I pass it fairly regularly. I rarely pass it that I don’t have memories come flooding back. I think back to the “woman of the house” who so willingly opened those doors of her home to a bunch of young Pi Phi (college sorority) alums. It was there that we planned an event for the on-campus girls, which would also be held at her house. Her home was warm and inviting because she was so hospitable. I’ve never seen a “for sale” sign there since those years in the early-70s so I assume she continued to live there. For years I could recall her name. Today I couldn’t. That saddens me.

What I do remember is the warm feeling I got every time I passed that house. I was reminded of the fun times with sorority sisters both as actives and alums---many who now are sisters in faith. Even in our college days, we learned to consider one another more important than ourselves and to be mindful of our thought life---keeping it pure. What we didn’t consider was how short life can be or how quickly the angst of aging can come. At least, it seems to me to come very quickly.

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. (James 4:4)

Consider this....

11/17/10 Consider how difficult it is to post a blog entry when said entry is on a flash drive that is not available----temporarily misplaced, maybe?? Imagine that!
11/18/10 FOUND! Consider how thankful I am to have my flash drive.

(Original entry) Jennifer, my H2H friend, sent me day 2 of CRM’s (Church Resource Ministry) “A Wonderful Week of Devotions focused on Thanksgiving.”

Day 2 
Allow your heart to assume a posture of gratitude.

That sentence started me considering all that I had to be thankful for in the middle of an otherwise muddled week. So many things were pulling at me---robbing me of my joy and yet I was being “nudged” to consider thinking on other things. How about you? Do you need to reconsider your thought life? As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he: (Proverbs 23:7) Maybe changing our thinking will change our heart and a posture of gratitude will follow.

Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things,
And consider the lovingkindnesses of the LORD. (Psalm 107:43) Certainly God’s goodness and kindness is something to be thankful for.

As your heart fills with gratitude and those feelings of thanksgiving begin to grow, consider telling others. (overflow) Otherwise it will be similar to wrapping a gift and keeping it all to yourself.

Today, let’s give thanks together. (Verbally) Consider the impact that would have on those whom the Lord has cross our path.

Meatless Monday

11/15/10 Food Network’s iron chef, Mario Batali, may have “meatless Mondays” at his restaurants but no “meatless Mondays” here. We all need to chew on the meat of God’s word even though I’m a little late dishing it up for you.

14 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! (meat) 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food (meat) is for the mature, who by constant use, have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:12-14)

THOT---don’t just look at the meat, chew on it and flesh it out----it’s the constant use of the meat from God’s word that helps one discern good from evil.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD .......

11/12/10 More info as soon as it becomes available. Buddy and Day have been at the hospital since 7 a.m.

ANDREW LAWRENCE LILES (strong lungs evident as his 4 big brothers viewed him through the nursery window) cap of dark hair
6 lbs. 14 oz. 19 1/2"
1:29 p.m.
Dallas
Margot Perot Hospital (Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital)

Mommy, Day, had breathing problems following delivery---docs have decided to keep her in lavor and delivery area for observation as a precaution only. She just ate some dinner so she should be well on her way to full recovery----that's our prayer.

Joyfully Expectant

11/10/10 Headin' to Texas for the birth of a new grandbaby----will keep you posted. Have already been praying for this new little one---for salvation at an early age and a godly spouse to "minister" alongside. Because as 3 John says I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: (Psalm 127:4-5a)

No. 2

11/9/10 The ubiquitous yellow No. 2. These pencils continue to be a standard in education. At the high school level, their main purpose seems to be in the test-taking realm. TCAP, ACT and other standardized tests require them. Exams and end of course tests that are scored using Scantrons still use them---maybe because the softer lead/graphite makes erasure easier.

Just yesterday, Tootsie sent me an e-mail with pencil art. I didn’t see any author so I can’t give credit but some really sharp pencil points were given. (Just had to throw that in because y’all know how I love my pencil points to be extra sharp!) Read and determine for yourself the spiritual implications of the analogy.

5 Important lessons for Pencils of Purpose

1. REMEMBER, EVERYTHING YOU DO WILL LEAVE A MARK.
2. YOU CAN ALWAYS CORRECT THE MISTAKES YOU MAKE .
3. WHAT’S IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS INSIDE OF YOU.

4. IN LIFE, YOU WILL UNDERGO PAINFUL SHARPENINGS, WHICH WILL ONLY MAKE YOU BETTER.
5. TO BE THE BEST PENCIL, YOU MUST ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE HELD AND GUIDED BY THE HAND THAT HOLDS YOU.

As most of my readers know, I am constantly sharpening pencils, especially in times of stress. It’s just so therapeutic for me. However, I need to cease striving and like the good ole No. 2, allow the Hand that guides my life to hold me and use me for His purpose.

Plan A to Plan B to Plan C and so on...

11/8/10 

I would say I’m ready for Plan S this month but last week even that "plan" didn’t work. My new “hold on to your mind” plan seemed to be a “bust.” In the night, every time I would awaken, I’d remind myself, 3 Ss---don’t forget. Swimsuit. Sympathy card. Salad dressing. Half way down the street, headed to work----Oh no, I forgot my swimsuit with the sympathy card right on top of it. Turnaround required. Arrived at work at 5:35 am and all was good “til I went to put away my lunch goodies and I don’t even have the salad dressing. So much for Plan S.

I do know the basics of the best plan for my memory struggle. I need to D.A.N.C.E. through it. 

However, the steps for this dance seem somewhat complicated, especially when I feel silly asking for inane things like recovering lost/misplaced items (though I did find the black bathing suit)

Regardless of how I “feel” I need to continue to call out to Him. That’s His plan for me. You probably need that as well. Therefore, think on these verses today.

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. (Jeremiah 29:12)

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. (Jeremiah 33:3)

Did you see it? Only 3 words to remember to get you going.