Past times vs now

Stories have always been a part of my life. I listened to my grandmother tell stories about her life growing up in Utah in the late 1800's and early 1900's. I've always been amazed at what these early Americans went through. We complain about such meaningless stuff. They lived without electricity, in door plumbing, no cars, phones, tv's, computers etc. Family meant every thing to them. They worked as a unit to survive.

Today's family unit, seems to go in multi directions away from each other. Each is wrapped in his or her own electronic gadget. Even the smallest child seems to be engrossed in it's own little world.

I love having a computer. It keeps me in touch with my family. I can see pictures of my grandbaby 300 miles away. I can chat in real time with any of my kids. I can share my stories here. Is our time better or worse than the previous one? I really can't answer that. There are many things I would not want to return to, but sometimes I think the world just gets smaller and smaller, all the while getting noisier and noisier.

Our hope is found in Jesus Christ

I watched a youtube video yesterday about the differences of a Christ follower and a Christian. Unfortunately the label Christian creates a picture of a stuffy, overly pious person who says one thing but actually does the opposite. I think most of the time these people are oblivious to the perception they portray. I have begun to intentionally think about how I act and think around those who are not believers. It's a tough balancing act.
The Bible is clear on some lifestyle choices which just can't be tolerated, but yet we are told to love the person. We must meet them where they are, not where we are. Jesus met the hurting masses where they were, not in the Temple (with the exception of the time when he was 12).

Therefore, the phrase Christ follower works better for me now. I'm trying to follow Jesus' example. He came to show us who God is. He came to model how we should communicate with God first and then with those around us. He came to be the sacrificial lamb so there would never need to be another sacrifice. He paid our debt of sin, once and for all. But He didn't just die, He rose again. There is life after this life. There is life with God if we accept what Jesus did for us and live our life relationally with Him.

Farewell Jake

He came into our lives 7 years ago. Eager to please, loving, a constant companion was our Jake, a wonderful Cocker Spaniel. He loved people of all ages. He was basically a well behaved dog who knew when he needed to back off and when to give us love. He loved going with us in the car on trips.

His bright eyes, and constant wagging tail were a constant sign of his happy state. He followed us around in the house, keeping vigil when we were invovlved in a project in whatever room we were in. When one of us was gone, he'd wandered from one room to another and back to the back door until the person missing came home. He was the biggest moocher, begging with his adorable sad, puppy-brown eyes.

No dog will ever replace you, Jake. You were one in a million. We miss you and will always have good memories of our years together. We were so blessed to have you as a part of our lives.

Regular flu bug bit and took me down!

I never thought I'd be gone from here for so long. However, the flu bug got me. Not the Swine flu, just the normal stuff. It just knocked me over the head in the middle of the night just before Easter. I slept for the better part of 2 days. My husband woke me up to drink water, Sprite. He was an awesome guy. He took such good care of me. He's always been good to me when I'm physically, spiritually and emotionally weak and down. Not that he isn't good to me the rest of the time but when one is ill, it's especially appreciated.

Anyway, I was so sick that I took a sick day from work. I've never done that, but I was so weak! Even after I went back to work, I didn't do much after work. Now I'm back to having energy when I get home. Life feels good again. I don't get really sick very often but this really laid me low.

Blogging has become a fun past time for me. Learning how to put new elements into the blog has been a little exasperating but also exhilerating as well. The thing I like about technology, at least the creative part of it, is how it makes your brain have to problem solve. I grew up in a time and place where regurgitating information was the norm. We weren't suppose to have original ideas or try to think outside the box. However, many of my compatriots did break out of the sand box, refusing to be pidgeon-holed into what the preceding generation thought we should be. I did not rebel. I merely watched from the sidelines, sometimes applauding the changes and sometimes, turning my back on the behaviour.

The computer has opened my eyes to so many possibilities. There is a world at my fingertips now. I can readily access other people's ideas and creative minds in the punch of a button. I can share my thoughts with whomever chooses to read my words. There is power in this technology that was not there in past technologies. Writing utensils were useful but it took time and much effort to share your thoughts with others. Not so, anymore.

Web technology is only going to become increasingly powerful with all the social networks that are out there. Commerce has already begun to change because of it. The publishing world is feeling the effects of people gaining their news from the internet instead of the newspaper. Even the TV news people are beginning to use twitter to share what others are thinking about current events.

Some deplore the use of the internet, web blogging, social networking and sharing our hearts with complete strangers, but whether we like it or not, it's here to stay and our way of doing life has, and will, continue to change because of it.

Rebellion

My last blog was basically a pity party. I know exactly how to change my attitude. I need to surrender this issue to my Lord and Saviour. Most issues have been handed over, but for some reason I don't want to hand this over to God. My rebellious nature wants to keep this issue in my pocket to bring out from time to time. I want to keep this issue so I have something to be angry about. This is not Christ-like. However, God will not yank it from me. He will wait until I submit it to Him and willingly surrender it to Him. I've had other struggles and this is how He's worked in my life.

Many people think God is up there waiting to zap us. To lord it over us, but honestly, that's not how He works. He doesn't like the attitude, but He'll patiently wait while I struggle and remove it when and only when He knows I'm serious about handing it over. That's not to say I might not struggle again. It's like learning to ride a bicycle. Sometimes you fall down even after you've learned to balance yourself and ride pretty good. We are not perfect, we are human. God understands that, He'll be there to help us up again. He'll run alongside of us as we gain our balance and take off down the road again. The only difference with this analogy is that He runs alongside of us all the time, not like the father who stands and waves as we take to the road again, thinking he's finished his part in it.

Pride is the root of my problem. I need to have a heart to heart talk with God. That is a private talk, so I have to go for now.

Friendships and choices

I consider myself a kind-hearted person. I'm flexible and don't get upset often with my friends. However, there is a person in my life who has always known how to push my button. Actually I should say why do I allow this person to push my button. I know i have choices in life. I know this person can get under my skin, but yet, I always find a way to take whatever they say and take offense to it. How do I get beyond this? I don't like this aspect of me. I want to change. How do I do that? I don't have an answer for this problem in my life. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them.

A gentle man passes into eternity

Today we celebrated a man's life. He'd lived 92 full years. Many wonderful years but some very difficult years as well. And yet he lived life joyously and fully. There was always a smile and a kind word for those who knew him.

He cared about his fellow man. He spent countless hours visiting with men and women who probably never had many people truly listen to them. Through their poor upbringing or poor choices found themselves behind bars, unable to live life as they liked. He shared how they could find freedom even behind bars. He didn't force his views, he just shared his understanding of who Jesus Christ, the liberator is and how they could be liberated from their sins by accepting Him into their hearts.

He was a man who committed his life to a woman which lasted 66 years until she died. He was the father of 5 children who watched as he honored and cherished this woman for all those years. He was a man who loved and modeled to his children how they should live their lives. He was a man who cherished his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He relished the times when the whole family gathered.

He experienced good times, full of prosperity. He spent years knowing what it was like to appreciate what he had for just that day. He witnessed the inhumanity of men against other men during World War II. And yet through all of these situations, his faith in God remained true and pure.

He shared his multi-faceted skills both at home, at work, and within the church family. He served generously and happily wherever needed. No job was too menial.

He was a gentle man who loved God and now he is in His presence. He will be missed by those of us who had the privilege of knowing him.We are all the richer for having known him.

Country Living

There is a saying "You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl." I truly believe that saying. I grew up on a little family farm. We grew our own vegetables, had a few fruit trees and berry bushes. Cows and pigs rounded out our existence. Every summer we worked hard to harvest the crops as they came on. Canning, freezing, pickling, making jams and jellies were all a part of the life rhythm. Feeding the cows, cleaning the stalls and herding the animals from the pasture continued throughout the year, no matter what season it was.

We didn't have too much fun but we sure did eat well!!

As a kid, this lifestyle was not the greatest, in my estimation. I couldn't wait until school started in the fall when I could spend time with my friends. However, as I've grown older, I realize the skills I learned on the farm were important. I learned discipline, following through with a project, working hard, and enjoying the fruits of one's labor. Our family worked together to make our life more productive and prosperous. Many of my fondest memories are of the activities we did during the summer.

What are some of your favorite memories?

An Invitation

Each of us have been called into existence. We have a purpose in life. For most of us, it can be frustrating trying to figure out what that purpose might be. I have known since I was a child that expressing myself in written form was a part of who I am. I have no choice. Writing is something I must do in order to feel fulfilled. It is like breathing. One does not think about it, it just is. Without it we would die. You might think that writing is something that does not keep you alive, but for me, writing is like breathing because I am more alive when composing than any other activity I do in my life.

This blog will be a way to express what I'm learning on this walk through this world. Some of it may be trivial. Other times it may be of a serious note. At other times it will be creative in nature. I invite you to come along and share yourself with me as I share myself with you.