Vanity v. Preservation

When I watch chick flicks and am sucked into the story line, I am not just enthralled with the actual romance or drama. I often take on the emotion and the personality of one of the characters. Obviously for the redundant romantic comedies, I am the goofy girl who tries to manipulate the boy into falling in love with her or who shyly avoids the awkwardness of the inevitable intimacy ensuing. Yes, I LOVED (AND STILL DO LOVE) DIRTY DANCING and I would watch that movie over and over again until I actually learned the entire final dance between Baby and Johnny...and all of their other dances too including that horrible Carlton looking think at the Sheldrake. (Psst - I see you grinning as you picture that scene) I choked to death in the movie Somersby when she discovered who this returned soldier truly was and was caught in this incredible climax of emotions. Who doesn't love When Harry Met Sally or You've Got Mail or Casablanca or The Notebook or goodness knows, The Titanic? I know that there are guys groaning right now, but I also know there are a few that understand the strategy of taking your lady to see a good chick flick.

I can even play the missing role. You know this critical person. They are the important figure remembered or vaguely mentioned in the storyline in order to tug at your heart all the more as you watch this absentee's loved ones try to manage life without them. I have felt the pain of the missing mom in the Patriot watching my husband grieve and try to raise my children to be upstanding respectable adults and I wanted him to love again. I wanted my children to have a mom. Or in Return to Me when the donor wants for her widowed husband to find love again.

But let's go to those chick flicks that are really just for CHICKS. When the movie is a celebration of the friendship of women, you tend to see more women line up to view this piece of cinematography in the theaters over men. When you see inside jokes best understood by those who have dramatically more estrogen (or at least have had at one time in their lives) you tend to see a different connection. So in these movies, I find myself sizing up the cast of characters and deciphering which one is the best representation of me - the me that I see. I am a leader. I always have been. I have been known to be bold and brass in the past, but not so much at this stage in my life. I have fluctuated in my "size" and I have fluctuated in my fashion knowledge and ability. I am emotional and can go from extremely frustrated to extremely sympathetic within a 30 minute period. You just have to pull the right heart string. And yes friends from the past, I am a tad more quiet than I once was. I am sure it will fade like the wind and in my elderly state, my aggressive demeanor will return only to humiliate my children and grandchildren.

In these chick flicks, there is always a certain amount of characters, each to portray a certain personality in a little clique. There is always the beautiful leader who has just enough intelligence to maintain her role as leader. There is the sidekick who varies in her characteristics. Sometimes sidekick #1 is ditzy and clueless ready to be conned into whatever the leader devises. Sometimes sidekick #1 is a willing follower, but is begrudging as she follows her great leader secretly griping about poor choices the entire time and yet doing nothing to question the leader. Sometimes sidekick #1 is a replica of the great alpha female and can easily take command if there is an absence because of an unfortunate scheduled deviated septum surgery.

The rest of the girls usually have some sort of comic relief. This person is depicted in different ways in each film, but more often than not, the comic relief does not possess the same physique as the alpha female. Then there is the quiet and reserved and often submissive member of the posse. This character is often portrayed as homely only to later emerge as a bombshell. Sometimes there is a tomboy. Sometimes there is a transient. Sometimes there is a guy who is a friend of the gals with some sort of backstory. Sometimes there is an older member of the crowd serving as the great owl for them.

Think about it...Steel Magnolias, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Mean Girls, even now, there is a movie out entitled The Single Moms Club. Think about all the characters. If you have watched these movies, than you have connected with one of the characters. Some of you are confident enough to connect with the leader, but there are many of us that fall into one of the other members of the motley crew. Why is that? Why can't we all connect with the leader?

Well Jodi, we can't all be bold and beautiful. Why not? If you are reading a book or engaging in a story that is captivating your thoughts, why do you not allow yourself the pride to be the leader? I will tell you that often I do not. It isn't because I do not feel capable of leading. Quite frankly, it is how they are portrayed in the story - the beautiful "me" monster. I want to be a leader, but I do not see myself in either of the other categories.

Hmmm. Is that right? Sorta, but not really. We get stuck on just the appearance and the questionable uncomfortable confidence. It is NOT WRONG to take care of your appearance. It is wrong to obsess with your appearance so much that it robs you of time doing God's work and it causes you to think and say things that poorly influence others. And it is not wrong to have your own kind of beautiful. Not everyone is blonde. Not everyone is 5'10". Not everyone can run in stilettos. Not everyone looks good in red lipstick. Not everyone is tan. Not everyone is 115 lbs. Not everyone is driving a convertible like Christy Brinkley in all the National Lampoon movies. Be you. Be - YOU -tiful. Enjoy the movies, but don't drag them into your life. They are merely a story.

Proverbs tell us in Chapter 11, verse 22, "Like a gold ring in a pig's snout, is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion."

This verse is referring to allocation of time. Although it is not wrong to want to care for your temple and make it presentable in God's eyes, it is wrong to spend so much time on it that it you lead others to find insecurity in their temple appearance...that you lead others to question the structure of their temple...that you lead others to begin to use their time for self-improvement when it could be used for devotion to callings God has placed on them requiring that time spent in the mirror.

Do take care of yourself. Do give proper maintenance of this body with which you have been blessed. Do exercise...not to fit in skinny jeans, to keep your muscles from getting stiff and to maintain blood flow so that all areas of your body are being properly nourished. Do eat right...not so you reach a certain number on a scale, but rather to help your digestive system not have to work so hard to sort the good and the bad and the ugly. Do tend to your skin, but it doesn't have to be exhaustive. Just keep it moisturized and protected from the sun so it will last you until you no longer need it.

Be You. You are covered with His fingerprints. See them?

I Know That You Are For Me

There is irony and appropriateness in so many things that happen in our life. Have you ever taken time to evaluate the various aspects of your life? This morning is a morning of reflection for me. As you might notice, I am a thinker and an inside processor. I tend to not speak until I have chewed on my thoughts for a certain amount of time...unless I am in time of heightened emotion like I mentioned in my previous post. That's never good. :) Today is my birthday and some people awaken on this day with dread because yep, you are another year closer to death. Some people wake up on this day with excitement ready to conquer the world with enthusiasm and celebration. Some people awaken and see it as just another day. Some people awaken with reflection of the years gone by.

I am a little of all, well, except the death dread. I love life. I especially love the Giver of life and I am aware that the days I have had and will continue to have are numbered. And no, I am not one of those who thinks it would be neat to know how many more days I have left. I would spend the remainder of my time cramming activities and having anxiety attacks about what activity I am not going to get to do and what person I am not going to get to spend enough time with. That would just be way too much for me.

But I do love life. I love it because I have been blessed. So as I awaken this morning and reflect back upon the years I have taken up space on this earth, I cannot help but spend time reflecting over all that has happened to me and around me. I cannot help but see this GIANT hand pushing, pulling, lifting, shielding, holding, comforting, scolding, protecting, sustaining, healing, leading me through all of my adventures that I have had.

Oh Father, how thankful that I am given the chance to see your work in my life. I know that many go through life's journey with the question "why?" hovering over their head constantly. I know that you are present in every storm and every stillness. I know that you are holding the answers to why and will always answer in due time. I am blessed to be able to see your hand moving in and through me as I exercise my freedom of choice of which you have extended to me. Thank you for listening to specific pleas over these past years and not just answering them, but fulfilling them until my cup runneth over. My "why" that I am often plagued with is why do you find me worthy to exert any blessing upon? I fail you. I disappoint you. I make bad choices. I wrestle with things causing you to have to reach down and rescue me when I shouldn't have even approached that bear at all. I would like to share with the readers how I know that You are for me as I look back and am overwhelmed by where you have blessed me. I pray that today, on my day of birth, the day I celebrate with great enthusiasm, it is clear I want to celebrate not me, but YOU! Thank you God for

1. saving me at a young age
2. allowing me to be born in a home with not one, but two parents who fear you and serve you
3. giving me access to a Bible and freedom to worship You whenever and wherever I want because men who went before me 238 years ago found it important to protect this freedom
4. good Christian friends throughout my life to pray with me, challenge me, speak on behalf of you to me
5. the drive and determination that you give me to grow
6. the gift of discernment
7. the ability to curl up in your lap and just talk and then to LISTEN
8. the MANY times I have audibly heard you speak to me
9. a good education
10. a university that assisted me in my growth both in knowledge and wisdom of this world AND knowledge and wisdom of you
11. a man to come alongside me and lead my family by his faith in You
12. supportive extended family who have always made us feel like we are loved and encouraged
13. two beautiful children when we thought we could have none
14. healing of my husband countless times over his life, but even specifically the MIRACLES you have performed in his life since we have been married
15. 27 years with a mother who was INCREDIBLE and modeled for me and an entire community what is it like to know that You are for me. (this blessing deserves about 10 more posts alone)
16. grandparents and great grandparents and beyond who raised my parents to fear and love you so that they could pour that same life of adoration into me
17. a brother who is one of my biggest fans and a cherished friend and an incredibly intelligent and insightful role model
18. In-laws who love the Lord and love me and make me feel like I am there child too
19. a career choice that allows me to exercise the gifts that you have given to me
20. jobs that have allowed me to cross paths with some of the most AMAZING people and have taken care of me during many of our storms
21. doctors just in time
22. a child who is already whole with my mother in Heaven and the peace to let it go
23. a roof over my head with heat and air conditioning
24. the physical ability to run and the great relief it gives as I am alone with you and restoring my body.
25. time

Kari Jobe is one of my favorite Christian artists and she has a song that I sing at the top of my lungs in the car with my girls. Here are parts of the lyrics. I pray that today, on this first day of Spring - the season that is of new beginnings - you are able to see where He has been with you in the past and you are able to take a deep breath and step forward with confidence to know that He is with you always. ALWAYS

So faithful
So constant
So loving and so true
So powerful in all You do

You fill me
You see me
You know my every move
You love for me to sing to You

I know that You are for me
I know that You are for me
I know that You will never
Forsake me in my weakness

And I know that You have come now
Even if to write upon my heart
To remind me who You are

So patient
So gracious
So merciful and true
So wonderful in all You do

Be blessed today! Happy Spring!

Verbal Vomit

When I was younger in my years, ok, yesterday, I tended to be sometimes lacking in caution with my words. Now do not get me wrong. Between the two adults that call my address home, I am far stronger at the filtering of words. However, I am also that soul that will literally sit up in bed sometimes reliving stupid things that I let spew out of my mouth causing me embarrassment or causing harm to another or causing the misrepresentation of my Lord. Do you do that? Even now as I confess this, I feel that overwhelming squirmy flush feeling that washes over me with the laundry list of do-overs I wish I could have. Some of them would even be laughed at by you, but to me, I felt just reckless with my words. Or perhaps they were not reckless, I just chose to try to be cool or to fit in only to have that awkward silence follow as what I said did not make any sense or was just plain inappropriate.

At this very moment, I am taking time to apologize to all of you that I have vomited of the mouth towards. Know that I am a fallen and sinful human who is aware of my shortcomings and aware that I am not worthy to have a mouth to speak with, so I am sorry that I have said anything to cause you grief or discomfort. I hope your life is better because you rose above my stupidity.

If we were to survey the culture of my generation, the freedom of speech is probably the primary freedom that many of them would first note among those protected by our great and dynamic founding document. And as my generation has matured, I see that this freedom has been embraced all the more instead of reservedly protected like the previous generations. Wouldn't you agree? I know that my parents were extremely aware of their rights and the precious ones protected by a document written by men that had never even touched a typewriter much less an iPad. Yet, I am also aware that my parents and a large fraction of their generation have exercised a disciplined restraint of this freedom in a greater capacity than my generation. So if the decline is occurring from parents to child from this slope, than it will continue as the next generation comes of age to formulate speech and the exercise of said freedom.

Yet, as I am among those who still struggle with being Chatty Cathy, I am also aware that my words are powerful and strong. The book of Proverbs takes great lengths to remind us that our words are something that can be helpful or harmful. In fact, there is greater emphasis placed on what NOT to do than on how to properly speak. So in other words, if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. Hatred stirs up dissention, but love covers over all wrongs. Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacs judgment. Proverbs 10:11-13

In my usage of my freedom of speech, am I providing direction to the fountain of life? Am I using my freedom of speech to spill love over all wrong? Am I exercising discernment with my speech so that the rod may be spared?

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. Proverbs 10:19

I don't have to even explain that one, right?

With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape. Proverbs 11:9

The first reading of this passage makes me think of the scandalous malicious soul operating under a life of rebellion and destruction. However, as I read over it again, I am aware that it is very simply pointing out those whom operate without knowledge - the gateway to understanding and wisdom - are in a reckless and harmful state that not only harms self, but also those very near and dear to you. How often does my freedom in speech actual impact those whom I spend larger amounts of my life with over those who are just passing by? Um, every time I exercise carelessness, I hurt those near me. Even when I am not with them, my careless words can cause embarrassment and judgment to be heaped upon them unduly.

As the very impacting passages in Proverbs continue to unfold, the use of the tongue, the motive of speech, the discernment of silence all continue to redirect us to a place of filtering. It is with this filtering that we will build our homes for the glory of the Lord. It is with this filtering that we will build our communities for the Lord. It is with this filtering that we will rise up new leaders to bring healing to our land. It is with this filtering, the simple act of guarding our speech, that we can change the world and bring God's kingdom into restoration so that all may know Him and know that He knows them.

Help me filter. Lord, thank you for your Word and the instruction it provides for me to clean up the vomit.

Goofy Gail

To laugh is a treasure and our family is classic in our ability to find humor in the strangest thing. My father and brother have a long standing repertoire of one liners derived from punch lines of either humorous or slightly ridiculous jokes or slapstick comedy they have been repeated over and over AND OVER AND OVER again for the duration of our lives. In fact, the rather intimate collection of inside jokes we now have are currently being bled into our children. I am of a parenting phase where I am following each thing my children digest from the adults in their life with, "please don't say that at school." No, my family does not have foul language or rude banter, but their humor is somewhat, well, goofy. So I do not wish for my children to go to school and misquote one of us and it come back to us garbled...as it already has.

A few years back we had some family friends over who were discussing the plight of our government's current moral structure. My youngest, at the time 4 years old, went back to school and proceeded to share with her preschool class her newfound thoughts of the administration. Nothing like driving through the parent pick up line having multiple teachers giggle and tell you about how your child shared with them today "your" thoughts on the president. The funny thing of that day was the material of which my 4 year old quoted was not even spewed from either parent. Yet, guess what? We were the one's pinpointed with that perspective as this child is a product of our home.

Growing up I resided in a small town where almost everyone knew everyone and knew their business as well. So my ability to spew wisdom and embarrassment for and from my parents would not go unreported. I knew that whatever I said or did would get back to one of them...or both. So often I would catch myself as many a kid did saying things that were a repeat of my parents. Now, my parents were very good at being cautious about what they discussed in front of me...as I was a gabster at a moderate level. My mom was everywhere gal. In my early childhood, she was a keyboarding teacher at the high school for a few years, the music minister at my church, a meals-on-wheels servant, WMU director of the association, dictation transcriber for doctors, children's choir director, piano teacher, substitute teacher, and probably 4-5 other things that I have forgotten. In my older elementary career, she opened her own business by establishing a music studio just outside of our home - literally 20 paces to the East of our house.

There came a big moment in my life towards my teen years where the repetition of things that were said in my home, both humorous and impacting, took a new turn for me. When I got to the high school in my small town, and began my little independent scholarly experience there, I realized my independence only carried me as far as my name. You see, my family had gone before me in this institution. My brother, the natural genius, had soared and created an impression of what is produced from our home. No pressure. But there was another family member who had impacted my little school...Mom. She only worked at the school for 2 years in the Business Education department, but she had made her mark. All of the faculty members who had shared a building with my mother knew her and when they saw me, they saw her. There is nothing like introducing yourself and having someone say, "Oh you're Gail's daughter." This, too, gave pressure. Often that statement was followed by stories of how precious she was or how sweet or even cute. Mom was everyone's "mom". She mothered us. She mothered her students, both high school and music. She mothered her coworkers. She mothered her Sunday School class. She mothered her pastors. She was a cute little mother hen.

Because she was a mom to all, when I would share little silly stories about recent things she did or said that was just funny, everyone knew the inside joke because they knew her. It wasn't just a story that was only humorous to our little core 4. It was enjoyable to all. Microwaving ice cream. Stomach eating itself. Folgers and carefree gum at the same time. Fa so la. Next gimmick diet. As Seen On TV purchases. That little noise she would make when you found a Christmas present or her discovery of a Christmas present she hid from herself that she later found in July. Going to the beach to never step foot on the beach. Her kindergarten hockey experience. Those are just a few.

My entire life, I have encountered people, even people in the town I now live who knew my mother and not me, who tell me things my mother has said or did. BIG. My mom said naive and cute little expressions. My mom said powerful and encouraging prayers. My mom did silly little things like break out into song with the slightest hint of a word to a song she knew. My mom would get mad at people who hurt her babies (all 1500 of them) and courteously speak her mind. My mom showered grace and forgiveness too. My repetition of things said at my home became more of an echo of the entire community. She was no different at home. You got the same woman wherever she was.

My brother wrote of her parking prayers today on his post and we laugh about it, but my kids even repeat those prayers today. I have spoken of her and it has impacted my girls to the point that what she did and said matters to them as well. Whoo! That'll give you some kind of emotion. They know her, even though they can't touch her. They ask about her ALL the time.

They know her because of others too. We nicknamed her Goofy Gail for some of the cute little things she would say and do. If being called goofy is a reflection of saying and doing things that point people to the greatness of God like my mom did, I want to be goofy too. Happy 72 Mom! Happy 8 + Eternity!

Don't Be Simple

Read Proverbs 7

"I'm just a simple man" would be common Southern colloquialism. By stating so, one is implying that they have neither a desire for loftier possessions or achievement, nor do they have a desire to create complication in their day to day routine. Perhaps it is used in other regions as well for the purpose of giving a collective description of one's approach to life, yet regardless of location, it is utilized to minimize convolution of thought. I have grown up with the mindset that these are the people to covet. They are happy and unbothered by life. They tend to be avoiding of the catastrophes that are often created by chaotic schedules and obligations. The simple man does not place themselves on a path that would lead to stress therefore seemingly healthy for the most part. So this approach is the right way to live, right?

Proverbs 7 describes the plight of the simple. Simplicity is meant here to describe those who are without goal, ambition, or direction. Just living life day to day in a state of vulnerability. Our author, who beseeched the Lord to be blessed with great wisdom, explains that simplicity is a reflection of one who lacks judgment. The greater concentration of the passage is emphasizing the necessity to stray from adultery and the temptation that lurks out in the world. Yet, the overall theme is avoiding temptation that causes you to stray from a life of wisdom and honor and integrity. In order to have wisdom, you must pursue it, possess it, and practice it. Those who exercise a simple life are not necessarily living a life that is in great disobedience to the Lord. Yet, they are creating more chaso than they are actually intending to do by their efforts to avoid struggles and strife.

Sometimes simplicity is not actually efforts to keep life from experiencing difficulty. It is avoidance of the effort needed in order to create safety and security. By pursuing wisdom, we are better able to combat the temptations that are presented to us. Simplicity cannot protect us from all temptation. Idleness can get to us all regardless of where we are. Even if you are a hermit, you can be wasteful of your time - a sign of poor judgment. Your overall health and well-being is improved with the basic steps of developing goals and ambition. This is not to say that everyone should have a day planner and mark each minute with scheduled activity, nor is this to say that each person is to pursue higher education and possess a doctorate in some field. It is ambitious to clean your house. It is ambitious to accomplish errands. It is ambitious to read a book from cover to cover. Like adultery, many different temptations lurk out in society trying to rob us of wisdom and to manipulate our understanding. If we are not developing our knowledge of what is good, what is pure, and what is noble, than we will be easily swayed into what is unworthy.

This battle is different for each of us and the enemy is aware of where we are weak. If we are not attempting to alter our weakened state, than we will be taken under without even realizing it. It is no different than training for physical well being. When you fail to work out or train for a certain period of time, your body will adjust to the absence of that training. I am a runner/jogger. When I do not run for a few days, my body is very responsive to this absence of training and it causes me great discomfort in many ways - even my mental state.

Being simple is not always best. Being complicated is not always best. Being too consumed with making the right decision and leading a life of stress and anxiety is the other extreme from simple and it is in no way a reflection of a life honoring to God either. So don't see my challenge today as a push for the other side of the spectrum. Wisdom also encourages discernment and with discernment comes balance and trust in the Lord.

There's Still Time

Yesterday, I took part in what will most likely be a 2-3 week long process in our house. I started the Spring Cleaning sweep. Usually, the first thing I tackle is our closets. Right now, there is a strange, but systematic order to my madness. It could use some tweaking, and each year I try to make it more streamlined so I can shave a day or week off of this ordeal, but so far, still takes forever. Emma, my 9 year old, is blessed with new-to-her clothes from friends of our family. We take time to go through her precious gifts and figure out what can go in the closet now and what needs to be put away until she is slightly taller. Ha. Tall. Powells. Ha. Sorry, got tickled with that oxymoron.

After she picks her new additions to her closet, we must then remove from her closet the items that are to be blessed down to her younger, and yet almost the same size, sister. I must admit that I was quite proud with the way in which she let go of many items from her closet. Perhaps the heart-to-heart she had with her father several nights before concerning attachment to things was effective. She looked forward to being able to share her blessings with Abbi. After the purging of the closet, there was the restocking. Being blessed with new everything (thank you EJA), Emma took out some new items to put on for her pajamas last night.

It was as she was turning the shirt over multiple times to make sure the tag was on the right side before she pulled it over her head that I was caught in one of those moments. As she dressed herself, I still saw my tiny 2 year old that was just learning how to dress herself. As she grasped the material, I still saw her little hands and realized that though she was very far away from being my baby, she was still my little girl. It was at this moment that time froze for just a moment and a thousand thoughts ran through my mind at a million miles an hour. Memories of watching her learn to dress herself back when she was still tiny; when she first learned to put on shoes on the correct feet; when she first learned to tie her shoe; when she first started picking out her own outfits; when she first had displeasure for outfits I picked out; when she started brushing her own hair; when she started brushing her own hair without my help...

Then I was also paralyzed by the truth. Nine years are gone. Nine years of my ONE CHANCE to make a difference and to be the mom that she needs and to be the woman who models a godly example to her have flown by. But as she demonstrated to me her still delicate handling of items a precious innocence that is not quite lost, she also reminded me that I still have time and it is imperative that I be wise...so that one day she can be wise for her little one.

All of Proverbs is consumed with the charge for an adherence to wisdom. More specifically, there is instruction in the first few chapters for us to listen to our father's instruction (or mother). In Proverbs 4, there is challenge to listen so that you may live and find protection. Proverbs 4:23 says, Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

I have taken this verse for personal consumption all of my life. Today it is new. Have I taught Emma and Abbi to guard their heart? Have I exposed them to methods to combat conflicts and problems so that they can still maintain a guarded heart? Have I shown them how to "let your eyes look straight ahead, fixing your gaze directly before you" as stated in Proverbs 4:25? Though I have now completed 1/2 of the time that I have with Emma guaranteed under my roof, I still have time. Oh how I am aware that they are watching. Oh how I want to not make their hearts a center of strife and disappointment in their future because they have not learned to guard it. Oh, how I want them to learn to have a great enjoyment of life and explore the world for all that God has to offer while fixing their gaze upon Him.

For you, there may seem like there is time lost. However, if you have anyone of the ability to exercise influence, than show them how to guard their heart and to keep their gaze directly before them. Know that someone is ALWAYS watching. It might be your children. It might be grandchildren. It might be your neighbor. It might be an older adult. It might be you. Let them be little. Oh do not ask them to be so focused on their future that they are not still children. But when being little turns into being an adult as playground drama causes the revelation of an unguarded heart, this is your moment. Teach them. There is still time.

Thoughts Outloud

So I almost died last week. OK, not really, but my second bout with kidney stones in 10 years and I was reminded once again how childbirth is NOT THAT BAD. After a few days of recovery, we were then slapped with that amazing bittersweet spring forward. The loss of an hour of blessed sleep combined with months of extended daylight to enjoy all that the world has to offer. Yep, that is just a wicked cruel and beautiful thing. From this week of experience it plays into my ever lengthening list of things that I wonder about. Some are items that I plan to chat with God about when we have time one day - you know, like forever. Others, I just wonder because I was heavily medicated on pain meds or because I am just me. Here are my thoughts out loud. If you wish to answer, than please do so. Otherwise, enjoy.

1. Why do companies that manufacture liquids that pump make the tube that is embedded into the liquid too short leaving several usages of soap, lotion, shampoo, spray bottles of cleaner, or chocolate syrup at Yogurt Mountain sitting at the bottom of the container? Then you have to either decide to chunk it or take the stupid top off and shake the rest of the needed item out only after you have turned the bottle in 9,000 different directions trying to siphon the rest of the liquid through the tube through gravity.

2. How many t-shirts are too many and why can't someone make a white one every once in a while? We have 35 black or navy t-shirts. Don't you people know that most t-shirts are made to be warn in the warm seasons and therefore making a shirt that is not as attractive to the great big ball of fire in the sky would make things slightly easier for those of us with absolutely no tint to our skin pigmentation?

3. Why does the American government still feel like it is necessary to involve ourselves in everyone else's crisis? We have become that girl in the school circles who flits around from clique to clique trying to make people like her by offering unrequested advice to others on how to better their lives.

Some people don't like us. So flitting into their chaos is not going to make them change their minds.
Some people like their way of life. So flitting into their world to tell them we think they need to do it better because our way is better is not going to make them like us.
Some people see us as the pot calling the kettle black..."you're telling us how to fix our economy/government/society/environment?"

4. Why can't I come up with the next big thing? I mean really. Someone came up with erasers shaped like toilets and plungers and 200 of my 225 students a few years back bought them at the school book fair. Rubber bands shaped like random animals, jewelry made out of rubber bands, Christmas tree hooks, etc. I'm thinking, I can't be far from something making a hit.

5. Why do some people wear clothes that they look incredibly uncomfortable in? I know, I know. Some of you are immediately thinking of my stilettos. Please understand that if they were killing me, I would not wear them. It isn't just shoes. Clothing - that isn't required uniform - tell me why you wear it?

6. Why Chuck Norris? Why not Bruce Lee? Or Clint Eastwood? Or Danger Mouse?

7. Why is there No Child Left Behind? Yep, I said it. I am in love with exposing education to all and bringing them to a passion for learning, but I am aware that not all children are the same. Only one person wins the Boston Marathon. One. Only 3 people medal in an event in the Olympics - 3. It is a part of life. I cannot build a rocket or change my oil. I cannot sew a stitch or remember all the metric system conversions. But there are those who can. It is ok that they are different from me and have strengths unlike me.
8. Why do we complicate the English language and with such absurd rules? I before E except after C; silent E; Oo, ew, ou can all sound the same and different; Read and Read are the same but different. It is all the more highlighted when doing spelling words with your child and trying to explain patterns. Never thought I would reduce myself to saying, "It just is. I don't know why?"

9. How many more flavors of Mountain Dew can there be?

10. RFDTV?

11. How fast will the progression of tolerance of inappropriate things in social media and entertainment industry continue to spiral?

12. Why do there have to be erectile dysfunction commercials during the middle of programs that could be family oriented? Thanks broadcasting companies for creating those family fun talks.

13. God, why roaches? And why are they so indestructible?

14. God, how come we can't kill mold? Please, I need some help with that.

15. God, did you intend for us to travel off of the planet that you designed just for us? I know that you have allowed it. However, we are creatures of selfish desire and what we have is never enough. Can't help but admit space exploration is amazing to me, but are we pushing it?

16. Allergies? Come on? Is that really necessary?

17. God, How many times do you laugh at me a day?

18. Are there animals that you made that you allowed to become extinct because you were done with that entertainment? Or is most of it our fault? And there are some out there that I cannot wait hear about your intention with that created thing?

More another day…

Where Can I Park My Car?

So I’m a crier. We all know this full well, right? I can sob with the best of them at any given moment. However, I can hold it in as well as long as nobody touches me. Are you that way? You are a rock, but the minute someone tries to hug you or even put a hand on your shoulder, that thick layer of strength tends to weaken and sometimes cripple you. You know what is even more noticeable? When God is the one giving that hug or placing that hand on your shoulder. The crippling factor is only for a minute second as I am released from my worry knowing that there is a hand on my shoulder through my storm. Oh my goodness, it gives me goose bumps just thinking about it.

We encourage each other often with the wonderful words written in Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In ALL YOUR WAYS, acknowledge HIM, and HE will make your path straight.

There is that word again…trust. So many of us struggle with this term. We long to have a relationship with anybody that is trustworthy, but we are afraid that is not achievable. Think about it. Most everyone that you have encountered in your life has let you down in some form or fashion right? Maybe you have an amazing grandfather who seems perfect, but I can bet there is something in his life that he might not be proud of. We all make mistakes.

The matter of trust that is being discussed here is one that is being placed upon your Creator, you know that guy that spoke and things just all of the sudden came to be. Yeah, that guy. Not the guy that attended to you as you grew up. Not the guy who coached you through your favorite sport. Not the guy who broke up with you after proposing. Not the guy who gave you a job only to turn around and fire you because of budget.

You see, we equate trusting in the Lord with the only other examples of trust we are able to comprehend. Trusting in the one who is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent is not comparable to trusting your parent, or your coach, or your favorite teacher, or your best friend, or your soul mate. Though these people are valuable to you and also find value in you, they are not able to see your future. They are not able to be everywhere with you (or without you). They certainly do not have the power to do all things – including create.

I am the optimist in my family. The glass is half full. I always have hope. I live with a family of fuddy duddies though. They see the world through tainted and jaded goggles. Everyone is operating under an ulterior motive and nobody is worthy of trust and everyone will fail and life is not a bunch of roses. Blah, Blah, blah. I see everyone as having potential. I see that everyone deserves a second chance, maybe even a 3rd.

However, I am far more guarded than some. I understand all too well that people can disappoint me and hurt me and let me down. I have not lived in a cave or bubble for the past few decades. People are greedy and people are needy and people are manipulative and people are deceitful. But guess what? God isn’t. So I trust Him. That trust is what gives me hope and helps me see the potential in others.

When I am struggling over who God has chosen to use in my life to give me verbal guidance, I stay on my knees. Even well intentioned mentors can lead you down the wrong path. Above all, go with your gut…because your gut is sometimes more than just your nerves. Often, it is God speaking to you with your gut.

Now, don’t live a life of naivety. I am not saying to trust everyone. The emphasis is IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, and then He will make your path straight. So, in other words, when you feel that trusting someone is questionable, pray about it. When you can’t decide on a job, pray about it. When you are afraid of losing your home, pray about it. When you are confused about a discipline issue, pray about it. When you can’t decide what to order at a restaurant because of budget or diet, pray about it. The Lord NEVER TIRES of hearing you speak to Him. My mother used to pray for a close parking space everywhere we went. My father would tease her and tell her to quit bothering God with that request. It mattered to her, so she asked it of the Lord.

When you actually trust Him, you will see His hand at work. Remember you are not dealing with another human. You are trusting someone who has the power to spin your little world around a large ball of fire causing life to spring forth whenever He desires. You will feel his touch and maybe even His hug. You will no longer be bound by circumstances, but you will sprint with new energy that is given by allowing that trust to be initiated. Oh how He loves you and me.

What is Right?

Long before I even knew that my church was also going to embark upon the book of Proverbs for the month of March, I had decided that I wanted to walk through these passages myself. So go check out the insight of my fellow believers as they walk through this book as well.

http://haydenbiblechallenge.com/

There is so much to learn from this great book leaving it deserving of separated acknowledgement. We often use passages from Proverbs on encouragement cards or portraits sold at Lifeway for there are so many simple and yet meaningful statements given by the writer, Solomon - son of David. God did not allow Solomon to sit down and just write down randomness though. There is purpose and flow to the writing.

Chapter one should be read before any other verse in the book. Solomon goes to great length to explain the difference between wisdom and lack thereof. Often, some of us find ourselves comparing our wisdom to other academia and feeling that we fall short. Understand that wisdom is not measured by your memorization of the Periodic Table and the chemical compounds that cause certain reaction. Nor is wisdom measured by your ability to out negotiate someone in a trade or business transaction.

Wisdom comes from knowledge, but they are not the same. Knowledge is a strong collection of information. Wisdom is the action that is application of knowledge. You can know the truth, but if you do nothing with that knowledge, than you are lacking wisdom and are truly no better than the ignorant.

The fear of the Lord is the BEGINNING of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:7

Understanding the source of knowledge - God - will lead you to the starting point of knowledge. However, you must take that knowledge and let it grow as you not only know God is the source of knowledge, but you also get to know God and immerse yourself in greater knowledge. With that greater knowledge, you will obtain understanding of many things that are occurring in life. To gain greater knowledge, you must be disciplined to invest in a relationship with the Almighty. A relationship is two ways, meaning you must be silent and listen as well as speak and petition.

Before Solomon mentions the establishment of fear, or reverential trust, he also mentions doing what is right. So many times our lives are presented with very complicated questions that leave us perplexed as to what is right and what is wrong. Not everything is black and white. Some of you may be further along in your ability to discern right from wrong than others. And some of you may think you know right from wrong, but you don't.

For attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair. Proverbs 1:3-4

When you cannot find a specific answer to a question in life in the scriptures, do what is right and just and fair. Our busy lives are crammed with situations that were not common in Biblical times. You will not find in the scripture specific direction on certain gray areas. However, this is one of those verses that I claim when struggling in my complicated questions. Do what is right. In my prayers and petitions to the Lord to reveal to me what is right, I find that HE ALWAYS DOES REVEAL to me what is right. However, I have to be disciplined to listen to Him, to seek the knowledge, and attain the wisdom to properly use in my decisions and actions.

When you do not know what is right to do in a situation life presents to you, AND you haven't been saturating yourself in His presence and word, do not expect the answer to just appear like a neon sign. You must sit in His presence and be willing to slow down and listen, for He will speak. However, I will tell you from personal experience, I have had my fair share of flashing neon signs. When you ARE disciplined in your time with the Lord and you ARE earnestly seeking knowledge and you ARE trying to apply knowledge, He will speak loudly. LOUDLY.

What is right? Ask Him. He will answer. Be ready though. Sometimes His answer is eye-opening and awe-inspiring and shocking.

Oh Be Careful Little Eyes

“…Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.” Romans 12:17

When we were children in Sunday School we would always sing the wonderful song, "Oh Be Careful Little Eyes." And though I just sang it when I was a child, I really get it now. It really should probably be sang by adults more than children.

Oh, be careful little eyes what you see.
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see.
For the father up above,
Is looking down in love.
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see.

Oh, be careful little ears what you hear.

Oh, be careful little mouth what you say.

Oh, be careful little hands what you do.

Oh, be careful little feet where you go.

Any of those difficult for you to confess? Let me help you think through them.

Eyes:
Food - Things that you long for comfort or for spoiling. Things that can cause you to stumble or be a stumbling block for others. Do you love to eat when you are down and depressed? For me, it depends on what caused the emotion. How about spoilage? Would you rather have a well prepared meal by someone else that is $20/plate rather than your own work?

Possessions - Coveting is dangerous and deadly, because we do not realize it has consumed us until we are in trouble. Have you bought a car you cannot afford, but you had to have it? Clothing or accessories justified for "work"? Electronics that are collecting dust because you don't have enough time to use them all? House? Boat? RV? Vacation Home? Vacation? Furniture? Dishes? Appliances? Cell phone package? Cell phone?

Sex - Also coveting, but it is of a different nature. Men and women are built very differently. Yet, there is one thing that is not different -they both HAVE needs and desires. For men, visual stimuli trigger the awareness of this desire/need. Women see relationships in movie, books, or even in other couples that begin to have a stirring within them awakening the need to have "that type" of relationship. If your eyes are presented an option, than that leads to contemplation of how you can obtain the satisfaction of meeting the need.

Movies & TV - When we watch enough of material that is over the line or on the line, we tend to have our own blurring of the line. When you immerse yourself in a world of gray matter, you eventually become a darker shade of gray rather than a cleaner shade of white.

Ears:
Music - Garbage in; garbage out.
Jokes - Garbage in; garbage out.
Movies & TV - Garbage in; garbage out.

Mouth:
Your mouth is truly the most impacting strength you possess. It can make or break the confidence and future of a multitude, for what you say to one can, and often will, cause a ripple effect. If you allow negativity to spew, it spawns cynicism and hate. This attitude can suffocate a home. Are you too comical? Are you too serious? Are you too critical? Your mouth can also offer healing words. Your words can encourage. Your words can inspire. Your words can bring peace. Your words can resolve conflict. Your words can change everything. EVERYTHING.

Hands:
Building for the needy.
Baking for the hungry.
Writing for the lonely.
Hugging for the weary.
Carrying for the weak.
Directing for the lost.

Feet:
Where you go, people will follow. It is true. They may not follow with their feet, but they are following with their thoughts. Anywhere you choose to go is effective in your influence. I am not just talking about mission trips versus strip clubs. Shopping. Establishments. Leisure activities. Schools. Days you sacrifice for these extra events. Where you choose to not go is important. Are you unwilling to serve? Willing to be among the least of these? To be uncomfortable? Or dirty? or tired?

Here is one not mentioned in the song:

Mind - what you think. The world may be oblivious to your thoughts, but He is not.

Now that you are all having a panic attack right along with me, just remember that where you were yesterday is not where you have to be today. We are created by a forgiving Creator who has given us the ability to choose. That is the last part of the song that we forget.

For the Father up above
Is looking down in LOVE

He loves us even when we choose wrong. He loves us as we are learning to choose right. His desire is that we choose to honor him, but we must choose.

The Boy Who Will Marry My Daugther

Today is a significant day in the Powell family. Our oldest has embarked upon her final year in the single digits. Nine seems like just another year in the grand spectrum of childhood, but my mind constantly thinks in milestones and monumental occasions. You see, last year was our halfway point to the ever fearful 16 – driving. It awakened in us the dire need to begin to plan for her vehicle and save for that added expense. I am just crazy enough that I have researched safety ratings on current cars; because current cars will be used cars in our price range come time to buy her car. Crazy, I know. Just another little peek inside my warped little mind.

Today is the marker of her final year of her first decade of life. Nine years ago today, I awaited the arrival of my first baby. Oh the joy that flooded our souls as we knew the addition to our family would change everything. Even more so, nine months prior to this day, I began a specific prayer for my child. It involved a number of specific petitions to the Lord encompassing many upcoming markers in her development. I prayed for her acceptance of His Lordship at an early age. Check. I prayed for friends to be abundant and for her personality to be attractive and pleasing to His eyes. Check. I prayed for her health and well being throughout her life. I prayed for her protection from persecution from the ones who do not believe. I prayed for her future spouse. I still pray for him today.

Though you might think it is silly, God never tires of my requests. Right now, somewhere, is a young man developing and being nurtured by a parent or guardian raising him. Right now, somewhere, a young man is watching and observing how a man is to treat a woman. Right now, somewhere, a young man is gaining an education that will equip him to be successful and a confident provider for his family. Right now, somewhere, a young man is making a decision about his Creator as to whether he believes and trusts or is still skeptical. Right now, somewhere, a young man is grasping what love is and is, again, learning by what is modeled before him. Right now, somewhere, a young man is falling in love with a hobby that will be his joy and release when he needs a break from being the dedicated leader of his home. Right now, somewhere, a young man is learning how to handle conflict and solve problems. Right now, somewhere, a young man is learning to communicate in a pleasant and constructive way.

Ephesians 5 describes how a wife and husband are to interact with one another. Yet, it is often ignored in the first part of the chapter Paul’s specific emphasis how every relationship is to be established. We are to live a life of love. There is not to be any immorality or impurity or greed. There is to be no deception with empty words or deeds of the darkness. There is to be a life of decisions made in wisdom, not foolishness. We are to speak words of kindness and encouragement making the most of every opportunity. We are to submit to one another out of reverence.

We are to love as Christ loves us. He submitted himself to death on the cross so that we would not have to suffer. He loved with a radical commitment to our advancement and well being. By beginning the practice of this style of love, my daughter will understand how to have a successful marriage one day. The man that will take her hand will love her this way as well, for I cry out to the Lord for this and He hears my cry. The man that will one day take her hand will not be deceiving or dishonest with her as he is fleeing from the darkness and making the most of every opportunity to encourage her as well as others he impacts – like my grandchildren. He will be selfless because he has learned from scripture to not be greedy. He will love her like Christ loves the church.

I pray for both of my girls concerning this very topic. It is imperative that as our world continues to embrace things that are displeasing to the Lord, I must pray for these people that will one day be a part of my family. They need the prayer just as I do to get through these most complicated times. God desires to know my desires and I desire for His desires to become my desires. How could my God not desire for my daughters to be aligned with someone who will help them stand strong against the evil one seeking to destroy? My God will supply all my needs. One day I will not be here and I need someone to pick-up where I leave off encouraging and inspiring my girls to greatness.

Young man, I am praying for you and I look forward to the day we meet. On that day, I will begin to hear the story of how God answered my prayers through the course of your life. I will celebrate with you how you have overcome obstacles and become the man He intends you to be.

Which Voice

When I began my journey to weight loss after my first baby, I returned to my regiment that I had maintained prior to this wonderful experience. I am a jogger. I don't know if I constitute as a runner. I have never done a full marathon, so I don't know if I am entitled to that label. Nevertheless, my first run post-baby was brutal. As you have read in other posts, I am rather determined, though. Yet, I must disclose to you that there were voices of negativity inside of me. These voices told me that I was an embarrassment to my husband because I had gotten so large. Voices that told me that I would never lose all that weight. Voices that told me my efforts were hopeless. Voices that reminded me of the pleasantly plump little girl I was at one time and told me that I need to accept it.

When the news of the return of my mother's cancer hit my ears, my heart grieved. A battle began in my mind. I had been given 2 more years with her and what had I done with those 2 years? Did I really think that I was the respectful and appreciative child that I should have been? What could I ever do that could be enough to say I am sorry for any time that I had wasted being a selfish child? While the other side of the argument was God whispering to me preparation for what was to come. God spoke peace and acceptance over me. God gave very clear direction to me for actions and behaviors. God's voice was louder. God's voice was true.

When I lost my third child, I was at a complete low. The loss was excruciating, but the voices of insecurity were so LOUD. It was so hard to fight off the constant accusations of the loss being my fault. If I had stopped running, than the baby would not have miscarried...even though I read and reread and reread that maintaining my running was OK. If I had eaten better or more. If I had slowed down. If I had prayed more. I deserved it because I was too old to have another baby. I didn't deserve the blessing of a third and I was being selfish. Some of these voices were even audible with actual people in the community saying them to or about me. Neat, huh? God's voice eventually won out, but I will not tell you that the voices do not still try to creep in and make me experience anguish. Every April 17, I have a choice to make. That morning is a very heavy pep talk.

In his new book, Crashing the Chatterbox, Steven Furtick says, "when you open yourself up to dialogue with the enemy, you have already lost!" That was huge for me. I know that I am to listen to God's voice above all, but to have the release from the argument was so empowering. I have spent my entire life bantering with the enemy as he speaks negative and destructive words and thoughts into my soul. I cannot stop him from making these attempts to tear me down, but I can stop myself from responding. I can choose to say the truth every time the lies are uttered to my ears. I can choose to acknowledge that I have purpose and was created for great things. I can choose to say that, "I know the plans He has for me...plans to PROSPER me and NOT HARM me, plans to give me HOPE and a FUTURE." (Jeremiah 29:11)

I can say that, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer," including peace from the storm that Satan is trying to stir inside of me. Matthew 21:22

I can know that, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32

"...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that the sufferings produce perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. AND HOPE DOES NOT DISSAPOINT US, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:3-5

Saturate in truth and use it to give you victory over the voices. He speaks truth, not lies. Anything that gives you self-doubt or insecurity is not of God. Don't argue back with the voices. Don't give in to the lies. Speak truth and listen to the voice of truth over all the chatter.

Just Try for Greatness is Before You

How we are raised is extremely impacting upon how we approach life. That goes without saying. Even if we are raised in a negative environment, the struggles we overcome to survive that situation will alter how we approach most of what life throws at us. Each generation, we see the great stories of those who overcome challenges. Either the hero has grown up in a home without funding, or family, or freedom or the hero has made a decision to place others above themselves. Each story is different. Each story is empowering.

Challenges bring character. Challenges vary upon what you’re capable of processing at that moment in time. Challenges determine future. Most importantly the way in which the challenge is presented is not really the observation to be noted. The reaction and response to the challenge is from what we learn. By studying historical figures, awe and intrigue is exposed by the way that life presented challenges that seemed impossible to overcome; yet they prevailed. George Washington’s ride across the Delaware is not just inspiring because of the great leader, but because of the men who sacrificed and followed him across that icy cold waterway late in the night. Rosa Parks’ determination was not just empowering for both blacks and women, but also, the people who committed to follow her were mesmerizing as they gave up convenience to pursue justice.

Somewhere in the raising of great figures such as these, there was a voice of encouragement and strength. There was a voice whispering hope. There was an urging of endurance and success. There was someone or something that gave them the boldness to try something that was unthinkable at that time. A parent; a grandparent; an aunt or uncle; a teacher; a coach; a minister; a sports hero; a friend; an enemy even can be an instrument that brings about great victory over adversity. To just try. Pause for a minute and ponder the things that you have not tried simply out of fear or pessimism. That list can become extensive. My list makes me embarrassed.

Our society today promotes a current motto of YOLO – You Only Live Once. I have heard some leaders of respect discredit this motto as it tends to empower the liberal behavior of trying things that can be harmful. Yet, there is another way to look at this same statement. You only have one chance to make a decision that could alter your future and/or the future of others. That is powerful and often completely ignored. If I live a life that is afraid of trying things because of fear of failure or because of fear of rejection or because I just don’t think I can, then I am living a model for my children to behave the same way.

The greatest generation is called so for a reason. They modeled for us endurance. They modeled for us sacrifice. They modeled for us commitment. They modeled for us love. They modeled for us sacrifice. They modeled for us excellence, valor, hope, persistence, joy in all circumstances. They modeled greatness.

More than looking to history to see how we should live our lives, we must observe the obvious.

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus. Romans 15:4-5

The greatest generation was the greatest because their endurance brought unity, just as Paul emphasizes here in Romans. We no longer have that unity as those who are committed to endurance are few and far between.

Yesterday, I wrestled this beast in my own life. I am a play through the pain kinda gal, for the most part. However, I am far from strong. There are events that happen in my life that cause me to give pause or even give up or fail. I have tried to not be a person that is of questionable endurance or perseverance, but I will not deny that it is a daily challenge.

My heart was filled with humility and awe yesterday as I watched my child embrace endurance. The mothering side of me was in helicopter mode as I tried to prevent injury, but at the same time, God was constantly telling me to be silent and sit down. If I hover, I will not allow her to experience the challenge that brings about endurance. If she doesn’t develop endurance and perseverance, she will not be able to establish commitment and sacrifice. If she does not establish commitment and sacrifice, she will never understand true joy and love. She will not experience greatness. She will not add to the unity that is to be expected of those who are in Christ Jesus.

May we learn to try again…even if failure is possible. May we learn to commit to something greater. May we model so that others will bring the same commitment to excellence. Who can you be a hero for? Just try.

2 Corinthians 1:6
2 Corinthians 6:4
Colossians 1:11
1 Thessalonians 1:3
1 Timothy 6:11
2 Timothy 3:10
Titus 2:2

It's Yo Thang...

...do what you wanna do.

Our society is saturated in self-gratification. We pursue jobs that are not only financially rewarding, but that are also inspiring and intriguing. Let's face it, nobody wishes to spend their days immersed in a behavior that sucks the joy out of you. So, often people find themselves either changing jobs or going back to school or seeking transfer within the business or changing careers.

If changing careers is not the answer for the fulfillment a person desires, you also see the dabbling in various hobbies or extracurricular activities. There are so many NEW hobbies to have that were completely unheard of just a decade or so ago. Flipping houses. Frisbee golf. Trash to treasure. Cupcake decorating. Jewelry made out of rubber bands for crying out loud. Regardless of what you are pursuing, you are pursuing something. The big question that must be asked is what void is it filling in your soul? You see, there are purposes for each of the activities in which we participate. Let me say that again. They should have purpose. Even relaxation is a purpose.

God has blessed us all with different talents and abilities. It is sometimes within the battle of career change or new hobby that we actually discover what our true talents and abilities are that are deep within us. Your dabbling allows you to find strengths and weaknesses, even in extracurricular. Have you ever played a sport? When you fall in love with a sport, you typically fall in love with participating in a particular role on the team. For instance, I was a setter for my volleyball team. Obviously, outside hitter was not an option for me as I am only a whopping 5'4", yet even so, I fell in love with that position and even now when we take a court just for a pickup game that is my spot. I am also loud and a talker, so I was the distractibility factor on many of my teams growing up.

Now, have you ever played a sport that you really loved, but the sport didn't love you as much? This sport took far more time and energy for you in practice and effort and the practice was not enjoyable. You find yourself engrossed in trying to prove to yourself that you can accomplish this somewhat challenging skill and yet it owns you. OWNS YOU! There is something to be said for dedication to practice and pursuance of excellence. Yet, there is also notation given to exerting great amounts of energy and resources to something that is not allowing you to pursue what is your true purpose. Throughout high school, college, and after, we watched the ever popular TV show Friends. There was an episode where a wealthy gentleman that Monica was dating decided that he was going to use his financial resources to pour into training for MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) competition. If you have seen the episode, this character was nowhere near the beginnings of preparation for MMA. Even after some time of training, his first competition left him pretty “messed up”. It’s not his thing.

Same is to say for jobs. If you are in a job that is necessary at this point in your life to pay the bills and to give you security, that is understandable. However, as you are involved in your work at where you are presently assigned, be aware that you can make it something that is pleasurable during your hours of commitment. If you allow it to control you and speak negativity to you, then you become ineffective not only at the job, but in the rest of your life. Think about it. If your job exhausts you, the tasks involved as a parent are not pleasurable as you no longer have the energy to give to your family. If your job causes you sadness, then you often just go home to escape instead of participating in other things you love.


1 Timothy 4:14 - 16 - Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

You have a gift. It does not have to be limited to one facet of your life. It needs to be used in all areas of your day to day routine. If your gift can become a job, than DO IT. If your gift can be used at your job, than do that. Seriously. If you can sing, than use that gift to spread joy to your coworkers as you skip down the hall to make copies making a joyful noise to the Lord. It allows others to see; to see God in you, to see your joy in the circumstances, to see a talent not being neglected. Find the one thing that you do well, and DO IT WELL.

Realize that your neglect of your gift by trying to be other roles in this life is causing harm not only to you, but to others. Even in volunteering, you need to be aware that though you have a heart to serve, you cannot, and should not, do everything. Shelley Gigglio spoke at a conference I recently attended and emphasized the importance of letting your “Yes” be the impact it is intended to be. Your “yes” to accepting a role can determine as to how the future of other people will unfold. The wrong “yes” can have a negative effect on people because you are in a spot ministering where you should not be. You are the wrong person investing (and exhausting) yourself, and that could actually devastate you and/or someone else. While at the same time, you are not investing where you should be and someone is missing out on God’s blessings He planned to deliver through you.

The right “yes” can change your future and the future of others for eternity. Find your thing that you do well and say “yes”.

A Little About Me

Often those little surveys are passed around on Facebook or on email asking you random questions about yourself so that others can better know you. Sometimes they are ridiculous and sometimes they are rather intriguing. There are only so many times I wish to tell people that I prefer my toilet paper to go over and not under on the dispenser, though. In any case, I thought it would be beneficial to let some of you know randomness about me.

Here are things that are most commonly known about me.

1. I love, LOVE, love peanut butter, but I hate peanuts...well, I hate most all nuts.
2. I love college football (insert elephant trumpet)
3. I'm "crazy" about basketball and am so excited that March Madness is coming.
4. My affection for shoes is endless.
5. My two daughters are often called "mini-Jodi". Bless them, Lord.
6. I am terrified of snakes, and no, there are not any "good" snakes. (Read Genesis people)
7. Sarcasm pours out of my pores.
8. I'm a runner...but not very fast.
9. My husband is the preacherman.
10. My favorite color is blue, and right now it is the shade of turquoise.

Things that are less commonly known about me.

1. My pinky toe is sideways.
2. My favorite golden retriever and I would share candy bars when I was little; and no, he did not die from it.
3. I have experienced the joy of kidney stones and would birth 35 more children before experiencing that again.
4. I won $100 from WZZK when I was a teenager.
5. I don't sleep well - ever. :)
6. I am a presidential junky...and history.
7. Twizzlers taste like plastic to me.
8. I sweat easily and therefore can become soaking wet by just standing outside.
9. I'm not afraid of heights, but I am afraid of falling.
10. I had a major car wreck with my mom my senior year of high school.

What I learn from me from the above 20 things...

1. Peanut butter has protein in it. (And lots of fat)
2. I have mellowed over the years in my fandom as I do not want to be remembered as the one who is obnoxious.
3. I can be loyal even when things are not pretty.
4. Find your one thing that you can indulge and be cautious but purposeful.
5. My influence is crucial.
6. The serpent is cursed.
7. Making you laugh is healthy because laughter is the best medicine.
8. Running gets my blood flowing and makes me a better person overall in the morning and throughout the day.
9. My behavior is being monitored.
10. Immersing yourself in colors that make you happy also help your overall demeanor.

The other facts:

1. God made me this way so that I can share with others how each of us have our own beauty marks.
2. Sometimes not knowing is best.
3. Ironically, my kidney stone was before the birth of my two children and I know God did that so that I would appreciate childbirth all the more.
4. I spend money too fast and yet sometimes I don't spend any because I want to make the best use of the money.
5. My mind is constantly running and not resting. I need downtime, because God cannot use me in this state. Therefore, my to-do list needs to be surrendered.
6. I love learning about people because everyone has a story. EVERYONE.
7. Food should not waste my time...nor should anything else.
8. Make sure when you are causing yourself discomfort it will have an end result that is worth the discomfort.
9. I don't like to be out of control. Falling is a loss of control.
10. God hears my prayers - ALWAYS.

Confession

Many denomenations approach the practice of confession in different ways. Regardless of how you feel the practice of confession should take place, we all agree that it should. I am going to paraphrase my Bible's commentary on confession.

"If we are believers, than we know that our sins are forgiven, yet why is confession still necessary. Confession is MORE than appropriating Christ's forgiveness for what we have done wrong. Confession is agreeing with God that your thoughts, words, and actions are wrong and not in alignment with His will for your life. It is turning away from that which caused you sin and towards that which saved you from the sin."

However, there is the practice of habitual confession. Where do you draw the line of "confessing" for the same sin over and over again? Isn't there a time when you must realize that you are not really agreeing with God that your thoughts, words, and actions are wrong? Isn't there a point where you realize that you are not really pursuing alignment with Him? You love the act more than you love the Creator. You abuse "freedom" in Christ.

Perhaps you do not confess at all because you took that one blanketed forgiveness as good enough. So perhaps you need to re-evaluate this whole "freedom" in Christ thing too.

Whatcha need to tell Him about today? He already knows, but He is waiting to chat with you about it.

Don't Miss This - Part 2

Exodus 14
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

Dry ground. Dry ground. The earth that was once covered in water was immediately dry. God didn't just part the water for them to trudge across in the mud. He made it incredibly easy for them. No mire for their wagons or animals to get stuck. No slippery slimy algae to cause them to stumble. Dry ground.

Not only was the ground dry, it remained that way for the extent of the journey across the Red Sea. There are many different locations along the Red Sea where it is thought that the Israelites crossed, but let me just tell you that none of them are "a short walk." After they whined and complained and collapsed under fear, the very water upon which they were gawking began to part. I feel short of breathe even now just thinking about that scene.

After standing there for a moment, paralyzed by the enormity of this vision, the Israelites began following Moses, the one whose faith was enough to part these waters and deliver them. That just happened! Yet, knowing how their disposition was before the waters parted, I can imagine that as they were walking through the cavern of aquatic masses, there was probably fear and hasty movement. Remember, this is the same group that will later complain again even after being face to face with sharks, eels, jelly fish and the like.

We go through amazing miraculous blessings in our lives so often and so very shortly we forget the impact of the experience. Look at Americans and their great patriotism. We were invincible and united after 9/11, but wow it is far more difficult to see the camaraderie in our present year.

As for me, the same God who walked my mother through a challenge with breast cancer in 2003, was also the same God who would walk with her again in 2006 as it returned. I saw my own wall of water. I watched Him grant her more time on this earth in 2003. God allowed access to medical treatment that could provide restoration to her. God allowed man to get a peek inside the creation of the human body in order to even guess which combination of chemicals could be used to remove these small little cells that were not normal to the original design. It was not the chemotherapy that saved her, nor was it the surgery, it was God. He chose to answer our prayers and to hold her close as he used her life to reflect His glory.

For those brief 3 years in between the bouts with cancer, I did grow in my walk with the Lord, but I will not even begin to tell you that I did not have moments of complaining or exhaustion. I am far from perfect. I will tell you that I am not one to question God, though. I still had some of that same old me inside. The same old me that would whine from time to time. The same old me that would try to do things in my own power from time to time. The same old me that could easily forget the wall of water.

But I have walked on dry ground more than once. Many of my journeys have been several miles long like this walk for the Israelites. But the ground was dry...meaning He provided what I needed at that moment to get through that challenge. And let me tell you something, I am better for it. More often than not, I do not know why I am experiencing a trial as it begins, but I know why when He knows I can handle it. He delivers me! He has delivered you. And He will again. Don't miss this. Ask Him to show you the water - both that you have walked through and the water you are walking beside right now.

Don't Miss This - Part 1

"Don't miss this!" A common catch phrase mentioned by my spouse on a Sunday morning. Usually he frames the key take-home point with this phrase. Within this warning he often highlights some poignant statement made by Paul or Christ himself. He is urging our congregation to digest the passage in a new way...to chew on it instead of just accepting it. The awe of God and His splendor. The mercy of His forgiveness. The firmness of His law and teaching. The application to us, His followers. So often, Jeremy will bring to light a passage that has often been misinterpreted or misunderstood and paints it with such color that makes it impossible to miss.

Last night he was reading through the Bible with our girls and was covering the story of Moses leading the Israelites through the parted water. I heard the voice of the Lord clearly say to me, "Don’t miss this, Jodi!"

Exodus 14
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.11 They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" 13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." 15 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground…21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

Oh my goodness, to be there. I’m a crier and an emotional roller coaster, so as I think about the very thought of being delivered from captivity at all, I know I would be in tearful humility. Yet, it is mentioned in verse 11 the fear and questioning of God’s deliverance through Moses with sarcasm and pessimism. Jodi paraphrase:

“What? Were there not enough graves where we were, so you just moved us to an easier place of burial? We told you we were afraid this was a mistake. We told you this was impossible and that the odds were against us. Did you not look at us compared to the Egyptian army? We stand no chance. But we trusted you and look at where we are now? We will try to swim and most likely ½ of us will drown or we can just stand here and take the beating that is going to come upon us by this enraged mob heading toward us. Thanks, Moses. Thanks a lot. (or even Thanks, God! Thanks a lot!) “

We look back at this passage and say to these Israelites, you ungrateful people. Don’t you know what all God has done for you prior to your life of enslavement? Don’t you know how God protected you in Egypt from the angel of death? Don’t you see how you WALKED out of Egypt with no resistance? Don’t you see how He has provided for you? Wow, you guys are just a bunch of brats. Right? You know where I’m going don’t you.

In our family, there has been constant events of, mmmm shall we say, challenge. One instance that comes to mind when I think about times where I have been at my wits end was in 2003 when I get the call that my mom has breast cancer. Now, I know that is familiar for many as it is a large plague that is upon our current culture. My husband and I were in the parking lot of Compass Bank in Fort Worth, Texas. I remember it like it was yesterday. I had locked my keys in my car and we had just left the bank with some stressful meeting. I know that probably another 50 things of conflict had happened prior to that moment because I do pretty good to not break under pressure. My dad called. At this time in my life, my dad did not just up and call at random. That was Mom’s job to check in on us.

So when I answer the phone and it is my dad, I get this overwhelming feeling of fear. “I need to talk to you a minute,” were the words out of his mouth after the standard greetings. He proceeds to tell me my mother’s condition and I asked the hundreds of necessary questions. When I was able to detach from them, meaning I had ended the phone conversation and they could no longer hear me, I lost it – right there in the middle of the parking lot of Compass bank for everyone in the bank to see and for everyone driving by to see. I wasn’t just crying I was throwing a tantrum to God. My poor husband did his best to console me, but he also just let me have my episode.

“Why God would you do this to my mother? She has been so faithful to you? She is more than a follower of you; she is in love with you, Lord? Why would you place this fear upon her? Why would you do this when I am so far away and I cannot even hug her right now? Please make this a mistake! Please perform a miracle! She has served you with all of her talent and energy from the time she could stand and sing your praises. God, she is our family’s rock! Fix this! Fix this now!”

Yep, I was an Israelite! I looked at the Egyptian army (cancer) running towards me and all I saw was the water. But God did not forsake us! My family persevered. And, as you might have guessed, I gained composure pretty quickly after my loving Heavenly Father pulled me into His lap and let me sob. And as I sobbed, He whispered words of promise and of hope. He washed over me His loving patience with me even as I questioned Him. He blessed me with a support group that is irreplaceable. He brought medical specialists that tended to my mother with great care and adoration. Let me tell you though, you would absolutely just have to be a toot for my mother not to love you. She loved everybody and everybody loved her.

Her oncologist was quite young, so my mother doted on him like a son who just so happen to have medicine to make her better. Mom came out of her first round of cancer with single mastectomy, chemo and radiation and a 5 year plan for a pill form of chemotherapy. Mom didn’t just survive round one, she maintained normal activity. She worked the ENTIRE time she was undergoing chemo and radiation. She participated in church. She traveled to Texas to see pathetic me. She was a beast.

God showed me the parting of the Sea through the strength of my mother. God delivered our family on dry land on her shoulders. Yes, I prayed a LOT, as did the rest of my family. But my mom’s stoic face of joy and faith in the God whom she was in love with was also the cloud that went before us. How in the world can you question that? When someone is faced with a challenge (an army running at them full speed with arms) and they just smile and say, “I will trust in the Lord,” how can you not say, “me too!” Let’s cross this sea!

Don’t miss this. There is a wall of water that you have already walked by in your life. It probably will not be the last. But praise God that you walked by it. He didn’t have you do that for fun. He wanted you to be in AWE of the DRY land and the WALL of water. Be in Awe of what He has done for you today.

Oh It's Monday...Dread

So it's that day where most of the working public begin their routine again...the routine which gives them the title of "working public." As they rise and begin their routine, many with some form of caffeine to give them alertness and endurance, there is a grumbling about them as well. Either it is the exhaustion from awakening early; the drudgery of the commute; the anticipation of negativity with the labor; pre-established frustration with coworkers to face once more; or maybe it is even the vexation with self for the current career path. In fact, according to the NY Daily News’ recent publishing of a Gallup poll survey, there are less than 30% of Americans happy in their job. The other 70% are reportedly disengaged – even if there are substantial perks or benefits involved.

As a history teacher I find that often certain social behavior evolves over generations. I also find the unspoken rationale in the changing of behavior is the slow, almost unseen, downfall of the role model. One hundred years ago, there was no television to visually watch role models influence your children. It was you, your family, and your neighbors setting a standard. One hundred years ago, you didn’t dare quit your job or change careers in the midst of your life. There were two reasons for this behavior. One was fear of loss of income. The other was a sense of commitment. You were committed to the job that has been given to you AND you were committed to your family to provide for them.

Now, did everyone like their job 100 years ago? Absolutely not! This was at the time where the automobile industry was just beginning it’s assembly line process and there were no robotic arms to create easier approaches to the process. This was when electricity was just becoming more frequented in homes and businesses; therefore, the midnight shift was being introduced and people were being hired to work all night to increase production. This was when there was little to no restriction on the minimum wage, days off, insurance, retirement, etc. It didn’t exist. So you worked knowing that you must.

Today, we are blessed and cursed with government involvement in the capitalistic society we have so desperately tried to build. Because of the government, we have a minimum wage, and do not have to work more than we sign on to work. Meaning, if you know going into the job that you could be working 7 days a week, you are forewarned. Because of the government, there is social security for those who neglect to put away for retirement or that moment when you may no longer be able to provide for yourself. Because of the government, there are no longer small children getting stuck in looms in factories. Because of the government, there are no longer foods placed on the shelves with small chunks of rat mixed in that fell into the grinder during processing. However, because of the government, there are many flaws as well. There are too many to include in today’s post. TOO MANY. Another day, another post.

Am I opposed to the blessings of certain restrictions placed on businesses so that they do not abuse employees? Gracious no! Am I opposed to the freedom to change jobs because of new opportunities or new challenges that you wish to provide for yourself? Nope! But be careful…it seems questionable on that ‘ole resume if you job hop a lot. Am I questioning people’s commitment level to their work as many admit disengagement and discontent? Sorta, but I can be included in this from time to time. One thing of which I know the government, or any employer, has no control is how I choose to approach my work.

You see, though your present assignment as a stay-at-home mom, or corporate executive, or air traffic controller, or oral surgeon, it is your present assignment. Chew on that for a minute.

God has allowed you the blessing of being among the employed, first of all. God has allowed you access to finances that will probably supply all your NEEDS. God has given you something to do that can go on your resume as continual commitment to a task as well as the experience you are gaining from this commitment. God has BLESSED YOU. Therefore, realize that in your present assignment, as inglorious as it may seem to you, you can bless others and you can glorify God in the midst of your pleasant or unpleasant circumstances. Your demeanor is impacting on so many people every day. Your joy, or lack thereof, can easily influence a coworker in need of joy or peace or assurance or just a laugh. Your choice to grumble affects your family, and don’t blame the coffee (that is something that you choose to rely upon too).

As Monday brings light to a new day and I begin the grind that is considered laborious, I have a personal choice to make concerning my present assignment. Do I accept it? Not just the “job” assigned to me by my employer, the job assigned to me by my Creator, to bring honor to Him all that I do. There are people counting on me to bring Christ to them today. Though I may not pass out tracks and preach the Word in my words all day, I preach it with my life. Are you going to point people to Him today or confirm to them that you do not have hope in the Lord and you, “Christian,” are no different than anyone else? You do not know the weekend your coworker had or the attendant at the gas station had. You do know you have this chance to bring them joy with just a simple smile, a good laugh, or a cup of coffee. Be blessed!

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

Radical

Yep, it's that day. That time of year where we commercialize affection and adoration. That day where we overcharge the ever beautiful rose and we see the Hallmark Corporation revenue quadruple from the other days out of the year. That day where we give restaurants a full belly and provide Whitman's and Russell Stover the ability to only focus on one major product - the boxed chocolate. And the stuffed animal industry? When else can you sell a gazillion monkeys with their arms in shackles promoting imprisonment? Prisoner of your heart! It's a day where men stress because they do not have enough or do not have the "right" gift, so they overspend trying to make sure they win their lady's heart. Victoria Secret smiles at this holiday as well because we all know that spending over $100 on a garment that only you and one other person will see makes sense. We sell love.

Can you smell my sarcastic cynicism? I have never really liked this holiday. Sure, I went through a small (large) phase in my life where I was not a Valentine for anyone and sure it might have made me feel some type of insecurity at some point along the way. But really, I just have never liked the idea that we have to set aside a day to "love" each other. There are people in relationships now that this day stands out high and above the other 364 days a year (ok maybe 362 because of birthdays and Christmas). Why? Why do we make this such a big event? I will tell you why. It is because it awakens our neglect. It creates that sharp awareness that we may not have been so loving the other moments during the year. It guilts us into love because we were not committed all year long.

In our church, we define love as the radical commitment and advancement to the well-being of the other. It is not conditional. It is not temporal. Here's the big kicker: it is not limited to just one.

A new commandment I give to you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. - John 13:34-35

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above ourselves. Romans 12:10

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:24

There are many more passages specifically stating that we are to love one another. However, we sometimes twist the "one another" to be the select few people we want to love because they are easy to love. Nope. Not what He said. One another = everyone. And last I checked, God was not in the business of promoting a holiday of love to spur His followers to love each other. He kinda told them to do this, um, all the time.

Merriam-Webster defines radical as very new and different from what is traditional and ordinary. You see, most of our challenges from scripture to love one another come from the New Testament. Bigger picture - the New Testament is new because Jesus came to make being a follower of God different from tradition.

We live in the New Testament side of scripture. That doesn't mean we drop the Old Testament. That is still the Word of God. However, we no longer operate under the same traditions.

So let's look at some examples at how you can love with the radical commitment to the advancement and well-being of the other today.

1. Love your significant other in their love language - even if it isn't your love language and you are not all that comfortable with that method. If you do not know their love language, maybe today is the day where you start observing them a little more thoroughly. Typically people love you in their love language. (gift giving, words of affirmation, physical touch, etc.)

2. Open your eyes. See the need of the people you cross paths with during the day. Actually tip the server at your dinner tonight what they are due, and maybe a little more to bless them. Even though they may not do a perfect job (and I am aware they do not all do so well - I can say that because I have worked in this industry), they are still trying to support themselves and perhaps some other dependents. Maybe your "Love" will spur them on to "love" and good deeds.

3. Speak words of encouragement to your fellow employees and or peers. Are you complaining about your job or being the spark of hope for those who are laboring with you. Ouch! If you cannot speak words of positive joy about the labor, than be their comic relief. Or be their light who tells them what they are doing well when a supervisor does not. Or just remind them they are not among the unemployed. There is always something positive to find...you just have to dig deep.

4. Perform housekeeping for a family member or friend in need. Someone who just had surgery. Someone who is homebound. Someone who is just struggling and needs to see Jesus in the action of others and not just hear preaching.

5. Bless a stranger. Buy a valentine for someone you don't know and ask God to tell you who to hand it to. Maybe even the next person you pass in the parking lot.

6. Neglect a chore to cuddle more. Don't miss time with your kids. They will remember it.

7. Pay a bill or for a meal or buy someone's groceries or just give.

8. Listen. Sometimes people start a conversation with you on a surface level simply testing the waters to see if you are capable of merely listening to their heart.

9. Write a prayer and mail it to your person that God has placed on your heart.

10. Ask God to reveal to you the best use of your time and money. When I go shopping sometimes I actually restrain myself by self-talk. Yes, I talk to myself and yes, I answer. Really God answers, but I flesh it out with Him. When you find that new item to buy for yourself or for your home, ask Him if this is an allowable use of the money He has given to you. If not, what would he have you spend that money on? Yes, I promise, He will sometimes let you buy something new. Just make sure He has not made you aware of a need that you have neglected.

If you have other great ideas for "love", then comment and allow others to share in your inspiration. I pray your day is filled with advancement and that someone puts your well-being ahead of their own. May I remind you, someone did. His name is Jesus Christ. I love you and that is one of the reasons why I write. Happy Valentine's Day!