Use Your Noodle!!

Sometimes I feel like I'm as unstructured as a noodle.  I have difficulty in the area of promptness, routine, predictability.  I am fairly organized, but I am also very spontaneous, with a creative spark (my Mom called it a "wild imagination").  I have trouble fitting into boxes, and I ooze all over the lines.  I have no trouble "thinking outside the box," but have trouble staying in the box!! 
Today as I was driving along early in the morning, and was very tired, I had the thought, "I am just NOT a morning person."  I know people who wake up and start the day bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to go.  Then, in the early evening hours, those same people have trouble keeping their eyes open.  I feel like the opposite:  even when I am awake in the morning, I am still sluggush and slow-thinking.  If I have to sit for awhile in the morning, I fall asleep!  So I have to walk around to keep myself awake.  By late morning, I am fully awake.  Late afternoon is my peak awakeness time, my best productivity.  At any rate, as I was driving along, I decided to get something to eat at a fast-food restaurant.  The restaurant had not started cooking the items I wanted, it was too early in the day.  I was dismayed!  How dare they not get up even earlier than I did this morning, go to work, and cook me my favorite food, so that when I just happened to arrive today, it would be ready for me!  Then I realized how paradoxical that was for me to even think that.  If it was too early for me, could it simply be too early for them?  Then I realized how much like a noodle I am, unstructured and floppy.  Suddenly, I realized that I should be thinking positive thoughts about myself, instead of negative ones.  Alas, a noodle "uncooked" has plenty of structure!!  I just have to find a way to not let myself get too overcooked!  Because a noodle cooked al dente has just the right amount of firmness.  Not to crunchy, not too soggy.  Perhaps that object lesson could help me in "real life."  If I am more mindful of the pot on the stove, and not let myself get distracted, I will notice when the noodles are done, and not let them get too squooshy.  In life, if I put effort and concentration on the tasks at hand, and not get distracted by things that don't matter in the long run, perhaps I will be more successful in "coloring inside the lines."  May the L-rd above empower me by His Spirit to be held together and structured. 

 

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NASB)

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

Colossians 1:17 (ESV)

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Be Mine ♥

The L-rd is my Light and my Salvation. Whom shall I fear? The L-rd is the Strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?
The L-rd stays near to me, even when I don't feel near to Him. He shows me that He loves me, in so many ways. I'm thankful for His presence, which is here at all times. He never leaves me, nor forsakes me. He gives me strength, wisdom, joy, and the words to say at just the right time. He lifts me up. He is ever-faithful!! The more I talk about Him, the more excited I get, because I know His love for me is never-ending! And it is perfect!! His love never fails. He never gives up on me. He is always by my side.

Wanna know why I think the L-rd has so many different names in the Bible? Because He is personal. To everyone, He is their personal friend. So all the prophets and Bible heroes had their pet names for G-d, like "The L-rd is my healer," "The L-rd is my banner," "The L-rd is my salvation" (Yeshua), "The L-rd is my G-d." So G-d is so intimate and personal in His relationship to us, that we can call Him by a sweet name that we want to for Him. I'm not going to tell you my name for Him, because that is a secret! Just between me and Him, ya know? LOL Come up with your own name for

G-d, for He is YOURS.

 

We Are Indebted to Everyone

Ever think about how much has been done for us, and how much we owe other people?  Even if we gave everything we had away, and gave the rest of our lives up helping other people, I'm convinced we would never be able to pay back the kindness, measure for measure, that has been shown to us over the course of our lives.
From the stranger who smiles at us as we pass by, to the person holding the door for us, to the driver letting us in a lane when traffic is bumper-to-bumper.  Our parents, feeding & clothing us, reading books to us, taking us to school and home again.  That special teacher, who saw potential in us.  The person who cleaned up our mess, or who suffered in silence for something we inadvertantly did.  The person who greeted us when we got on the bus.  The people whose blood, sweat, and tears helped build our towns, churches, libraries, hospitals, and roadways.  The person who told the worker in the restaurant that the paper towels were out in the bathroom, so that we would have something to dry our hands on.  The friend who gave us a ride when our car was being worked on.  The neighbor who put our trash cans back next to the house when the trash had been picked up (Thank you, Mr. Bill!!).  The songwriter whose song touched our hearts over, & over, & over......  And the GOD who made all this possible, who is working in and through it all.
Matthew 25:40 -

Gratitude

Today I saw several people that I had not seen in years.  Most of them had heard about my back surgery, and asked how I was doing.  They said I looked like I was doing well.  And I am!!  Wow, it's hard to even remember what it was like for me before my surgery.  I feel so far removed from that now. 
A friend and I were discussing how it's easy to take things for granted, until we lose them.  I told her I could identify, because before my back problem got so bad, I would complain about doing certain things.  Then, when I was no longer able to do them because of my debility, suddenly I longed to do those same things.  I guess what it boils down to is, being thankful in every circumstance.  1 Thessalonians 3:18 - "In everything give thanks."

The Day for Trees

Today is Israel's tree-planting day, Tu B'Shvat!
http://www.hazon.org/healthy-sustainable-tu-bshvat-resources-2012-edition/

Since I can't physically plant a tree in Israel, today I will just eat some veggies, breathe some oxygen, give off some carbon dioxide, and perhaps help to plant a spiritual mustard seed in someone's life, that will have the potential of growing into a giant tree of faith in the G-d of Israel!!  (Matthew 17:20, 1 Corinthians 3:6-7)

"He grew the tree, that He knew would be.................."

Be Careful of Thoughts

"Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks."
Luke 6:45
Matthew 12:34

Cool verses.  Our thoughts DO influence our actions.  So be careful what you think!  We can control our thoughts with a little practice, and some help from above.

Oh Be Careful
(To the tune of "If You're Happy & You Know It")

"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 ears, what you hear!
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
Oh be careful, little ears, what you hear.

Oh be careful, little minds, what you think,
Oh be careful, little minds, what you think!
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
Oh be careful, little minds, what you think.

Oh be careful, little tongues, what you say,
Oh be careful, little tongues, what you say!
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
Oh be careful, little tongues, what you say.

Oh be careful, little feet, where you go,
Oh be careful, little feet, where you go!
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
Oh be careful, little feet, where you go.

Oh be careful, little hearts, whom you trust,
Oh be careful, little hearts, whom you trust!
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
Oh be careful, little hearts, whom you trust."