look at it another way

I was having a little chat with mine husband this morning. I'm thinking it might encourage some of you too. What had happened was...

He was saying that he's not where he used to be spiritually speaking. My eyebrow shot up in confusion. You see, Bear and I see things differently...he speaks in binary code and I speak Gonzo the Great.

His side: Things are different in the different areas he's serving in. Not that they are bad; he approves of the changes/directions things are going in. But that's not the issue. It's more of the change-is-hard-and-I-don't- really-know-where-I-fit kind of thing. For really smart, tech-ish guys like Bear, this is hard place to be. You're looking at the data screen of your life and your spiritual bar used

to be up here, and now it's down here and what does this data show us. Oh no! My Jesus-ness is slipping! Emergency meeting! We must analyze the data and reconfigure our lives in a priority one setting. Commense analyzation process..... (an aside from the wife: this gets irritating because Bear has always kept Jesus at the forefront and doesn't see that sometimes. False data will screw up your Jesus chart in a jiffy, my friends)

My side: Wow. There's a pill for that.

Try to look at it another way. Things change because they do. Instead of looking up and down, flip the chart and look out. You're not in the same place you were because you're not the same person you were. You're still truckin' towards the Lord, just on a different path then you once traveled. A better path, might I add, because you've grown and paved the path a little for the people who are coming up behind you. Jesus-ness still intact...go and serve the Lord with confidence. The data on your graph is conflicted with false reports of the Devil. Abort the project and redefine you project goals.

I'm trilingual: I speak English, Gonzo and Geek. Groovy am I.

So be encouraged today if things aren't the way you think they should be in your relationship with Jesus. Just really check the data and the map to see where you really are. You might be surprised, hopefully, in a good way. If you jumped off the path, you might want to get back on before you picked off by wolves, bears or an angry mob disgruntled by the results of American Idol. It could happen.

Now, if you don't have a relationship with Jesus yet, it's never to late to pick up the map and start the journey for yourself. I can help you with that if you like. I am groovy after all.

the catch phrase i can do without...

"It's all my fault!" is the new catch phrase of my middle child. It's how she expresses all her negative emotions. I have to pull out of her what is actually wrong...it makes me crazy. Just say what you want to say...i know you can because you DID before you picked up this catch phrase.

Then I watched an episode of Clean House.

Now, I know I am not the best house keeper in the world, but I own that. These homes looked like bombs went off, but NO ONE was taking the credit for these glorious eruptions. They were passing the buck and getting mad at the hostess for saying this is no way to live. I mean, when your children are worried about your well-being, something needs to be done. Still, no one said it's my fault. They refused to get out of their own way.

Then I started thinking. (a dangerous past time...I know)

Am I limiting myself on the goals I have because I'm refusing to get out of my own way? I don't know yet, but I'm willing to take stock and find out because there are things I still wish to attempt in my life. I'm not out of this race yet, but do I keep falling because I refuse to tie my own laces? More thinking required on my part....

Think about it yourself...is it all your fault? Own it if is. Make the changes you need to make to be the you and come into the destiny God has for you. Don't eat fast food if you want to lose weight. Don't watch TV if you don't want to waste time. Don't watch TV if you want to spend more time with your kids. Don't spend your money if you want to save it. Don't be disrespectful if you want to be respected. Don't be a slacker if you want to be promoted. I'm so talking to myself more than I am to anyone else. Again, something to think about....

grrrr...grrrr

I'm just a person. (taking deep breathes) I know that accidents happen. I know that they are more common with small children. I also know that likely hood of an accident happening is greater when said small child doesn't think to pay attention. I also know that I've lost my grace for such things. It's as if there is nothing else in existence sometimes. She just meanders with eyes wide open without focusing on a thing. It's maddening. Today she finally did it. She broke something that has been an ongoing project because she just wasn't paying attention and so flung her woobie around her head. Did I mention it's the second time she's broke said object not paying attention? Yeah. Mom's pissed. Add in tears of remorse and self condemnation here. Look. Mom's getter more pissed. I don't know if she's trying to make me pity her or if she's just voicing her feelings at the moment, and guess what? I don't care. I cannot stand people calling themselves names it's one of the top 5 in the pet peeve department. Then, I lower the boom: she's paying for it. What's that? No money? You get to work it off then. Life Lessons 108 is still in session. You break it, you buy it. I just want to have a few nice things...not a ton. But a few would be great. So yes I yelled. No, I'm not sorry I did. I did tell the child she is forgiven but the consequence stands.

Just pay attention! Use your optical nerves given you by God! Where the farkle is that squirrel so I can kick it?!

It's moments like these where I can see the benefit of having an undead monkey to shoot.