Friday on the town

I had a lovely time Friday night bustin' out on the town. Cindy introduce me to whole new letters of the alphabet that I didn't know existed. I saw her 'RELAX' and enjoy her b-day. I enjoyed the young pups who think they are already old!! Give me a break...I didn't see a grey hair among them!! Good conversation ..Good night.

Spider Solitaire

One of my favorite games is spider solitaire. Sometimes I will come to a dead end and then "restart" the game. Just making ONE different choice opens up a whole new way to succeed. I wonder if life works that way. Although there is no "restart" option, just stopping and making a different choice could get me out of a jam. I've heard it said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. I know that I need wisdom to know WHAT the different choice should be, but it is good to know that there could be options.

A Parable

Once there was a beautiful princess who had a cancerous leg. She went to many physicians to try to save this leg but finally the leg brought her near death herself, and with sadness she choose to sever the leg. She walked with crutches and eventually was fitted with a new leg. This new leg served her well and although she sometimes walked with a limp, her overall health improved more and more over time.
Her family was very attached to her cancerous leg and encased it in their family home. They did not like her new leg and called it "artificial". When the princess returned to her family without her new leg, she needed crutches so they believed she would have been better off with the cancerous leg. It caused great sadness in the princess that they would not accept her new leg. Because of her love for her family she DID return to visit on crutches but it took great strength on her part to do so.

Decisions

We went to Springs yesterday to visit with our Grandbabies. Pastor Leon talked about Loving what God loves and Hating what God hates -(there are six things ---even seven that God hates) ---for you Bible scholars that should be enough to get out your concordance and find WHAT HE hates----
Any way the statement that GOT MY ATTENTION was "Some RIGHT decisions that we make others will hate, and some WRONG decisions we make others will love". I TOTALLY get that!! More and more in this world wrong is right and right is wrong. Something deep inside us has to be MOVED by the Holy Spirit to DEFEND the Word of God. We have been so used to being shut down in the market place by the' rule of this world' that we just shut up. I think the Boomer Generation---my generation has dropped the ball on this one so many times, we don't even know anymore that there WAS a ball to drop!! In the Old Testiment those Prophets that yelled the things that no one wanted to hear HAD to be moved by God to do so. SOOO move on us God to hear what you hate and love and MOVE ON US to DEFEND IT!!

Bickle on the End Times

I have been listening to the KC end times stuff with a more open heart. Since I already experienced some strange stuff in the '70's reguarding end times, I was quite shut down to the whole idea. Jesus DID come in the '70 but through a new move of the Spirit not in person. As I've been listening to the JOEL series and Shelley Hundley, I realized that we DO, in every generation, need an ear to hear the POSSIBILITY of Jesus eminent return. James (I think it's James) says it keeps us pure.

Thinking about communication

I've been thinking about communication in reguard to community living. When Yvonne talked about wondering if we answer honestly if someone asks "How are you doing", that got me thinking about safe but honest answers to that question. I could say "fine thanks" or "do you have some time to spare" or even "are you really interested or are you being polite." It would be a little difficult to say "when I shared with you before it wasn't helpful as a matter of fact I felt worse after our encounter" or "my experience has been that when I talk privately with you, what I say gets around to others" These ALL could be TRUE statements but may or may not be helpful statements in building a relationship.
One of the BEST run and healthy groups I was ever in, was on a school committee in northern Manitoba. All Issues (my kids LOVE that word--not!!) were brought up directly to the people involved; no one looked to place blame but only to be solution focused; Questions where not WHY questions, but HOW can this be resolved, WHAT new steps must be taken, WHEN can they be implemented, Who will do what. This was SO VERY different from how I had grown up that it left a life long impression on me. It still, to this day, makes me sad to say I DID NOT learn these lessons in a Christian community, but I am thankful for the lessons anyway.

Direct Question/assumptions

One thing that is taught to Youth Care Workers is to ask Direct Questions when we see something rather than assuming that we know the meaning. For instance, if I am supervising a family visit and the father and mother say something that SEEMS normal but the child I am supervising looks down and squirms in their seat. Later (or immediately depending on my role) I will ask DIRECTLY what it meant to her when that statement was made. All families have different "rules" of communication; what to talk about, what we don't talk about, how much we involve others in our lives, how personal that involvement can be. If we assume that our rules are everybody's rules, we misunderstand much of what is going on around us, possibly taking offence when none was meant or missing the cues for offering of friend ship. If I have a stable relationship with someone and want to know what is happening, how they are feeling, if something has changed, instead of guessing or assuming-----take a risk and directly ASK !!

Cisterns/ blackhole

I have seen a cistern on an old farm. It was a huge rock and cement container probably the size of a small bedroom. The water that ran off the roof of the farm house was directed by drain pipes into the cistern. During spring rains the water was collected in the cistern. Then used when needed in dry spells.
The Old Testament talks of BROKEN CISTERNS. They may hold a down pour of rain but it slowly or quickly (depending on the hole) drains out. When I've heard preachers say that as Christians we "leak" this is my MENTAL picture. The person with a huge gaping hole in their cistern are what I spoke of as having a "black hole". Fire hoses of water can pour in but it runs right out the hole. In a person's life these HUGE holes can come through very difficult early years when they were trying to become whole, circumstances or people kept blowing holes in their foundation stones. I have GREAT compassion for this difficulty!! There is something that can be done because our GOD is a REDEEMER! Trust me I have personal experience here!!
Listen to your inner conversations
Turn off that inner taperecorder of hopelessness and helplessness (start small-- 5 minutes is good) Cheer for your success--tell a confidant and let them cheer you on.
Replace it with some praise and thankfulness (if you can't think of anything positive--go to any Psalm that says "Praise the Lord" and think on what King David was thankful for)
Grab some promises -- Small ones we teach our kids -- Jesus LOVES me--God is GOOD --all the time--- learn your kids memory verses.
Take small steps --5 minutes a day of positive hopeful prayers --5 minutes of rejecting those negative voices. If you keep this up, time will eventually increase on it's own...you won't have to TRY to make it increase.
Listen to Mike Bickles 'Confident in love' 100 or 200 times if you need to-- 10 times is not enough as that only convinces your mind, YOUR HEART NEEDS TO LISTEN.
When you see, know, feel, the hurts of the broken places ----immediately invite GOD into that space. If you've never done this before--ask a friend to pray for Jesus to come and begin to heal the holes in your cistern. This is one of my great PASSIONS to see broken places healed. Sorry for being so wordy in this blog. And, by the way Cindy, you may have holes in your cistern like the rest of us---but I've seen 'black holes' and YOU do not fit the description.

emphasis on the WORD

Last night I heard a lot of scripture read by different people. During that time I "heard" a couple of specific things that God highlighted. Someone said to me not long ago "I don't hear God like you guys talk about". This stuff is subtel and needs practice. Last night, like I said, we heard probably one and one half hours of information, but somewhere deep inside God highlighted 2 things for ME. GOD'S PROVISION COMES WITH GODS' CALL, and THE NAMES ARE A CALL TO THEIR DESTINY. Now if you asked the 3 people I was with if they "heard" these same things, chances are the answer would be no....I heard................(something entirely different). The first statement is meant for more than me....I "knew" when I heard it that it is for a bigger group of people. Again you ask "How did you know?" With the words was an inward knowing...best I can do to explain. The other was personal and I went (inside not to look stupid) OH I get it, that's why the coming of it has been so difficult. An "AH HA" moment!! Maybe if I was deeper I would have "heard" more but I'm always left with a feeling of being loved when I hear God say ANYTHING!!

Love Doing

I noticed after I blogged the 5 things, I left out 5 things I love doing. We usually love things we do well. As I was thinking about this I thought "Freudian slip????" The message I got in my family was never say you do ANYTHING WELL. I don't know if it was spoken or unspoken...you'd have to ask someone older in my family. For me the message was clear ... never think or say you do anything well...it's prideful. I wasn't an encourager, thinking like this. Sorry kids. So here are some things I do well... therefore love doing. Teaching, parenting, loving those who feel unlovable, cooking tasty cheap meals, being faithful to friends. Add this to your list Lisa, Cheryl, Eleanor, Karen, Cathy

Tag it is

What I was doing 10 years ago?
Raising a 12 year old girl and two 15 year old boys and working in a group home. Our oldest son got married that summer.

5 years ago?
Working in a group home and teaching child care courses to Youth Care Workers. Being a Grandma for the second time.

1 year ago?
Had a summer to myself. Went to Vancouver and San Diego for weddings.

Yesterday?
Went out for breakfast with a sweet heart of a kid. Went to Steinbach for Wednesday night church.

Tomorrow?
Going to Fun Mountain to hang out with friends and their kids.

5 snacks?
I like food (not junk food) ... fresh home made bread from the oven with real butter and honey, fried chicken the way my Mom cooked it, BC cherries, real good perogies, and a Maple Walnut Sundae.

5 Adult drinks
White wine, Long Island Ice Tea (that's all)

5 bands
Elastic, Rubber, Hair, (hee hee)

What to do with 100,000 dollars.
Travel, pay off debts for myself and others. (Need more to do more)

5 places I'd run away to.
Holland to see Rebecca, Israel, South Padre Island with Art, KC, anywhere warm in winter.

5 bad habits
not exercising, TV, sun-tanning without sun screen,

5 things I'd never wear
Thing I wore the first time around, mini skirts, pasley, back combed hair, bikini (now isn't that a pretty picture), tube tops

5 TV shows
It's a New Day
Law and Order(s)
Corner Gas
MI 5 (from England)
Antique Road Show

5 Favorite Movies
Good Will Hunting
Amandeus
Les Mis
Annalize This
Fried Green Tomatoes

5 Famous People
Any Trail Blazer or Forerunner or Risk Taker
John and Paula Sandford, before them the other Prophetic Sandford lady, Oral Roberts, Gordon and Frieda Lindsay, Billy Graham , Kenneth Hagin (I could care less about their mistakes-- to go out front and trail blaze with no path to follow is admirable)

5 Biggests Joys
Grandchildren, Kids, Family, Friends, Students

5 favorite toys
Driving in a comfortable car, Listening to inspiring thoughts, Eating a good meal with a friend, Flying in good weather, Talking on the phone.

5 to tag
Lisa Marie, Cheryl, Sister Eleanor (do it on my blog), Karen, Cathy

MORE

It's been a LONG weekend. Back to John 14

Jesus: I'm going to FED-Ex the "stuff" you ask DAD for..HE wants you to have it. As a matter of fact, He's already really excited at being able to give it to you. Just say "Jesus said it was ok to ask for it " and He'll send it. Get along Dudes...Love each other.
Oh yes and another thing. I'm asking Dad and He'll send you....Let's just say this Guy Dad is sending, is like my Twin. There is nothing He can't do and HE is STAYING with you forever. He can do all that I did while I was with you. You can trust anything and everything HE tells you. You'll know HIM right away 'cause HE looks just like ME...being twins and all. I wouldn't leave you like orphans, all alone and helpless and sad......And like I said to start with I AM coming back. You might not "get" all that I'm saying right now but trust me, but my Twin will help you remember and understand what I'm telling you.

It doesn't give the Dudes reaction to this information overload but I can imagine them sitting in wonder at all this. There is more in this chapter that you can read for yourselves and THEN the next goes right into the Vine and Branches ....I've sat under some teaching that just blows your mind and leaves you on overload but these two chapters have to be major overload for these "Dudes". That's all.