Its a big, big world out there! Oftentimes as I’m going through the everyday conundrum of life, I can get overwhelmed with relationships, deadlines, and expectations that I fail to see the forest through the trees.
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Writing Challenge: Build Your Own
Photos Jungle and Island Paradise provided courtesy of Cheri Lucas Rowlands/The Daily Post.
Long day at a work,
Software problems; IT MIA.
Driving home, of course, a rush hour delay!
What is this?!
Are you kidding; my gas tank is on ?!
God, get me to the next exit please!
Finally home at a quarter of six.
Thank God, I can’t wait to just veg for a bit!
I open the door, and with great jubilee, my roommate says “on the table awaits a bouquet of flowers… or three!”
I understood just what she meant by “or three,” because there had to have been 50 purple roses just for me. “Who sent them?” I asked her.
She would not say.
Just a smirk with a glittering dance in her eye.
I looked for a card, but there was none to be found.
So I just smiled and sighed while I drank in the aroma of these purple presents.
Was it a Secret Admirer or an RAK?
Whatever the case, I will not let this good deed go unnoticed.
I will pay it forward just as soon as this heavenly scent goes away…
Daily prompt: Name’s the Thing
Meet Queen, an Acura Integra LS, which transported me from Lancaster to Springfield and everywhere in between for 13 faithful years. Queen has accompanied me to weddings, baby arrivals, graduation parties, and unfortunately many funerals over the years. We travelled at some triple digit speeds in her early years, and replacement many body parts in her later years.
With Queen, I had a roadway identity. As one of the only white Integras in my town, every knew me as they passed by. While others were trading in their vehicles for newer models, Old Queen’s engine remained steadfast. In some ways, the familiarity was an invasion of privacy, but I didn’t mind. I miss those days of everyone knowing my car. With Piper and her privacy windows, I have to roll down my window and shout for the attention of friends and family!
Queen was a part of my journey for longer than most people keep their dogs. Therefore, I feel no shame in personifying her, and paying a tribute to her on the blogosphere. After 10 long months, Queen has finally laid to rest in my heart, and I’m actually referring to Piper when I say, “my car!”
Race training can be both exhilarating and boring. When I get bored with an activity, I often take a day off. Then another day. And another… Today was one of … Continue reading Running the Race
While sipping on the nectar of Heaven – my Decaf Grande Cinnamon Dolce Latte- driving home one evening, I listened to a radio sermon on prayer. He provided me with new insight on why God may delay on answering our prayers. He argued that we may not be receiving from God, because we’re not doing what He’s called us to do in that area. You have legitimate excuses why you’re procrastinating on acting out in faith – believing that He will provide, but that refusal could be what’s keeping you from receiving the blessing.
This new insight challenged me to think about what I’ve been prevailing in prayer about. What area could God be calling me to obey that I’ve been delaying? Marriage. I want a husband. And not just ANY husband a Jesus-loving, bible-thumping, ambitious, good-looking, mama’s boy – to name a few. But what have I to offer the one who meets this highly selective profile? Am I that Proverbs 31 woman that Mr. Right is looking for? Am I the Proverbs 31 woman that GOD wants me to be?
I hit the book to begin my research on what such a woman would look like. I outlined the chapter, mapping out my 365 day journey. I wrote my bucket list. Hey, a single girl living a life of diligence not only needs a plan, but needs to have some fun too!
Here are a few items on my Bucket List Manifesto as it applies to my Proverbs 31 journey.
•Run the Disney Marathon. Not only do I participate in races to fundraise for Team Hope , but I’m obsessed with everything Disney. I would love to combine these two passions by running the Disney Marathon – hopefully in 2016.
•Write a devotional. Part if the reason why I chose to focus this year on one small chapter in the bible, is because I intend to use it as a springboard for writing a book. Perhaps an ebook/devotional blog will evolve.
• Join my church Worship Band. The more that I study diligence, the more driven I am to sharpen my keyboard skills so that I can play in church. Music has been my passion since I was a young girl. I want to continue to use that gift, and find different ways to use it.
•Visit all 50 States, including a Pacific Highway road trip, an Alaskan cruise, and an east-to-west coast road trip.
•Read every work of Shakespeare and CS Lewis
As I continue to make a conscious effort to cook healthy meals, I remind myself that this single girl deserves home-cooked meals just as much as any married girl. As I clean my dishes, I’m thankful that I’m learning that I’m valuable enough to eat from dinner ware instead of paper plates.
Follow my journey my using the tagline Proverbs31. I will try to post my reflections and bucket list completions (tagline BucketList) as often as possible.
Related Weekly Challenges
The Artists Will Set You Free
What is your source of strength, your passion? What is the one thing you cannot live without? What is it that makes you thrive in life? Is it bringing the satisfaction that you thought it would provide? Is it merely an addiction that is suffocating every other area if your life?
Since Preschool, music has been my life. I sang for anyone who would listen (sometimes against their will). I auditioned for every solo in every Children’s Choir performance – and scored. As a second grader, singing wasn’t enough. I needed to play the piano too. So after a year of Mary Had a Little Lamb, my parents let me take piano lessons. I went from Hot Cross Buns to sight-reading classical pieces by the time I graduated high school. I nailed my recital pieces, played in church a few times, and serenaded some beaus. As I became an adult, and met people who could play anything they could hear, I too wanted to develop an ear for playing. This is where I hit a wall. Playing by ear was quite challenging for me. I eventually got so frustrated with criticism of others throughout this process, that I gave up my piano playing indefinitely.
I still had my ability to perform vocally, and loved doing so. I performed at weddings, funerals, Christmas events, and church bands for years. I would even say that I was satisfied.
Then I took stock in my gifts that I was using for The Lord. I realized then that I was not using ALL of my gifts for Him. I had given up. It was at that point that I began playing again. At first, I was once every month or so. Then I started playing several nights a week. It became therapy for my melancholy. I started sight-reading, then gradually began playing by ear, which isn’t too difficult when I have chord sheets in front of me. I even got to play (and sing) at my aunt’s funeral several months ago. I feel much more content with life, knowing that I’m sharpening the tools that God has given me. I look forward to opportunities to use these tools to bless others.
I Corinthians 12 tells us that if we have surrendered our lives to Christ, we are all part of one body – the body of Christ or The Church. We each have our unique role to play. This role is partly made up by our passions and abilities. When we use the abilities that we are passionate about, our life line is thriving, so is our relationship with Christ and others. How are you going to tap into your life line today?
Political Correctness has seemed to gone off course since it’s revolution in the 1990s. I remember as a student thinking that the ideal was unattainable, but optimal. I consider myself a compassionate person, and was optimistic that people would start to think before speaking. In fact, I would have even argued that Jesus would prefer political correctness when speaking to other individuals. After all, we are all created in the image of God, and it breaks his heart when we tear others down.
Fast forward to the 21st century, and the idea has changed to a politically controlled society. We’re not even allowed to voice our differing opinions if they conflict with the political majority. We are all uniquely created individuals, loved by the Creator of the Universe. We are allowed to think differently than everyone else. We all make mistakes, and we learn from them – hopefully. We love others despite their differences and failures, and point them to the Only One who has the righteousness and mercy to handle them.
However, political correctness has stepped in and commandeered the role of God, causing even more division – among it’s own people – making peace unattainable. The only we chance have at experiencing peace – through the Prince of Prince – has been removed from our speech because of the god of political correctness.
One of my favorite passages of scripture speaks to the need that our country is desperately lacking. I just hope that many of us will wake up and see the truth of it’s message. “And [if] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14 NASB)”
I pray that I have the courage to be one who humbles myself to the pride that separates me from loving others. We don’t need the government to tell us what is acceptable speech – we should have the intelligence to speak to others the way we would want them to speak to us. Oh that our pride would stop getting in the way of fortifying health relationships.
Northeast bound on OH-585 at 7:00am, winding along the countryside I soaked in the lyrics of Oceans. Contrary to the tree-lined highway of my morning commute, I was momentarily overwhelmed with the limitless call on my like to trust God. While standing where the ocean meets the shore, and staring into the horizon, there is no end in sight to the massive body of water that cleanses yet overwhelms it’s captor by its sheer force.
As I sped along, the byway, I was suddenly awestruck by the beauty of God’s love for me – a love much more powerful than and tidal wave. More secure than any ocean shore Lighthouse, beaconing the sailors to take shelter for the night. More refreshing than the cool crashing waves along the rocky beaches of Bar Harbor, Maine. How else could I respond than to cry out “Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders?” No other response seems suitable.
Reflections with Renee 