Reflection for the Day

It is good to rejoice in the Lord, thanking Him for all He has done and all He intends to do. Here's a Scripture to reflect on today and this weekend.

"Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous;

And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!"

Psalm 32:11

Taking Time to Exercise

I’ve worked out 3 times this past week with my new exercise CD. I know if I am consistent and persistent, I will develop a good weekly habit over time.

Too bad many of us don’t realize how important spiritual exercise is as well. 1 Timothy 4:8 says, “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”

Spiritual exercise comes mainly in the form of spending time in God’s Word. Just like it’s good to exercise each week, it’s even better to read your Bible every day. How else are we to know what God has to say if we aren’t reading His love letter to us?

Take some time to develop a great and healthy habit. Open up your Bible a little each day and learn just what God has to share with you!

Monday Morning Moans

I'm sore and achy. Thankfully it's not the flu. My body hurts because I was working the last 3 days as a video camera operator for a conference our church was sponsoring. It was fun, but tiring. Hopefully many people's lives were changed by the messages they heard.

It's a good thing my fingers don't hurt, otherwise I wouldn't be typing up this post. But my arms ache when I lift them up a certain height, and my upper thighs sting when I sit down. My schedule won't be too busy this week, so I'm hoping I'll be back to normal by Wednesday.

See you then!

Bachelorette Blues

Okay...I admit it. I've been watching "The Bachelor" on TV. But this past episode both saddened and disgusted me. There are three ladies left. He invited each lady on three separate nights, to spend the night with him. Unfortunately, each one did.

This saddens me because each woman was falling in love with this one man. Each willingly gave of herself to "be" with him, knowing she may not be chosen. It is sad because they all felt it was worth sacrificing a bit of themselves in order to be pleasing to this guy.

This episode disgusted me because this supposedly "nice and sweet" guy, ended up being a real jerk. He talked about how selfish he was falling in love with these three women. He failed to talk about how selfish he was using them sexually for his own pleasures. Such is the world.

People criticize the Bible because it tells us to abstain from sex until marriage. It's not because God doesn't want us to enjoy the physical union between a man and a women. It's because He knows that such an intimate act can only grow and flourish in a healthy manner when you wait to give yourself completely to your partner in a committed marital relationship. I would rather have God's blessing and fulfillment than the emptiness now two of those women will feel because they chose to give themselves to this flakey man.

God's ways are the best ways. I pray that these ladies may someday know how much God loves them; especially in the midst of their rejection.

Blanket of Blessings

The cold rains have left a blanket of snow on the local mountains. This is a wondrous site since it isn't often we can enjoy this view. Our winter temperatures are often inconsistent, bringing us snow one week and a heat wave the next.

When I see the snowy peaks, I can't help thinking of the blessings God gives us. He covers us with a layer of His love, followed by layers of grace and mercy. Unlike the snow on our mountains, God's blessings don't fade with irratic temperatures. In fact as we deal with hardships and trials, it seems that the blanket of His blessings increases, wrapping us tighter as we seek to cling to His goodness.

Be thankful for God's blanket of blessings. Isn't it wonderful to have such a loving and gracious God?!

Disappointing Results

For Valentine's Day my husband and I decided to make a nice homemade meal. We tried a new recipe we had seen on a cooking show that was supposed to make delicious and crunchy fried chicken. We bought all the ingredients and then set about making this mouth watering delight.

After a good 2 1/2 hours of prep and cooking time (which was a lot longer than the TV demonstrated), we finally sat down to eat. I wasn't extremely impressed. Although it wasn't bad, it was disappointing for all the trouble we went through. It's easier to buy KFC.

Sometimes things aren't what they seem. Just like our supposedly foolproof recipe, the energy and efforts aren't worth the outcome. Unfortunately, we often don't know until too late that we are going to be sorely disappointed.

Does that mean we don't even try? No. There have been several tasty dishes we've discovered by trying a new recipe; therefore, there will be many times that our hard work will bring rich rewards. The secret is to keep trying. We never know when we will enjoy the results.

A Friday Note

It's supposed to rain again today. I really enjoy the cooler temps, the opportunity to wear warm sweaters, and a chance to make lots of soup. I also love the sound of rain.

Thankfully I won't be driving around in it today since the kids are off. I plan to enjoy their company and get some reading done. Maybe we'll do some baking, too.

Have a great weekend!

In the Details

The weather has been cold for Southern California. We had a chilly rainstorm on Monday that blew out by late afternoon. Yesterday morning was very nippy, and the cool temps, along with the wet ground, left a beautiful blanket of dew covering the grass like velvet. Everything looked so delicate. Too bad it all disappeared after a few hours. At least we have a spectacular white blanket of snow atop our local mountains to enjoy for a week or more (with the unpredictability of our weather, you never know if we’ll have a heat wave next).

God placed many wonderful examples of His creativity into nature to show us that He’s involved in this world. He’s into the details of His creation, even coating the tiniest blades of grass with sparkling frost.

If God is so involved in His process of nature, don’t you think that He would even be more concerned about the details of your life? Since He created you, He knows every nuance of your personality. He knows about your aches and pains; about your troubles and turmoils, and about the little things that bring a smile to your face.

So why not take your cares and concerns to Him? Ask Him to be the strength of your life; ask Him for courage for today and hope for tomorrow. He is waiting to listen, and then to answer. All you have to do is call.

Completion

I finished my article. I was determined to sit down at 9 o'clock this past Friday morning and plug away on my laptop, not stopping until it was done. Less than 2 hours later it was on its way to my editor. Of course, she still has to accept it, but I'm thankful I completed it ahead of time.

I like finishing things. I like the sense of satisfaction of working on something from the beginning and seeing it to completion, knowing that it was well worth the time and effort.

Our Christian walk is supposed to be something that we work diligently on. We are supposed to take our role as a witness of our Lord Jesus Christ very seriously, sharimg God's love and truths until the job is done. And we'll know it is done when the Lord tells us, "Well done, good and faithful servant." I'm looking forward to that.

Crunch Time Ends Today

Okay. I didn't finish my article yesterday, but it was because I had some last minute research to do. But today is the day. I plan (Lord willing) to finish no later than this evening.

My article is only 400 words. I know my information. I have my facts in my head and in my notes. I already have an idea of how I want it to go. All I have to do is sit down and write.

Time to get to work!

A Crunch Time Update

It's Wednesday, with only five days left to finish up my article for next Monday's deadline. I'm not worried because I have made a schedule to follow. Today I will finish up my research, including some online searches for updated information. Tomorrow will be my writing day.

Sticking to a schedule has greatly helped. I have met the daily objectives that I had set, which has caused less stress on me and my family. I plan to send my final draft to my editor on Friday.

If you have a tough project ahead, try to break down your tasks by handling them step-by-step. It will help you daily get closer to your goal, while still leaving you with some sanity.

A Crunch Time Note

It's crunch time. I have a deadline and some other commitments that will keep me busy this week. It's these kind of weeks when I have to really concentrate on the tasks I need to do and not overwork myself on those extras that can wait a little longer. It's hard sometimes, because I want to do it all.

So excuse the short posts. I will be able to write some longer ones next week.