BultiTasker

Do you have the need to always volunteer?

Is the pressure to do more strapped to your back?

Are you about to pull out your hair?

Enough with the questions already! I'm just gonna write a little bit about this bultitasking thing which has been a part of my life for many years. Okay!

Recently, I had to lay down some activities and ministries . It was very difficult. It all started back in May when a Plugged in WOG (woman of God) told me something I already knew...I wasn't meant to bear the burden. Well, that was just what I was doing. I had involved myself in so many things that my heart was racing at times and I knew that wasn't a good thing.

As the months rolled by, I knew it was time to cut loose some activities, so I did. Then, the Lord told me I wasn't a multitasker anymore. He wanted me free to become excellent in one activity...ministry, and that was His direction for me. Now, I have a hint as to what that might be...a rather strong hint, but there have been so many changes lately, I'm a little unsure as to how it will come about.

During lunch...today...I was walking around in the office listening and praying and God confirmed what He has said before. As I picked up a piece of mail on my desk to open, an "oh yeah" came from my lips. The piece said in a nutshell this...those who go back to their roots and focus on doing one thing well will outperform those who are multitaskers. I'm not sure what they meant about going back to their roots, but for me that means going back to the love of my life...Jesus...and listening to what He is saying and the direction He is taking me.

Multitasking is a season...not part of who you are. It is a season of preparation in order to get you to a place where you can hone in on one purpose.

I'm 53 now...with a husband, a married daughter, a teen daughter and a little son. They are part of me...not a task to perform. They are a gift.

I'm writing this partially because I haven't gotten the whole picture yet, and partially because I sense a new direction and a new beginning. Perhaps you are in the same boat...perhaps you are a bultitasking genius. Where ever you are, be open to change and a total redirecting in your life.

One more thought...As long as I was a multi-tasker...I felt like I still had some control over my life when I got in a pinch. Now that God is stripping away activity in my life and having me focus in one direction, I'm learning I don't have control...and I don't have anything to lean on...but Him.

Here I go...I'm letting go...not sure about the road ahead of me. I'm stripping down to run...

MyFirstHello

It was that first "hello" that made me realize something was different about the man who was later to be my husband.

You could call it a feeling or knowing inside, but for me it was simply a recognition that this man I had just met was nice. Of course as time went on and I received confirmation in many ways...especially from the Lord...I knew he was the one.

This morning, I was reading in the book of Genesis about Jacob and his relationship with Laban...his father-in-law.

If you recall the story, Jacob fell in love with Rachael with that first hello. He desired her so much, he worked seven years to get her and then seven more years after they were married to finish "paying" for her. This whole story started with that meeting at the watering hole.

If you remember, Jacob was pretty good about deceiving his brother, and now, he was being deceived by his own father-in-law. The whole deception thing ran pretty rampant in the household of Jacob as well with Leah and Rachael always plotting against each other...playing the "one upmanship game".

Rachael even stole her father's idols...not so she could worship them, but because they were probably made from gold or silver. Both she and her sister were angry with their father for not giving them an inheritance and "selling" them to Jacob. It was not that they didn't care for Jacob, but it was the way in which their father had dealt with them..."as foreigners". The idols were in her eyes, her inheritance.

When Jacob and his household fled and several days later Laban caught up with him, Jacob vented at Laban concerning the way he tried to cheat him through the years.

From that first hello to the last goodbye, this story was filled with deceit, lies, theft, more deceit, mistreatment, rejection, love, lust and more. This would have made a great Eastern Soap Opera.

There are a few points that stand out...at least for me...in this story:

*****None of them were perfect

*****But, God preserved Jacob's line and even blessed him

*****From the unloved wife, Leah, came Judah...then later David...then later "The Christ"

*****Jesus was rejected like Leah...Isaiah said he was "esteemed not", yet through him we never have to feel unloved ever again.

Quite a lot came from that first hello. Never despise small beginnings!

AlohaBoy

I remember when...when I had my first crush...when I was grossed out by one boy's sweaty hands and when a boy wrote me a poem declaring his undying love...it died.

I remember a boy named Charles...Chuck for short having ink all over his hands...he liked me. He even brought me candy on valentines day and not the 99 cent variety but the good stuff. Not sure what happened there, but we were only seven.

My boyfriends in high school didn't amout to many...in fact I could use one hand to count and still have fingers left over! Oh well. One boyfriend started dating a good friend but forgot to tell me "aloha".

"Aloha" boys come in various size, shapes and ages...then of course so do aloha girls. But now that I have a little man...the girls of this family are determined to teach him better...we will see how that goes.

Creativity plays a part in the many ways boys are either the "dumped on" or the "dumpers".

Let's face it. It never will be easy to break up with someone, but there are a few lines which probably have been overused throughout the years which seem to transcend generations...in other words, there are no new break up lines.

Let's review a few and maybe you can add to this list:

1. I just want to be friends. (After having a close relationship sometimes this is almost impossible...I know it can be done...it just depends upon the maturity level of both parties and the amount of hurt to overcome...)

2. I don't think we are a match. (Perhaps this is one of the most honest ones because it makes sense...at least to me)

3. You've hurt me. (Of course this is said in many forms from...you cheated on me...to...you lied to me and so on...)

Now, lets look at the lines we all WANTED TO USE but were too afraid to go there.

1. Your breath stinks and it gags me to get too close to you.

2. Your laugh is annoying and sounds like the mating call of a female gorilla.

3. You pick your nose and eat it...that is totally unacceptable.

4. You have the hygiene of a pig and smell like one too.

Okay...add your own to this list...pull out the stops on this one.

Now, on a more serious note. No one likes to feel unwanted or rejected. For those of us who blog...some have been through the heartbreak of divorce while others are still single and may have given up on the whole dating thing. Whatever any of us have experienced...rejection is common among us. Hurt is also common to all of us.

But...this is the day of new beginnings. Each day has been given to us by a God who absolutely adores us and wants to be active in our lives. Each of us was created unique in our looks and personality and our giftings for His purposes and that is way too cool. Though you have experienced rejection and hurt, it is not the end, it is the beginning for you. It is like shedding old torn up clothing that has been soiled and stinking and running to the lake buck naked with a bar of soap...cleansing and refreshing and uplifting. That is what Jesus does for us...in His presence there is a cleansing and a renewing that washes away the hurts and rejections of the day and gives us a new courage to move ahead and go for it again.

I just want you to know just how loved you are. Say "aloha" or "goodbye" to all the rejection and hurt and yell a big "yes" to new beginnings.

Smiles...sistas and brothas

BugsInMySauce

Okay...I'm sitting here at the computer during my lunch hour about to eat some organic apple sauce and whipped back the alum cover and wah-lah...the itsy bitsy spider (of poetic lore) was in my sauce!

Hey, this is not the first time I've seen bugs in my food.

Several years ago I was eating some spinach out of the can. I know...to some of you this is gross, but to me it is yummy. Anyway, I scooped out a big bunch of the green stuff and was about to stuff it into my mouth when I realized there were some extra...non spinach parts in my food.

Upon further examination, I found several different kinds of bug parts...a something which hopped cause I found hopping legs...and an assortment of who knows what kind of bugs cause it was diced up nicely.

So much for eating out of the can...That didn't happen any more. There for a while, I was searching through my canned food just to make sure I didn't get any extra protein.

However, I later learned from a source I don't remember, that there is allowed a certain percentage of bug parts in food without it becoming a problem. Now that may be true, and it may not, but never the less I have also found in my food...are you ready. WARNING: PLEASE PUT DOWN ANY FOOD YOU MIGHT BE PARTAKING AT THIS TIME BEFORE MOVING AHEAD WITH THIS POST! okay...here 'tis...

We were at a Mexican Food Restaurant years ago...by the way...it is no longer in business. Anyway...I headed over to the salad bar to get my little girls some more fruit salad. As I scooped out the salad to plop on a plate I found A HAIR BALL about the size of my fist in the spoon. Okay...ONE hair is a possibility and a definite gagger, but a hair ball...probably from someone cleaning out their brush, pushes that finger all the way down the throat to the stomach kind of gagger.

Anyway...got any good gag stories...food related?

FromTheMouthOfBabes

Every child has a certain way and a certain time in which they relay information to their parents.

For some, it is at bedtime when they are being tucked in and the final kisses are placed on their precious faces.

For others, their cup spills over as they step into the car and they chatter a hundred miles an hour as you listen between each stop and turn.

Still others, it is in the wee hours of the night when everyone is asleep and the worries and cares of the day are just about to give way to sleep, the real feelings come out and meaningful conversation ensues.

For this little guy, one of those times for deep talk is in the morning as he is being driven to school.

Within the last three months, I have been reintroduced to the world of 8-5. I have had to adjust to this new way of life...trying always to find the time to rejuvenate and have the time for my kids. When I DO get to take my little guy to school, I try to make the most of our 10 to 15 minutes we have together in the car.

This morning as I was driving him to school, he began to talk about his friends at school. One of the little boys was the "star of the week" and had a poster with various pictures of himself and his family. One of those pictures, little man was trying to describe to me. He said...

"You know when I showed Dad the airplane I built and he was on the phone and smiled at me and gave me the "okay" sign? Well _______ had a picture of himself sitting on the ground doing that with his fingers on both hands. What does that mean? Did you know that he doesn't believe in Jesus and neither does another friend of mine who is from another country?"

Let's see now, I have 10-15 minutes in the car to explain the difference between our God who made all things and provided a way through Jesus for us to be reconciled to Him because He loves us and that we can't do it ourselves, but it is a free gift.... My head was swirling with thoughts and scripture but I was talking to a seven year old who needed an answer right then.

So, I told him that the way others would know we were Christians was by the way we loved them. I briefly talked about God's love expressed through Jesus and we prayed for him to express that love to his friends so that they would be open to hear about the FREE gift of life.

Tonight? I plan on sharing the story from Acts 17....here's a link to read it in the Message if you want to http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2017:19-34;&version=65;

I pray today for you and your children that they would be light in a world full of superstition, ignorance, hatred and darkness. Much love to all of you....

Thoughts

Tremendous stress seems to bring out what is in a woman.

For me, sometimes I wonder exactly what will come out when the pressure hits.

I was reading somewhere that one of the biggest concerns of women whose families are struggling financially is the fear of becoming homeless. That one, I have truly thought about, but I quickly kick that thought into outer darkness because I am confident God will show us what to do...when we need to know.

Thoughts of desiring to give my children more than I have given them...more love...more acceptance...more discipline..more wisdom...more of the things which many children enjoy with sports and dance and piano and the like...which I did not give my children.

Yet, thankfully they have been given so much from the Lord...talents, fortitude, endurance, guts and more which I cannot say came from any activity in which they were involved. Although some of those activities did develop what was already there, I pray they will grab hold of what the Lord has given each of them and run with it wholeheartedly.

So much of what I do have seems unimportant when I think of what is really important.

To have a God who loves me...a husband who...even when he is going through a rough time...holds me and the children dear to him is priceless.

Whenever fatigue sets in and hopelessness comes knocking at my door, I know to refuse to open up to that wave of futility which it brings upon allowing it entrance into my life. Without hope, there is no faith because hope is the foundation upon which faith is built...and faith is substance and evidence...proof of hope. In some ways it seems circular this faith and hope.

Why is it that some say to "not get your hopes up"! I say, get your hope up, but slap that hope smack dab on the foundational truth that He (God) will never leave you or disown you. Slap that hope on the foundation of evidence given by those whose lives have been written about in the Word of God. Story after story after story of struggle and hope and faith and perseverance.

These were not extraordinary people, but they were hopeful, trusting people. Gideon...a coward. Paul...a murderer. Abraham...a childless old man. Esther...a refuge in a foreign land. Peter...a fisherman. Joseph...a doted on younger brother. Moses...a stuterer. The list is endless. These were men and women just like you and me, yet they refused to allow their upbringing, their situation, their opinion of themselves, their physical disabilities stop them from hoping and having faith in a hope for their future!

I am encouraging myself tonight...that is what David did. When no one is around to encourage...kick you in the butt to move ahead...you do it. Encouragement is not sympathy, it is speaking the truth in order to get someone to move in the right direction. Sometimes it is soft, and sometimes it is like a hammer coming down. Embrace encouragement as if it has your name engraved upon it.

This is NOT a pull yourself up by the bootstraps kind of thing. It is basing hope on truth...the same truth which created the ordered universe around you. He knows you and loves you and will direct you.

Rest is calling me...

Never let what just happened color the picture
God is creating of you right now.

Never let the things gone by seal you in cement.

Never hide the love He's placed in abundance
inside of you grow stale.

Never forget He's whispering to you right now.

Never forget the hard places can be places of joy.

Never let your joy be squelched by circumstances.

Never go to bed angry.

Always remember you are loved,

By a God who has written your name in the
palm of His hand.

Like Joseph, everything can change in a
moments notice...

And even if it doesn't,

Never let what just happened color the picture
God is creating of you right now

One of the greatest
acts of kindness is
to love yourself like
God loves you...

DUHHHHHHHH

We all have post wedding syndrome caused by way too much use of adrenaline. I am just about to fall asleep. When I wake up in the next two days, I'll fill you in on our daughter's wedding last night. Yes, I know they got married August 19th, but they still wanted a full blown wedding which came off beautifully.

We did have a few frayed nerves and a lot...I do mean a lot of stuff which happened before the wedding which I'll comment on later.

Off subject...by the way...NO I did not use the dollar bill, but the EEWWW thought did run through my head for a split second.

NeverDoThis

A word of caution. Never go to the bathroom at work with a dollar bill in one hand...cause you are headed to the vending machine to get a snack afterward. When the TP comes off the roll, you have to remember which hand you have the dollar in!

Splaining

This morning (as I have become accustomed to doing) I turned on the TV while I was getting everything together for work and school and listened to Joyce Meyers and Beth Moore.

I had been thinking about the post I had done yesterday morning and was feeling like I came down a bit hard...until...I listened to these ladies. If you didn't catch my heart yesterday, let me "splain" myself.

There are seasons in life where there is much to do and it just seems like there is not enough time to do it all. In these seasons, you know you are doing what you have been called to do even though it has a "learning curve" attached to it. Those are exciting seasons.

Then, there are seasons when it is just hard...but even in some hard times...God is telling you to stay there and not move.

Then, there are seasons of movement. This is the season I have been in. Moving out of areas God had me in, to move into areas God is telling me to go.

We all know when we are doing God activity because He continues to encourage us to keep on moving ahead. Then there are times when the Holy Spirit broods over us and gives us a push to move on. In those times when we are being encourage to release and run, if you are like me, it is difficult so instead of releasing, all kinds of "opportunities" to spend our time arises...so, we add more thinking this is a good thing.

In those times when God is trying to lead (for me it is more like push) us into new areas, it is easy to get bound up with activity which is good, but is not God.

What I found myself doing, was adding good activity in place of my relationship with God...spending time with Him. I am sure none of you have ever done that. What I got, was near burnout because I accepted more work with good motives...to help, but without wisdom to know when to say "no".

What I want to get across is this: Opportunities to increase your load will come...and I do say WILL COME with confidence. Some will ask you with pure intentions and it still not be what you ought to be doing.

As I was listening and ironing and eating this morning, I came away with the same message I had yesterday. Decide to do the right things in your life. Time with God sets the tone for your day...constantly being in tune to His leading throughout the day brings opportunities which ARE God ideas and should be incorporated into your life.

Activity without anointing will only lead to frustration, anger and burnout. Don't go there. Pour out your life where God tells you to pour it out. If you are a stay at home Mom and know that is where you are to be, pour yourself out there. If God has lead you into the workplace, follow His lead.

Mostly, never allow yourself to become dry! Let the presence of God pour energy and freshness into your life. Stoke up the fire of God in you by saying YES to God's leading and NO to anything else.

I truly love you all and pray today you KNOW where to go and what to do. Shaloam my dear brothers and sisters. (spell check is not operating so forgive any mis-spells)

BlahBlahBlahBlahBlah

Whenever we experience one of those days where we just can't handle anything else, let's find this to be a good occassion to stick our fingers in our ears and say "blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...I can't hear you"!

Here are a few choice phrases which should be followed by the "Blah" phrasology! Do yourself a favor and whenever you feel someone is leading you into a lose-lose situation go ahead and get your fingers ready to stick in your ears. They will wonder what you are doing and maybe that alone will stop them dead in their tracks!

"I know you have a lot to do, but..." (What they are saying is, "I know you have a lot to do, but I have more to do than you do, so you should do this for me")

"I know you have a lot on your mind, but consider..."(What they are saying is, "I know you have a lot on your mind, but your mind is bigger than mine so please help, cause what you are dealing with is less than what I am dealing with")

"Busy people are the best organized...that's why I thought about you. So, could you..."(What they are saying is no one else is stupid enough to do this)

"You're a stay at home Mom, so I know you have some time to help with..."( What they are saying is "put down your bon-bons and turn off the soaps because being a stay at home Mom is easy" Yeah, right!)

"This will only take an hour of your time..." (What they are saying is it will take an hour of your time plus an hour to get a babysitter, plus an hour to leave something at the house for everyone to eat)

I think it would be more honest to just ask someone to help and leave the goofy leadins alone. I am notorious about saying "I know you are busy" and most of the time I mean just that. But don't get sucked into doing an activity which will pull you away from what God has called you to do. If you are busy doing lots of "stuff" because someone has fluffed you, or because it is necessary for your self esteem and not because it is what you are to be doing...then, think again.

Those areas God has birthed in you need to be cultivated and that takes time and energy. If you are giving yourself to areas which are time and energy suckers, then most probably, you will find yourself struggling to find the time and energy to do what is constantly in your mind and heart to do. The calling of God will always be whispering to you...so get free enough to do what you need to be doing.

(A side note...sometimes God has us doing something outside our "call" to teach a life lesson needed to walk where He wants us to walk...so check with HIM before clearing your schedule!)

Got any more phrases we can add to the blah, blah phraseology?

LessonFromAFit

Today, I have a day off from work. School is out, and I am trying to get more stuff done for the wedding.

I was pushing the little man to get bathed and dressed, etc. He headed for the playstation after he had finished getting ready and I told him he wasn't ready to get on the playstation yet...

Wow, you would have thought I had just cut off his right arm! I told him to get his bed made and to spend some time reading his kids Bible. Now he is not one whom you have to guess what he is thinking. He stormed out into the hall, threw the Bible down on the floor and screamed.

"Here's your stupid Bible."

In a not so calm tone, I told him to never call the Words of God stupid because He is the one who loves us and made us and absolutely adores us. I said the playstation was entertainment and it couldn't love us...etc., etc. You get the picture.

He started crying and said he was sorry and it dawned on me just what I had said.

How many times do I emotionally throw down God's Word. Maybe I don't call it stupid, but my actions speak loudly that I view it as stupid. How? By not trusting the very words He has spoken to me either personally or through His Word!

Wake up call!

The little man is quietly reading in his room and I am about to do the same!

LessonsFromAFish

If was just yesterday my little man hollered from his room..."I need a Bible story...Mom".

"Okay, just give me a minute and I'll be there."

Now usually, I am trying to come up in my head as I am walking down the hall what Bible story I will be sending him to na-na land with...but this night I knew. It was a Holy Spirit inspired suggestion which popped into my head.

The little man was just about half awake when I plopped myself down at the end of his bed. I could tell, he probably would be asleep long before I got to the end of the story, but he still wanted a story.

I'll not give you the narrative side of Jonah and the Fish, but that is the story I told him...even long after I could tell he was slumbering. It is not that I love the sound of my own voice so much, but it was as though I was needing to hear what was coming out of my mouth.

Here it is in a nutshell.

Jonah was a prophet on board a ship heading away from the place God told him to go. In kids we can that rebellion.

He thought he was the reason for the terrible storm. So, he was hoisted overboard to see if that helped matters any. It did.

God prepared a fish to be Jonah's new transportation. He was swallowed after sinking to the bottom of the sea by a big fish.

What looked to be a very bad situation became a refuge...a place of safety!

SO, THE FISH WAS A PLACE OF PROTECTION.

Jonah probably would not have survived very long as shark bait without the big fish.

Jonah had to first be protected in order to for God to work on his heart.

Jonah finally came to a realization he had been protected...in the belly of the fish. He praises God.

When Jonah embraced his purpose, he was spit out on dry land.

SO, THE FISH WAS A MEANS TO GET HIM TO HIS DESTINATION.

Next time you get like I did and start complaining about the fish in your life, remember these things...without the fish, Jonah would have perished. What's happening in your life which seems unpleasant, but is really a means to protect you and set you back on course?

WeddingBloopers

Well, we are one week away from the wedding celebration. There have been glitch's here and there and some stressed out...hair standing on end feelings, but in just a short time, it will be done...except to pay for it.

I thought some of you might have a few wedding bloopers to share with me. Don't worry, I won't freak out or anything. After all, I've been to weddings where people passed out cold...one groomsman was even pulled out through the choir loft by mysterious hands. One of my friends starved herself to get into the itty bitty skinny wedding dress, only to gorge herself on the communion bread during the ceremony. I've been run over by over eager single women who put a lot of stock in catching the wedding bouquet. I was knocked to the ground once. I've heard bad singers and grooms who thought they could sing to their bride only to find out it was more emotional that they thought. I've even been to a wedding where the groom made a pass at me the day before he was to be married to ________.

So, tell me your bloopers..............

LittleMen

I deeply apologize for being absent again from my posting. At some time, I will give you the entire story with details but for now, I think it important to add a little humor into your lives today.

For those of you who have little men running around your house, you know there is a daily mirrage of quotable quotes and laughable laughs. It is no different in our casa (house).

Last night, we as in all of us, and all of Matt's family were having dinner at our daughter and son-in-law's apartment. By the way, it was nice to have someone else cook...I could get used to this treatment. Anyway, we started telling stories and especially stories on the "little man".

At first, I didn't know if he would take it well, but he seemed to like being the center of attention.

At this age...little men are preoccupied with one body part in particular because...Hey I don't know why?...I'm a girl!... One particular incident happened at the Christian school our son attended last year. He and one of his buds who is high-powered like he is, were noticing the outline in one of the guy's pants. One of the boys yelled out the "p" word as he was pointing much to the dismay of several little girls who were present. They were horrified, the boys laughted and the P.E. teacher did everything she could to keep from bursting out with laughter herself. ( By the way, I am editing my own post because I don't want to "offend" anyone by using the "p" word even though it is better to call it by the correct name, than names like..."thingy" and such) Needless to say, they got a mild talking to and that was that.

Same group of boys another time in the boy's bathroom during P.E. One of the boys was about my size but outweighed me by about 20 pounds (1st grader!). This big boy was standing on the wall urinal peeking over the top of one of the stalls where my son was going to the bathroom. The boys were taking turns standing on the urinals and I guess using them for a diving board. They were polking their heads under the stalls (very dangerous...eeewwwh) .All the boys were so tickled. Of course, it was mine who could be heard to the North Pole. His voice signaled a talley or two for all the boys jumping off the wall urinals and such including him for his loud...very loud laugh which could be heard throughout the halls of TCS.

It is never dull with him around!