...a word from Kathy

I called my sister this week and told her that I was considering renaming my Blog....As the World Turns seemed appropriate or perhaps my old favorite, Days of Our Lives.  Yes, its one of THOSE times in my life.   When I was in college my friends and I would literally arrange our class schedules around the television soap opera, Days of our Lives (no TiVo in those days!).  On any given day, at 1:30 p.m. there we were, 8 to 10 girls gathered around a TV to watch this epic show.  We were obsessed  with their triangles of love, deception, hurt and reconciliation.  We were also 18 years old with nary a clue as to how life ebbs and flows. This weekend, I was in a worship service and the speaker announced the title of his sermon, How to Live Life Right.  His points were valid and strong as he focused on love, attention and the grace of God.  But for the life of me, I kept wondering if I shouldn't get up and leave the service.  His tone and example...

L ife is hectic!  This week I found myself repeatedly running out the door with barely a glimpse at my Bible, devotional books or time with God.  On Tuesday, as I was speeding to an early morning meeting, I thought, 'dang it, I should have brought my Bible and devotional stuff with me!'.  I had realized that after my early morning meeting I had a big break before my next appointment and could have used the time to read, reflect and be in God's Word.  Ugh, I wish I was more organized and had gathered my materials before leaving my house... It was then that a still, small voice whispered...you don't need those materials to have time with Me. Really....don't need my Bible, my Oswald Chambers devotional book, my journal, my pen, my computer, my worship music, my Jesus Calling ??? Yes....just Me and you.  No distraction, no calendar, no devotional, just us. Somehow, this obvious whispered knowledge is so much more difficult than the rote quiet time that invol...

Cross posted from FortyFaithful.blogspot.com T he call to peacemaking from Matthew 5:9 befuddles me.  Perhaps this is a verse that only applies to those who have the personality or giftedness of peacemaking.  Surely this is one verse that I can discount as "does not apply."  But then I began to think and remember: Those long days of work and picking up my two elementary age children who were arguing and needing peacemaking well before we found our driveway!  I remember those same two living life as teenagers and the peacemaking that occurred in our house!  Then my memory took me back even further to my parents and our household.  By the time I was in junior high school I was the remaining child in my parents home.  There were disagreements in those days too.  I found peacemaking was easier than "walking on egg shells."  So perhaps I have some experience in this field after all... But I'm pondering as to whether this call to peacemaking ...

B eing a southern girl, the term, "Lord have mercy" has been in my vocabulary since the day I was born.  Every time I hear it there is a southern drawl attached and quite possible the slow shake of one's head.  It seems to be a grandma's favorite expression.  And perhaps it's akin to "Bless his heart". Both of these expressions come from deep wells of emotion where exact words seem incomplete.   Lord have mercy ..... Bless his heart.  And so I begin ponder Jesus' words in Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." I've struggled with this word, mercy, for a week.  Reading and reading and trying to get my mind around it.  Jesus is instructing us to be merciful, to show mercy and that I understand, sort of.  But my dilemma is the how.  How do I live a life offering mercy.  Webster helped a bit, mercy is defined as: lenient or compassionate treatment; compassion shown especially to an offender.  This ...

Cross post from forty faithful.blogspot.com I n the final semester before my graduation from college, I can vividly remember creating a resume and preparing for job interviews.  Two questions stand out in my mind: What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?  It was those two answers that would determine my job opportunities or so I thought.  Then a few years later, in my second career move, my employer provided a staff opportunity to learn about our personalities.  The Myers-Briggs was administered and we each 'found' ourselves and our strengths and weaknesses.  Suddenly, I was able to explain my quirks and personality style (or at least some of my quirks!). Over the years, Matthew 5 has often been that type of reading for me - a personality checklist.  I would read the verses to find myself.  And to further honesty, I'll admit to skipping verses that didn't apply to me because they were simply "not my personalit...

Cross post from www.fortyfaithful.blogspot.com W elcome to this  Forty Faithful  journey.  For this period of 40 days, Scott and I will write eight blogs for you to ponder.  We will be studying Matthew 5:1-10 and intersect these words of Jesus with the approaching celebration of Easter.  We have no predisposed outcome for you or ourselves...we are simply on a journey to know our God in a new way.  Read, think deeply and pass it on... F orty days before Christmas was mid-November.  By mid-November last year I had Thanksgiving planned, company coming, a few Christmas gifts purchased, and the cooking scheduled!  By the end of November, Thanksgiving was over, I was stuffed and already stressed but the tree was arriving!  Stockings were to be hung, more food to be cooked and for heavens sake a party or two to attend.  It was a busy forty days as we approached Christmas.  I wrote and talked about the lack of time and the lack of con...

H appy New Year means it is time to make some New Years resolutions.  Many of us make our lists Lose ten pounds.  Exercise every day.  Stay within my personal budget and grow my savings account.  Visit my family more consistently.   I 'will do this', I 'will do that'...But do we ever see them through??  I don't or I haven't! We promise ourselves that this is THE year to see them through. Well, I am rebelling.  I'm much better in controlling what I will NOT do...because I like to be in control...(don't judge me, you do too).  So this year I refuse to make such a list.  Instead I am making a Backward Resolution list, i.e. these are the goals of what I am NOT going to do. And....I have listed these in reverse order (thank you David Letterman): 10.  I am not going to feel guilty for sleeping late on Saturday mornings. 9.  I am not going to walk 10,000 steps every day (for that put me in a boot for the last six weeks!) 8. ...