random thought for the moment...

What holds a person back from doing something he/she wants to do, enjoys, or wants to achieve?

We may label it "busyness" or "laziness" or even "broke-ness"... but what it really boils down to is FEAR.

Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of not doing something perfectly. Fear of starting and not being able to finish. Fear of the possible consequences. Fear of the unknown. Fear.

Fear is the opposite of faith, in my opinion. Fear is saying, "God, I know I should trust you, but can I really trust you? Might there be a moment when You turn Your attention away to handle something else, and I fall through the cracks? What if I think I'm doing something You told me to do, but really I just made the whole thing up?"

God is not the giver of fear... He gives us hope, sound judgment, courage, love, patience, endurance, peace, and joy. When we accept these gifts from Him, and learn to live them 24/7, then there will be no room left for fear. Of course, the only way this can happen is to let the Holy Spirit do His sanctifying work in our hearts and minds day after day.

I'm letting Him get to work on me right now...

Summer Lovin'...

It is summer, and man am I lovin' it! Although I always dread the hot and humid weather, each year I am surpised once again by how much fun summer can be. Take, for instance...

Building a sandcastle with my son. Now that he's old enough to really grasp the ideas of using shovels and buckets to build things, he's found a new wonderland of fun and sun. Too bad we don't live at the beach.

Swimming lessons. I just wish he had as much fun there as he did at the beach. Oh well, I'm not giving up. He has to come off the steps into the water eventually. I did... at the ripe ol' age of 10. Maybe he'll decide to brave the depths soon, and will grow up living the lifestyle of the pool crowd - tanned, waterlogged, and addicted to the diving board.

Vacation Bible School. I think I had more fun this year at our VBS than I have in any year past. The kids were great, the material and theming were great, the music was super great, and it was all so smooth... over in a flash, it felt like. The kind of week that makes you wish that VBS was two weeks long - almost.

Back porch garden. We finally got brave enough to plant a container garden this year. So far it all looks good, and we're looking forward to corn, squash, cucumbers, and carrots. Too bad some hungry bugs ate all the leaves off of our beans... With food prices soaring as high as the daytime temps, we knew we had to try something different this year. Hopefully our experiment will prove productive. I love to walk out on the back porch early in the morning and examine the plants for any evidence of new growth - call me silly but I think squash blossoms are some of the prettiest flowers God created. Maybe that's just because I know when the blossoms appear, the gourd is not far behind. And nothing says summer like yummy squash fresh from the garden!

Women's Bible study. I have really enjoyed spending time with new friends this summer, and I know the best is yet to come. God in His infinite wisdom plans each season of our lives, and the friends we need to weather the storms of each season. I'm so grateful to him that He is sending such great ladies into my life, especially as I feel that another change of life seasons may be just around the corner. With a God who loves me, a wonderful godly husband, and godly friends who encourage and inspire me, I know I'll be able to handle anything that comes my way.

Baseball. Even if the Braves are having a disappointing season, it's better than no baseball at all. I dread the off season already. Thank God for college football and the NFL to fill the long empty fall months... oh yeah, and hockey season will start back too. Maybe it won't be such a long empty fall after all.

Look at me, already looking ahead to the fall when summer has only just begun. Well, maybe I'd better stop my ramblings and go enjoy it before it's gone. I think the bathing suits and water hoses are calling us this afternoon!

April is here and gone... on with the show

Where has the year gone so far??? Wow. I truly believe that as we head toward the "last days" and the end of the world as we know it, that time compresses and actually does go by faster.

So, what has been going on here? A lot of travel, some life experiences, and some lessons learned. I went down to Disney World at the beginning of the month to work my obligatory shift at the BoardWalk Resort - to maintain my cast member status and get those lovely free theme park passes for the remainder of the year. It was a great trip. Perfect weather, kinda crowded, but so much fun to fly solo for a couple of days. The following weekend I was part of the music ministry team for a women's retreat, and that was wonderful. God really blessed those ladies - and me - in remarkable ways. Then last weekend I went to Athens, Georgia, to visit my sister for the weekend. We attended an alumni event at my college that was really fun and informative - an interactive forum with Mary Matalin and James Carville. We attended the Atlanta Braves game and had a great time there - WE WON!!! And I visited the Atlanta IKEA store (compound) for the first time. That was truly a mind-blowing experience. The Swedish Meatballs in the cafeteria were so delicious!

This month I said goodbye to one of my dear friends, Susan Craig. She lived such a full life - one of joy, faith, laughter, and generosity beyond measure. I sorely miss her, as all of her family and friends do. But I do not begrudge her the wonderful home-going she had on Sunday April 20. And I know she is enjoying her new body in the presense of our Savior.

Aaron had his last day of preschool, and now is home with me every day. So far it has been a good transition (mostly) but I am really finding it hard to get things done with him here. He is a good helper, but he still needs so much attention (supervision). And I am trying to get a little school lesson in every now and then. This week we had 2 days of school. But he writes, draws, and reads books every day. I am so proud of him - he can write his own name!!! He's truly a blessing in our lives.

One lesson I have learned this month - value the time you have with the people around you. You cannot get it back once it's gone. If you make plans with someone to do something fun and worthwhile, do it! Don't let little things stop you. You have only a finite amount of time to spend with others, influencing and blessing their lives, and receiving blessings of your own. Make those memories, and take pictures! Send notes of encouragement or support to those who need it most. And look for ways to bless people you don't even know, or don't know as well as you would like. God hand picks the people He sends our way every day, and He is wanting to use our hands and words to help those people. Christ is counting on us! As one very wise woman told me this month, we should strive to "listen, listen listen, and love, love, love!" Go do it today!

Too busy to blog?

Well, I have been away from the blog for awhile. It's been a rough fall... in all senses of the phrase. And winter has not been any easier. But I cling to the promise that God has made - He is good and His love and mercy endure forever.

Updates:
Football is over. Giants won the SuperBowl. Awesome.
Spring training camps start this week. Super Awesome.
I am looking for a job. Not too much fun but necessary all the same.
I am cleaning house and throwing out lots of stuff. Ditto.

I am setting a goal for myself to blog at least 3 times a week. Even if no one reads it but me, it will give me an outlet and a task to complete. Who knows, with practice maybe I'll grow to be a half-way decent blogger with some readers... commenters even. Ha!