It Just Ain't Right!

Favoritism.

Have you ever seen it? Ever experienced it? Ever shown it?

Where have you seen it? At work? At School? In the Government? In the Church? In your home?

It's just not fair is it. I can say that when I am the one who is not receiving special treatment. I feel hurt. I feel rejected. Thoughts start running through my mind like: Why do "they" think that person is so special? They are not any different from me.

But what if I am the one showing favoritism? What are my reasons for doing that? Is it all of a sudden okay since I am the one doing it?

Scripture says: "My dear brothers and sisters,how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?" James 2:1 (NLT)

I have to ask myself: "What is my standard for how I respond to people?" Do I base it on how they are dressed? Whether or not they are clean? The way they talk? Does my first impression take priority over what it is going on deep down inside that person?

"There but for the grace of God goes I."  He extends grace. He extends mercy.

James 2:12-13: "So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.  There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you." (NLT)

Favoritism - It Just Ain't Right!

Live In The Moment

"Slow down, you movin' too fast You gotta make the MORNING last."

What did you do yesterday? Can you even remember? I am reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It has caused me to stop and rethink things - things that I take for granted.

What is a typical day for you? If you still have children at home, then you are operating under the word "hurry" - hurry and get up, hurry and eat your breakfast, hurry and get your clothes on, hurry so you won't be late for school . . . hurry, hurry, hurry! Depending on the season of the year you are hurrying to TBall practice/games, dancing lessons/recitals . . .  you get the picture. I remember those days or do I? I think most of those days were blurs and that is sad.

At the end of the day I was too weary to enjoy the evening because I was already getting ready for the next day. Have you ever said "There are not enough hours in the day!" Oh my, oh my, oh my.

I am just getting started in the book so you may be hearing lots more from me as this is really speaking to me. One of her statements that spoke volumes last night was "I speak it to God: I don't really want more time; I just want enough time. Time to breathe deep and time to see real and time to laugh long, time to give You glory and rest deep and sing joy and just enough time in a day not to feel hounded, pressed, driven, or wild to get it all done -- yesterday. . . . I just want time to do my one life well."

Wow! One of the things she began doing to focus on what I call living in the moment is she made a list over time over 1000 things she is thankful for. For her they were simple things. I have started doing that and I can tell you it is making all the difference in the world as to how I look at my day. I am LOOKING for things I am thankful for.  The key word being LOOKING. Another one of her profound statements for me was "Only because I was looking."

When you are not looking or expecting, you will miss it! Don't miss life! Live in the Moment!

Can't wait to share more with you as I have started this journery of One Thousand Gifts.

There ARE scarier things than getting older!

I recently celebrated my birthday and this is the card my husband gave me:

And the sentiment inside: "There are scarier things than getting older." I loved it! Sweet, mushy cards are really nice but ever so often I need one that just makes me laugh and laugh and laugh. This did the trick. He's right - this IS SCARIER than getting older.

I had a fabulous day! I mean how could you not have a good day after such a wonderful start. I received phone calls, cards, FB wishes and emails all day long. I felt very special.

We drove to Montezuma, Georgia for lunch and ate at Yoder's Restaurant. Yoder's Deitsch Haus Restaurant and Bakery is a cafeteria that serves lunch and dinner. It sits along side a peaceful country road in Mennonite farmland.

Yep, this was my plate and I did NOT eat the whole thing! We met my Daddy, sister, and brother-in-law there. My daddy and sister have birthdays later in July. Don't know if I could handle going back that soon!

We rode a little further to William L. Brown Farms. Lots of fresh produce AND some yummy peach ice cream. They had a huge field planted in zinnias and sunflowers - I LOVE sunflowers!

When we left them, we did something that Charlie and I have always loved to do and that is ramble. So we didn't take I75 back home. I guess you could say we took the back roads. Proved to provide some interesting sites.

 

Train depot in Lilly, Georgia

Somewhere off Hwy 90 -  a Red Dirt Road.   Always reminds me of the Brooks and Dunn song: Red Dirt Road

A Perfect Day!

It was so good that I celebrated again the next day with Charlie's family. I am a blessed woman :-)

Celebration of Love

On June 17 Charlie and I celebrated 39 years of marriage. We decided to drive to Tallahassee and have lunch at Olive Garden. It was a special day and we periodically reflected on what was happening 39 years ago - what we were doing at different times of the day and special memories of crazy things that happened: like me forgetting to bring my "hang up" clothes on our honeymoon - that was interesting :-) We love to tell stories of how we met, our first date, how he proposed and of course it would not be fun telling them unless we did a lot of exaggerating!

Thirty-nine years seems like a long time but for some reason it doesn't feel like a long time at all. Charlie is my adventurer and he has taken me places and encouraged me to do things I don't think I would have ever done. We have been to Mexico on mission trips, traveled to London to be with our girls when they were doing some studying over there, traveled to Northern Ireland to visit friends he met on the internet (another story for another day), our trip last summer to Alaska, a 10 day ride on the back of his Harley - you get the picture.

It has been fun and challenging! There have been good times and bad. The good have definitely outweighed the bad. We have experienced "in sickness and health". I do not know what I would have done without him during some of the "in sickness".

I was a city girl and he brought me to the country. He has taught me how to fish and how to shoot a gun (still can't hit the broad side of a barn but I do pretty good with the fishing). I have bailed hay, picked peas, and shucked corn.

We have both grown in the Lord and he has become my source of spiritual wisdom.

He is my best friend. And I am definitely better for having met him, married him and loved him!

Things My Mama Taught Me

I am reading the book of Proverbs with a group of ladies during the month of June. Solomon wrote some very wise things for his son Rehoboam who became king after him. There is verse after verse about how he expected his son to live. Most of it deals with wisdom, understanding and knowledge.

It got me to thinking about the "wise" things my parents taught me. Even though I titled this "Things My Mama Taught Me", both my parents imparted tons of wisdom to me. I have been reflecting on what their "book of Proverbs" would have said.

Life according to Bill and Elvie:

1. Family is important.
2. I am special - I have a purpose.
3. Respect: It is not a given, you earn it.
4. Be honest
5. Work hard
6. Education is important. It is something that no one can take away from you.

I know there were more but these are the ones that stand out. This wasn't preached to us. It was a way of life.

Of course, Mama said all those things that we hear others say their mama said like:

As long as you live under my roof, you'll do as I say.
Close the door! You weren't born in a barn!
Don't EVER let me catch you doing that again!
Don't sit too close to the television, it'll ruin your eyes.
Don't talk with your mouth full!

I think you get the picture. Bet you have some special things your mom said to you too.

I miss her. She's in heaven watching me though :-) so I still watch my "p's and q's". (Don't know how somebody came up with that expression.)

I still have my dad and he is a blessing and an encourager to me.
Would love to hear some of the "rules of your house" as you were growing up.

Just a Swingin

Any of you remember the childrens' book series Just Me and My Dad (with other Just Me and  . . . )? Well I got to do that this weekend. He and I got to do "just" what we wanted to do: sitting around the kitchen table and talking - that is his favorite place to sit and talk - or sitting on the screened in back porch swinging.

We have had some mighty special talks around the kitchen table - some serious and a lot of not so serious. One of my special memories of a serious discussion had to do with me going on my first "car date". Daddy sat there and talked to me and pretty much told me what he expected of me and what to do if things did not go well. (We always had a dime in our shoe in case we needed to call home. Yep, those were the days of pay phones and a dime would do it!) The whole time he was sharing his wisdom he had a pocket knife and he was scratching the top of our wood kitchen table. Yep, he scratched the finish right off the corner of it. I know now that was a pretty hard discussion for him :-) I now have that kitchen table in my garage. Memories, memories, memories.

We had some more talks this weekend just a swingin on the back porch.

"Precious and few are the moments we two can share."

My New Craft Area

I am so excited about my new/revised craft area. I found a great deal on a drafting table at Michael's and I used some of my "Mommy Day" money to purchase a few things to decorate it with in addition to some stamping supplies.

So excited about this drafting table. My sweet hubby put this together for me! It came with the cloth drawers. He had to attach the frame to the drafting table.

Some of my stamps - the rest are in the drawers under the counter top you will see later.

Found this cute little Media tower at Fred's. Bought me those colored canvas baskets at Family Dollar. I got some of the cutest things at places that I least expected to find them!

Part of my Mommy Day money for the note/picture board!

I already had these stacked drawers. I just organized my stuff a little better and then tried to put some items that I had on the top of each one to "accessorize".

Close up of the "decoration" on the top of this stack. That is my old Brownie camera - yep an antique - along with that old 45 rpm and that coffee pot is one that my mama use to make coffee with every morning. We've come a long way baby!

Yep, My Georgia Stuff :-)

Now I just need to find time to make some cards!