Difficult People

I have a really hard time with people who are rude with other people. I think it is one of my worst pet peeves. I try not to let it bother me, and pray for the person cause who knows what's going on in their lives, but it's still difficult. When you're driving there are rude people who get made over nothing, some teachers at school treat the children with less respect then they should receive, and lately, at the X-Ray clinic (where Kevin's gone 5 times now) there is one lady there who barks at everyone and makes the experience less than enjoyable. I asked Kevin if he noticed and yes he definately had. How do these people sleep at night. Now I am definately NOT perfect, but if I have been rude to someone it would bother me until I apoligized and I would not feel good about myself. How can some of these people do it so often!! Treat people with carelessness and harsh words.........I know I cannot focus on that, but on myself and making sure that my life is pure before God, but I must admit I have to battle the hurt, astonished feelings after dealing with people like that. I try and be as nice as I can to them, but it doesn't seem to make a difference. Does anyone have any ideas??

We're up and running, or at least up and walking for now.....

IT"S OFF!!!!!!!!!!!IT"S OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Does it look like I am excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No more cast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Doctor took it off today at the hospital and we had to wear these ear muffs cause the saw was so loud, but actually we should have nose plugs too!!!!!! Those things are just nasty after that long. Kevin was really good about it though, and after the Doctor explained that the saw couldn't actually cut him, it cut him!! On the leg. .......so the Doctor says it won't cut you if you don't pull away......maybe that should have been said at the beginning, but it was just a little cut. He's walking, but still with a limp and the foot slightly off to the side. I guess over 6 weeks of having it resting has done something to all the muscles......like made them weak for now. So he's supposed to take it easy for a week, which will be hard on him cause now that it's off he just wants to go.....I am very happy and it's a treat to see him walking again. We went and bought him new runners, ones with lots of support. Any shopping with Kevin is not a quick in and out... it takes time, he definately knows what he likes....so I plunked myself on the floor of the store and waited for him to decide. I explained to the sales lady that I am used to waiting for him....she just giggles. But he now has beautiful new black runners with lotsa support.
My husband comes home tonight, he has been in Toronto on business. I just don't sleep well when he's not home. I usually wake up around 1am and stay up until 4:30 am. I pray, look out the window......listen for new and unfamiliar noises........but thank God he's home tonight so I can get a good sleep.

Racing against time.......

There is not enough time in a day. Does anyone else have that problem?? My list for the day usually gets half done, and at the end of the day I'm exhausted and a little on the cranky side. I am not a clean freak, but I do like an organized house, I find everyone (especially me)thinks and feels better....but at the stage of my kids right now, I am usually never home, school, acting, hockey, friends, etc. I am usually driving or picking up somewhere. This is when I need one day at home to get organized. Anyways, with all the stuff today....I am going to sit and read my Bible for 15 minutes.........I know that is what I have to do on a busy day.

How to make the world a better place

My son is doing a biography on Mother Teresa. I think her ideas of making the world a better place are so right, and simple. When she received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 they asked her how we can promote world peace. Her answer was simple, "Go home and love your family."
In her Nobel Lecture some of her quotes are:

" Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do. It is to God Almighty - how much we do it does not matter, because He is infinite, but how much love we put in that action. How much we do to Him in the person that we are serving."

"You too try to bring that presence of God in your family, for the family that prays together stays together. And I think that we in our fmaily need to just get together, love one another, bring that peace, that joy, that strength of presence of each other in the home. And we will be able to overcome all the evil that is in the world."

"I want you to find the poor here, right in your own home first. And begin love there. Be that good news to your own people. And find out about your next-door neighbour - do you know who they are? And you see this is where love begins - at home."

"You must come to know the poor, maybe our people here have material things, everything, but I think that if we all look into our own homes, how difficult we find it sometimes to smile at each other, and that smile is the beginning of love. And so let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love, and once we begin to love each other naturally we want to do something"

"Let us keep that joy of loving Jesus in our hearts. And share that joy with all that we come in touch with. And that radiating joy is real, for we have no reason not to be happy because we have Christ with us. Christ in our hearts, Christ in the poor that we meet, Christ in the smile that we give and the smile that we received."

"If we could only remember that God loves me, and I have an opportunity to love others as He loves me, not in big things, but in small things with great love."

I truly believe and agree that it's not in the big things, but in the small things (or so we perceive them to be small things) that bring joy, peace, laughter. A smile to a stranger, a smile to your family and friends, a kind word, a helping hand, a phone call or card when someone is hurting, prayer for those in need, being polite and kind to people you meet at the store, school, in your daily travels. I think if we were all to try and do this everyday our world would be a better place.

Be Magnified

I have made you too small in my eyes
Oh Lord, forgive me
And I have believed in a lie
That You were unable to help me
But now, O Lord, I see my wrong
Heal my heart and show Y ourself strong
And in my eyes and with my song
Oh Lord, be magnified
Oh Lord, be magnifed

Be magnifed, O Lord
You are highly exalted
And there is nothing You can't do
Oh Lord, my eyes are on You
Be magnifed
O Lord, be MAGNIFIED.

Magnify - to make larger and MORE IMPORTANT

I was playing this song on the piano this morning and singing ?!?!? If you can call it singing, but I know God loves it. It really touched my heart....

Lord, please be magnifed in my life.
Be magnified over my feelings and concerns.
Be magnifed over my hurts and disappointments.
Be magnifed over my failures and shortcomings.
Be magnifed over my family.
Be magnifed over my thoughts of the day.
Be magnifed over my health.
LORD Be magnifed in every area of my life.
Forgive me if I have made You too small in my life.
I know that everything that I entrust to You that You are more than able.

My Answer

I have been praying about why I have no energy lately. I read my friend's blog on "Rest" and I felt God impressing on my heart about not only resting physically, but resting mentally. I have not been doing that. I had been getting physical rest, but my mind was not peaceful or restful. I woke up this morning determined to keep my mind peaceful, I turned on Christian music while making lunches, and that helped so much. When I came home from school even though there was so much to do I decided to read ......one of the books I have been reading is by Joyce Meyer. I turned to the middle of the book, not where I had been reading, and look at the passsage I read:

God will give you all the grace you need for today, and He will also give you grace for tomorrow, but as I've said, tomorrow's grace won't show up until tomorrow. The grace of God is just like manna was to the Israelites:; every morning the manna came down out of the sky and was enough for that day. Whenever someone tried to store up provision for the next day, it rotted. It's the same way with grace. We are to learn to live our lives one day at a time

When we have to stand in faith and believe God for a breakthrough in an area, we want to know immediately when the answer will come. God's answer is that is will come - one day at a time. And worrying or trying to make it happen will not help it come any faster.

The Lord's Prayer will help you stay in peace while you are waiting for a breakthrough. In Matthew 6:11, Jesus taught us to pray, saying, "Give us this day our daily bread.:" God wants us to pray everyday for whatever provision we need for that day. Jesus also said to "stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried)" about our lives.

I realized I was frustrated as soon as I got up in the mornings. I was always in such a hurry, no matter what I was doing, I had my mind on the next thing I needed to do. As I was brushing my teeth one morning, I discovered I was hurrying because I was thinking about making the bed, and God told me," Slow down. Brush your teeth."

God continued to show me how misplaced priorities were robbing me of the peace and enjoyment in my life. I'd rush to make my bed, but because I never kept my mind on what I was doing, I was already anxious about the next thing I needed to do. As I started making the bed, I thought, I better lay out some meat to thaw for dinner. So I'd leave the bed half made and rush downstairs to get meat out of the freezer, but on the way there I'd see a pile of dirty clothes and think, I better put those clothes in the washer and get the laundry started. Just as I put soap in the washer, the phone would ring, so I ran back upstairs to the kitchen to answer the phone. While I talked on the phone, I realized that I needed to load the dishwasher, so I put a few dishes in the dishwasher as I talked. ......I would carry on like that all day, never finishing what I started....

Peace begins with our keeping priorities straight moment by moment. It is a challenge to thoroughly enjoy every moment that God gives us. But when we learn to do this, we wil enjoy our days. When we learn to enjoy our days, we will find that we are enjoying our lives. .....

We can learn to ENJOY making the bed, doing laundry, and washing the dishes. We can enjoy getting meals for our families, going to the grocery store, and taking time to talk with friends. If we don't enjoy every phase of our day, we will miss the life that God intended for us to enjoy.

Life cannot just be filled with things that are fun to do.
But we can enjoy the more mundane things that we need to accomplish by staying filled with the Holy Spirit. Keep an attitude of praise in our hearts and talking to the Lord as we work.

Okay, this is me!!!!! I almost laughed when I read it, because I thought I was the only person like this. This is what has been wearing me down.
Thank you sooooo much Jesus for revealing this to me. Thank you for caring for me, and being concerned with my life. Help me to enjoy life, every minute of the day. Help me not to be anxioius, or rushed, but help me to live and abide and stay in Your peace. That is the only way to be truly happy.

Where has my got up and go gone up and went??

I have been so struggling with lack of energy, lack of anything really. I don't know whether it's the weather, time of year, two kids on crutches, ?!?!?!? Every day I get up tired, I haven't even done anything yet and I am overwhelmed with the little things of life, such as dishes, laundry etc. I really, really don't like feeling this way, but all I really desire to do is get a big warm blankie and a good book, light my candles and sip some tea. That is fine to do I know, but that's all I want to do. I am not depressed, just no energy. I have to kick myself to get up and do something. I am feeling frustrated with it now, maybe I need some vitamins? It makes the days seem unaccomplished. Anyways, wondering if anyone else is feeling the same thing?

A Few of My Favorite Things

In response to my good friend Jan, at The Joy of the Lord is my Strength, I am going to do my favorite things list. I invite you to do so also.......

My favorite colour:
I can't say I have one favorite, I like different colours for different things, paint inside the house, cars, clothes etc. ( I am not doing very well so far am I? )

My favorite smell:
Oh, Oh, I have one!!!!! It has to be coffee brewing in the morning, hands down!!

My favorite sound:
LAUGHTER!!!!! Especially the really deep belly laughter that you can't help but laugh along too!!

My favorite taste:
I have to agree with Jan on this one, CHEESECAKE!!

My favorite texture:
hmmmm, anything soft and cozy

My favorite thing to watch:
Children playing and laughing

My favorite time of day:
I would say after dinner, when it's unwind time, reading, playing games, enjoying our family

These are a few of my favorite things.......da da, da da, da da, da da

Most Spring Breaks the kids and I go to Victoria. We have a wonderful time, swimming in the hotel pool, going to museums, walking along the beach, eating at Spaghetti Factory etc. It's just our time to unwind and refocus again. I love the ferry rides, the scenery and ocean always make me feel peaceful and thoughtful on things of life. One of our trips to Victoria we went to the Wax Museum. One of the displays was Mother Teresa. Beside her they had a poem she had written. I have to admit when I read it I had a tear in my eye.... how true this is.....I try often to remember it and thought I would share it with you today.

The Final Analysis

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will be forgotten.
Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.