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What was I Thinking?

Humbly, I confess that the older I get, the more I learn about myself. This doesn’t come from hours and hours of self-focused introspection accomplished while sitting cross-legged and listening to my favorite, calm zen-like music. Actually, it reveals itself to me in little snippets throughout my day.

In reality, it’s probably more that I’m seeing how my thought processes are changing. The changes in thinking are the result of the changes in circumstances that have occurred throughout my life—and my chosen responses to those changes.

For the sake of trying to keep this brief, let me list two very specific circumstances which have changed through the years and how my thoughts changed because of them. Picture with me a chart. Across the top are three column divisions: (1) What I Thought; (2) What Happened; and (3) What I Think Now.

I’ll warn you, the bottom line on some of my previous thought processes were not attractive and did not speak highly of my heart! In vertical format, using the numbers listed above, here’s what my “chart” would say:

(1-What I Thought) A single woman over the age of 40 had chosen to remain single, hated men, or had something “wrong” with her (mean, unattractive, not “cool,” etc.).

(2-What Happened) I am over the age of fifty…and I am a never-been-married single woman.

(3-What I Think Now) I know God is Sovereign, and I know He has a plan for my life. Today I choose to serve Him. Today I am single.

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(1-What I Thought) Unemployed people are lazy. There are thousands of opportunities out there. Get off your tookus and get a job.

(2-What Happened) I went through a mandatory resignation, did not qualify for unemployment or health care, read literally thousands of job postings (probably 40-50% of which were scams), applied for nearly 100 jobs (with three replies), applied to hourly-wage openings (for which I was over-qualified), and went many months with less than $200.00 income per month. I had a self-purchased iPhone prior to my job loss, and it would have cost me more to get rid of it than it did to keep it. It also provided e-mail service during the months when I could not afford Internet service from home.

(3-What I Think Now) I am upset when people mindlessly, and perhaps even unintentionally, lump all unemployed people into one category. I am troubled when I see smart-alec posts on Facebook or in news reports about someone using an iPhone while accepting food assistance. I am angry when I hear people talk about a “lazy bum” that “won’t” get a job. And I am saddened when I realize the impact that job loss has on someone’s feelings of adequacy—not because of losing a job (most of us are, in the long run, able to see with gratitude the gift we were given in the mandatory change), but because they begin to wonder what is wrong with them that they can’t turn right around and get hired.

For me, the changes in my thought processes boil down to this: God allowed my life to reach this point so that I can understand, comfort, or help someone who may be going through the second step right at this moment.

My sweet mother, when writing The Death of a Dream, her helpful booklet on unexpected life changes, taught me the importance of the verses that summarize how I am able to reach point number three. I will close with these verses and pray that I am able to continue moving to step number three as each new circumstance presents itself.

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” —2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NLT

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Keep walking, reading, and writing—and while you do, think of someone to whom you can apply the principles taught in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

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Thank you for reading “What was I Thinking?”
Please feel free to leave a comment
and/or share a verse that has
helped you to change the way you view trials.
By Petals from the Basket | February 7, 2013 | Bible Reading, Books, Contests, Events, Family, Friends, Ideas, Life Changes |

Why? (Part 2)

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that I sometimes focus on a specific month-long accountability plan to help each of us—myself most of all—to keep moving forward. Today, I want to look at how God gives us second (third…thirteenth…thirtieth!) chances when we have failed in some area of life. Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying God owes us even a first chance—let alone, a second. I’m just saying that God, Who is rich in mercy, doesn’t say, “You failed at that. You’re such a loser. Forget you!”

Quite the opposite is true. He says, “You can’t possibly do this on your own, so I’m going to give you all—yes, all—of my love through my forgiveness, mercy, and strength so that you can do this thing.”

He knows that we can’t reverse history, so at one moment in history—on a crude, rough-hewn cross—He gave us the most precious possession He had (His Son, Jesus) to shed the blood necessary to pay the price for all sins. Individuals would no longer need to work on their own to find and slay an animal to atone for their wrongdoings. Jesus paid it all! (Could you hear my “hallelujah!” from there?)

So what does that have to do with WRW Month at Petals from the Basket? To me, everything! When I accept all that God offers me through His love and realize the magnitude of that, it will help me to realize:

(1) that if I’ve failed in some area (many areas!), or if I have been negligent to use my time and resources in some area (again, many areas!), He has promised to forgive those failures and give me the necessary grace to move forward (see Philippians 3:13-14);

(2) that He gives me new mercies every single morning because He knows I need them to keep moving forward, and I, for one, am ever-indebted to Him for the fact that I don’t have to live today on yesterday’s mercies (see Lamentations 3:21-24); and

(3) that He has provided encouragers along my path that will mentor me, pray with me, pray for me, and like Aaron did for his brother Moses, they will hold up my spiritual and emotional arms when I become too weary to do it on my own, thereby giving me the needed strength to keep going (see 2 Corinthians 12:9).

That’s why we encourage one another at Petals from the Basket to re-focus our thoughts for a set period of time. To me, it is nothing short of amazing that we can claim the forgiveness, mercies, encouragement, and strength that He offers to us—because of His love—through earthly friendships and through the power of His holy Word!

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Wednesday is often a tough middle-of-the-week day for people. Lift up someone’s “weary arms” today with an encouraging “I’m praying for you today” e-mail.

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Thank you for reading “Why? (Part 2).”
Feel free to post a favorite encouraging verse
that will lift up the weary arms of others who are participating
in WRW Month.
By Petals from the Basket | February 6, 2013 | Bible Reading, Books, Contests, Events, Family, Friends, God-and-I-Time, Ideas |

Why? (Part 1)

This past November, there were several month-long programs encouraging people to demonstrate gratitude. In fact, I continued my own annual “Thirty Days of Gratitude” right here on this blog. At that time, I saw various articles and heard various comments regarding some of the programs being emphasized that basically called them silly, “because gratitude should be in our hearts all year long.” (In fact, quite hysterically to me, several of those same people joined a month-long December focus of listing multiple gratitudes to prove that November’s programs were not teaching year-round gratitude. Umm…several of those [not all, I publicly state] ran from December 1-31. WHAT????)

So why am I doing yet another month of emphasizing actions and activities that will likely end for many after the prizes are given away and the blog posts have ended? Because for many, they will not end. Will they diminish in frequency? Probably. But if I, personally, end up walking one mile a day after March 1st—instead of the two or three I’m striving for during February—I am still one mile ahead of where I was in January! If some of my friends only read one book per month—instead of the multiple books they are trying to read in February—they are still going to be forming a habit of reading! If someone sends one more encouraging e-mail or one more card through the mail service than they did in January, they have improved, changed, and moved forward!

Scripture tells us to encourage one another, edify one another, pray for one another, love one another, etc. Speaking only for myself, I can say that knowing I need to be accountable to someone for accomplishing a goal I have set truly does spur me on to greater action! And we’ve all heard the proven fact that twenty-one days of action helps to develop a habit. Tomorrow, I’ll share a bit more from Scripture about why I think accountability is important. For today, though, I just know that I need to keep improving. I have found that a month-long focus on adding something to or deleting something from my life is a helpful, practical step in moving more toward the person God created me to be!

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Idea I learned a while back on Pinterest: If you read from a bound book (vs. Kindle or Nook), take a paper clip and about three to five inches of the ribbon of your choosing. Simply loop the ribbon through the top of the paper clip, tie a knot, cut off the ribbon to the length you like it, and enjoy your new, colorful “bookmark!”

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I simply must add that today is my dad’s 88th birthday!!! Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Birthday, Daddy! I love you bunches and bunches!

___________________________

Thank you for taking time to read “Why? (Part 1).”
Feel free to click “leave a comment” and share
how accountability helps you—
or share a birthday greeting that I’ll pass along to my dad!
 
By Petals from the Basket | February 5, 2013 | Bible Reading, Contests, Events, God-and-I-Time, Ideas |

Buh-Bye

One of the questions in my Bible study homework for this week was, “How can we ‘gird up the loins of our minds?'” It was taken from Peter’s instruction in I Peter 1:13, which states (in the King James Version): “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

To answer the homework question honestly, I had to say: “I need to rid myself of things that distract me from a forward—Godward—focus.” It meant changing some things. It meant that the time is now for eliminating distractors!

For me, distractors are usually much scarier than the obvious “bad” things: too much television or reading, too much time on social networking sites, or being lazy. No, for me, the distractors can be good things, like: helping a friend, encouraging someone, participating in a discussion Forum on Facebook, or even (prepare for what sounds like heresy coming from me)…too much time spent in goal setting or developing time-management tools.

So this morning, in obedience to Spirit-inspired, Peter-written instructions from God Himself, I began to get rid of distractors. I unsubscribed to e-mails that have no positive benefit—ever. I moved my work station to the area of my apartment where I am most productive. I made a list of Facebook forums that I will graciously withdraw from today, etc.

I’m actually looking forward to a week of saying “buh-bye” to these distractors and reintroducing myself to those things which serve a “forward-focus” purpose. In doing so, I pray that my mind will have more room for things that matter!

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Today’s “surprise” points are 20 additional points for the following: If you do something from all three categories of walking, reading, and writing (with a minimum of five points in the walking and reading categories and a minimum of one encouraging e-mail), you will receive these extra points! Just let me know this when you report your totals.

Idea for treadmill walkers: Kill two birds with one stone—read while you walk. You’ll get points for both categories, plus you’ll get benefits for both your mind and your body!

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Thanks for taking time to read, “Buh-Bye.”
Feel free to “leave a comment” and share some
of your biggest daily distractors and/or
how you overcome them.
 
By Petals from the Basket | February 4, 2013 | Bible Reading, Books, Contests, Events, Ideas |

Holding up the Poster Board

Do you have a life verse: one that summarizes your purpose or perhaps carries great meaning because of the life-changing impact it had on you? You know by now that I don’t do anything the “normal way!” While it’s true that I have a “life verse,” I actually have two additional verses that I claim under that heading.

First of all, I have a “life” verse—thanks to Dr. Jack Wyrtzen. He sat in our living room one night and taught me the importance of a life verse—using this one (he told me it was his own life verse) as the example. I use this verse to remind me that all that I do is not being done for the acceptance of people; instead, it should be done to the glory of God.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. —I Corinthians 10:31, NIV

Believe it or not, I also have a “death” verse. Yup, you read that right! Thanks to the influence of Miss Nancy Leigh DeMoss, the verse I long to be able to say when my time of death comes is the one Christ spoke prior to His sacrificial death on my behalf.

I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. —John 17:4

My final verse is a “verse for the year.” This one, obviously, changes each year. I usually choose it because it seems to be a God-given direction for the year ahead. Sadly, February arrived without my having chosen my annual “verse for the year.” I was honestly a little troubled that nothing seemed to be the one I felt God would have me to focus on. However, today in church, my pastor closed the service with the verse that hit straight into the middle of my heart! I wanted to stand up and hold up a poster board with the words, “WOO HOO!” (Don’t panic. I didn’t…externally, anyhow!) So I acknowledge Pastor Chip Bernhard as the one God used to influence the selection of this year’s verse:

 

Due to church services and lots of fellowship around the Super Bowl, just try to get in at least 15 minutes today! Keep walking/exercising, reading, and writing notes of encouragement! You’re off to a great start for WRW Month!

And…for one of my 2013 brides, Jessica, I hold up one last poster board on this momentous day: “Go, Ravens!”

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Thank you for reading, “Holding up the Poster Board.”
Do you have a “life verse?” Feel free to “leave a comment” 
and share your verse!
 
By Petals from the Basket | February 3, 2013 | Bible Reading, Books, Contests, Ebooks, Entertaining, Events, Family, Friends, God-and-I-Time, Ideas |