The Hey You Lady

The 2008 Christmas season is now behind us. Gifts have been purchased, given, received, and in some cases returned or exchanged. Many of us have remembered the less fortunate during the season. Somehow we can always count on a warm-fuzzy feeling when we give our support to campaigns such as Salvation Army, Rescue Missions, Domestic Abuse shelters, Toys for Tots, and the like. Giving is a way that some of us express our compassion. Compassion can be defined as deep awareness of the suffering of another, coupled with the wish to relieve it. It runs deeper than donating an unwrapped toy or a can of yams to a struggling family. Compassion drives us to want to do something that will make a difference in someone's life, to somehow contribute to changing their circumstances for the better. One way that the church I attend shows compassion is in adopting a local domestic violence shelter. Adopting a family at a shelter is not unusual, especially during the holidays, and doing so does make ...

I’ve heard it said that, for a "belief system" that teaches "Love one another," Christianity is the most narrow-minded religion there is. Many nonChristians see people who wear the Christian label as being exclusionary. Unless you enjoy their entertainment, agree with their politics, shop where they shop, read their books, have sex only with your spouse, you can’t in good conscious call yourself a Christian. After all, you don’t want to do anything that could be misconstrued as consorting with the enemy. Enemy? If someone listens to Madonna, is a registered Democrat, buys their kids’ school clothes at Wal-Mart, read “Harry Potter”, or “lived together in sin”, they’re “of the enemy” and should be shunned from our congregations. If you’re not “for” Jesus, you’re “against” him. There can’t be any grey area, right? Thank God most Christians I know do not believe that way. If all Christians did, then yes, Christianity would be the narrow-minded religion that some r...

The Holidays. 'Tis the season to be jolly, or so the song goes. People everywhere are actively engaging in discussions about what they want to receive under the Christmas tree. People are bringing their kids to the malls to sit on Santa's lap to whisper to the red-suited-guy what their most desired toy is. The dreaded ChiaPets start appearing on drug-store end-caps. And judging from the commercials, more people buy electric razors this time of year more than any other. (Perhaps it's to shave the ChiaPet?) When people think of the term "materialism" it is though of in terms of someone wanting something for himself, someone who is not content unless he receives "things." But it appears there is quite a bit of materialism on the giving end as well. In fact, according to AdventConspiracy.org Americans spend $450,000,000,000 (that's $450 Billion ) on Christmas! I don't know how the bean-counters came up with that dollar amount, but that's a lot o...

What makes Christmas time fun? Is it decorating the tree? Gatherings with family and friends? Singing Christmas carols? Dressing in the sweatshirts and sweaters with pictures of snow scenes that you only wear in December? Showing kindness toward others? Counting down the days before Santa arrives? Exchanging gifts? All of these things can be fun. In fact, I have participated in all of the above at one time or another. The activities themselves are not necessarily what makes for a fun holiday. In fact, if you look at these things as mere “activities” they can become just another to-do for the already stretched to-do list. If you look in the dictionary for what “fun” is, two words appear: enjoyment and playfulness. Fun combines the act of play and the feeling of joy . So what makes something “fun” is to approach it with a sense of play and a feeling of joy. You know why kids look forward to the Christmas season so much? They know how to have fun. They have an inheren...

About six months ago I made a commitment to post something on my blog at least once a week. Well folks, judging from the date of my previous post it seems I haven't been that committed. Sure, not a day went by that I didn't think about what I should post. I'm even part of a group of bloggers that take turns choosing topics every week. Blogging is something I enjoy doing. So why the lapse? Here's an answer: busyness. Over the past couple of weeks I had some things come up that were out of the ordinary, requiring time to be devoted to making sure they got done. Turns out that "busyness" is really a nice way of saying that I failed to be disciplined in my time. Don't get me wrong - the things that came up had to be taken care of and were more important than blogging. However, when it comes down to it, my schedule is really not so tight where I couldn't sit down and write something. Writing is something that I enjoy doing and I would like to devote more...

The Irving Berlin song "Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)" (made famous by Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney in the movie "White Christmas") tells us, When I'm worried and I can't sleep I count my blessings instead of sheep And I fall asleep counting my blessings When my bankroll is getting small I think of when I had none at all And I fall asleep counting my blessings. There must be something to this "count your blessings" thing. I've heard the advice given more times than I can remember, and I've even put it into practice in my own life. When you feel discouraged or let down, make a list of things that you are thankful for. Next thing you know, you're spirits are lifted. Maybe not in a "now I can take on the world" way, but you at least feel better about yourself and your situation. There's a word for this phenomenon, and that word is G R A T I T U D E. Gratitude. Thankfulness. When we think of these feelings w...

Discouragement is nothing new to mankind. In fact it is something we all wish we didn't have to deal with. It happens when our plans don't turn out as well as we expected, and we get frustrated that we don't see a way to fix the problem. Sometimes we want to just walk away and quit. But more often than not, quitting is not an option to discouragement, especially when it comes to raising kids or making it to another day. So how do we keep on going when we want to abandon our plans? One suggestion might be to re-examine the plan. Whose plan is it anyway? In Jeremiah 29:11, God tells us "For I know the plans I have for you." It is important to plan our lives with God's will in mind. We ask God to be part of our plans. We may even petition Him with something like, "God, help me to gt this job so I can afford to take my family on a vacation next summer." Now, there's nothing wrong with wanting to take your family on a nice summer vacation. B...

Halloween will be here in just a couple of weeks. Most kids I know will be dressing up, hide behind a mask and pretend to be something that they're not, if only for a little while. I think all of us hide behind a mask in our daily lives in one way or another. How many times has someone asked you how you are, or how your day has gone, and you answer "Fine," when really you're drowning in job and family obligations, wondering if you'll have what it takes to make it another week. What's so "fine" about that? This week I taught a lesson for the Jr/Sr high school youth at my church on the topic of prayer. In part of the lesson, we studied The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:1-13) in the NIV and Message translations. The passage talks about how the Pharisees would be very public and showy with their prayers, but God is turned off by that kind of arrogance. Sometimes you can get a clarification of what is being said by reading more than one translation...

Earlier this week I was thinking of how God shows His love for us, in the big ways and the small ways. Sunrises. The fact that we wake another day, that our bodies even sustain life. That God in His holiness and perfection would actually want to be in a relationship with us. Then I thought, Why do we stop with what we receive when we talk about experiencing God's love? God loves us so much that He keeps giving. Shouldn't part of our experience of God's love be in our own giving, in paying His love forward? A few years ago I had the privilege of being a counselor for a crisis telephone hotline affiliated with a large church in California. How it happened was one of those things where I felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit, met with some close friends in prayer, God opened doors, and next thing I know, I'm in training to be a counselor. (The timing and process was almost that simple. Really.) As a counselor I spoke with callers with problems ranging from the lon...

A few days ago I was typing out some thoughts for my weekly post. But today when I went back to put the thoughts into some coherent format, the notes were not where I thought they were. Which means that the beginnings of what could have been a work of literary genius (yeah, right) are now *poof* gone. Don't you hate when that happens? Something you hoped would work one way suddenly changes its course, without first asking your input. There's a word for that ... " C H A L L E N G E " Yes, I am now challenged with starting my post over, from scratch. If only all of life's challenges were of that caliber. But, alas, they are often somewhat more complex. For example, your boss asks you to forgo a pay increase so the company can stay afloat, and the following week your spouse loses his job, leaving you with the challenge of seriously renegotiating financial priorities. Or, here's another one. Your 19 year old college student son totals his car, leaving your...

A few days ago I spent a little more time than usual catching up on reading blogs online and ended up running behind in my morning routine. Even though I knew I had enough time to get to work, I felt the need to make up for my lollygagging. Now, normally I drive close to the speed limit on my route to work since there are a few places where motorcycle officers like to rest on their Hondas (or whatever they ride), but that particular morning I felt the need to drive a little faster than usual. And I thought, if character is who you are when no one is looking, then what does this morning say about me? I asked a couple of people what traits a person of "good character" would have. Some of the responses were Honesty---Integrity---Loyalty---Good morals---Decency---Modesty---Reliability Of course, this is not an all-inclusive list. One of the people that answered went on to say that someone of good character is someone who strives to be Christ-like. That's an honorable a...

A mother and her young daughter were walking in a downtown shopping district on a January afternoon. In the urban hustle and bustle, the little girl noticed a homeless man shivering against the bitter cold. As her mother tried to pull her closer, the girl walked over to the man. She pulled her fuzzy scarf from around her neck and placed it around his. The mother's heart welled up, that her daughter had more compassion than any of the hundreds of people who walked by that same man that day. As they started to walk away, the homeless man called to them, motioning them back. He held out his hand, holding a dime -- probably all the money he had -- and said to the girl, "This is for you." The mother politely refused, saying that payment is not necessary. "But I want to give this to her," he replied, holding the dime out further, tears of gratitude forming in his eyes. It was then that the young mother realized that this man, who by the world's standards ha...

"> You know that I've been watching you as you go about your daily business. I hear your morning prayers asking me for help, and I hear your evening prayers thanking me for seeing you through another day, and giving your burdens over to me. I've been there the whole time in between, answering your prayers. I knew that you needed companionship. I gave you a best friend for a season. Even though you have grown apart I used the relationship and the things you shared to influence a major decision on your job today. You pray for my blessing on your meals, and pray that I keep you healthy. It's no coincidence that you haven't used any sick days this year. Each morning you thank me for the beautiful day, but I see you spend your time inside, hardly looking at my Creativity du jour. The sky, the trees, the air temperature, the cloud formations -- I did this for you. I hear your prayers for Aunt Fannie, asking me to heal her. I really do hear. But, child, my wil...

I have a nephew who just completed his first week of college. Just thinking of that takes me back to when I was his age, with the world and its endless opportunities before me. What did I want to do with my life? Would I go to school, or go directly to the job market? Would I get married and have a family? What town would I live in, and in what kind of house? These are all big decisions that just about everyone has faced at one time or another. For some, the decisions seem to be based on circumstances. Some are made in haste or on impulse. Then there’s the flip of a coin, or the “rock-paper-scissors” method. But the most sensible decisions are the ones that have deliberate thought behind them. So how does somebody make a deliberately thought-out decision? To begin with, it is helpful to have a solid grasp of your personal values . These values will be a useful filter in making major decisions. Take the time to identify what you value in life – the things that are important ...

One of my favorite films in recent years is “Finding Neverland,” which tells the story behind the story of Peter Pan. Early in the movie is a scene in which playwright J. M. Barrie is walking with his large dog in the park and has just met the four boys and their mother. The oldest boy asks what Barrie does for a living, and he answers by saying, playfully: "Well, currently, I make my living entertaining princes and their courts with my trained bear, Porthos. If you command your brother Peter to join us, I am willing to give you just such a performance." (Peter has not been playing with his brothers because he is still unable to process their father's death.) The other boys agree. Barrie sets himself up with his dog in front of the seated family. He faces his dog and says: "I want you to pay particular attention to the teeth. Some unscrupulous trainers will show you a bear whose teeth have all been pulled, while other cowards will force the brute into a muzzle. On...

What does it mean to "love your neighbor as yourself”? The statement implies a comparison. We love our neighbor the same way or to the same degree that we love ourselves. What does it mean to love ourselves? If we truly love ourselves, we would do what is in our best interest, all the time. We’d eat the right foods, get enough exercise to maintain optimal health, get the proper amount of rest. Our careers would have us doing what we love to do even if the pay isn’t that great. We’d be wise in how we handle our money. Our friendships would be healthy for us, and we would know when to say “no.” We wouldn’t hold grudges, and we wouldn’t play favorites. Our driving habits would make allowances for other drivers to make mistakes without our becoming upset with them, and we would take our time and enjoy the scenery. If we truly love ourselves, we would recognize that we can’t do it all on our own. We’d ask for help from others, and ask for h...

About a month or so ago, I asked the question “If I were God for a day/week/whatever, what changes would I make in my life (the life of Heyyoulady )?” I did not post my answer at that time because I didn ’t want to influence anyone else’s answer by what I said. In all honesty, I had forgotten that I still had not posted my answer until I ran across this entry when I was looking for something else. (Thanks to chrislogan , ajforward 007 , quiet_strength , justthisonce _2 and legendairy for sharing your answers.) So, if I were God for a day, what changes would I make in the life of Heyyoulady ? When this question first came to mind, my initial thought was that God has already changed so much in my life. I know that I’m still not fully the person that God intends for me to be. Since no one can know the mind of God but the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:11), and I have the Spirit of God dwelling within me, then, by inference, I can know an inkling of the mind of G...

life is a series of accumulations. you attend school to gain knowledge, you gain wisdom, go to work to become gainfully employed, gain weight, gain wisdom, gain strength, lose the weight you gained only to gain it back again. we get a life, get the credit, get involved, get high, get lost, get married, get divorced, get hired, get fired, get around, get around to it, and some of us just get it. we get our fill. We are full of secrets, full of bottled-up emotions, full of things left unsaid, full of love that we are afraid to give. a kind of fullness that is really ... empty

I recently read an article titled "How Responding to People's Needs Hurts the Church" by Elizabeth I. Steele. The article talks about how in a consumer culture, talking about a church's ministry in terms of responding to people's needs, "puts the church in the position of being defined not by its faith or history but by people's wants." People come to church because the church feels a perceived need that is not fulfilled elsewhere. Some of the needs/wants that people expect to be fulfilled by a church are things such as unity, non-judgmental acceptance, fellowship, Biblical principles, and accountability with other Christians to strengthen each other to live holy lives. Some look for specific programs to meet the needs of their family, such as youth or children's groups, social outlets, or ways to use their gifts to serve the community. But what happens when the church fails to meet these needs? Often, a person may see this lack of fulfill...

I recently read a post on Revelife by mr pine , where he talked about recently being given a copy of the book How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth . At the end of the post he posed the question "Do think it's important for Christians to read the entire Bible?" Here my thoughts: Bear with me for a bit, and let's step outside of the Christian bubble for a second, and take a look at an analogy. My intent is not to offend or diminish the transforming power of the Bible, but to put the question into perspective. Let's take the word "Christian" and put "soldier" in its place. And let's take "Bible" and put the word "Comprehensive Operational and Battle Strategy Manual" in its place. Do think it's important for soldiers to read the entire Comprehensive Operational and Battle Strategy Manual? It depends on the role and goal of the soldier. Yes, there are some parts that are essential for basic survival in the...

God speaks to us in many ways. But, being the independent-thinking human beings that we are, we sometimes use our "selective hearing" when receiving input from the Almighty. The following is a conversation between God and a fictional character called "ME". Any resemblance between ME and any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. GOD: I've created you in my image, right down to the ability to decide things for yourself. I'll help you get started. Here are ten commandments for you, along with this book that will help you to fill in the blanks. ME: Where's the rule book that you follow? GOD: I wrote the rule book, based on my characteristics. ME: So then why can't I let my character guide my decisions? GOD: (thinking, "what, is she kidding me?") It's your choice ... but you really should read the book and refer to it as you go. Also, I want you to know that I am always available to help you if you get stuck or need an...