The Hey You Lady

Today I had this thought: If I were God for a day/week/whatever, what changes would I make in my life (the life of Heyyoulady)? (key word here is MY life ... I couldn't change someone else to make my life easier - for example, make my husband pick up his dirty laundry. The change had to be in ME.) Part two of the thought: What is the specific impact that these changes would have in the lives of other people around me? And part three: What can I do - with God's help - to make those changes take place? What is my initial plan of action? Before I post my answer, I'd like to see what others think. Anyone? ... Anyone?

There are things that make people afraid. Things like having to take a test. Scary movies. Roller coasters. Visiting the dentist. Speaking in public. Then there are things that make people very afraid. Such as physical attack, facing a loss of freedom (i.e., going to jail), losing your security (your home or your income), facing death of a loved one (or your own, for that matter). Yet it seems that there are some people who don't scare very easily. For example, a friend of mine got a phone call from her husband asking her to get him at work and take him to the emergency room to be seen by a doctor right away. He hadn't been feeling well for a few days, and his coworkers wouldn't let him drive anywhere. Now, most wives would kind of freak out a little bit if they got a phone call like that. Not this chick. She was perfectly calm. She even threw some humor into the situation. "Worst case scenario, I get to his job and he's dead. At least he works a...

I've been cringing whenever I find myself running extra errands on the weekends. Why? My "Fun Bucks" seem to be going more and more into my gas tank. And that's not much fun. Everyone I know, and most folks I don't know, seem to be saying the same thing: "Gas is so expensive!" People everywhere have been re-evaluating their budgets to adjust to the new economy. And, sadly, relationships are suffering. Have you noticed that your social life may be running a little empty compared to what it was just a year ago? Think about it ... A year ago, a friend might have invited you to a movie or shopping, or even doing something "touristy," and at the drop of a hat, you zoomed away in your car and had a great time being together, even if you happened to lose your direction in the process. Now it seems that choices about which friends and relatives to visit are even coming under more careful consideration. Face-time that was limited in the past seems...

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. -- Romans 8:28 (NLT) Not quite three years ago I participated in a process at church called "F ocused Living." One exercise that we did individually was to make a timeline of our lives, writing significant events on yellow post-it notes. We then took the painful events and transferred them to pink post-it notes. After putting all the post-it notes in chronological order, something significant surfaced. It was during the "pink" times that I would ask God "Why?" It was during the pink times that I asked God "How could you let this happen? I thought you loved me!" It was not long after the pink times that God would place me in situations and bring people into my life that would strengthen me and help me move forward in my faith. One circumstance that comes to mind was when my husband and I relocate over 300 miles away fr...

Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 -- A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? (NIV) There may be days when work feels like a curse. There may be other days when you feel great satisfaction in what you do. Believe it or not, both come from God. How can you make God a bigger part of your work life? This is something that I have struggled with, and I'd like your input. Whether you're an office worker, or farmer, or construction worker, or medical professional, or race car driver, or professional surfer, or student, or stay-at-home mom... or whatever you do for income... How do YOU make God a bigger part of your work life?

Children amaze me. They believe in nearly anything, as long as the person telling them is someone that they trust. I remember before I entered kindergarten I honestly believed that Santa Claus squeezed through the mail slot on Christmas Eve to deliver gifts (we didn't have a chimney), that it was a good idea (at the time) to write my name in purple crayon on the wall in the hallway, that the oil islands off of Long Beach were really Hawaii ( see picture above ), and that my daddy could fix anything. With these beliefs came grand expectations: I could peek out the mail slot in search of Santa; mom would treasure my artwork; the world was smaller than it really is; and daddy could make all things good as new again. I believed in all these things because I had complete faith and trust in the people who loved me, an unwavering faith that they would never do anything to harm me. The faith of a child. But then I grew older. I made discoveries about the world around me. Things ...

I don't know about you, but it often seems that when I step outside of my comfort zone to do something to further the Kingdom of God, things that have been under control start to spin horribly out of control. This phenomenon is so much bigger than Murphy's Law. It's part of the battle between God and Satan for control of our loyalty. It's Spiritual Warfare. Satan used to be one of God's angels. That is, until he got prideful and got to be rebellious. God does not allow rebellion in His kingdom, and consequently, Satan was cast out of heaven along with his entourage which numbered 1/3 of all the angels. Needless to say, Satan wasn't happy about this. In his fury, he does whatever he can to keep us from God. That's why he makes the sin so attractive ("You'll feel better if you drink this/smoke this/sleep with her ... no one will get hurt from it, and no one has to find out.") It doesn't take long before we're caught up in that si...