You Just Never Know

Every day we encounter people, whether it's through our jobs or our friends, at the grocery store or passing people on the street. We rarely think about these people unless they're someone we know. We don't stop to consider their past or what they've been through, we don't spend hours wondering about their family or how they're doing at their job. We pass them, maybe we smile and then we move on with our lives. Sometimes we stop for a few moments to have a conversation or exchange some pleasantries but rarely do these conversations have any significance in our lives and yet, on those rare occasions, it can really make you stop and think.
I was at work today when one of our customers was distracted while driving and accidentally ran over a tree on the sidewalk, they were fine and after making that everyone was all right and the appropriate people had been called I didn't think too much about it. Until... I had another customer later that night who made a comment about the car on the sidewalk, after explaining that everyone was fine and that the driver had been distracted I started to go back to my job. His next words shocked me and stopped me in my tracks as he began to tell me his story of how just a couple of months ago his wife was walking in a crosswalk and was run over by a driver who was looking at a GPS or something instead of paying attention. Now he didn't say how his wife was and I was too shocked to ask but for the rest of the night his story has stayed with me.
My point isn't to warn you about driving distracted, you already know the dangers and that's your decision but think back to the beginning of this blog where we were talking about all those people you encounter throughout your day. You may never know their story, what they've gone through, where they come from or maybe even their name but next time you're caught up in a conversation or God brings someone into your life keep this in mind.
Life's hard, for everyone, no matter who you are or where you come from we've all been through struggles, maybe a smile will change that person's day, or a kind word instead of avoiding someone's gaze. Maybe we should spend a little more time listening to that little voice that tells us to smile and take a moment to greet the store clerk or the stranger on the street and a little less time caught up in our busy thoughts.

Sometimes It's Work

Have you ever heard the saying that if you love what you do you'll never work a day in your life? Well let me tell you something, I have two jobs, my writing, and the job that I go to every day that pays the bills, I love them both but I still work. Sometimes my writing is more work then my other job.
Writing is my passion, you've seen some samples of my work, some of you have gotten to read a few of my manuscripts even, I love to write! I believe with all my heart that God gave me this gift and I am determined not to waste it. Every time I think about publishing my work I pray that God will use it for His glory, that nothing will succeed if it won't be used to further His kingdom. But that doesn't mean it's easy. Sometimes I stare at a blank computer screen wondering why the words won't come. Sometimes I write for hours without every pausing or thinking about taking a break.
It's work, everything we do that is worth doing in this world is work. Otherwise we wouldn't appreciate it. We're selfish, we're broken, we're human, it's life.

Don't worry I really do have a point here other then just rambling and here it is. When you start to get frustrated or disappointed, when work isn't going well or you just can't seem to find the joy in it don't lose heart. Don't stop believing it what you do. It doesn't mean that it's not important it just means that things are tough right now. So persevere, keep working, put a smile on your face even when you don't feel like it. Turn up the music but most importantly hit your knees. Pray for that joy to be restored. When you make it through the valley of the shadow of death you'll realize that God is still waiting for you on the other side and His joy never left even if you didn't realize it.

Making a difference

Ever been in church and heard a missionary sharing their stories? And at the end of their talk they urge you to help, volunteer or give money, insisting that every bit helps. So you pull out your wallet and take out a few dollars, maybe a little more if you want to fell extra righteous, dropping it in the offering plate as it goes by and knowing that you can feel good about yourself now because you’ve done your part and given some money. After all you’re just one person, what more can you do?

Well let me tell you a little bit about just one person, a child, who asked herself the very same question but responded in a very differ way. This girl was a teenager, about sixteen, when she started thinking about missions trips. She was raised in a Christian home, had family members who were missionaries and was now interested in short-term trips herself, maybe even getting her youth group involved. So she started calling around. But you know the world is a funny thing and almost every ministry she heard from the answer was the same, “we’re glad for your interest but I’m sorry, you’re too young. Call us back in a few years.”

Now she could’ve done exactly what most of us have done so many times in the past but she didn’t. She decided not to just give up but took a very different path. With the support of her parents and a few adults from her church, she and her older brother partnered together to find a worthy cause. World Vision.

Coming up with a financial plan these two teenagers constructed the idea to help a village by raising money and buying practical supplies like goats, shares in a well and even some medicine.  They put together fundraising ideas and took it to their congregation to ask for their help raising the money. They even did a thirty hour famine with their youth group to get some idea of how the families they were raising money for so often had to live.

Within just a few months the results had astounded them. They asked for just a few hundred dollars and the result was well over a thousand. With the money the teenagers were able to buy almost twice as much as they had originally anticipated to help families that they would never meet.

Now remember, the girl was only sixteen, her brother was eighteen, they were both in high school, neither of them were working regular jobs, neither of them had a steady income. They were simply willing to let God use them, and with the help of just a few adults they put together a plan that they took to their church to raise money that touched countless lives.

If two teenagers can do that, what can you do?

 

 

Now please understand that I'm not discrediting give funds, that's what missionaries and ministries need to run but please don't sell yourself short! Once a month I'll be posting a link to various ministries who are doing they're part to make a difference. Maybe one of them will touch your heart.

 

Trip Through Time

We've reached over a thousand page views! How incredible is that? You guys have been amazing in bringing us this far in such a short time, it's only been about two months since I started this blog and I never imagined that so many of you would respond! Here's to you! In the last two months you have listened to me rant, laugh, muse, joke and give advice and even when it didn't completely make sense you still listened! Thanks for that guys, and thanks in advance for the next thousand page views that we'll hit!
Maybe it's just me but I feel like the last couple of months flew by before I even realized it. Some days I wondered if it would ever end, other days I seemed to wake up half-way through and more then once I wondered how it was already tomorrow! Have you ever felt that way? Ever caught yourself looking back in time and thinking about all the ways your life could've turned out had you just made that one decision differently?
I have, in fact just yesterday I was talking to one of my dear friends about a similar situation. We were talking about when we first met, we were in college at that time, and we both had so many plans and ideas of how our lives were supposed to turn out. Yet now, around the time when these plans of ours were supposed to be in full swing we discover that nothing is as we imagined it to be.
Five years of go if you had told me that I would be working towards publishing my books, writing a blog and living in the city I would've told you that you were insane and yet that's where I am. The fact is that God doesn't look at our plans and say, "Okay, that'll work, it's better then what I had planned anyways" he says "For I know the plans I have for you... plans to give you hope and a future..." think about that for just a second. Did you catch it? God already has plans for you! You can't change that!  Going back in time wouldn't "fix" your mistakes or help you "do things right" that's not how it works.
Maybe you didn't always take the right path, no doubt there are things that you wish no one would ever know about but Christ erased your sins when he died on the Cross. Regretting your actions won't change the past, it just makes you dread the future. Live in the present, for the one who died to give you a future, don't live in the past or worry about the future, God's already dealt with both.
So next time you take a trip down memory lane and you wonder how things might have turned out don't wonder if you made a mistake just smile because you know that God already had it all planned out.

Insanity in Wonderland

Okay, maybe I don't actually live in Wonderland like you think of it and yes, it's too early for snow and a Winter Wonderland (although that's coming soon) but you know that feeling when you need to laugh instead of cry? Well lately I've done quite a bit of both. Don't worry though, things are improving! Or at least they will, oh you're probably lost huh? Well maybe I should start at the beginning.
Once upon a time in a.... just kidding, let's start on Thursday, on my way home from work I fell down the stairs and shattered the screen on my phone. Yes... that really happened.
Friday was all right but then came Saturday. I was supposed to meet up with family after work but things got crazy and I ended up leaving late so they had to wait for me for almost an hour before I could get out of there. After a few hours of amazing family time I had to head back to work to sort out issues from earlier that day, I was already exhausted and by that night I knew I was well on my way to a cold.
Sunday I was really miserable but still had to go into work. Thankfully things were slow so I managed to survive but Monday was another story. I was at work for all of an hour when my boss told me go home. I knew we were short-handed that day so I was determined to stick it out, just over two hours later I gave in and ended up at home, crawled up in bed and armed with Kleenex, cough drops, hot tea and soup... for two whole days!
I'm not kidding bloggers it was crazy! Walking across the living room was hard, that is the definition of one insane cold!
Wednesday I just went to work for a few hours, granted by the time I got home I was exhausted but it felt good to know that I was getting better. Then came Thursday...
It started with some time with my big brother, sister-in-law and precious little niece which of course was amazing, I got to play with my niece well my brother and Sister ran errands then had to turn her over to go to a meeting. Everything was going well until I headed out to meet some friends for a small group. I left in plenty of time... and a hour and a half later I made it somewhere I knew so that I could call and get more accurate directions! The thing is that I had broken my cell phone so I could look anything up, couldn't just pull over and call someone, I know a lot of you probably remember the age before cell phones but trust me I don't. =) Okay that's not true I do but I also get lost... a lot, cell phones that look up directions or people to call to give me directions, those tend to save my life... a lot!
The fact is that I finally made it, there and home. I survived but trust me it was insane! The fact is that sometimes life is insane. Sometimes it feels like we're in another world, Wonderland or Neverland or whatever other magical fairytale land we like to find ourselves in. So what's your story? What insanity has life thrown at you lately? What land do you wish you could disappear into these days? You've heard mine, now what's yours?

Unlimited by Davis Bunn- Review

My parents have always been big readers and one of their favorite authors of all time was Davis Bunn (or T. Davis Bunn as they know him from some of his earlier works). With that in mind when I got an  email offering me the exciting oppurtunity to be part of his launch team and recieve the book for free in exchange for writing a review I thought it sounded like a pretty good idea. But I had no idea what I was in for.
Unlimited is easily one of the best books that I've read in a long time! Simon Orwell, the main character, starts out as the kind of guy that you really want to dislike yet find yourself strangely identifying with. With twists and turns that keep you guessing and characters that come alive it keeps you riveted to the page and staying up too late wondering what will happen next.
If you're looking a great suspense novel from a wonderful Christian author then Unlimited is right up your alley!

Klutz

Remeber when I started this blog and the first post talked about how I was a klutz, I said that sometimes falling on your face put you exactly where you needed to be. While bloggers, I wasn't joking when I said that I was a klutz and I proved it once again today.
Walking up to my apartment after work this afternoon I went to check my phone and discovered a missed call from my mom. While checking it I somehow managed to miss the last couple of steps and tumbling down I went, phone in hand, splattered out on the cement. My phone screen shattered, my body a little banged and bruised, and my ego a bit worse for the wear I managed to use another phone to return that missed call.
Now I sit here thinking about that first blog and smiling at how blind I can be. It was less then two months ago that I wrote that first blog and yet in such a short amount of time there have been countless times that I've forgotted to kneel down to my King and Lord. Maybe that's what today's fall was all about. After all, bruises and a phone are a small price to pay when you compare it to strengthing my relationship with him.
Now some would say that a fall is just a fall and they're right, but the question is... what do you do afterwards?

Terrifying Technology

So you remember how scary bookstores are bloggers? Well here's another one for you, computers! Now I grant you that I'm actually writing this on my laptop so obviously not all computers are evil but that's just because there are different species of computers.
You see bloggers, there are some computers, like my laptop, who are wonderful machines that do what you ask, when you ask and never try to confuse you with strange error messages like "Cannot compute" or whatever else they say. Then there's the other kind... these evil machines are inhabited by strange aliens from other planets whose sole goal is to confuse you and make your live miserable as you're trying to do your work and can't figure out anything else and then the whole thing just goes blue! Or is it black? Wait! It's coming back on! No, just kidding, it still won't work. The aliens are really having fun now, trying to mess with your mind and you can't get anything done because the machine won't work and you call technical support but they're working with those strange aliens and they talk in gibberish, throwing in enough words that it sounds like they're speaking English but really it's some strange language that they make up as they go along and you're just about to tear your hair out and demand to know what the aliens want when they ask "have you checked the plug?" Wait, that's actually a good idea. And as you bend down to look at the outlet you roll your eyes because of course you know it's plugged in and your just about to tell them "of course I did that!" when you realize... oh it came unplugged.