G.I.V.E.

Interesting how quickly we become accustomed to having our amenities at our fingertips. As I am sitting here this morning watching the digital clock click over the minutes before I am due at work, I anxiously await any sign of a good Samaritan willing to lend me a shower. It seems to be a common occurrence that the hot water likes to 'sleep in', here at my humble little apartment complex . I should be thankful that I generally have the convenience of running hot water at the twist of my wrist, but this morning I find myself annoyed. Until it's unavailable I forget to appreciate the blessing it is.

I thought of how I might apply this situation in a more meaningful way as I burn the time hoping for a call. I drew a parallel with relationships---friends, family, co-workers, grocery clerks, gym members etc...How often do we forget to smile, extend a greeting, or even acknowledge those around us. At times I feel as if we all revolve around each other like inanimate objects. There is much life behind each set of eyes if we only took the time to extend the invitation for conversation, offer a compliment, or enjoy a warm embrace. I am guilty of allowing too many people to slip by without acknowledging their existence; it's time to change that. Better to live fully and experience rejection then to live withdrawn and never have the chance to experience true life. How will you make an impact, or leave a legacy if you don't extend yourself? Lets think G.I.V.E for the month of November(or whats left of it).

G.ENUINE--be real
I.NTENTIONAL--live it with purpose, direction, and motive
V.ALUE--seek worth in all life
E.MBRACE--love

Don't wait until it's too late to say the words you wanted to say, or accomplish the goals you dreamed of. Don't wait until people are gone before you remember to appreciate them. If there is unfinished business left between you and another, heal it, make amends. Bitterness only destroys the soul of the one who holds it dear. Gift those around you this holiday season with the attributes of G.I.V.E. it's one present that you won't mind if they return or even 're-gift';)

What Will You Choose?

Your path of Life is a daily choice. What path are you traveling? Is it leading forward to an impending destination or are you wandering the backwoods crossing your fingers you'll happenstance upon a fulfilling future? Do not waste one more day, one more hour, one more minute without observing where you are currently in your spiritual life, emotional being, physical strength, mental health and financial expenditures. The longer we continue traveling the "backwoods" trail(not living with intention and purpose), the further in debt we may become, the deeper in to depression or dissatisfaction we will dive, mental and physical alertness and energy will be squandered and your spirit will be like an empty well.

As I prepared to go to the gym this early Wednesday morning I felt an unusual compulsion to remain at home and study rather then rush out the door. I read over a few emails I had received and then opened my notebook and let the pen begin to write. Before I knew it I had recorded 3 pages of script in response to what I read in Proverbs. This has been the most challenging and yet refreshing thing I have done all week. As I stopped and observed my own Path as of recent...I realized it has been quite a trek through vines and dense foliage as I have become less diligent about discipline in my daily life. Though I thought my laziness was making life lax and enjoyable it actually produced in me a greater anxiety and feeling of despair. Contrary to what our culture preaches, discipline of the body, mind, and soul plays an essential role in the outcome of our future.

I brought these questions to myself this morning as I prayed:
What Path will I chose today?
Am I being complacent or compromising?
What produces Joy and Exuberance in my life?
Am I taking steps toward my desired future?
Do I trust God knows best, and will I submit to Him?

In Proverbs I read these verses which pressed me to look inside and be honest with myself:

Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:

'How long will you simple ones love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.

But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you---When calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

Then they will call to me but I will not answer, they will look for me but will not find me.
Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord, since they would not
Accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled
With the fruit of their schemes. For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and
the complacency of the fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me(Wisdom) will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.'

----If you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as silver and search for it as a hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding."

Stop this moment and think about your life. You have Wisdom available to you; Knowledge that will guide your life to an abundant future; will you tap in to it, will you search after it like a hidden treasure? or will you continue down the wayward path? By choosing wisdom, you are choosing life; and you have the ability to positively effect the lives of everyone around you whether it is revealed to you or not. Don't be the foolish one who puts off his/her future, start today taking steps of preparation. Don't waste this opportunity...take a stand for Exuberant LIFE!

Temptation

A Podcast worth listening to...(approximately 30min in length)

http://livermore.cornerstoneweb.org/avfiles/RLE045-080907_00508.mp3

it can also be found for free on iTunes if you want to put it on an iPod. In the browser search for Cornerstone fellowship and create a free subscription under Steve Madsen.

An Interesting Letter---Only Imperfection is Intolerant of Imperfection

It seems that you need to be a little more big-hearted about the imperfection of other people. I know you can't help but see these imperfections when they come right before your eyes and neither can you prevent involuntary opinions about others from popping into your mind. And nobody will deny that imperfections of others cause us a lot of inconvenience! But it will be enough if you are willing to be patient with imperfections, whether they be serious or not so serious. Do not allow yourself to turn away from people because of their imperfections.

If there is one mark of perfection, it is simply that it can tolerate the imperfections of others. It is able to adjust. It becomes all things to all men. Sometimes we find the most surprising faults in otherwise good people. But we must not be surprised. It is best to let these faults alone and let God deal with them in His time. If we deal with them, we shall end up pulling up the wheat with the tares. I have found that God leaves, even in the most spiritual people, certain weaknesses which seem to be entirely out of place. This is true of all of us. And all of us need to be quick to recognize our own imperfection, letting God deal with them.

As for you, labor to be patient with the weaknesses of other people. You know from experience how bitterly it hurts to be corrected. So work hard to make it less bitter for others. Although I am not saying you correct others too much. That is not your problem. Your problem is that you become cool when you discover faults in other people, and you tend to quit associating with them. So you need to deal with that problem.

I ask you also not to spare me if I need correction. Even if you mention a fault which isn't really there, there will be no harm done. If I find that your correction wounds me, then my irritability simply shows you have touched a sore spot in my life. But if there is no irritability and resentment, then at least you will have done me an excellent kindness in testing my ability to be humble, and in keeping me accustomed to reproof.

self-examination

Have you ever encountered someone completely oblivious to the fact that they, themselves, play the starring role in the drama of their life? It cracks me up listening to these gals gossip and complain about the men in their lives, or their 'friends', the troubles at home, work, school etc... They go on and on telling all the nitty-gritty details of some contentious situation and how they were done injustice etc...all the while creating quite an offense themselves.

Unfortunately in this day and age people rarely tend to turn the magnifying glass around.
'Who wants to do that? I mean acknowledging my role in the situation might mean I actually need to do something about it! Way too much work.'
This is the typical subconscious decision being made when someone begins to make a judgement of another. The normalcy of this way of thinking is frightening! It is no wonder why our relationships grow distant and fail at an ever quickening pace.

To have success in any life circumstance you must be introspective in equal or greater portions as your outward observations. It's the one thing you can always grasp, and though it can be challenging and uncomfortable, it produces the best results when exercised. In a time where the majority seek to have "control" in a very variable world, there is one thing-- an extremely crucial element-- that we ultimately CAN control and that is ourselves. Rather then believing it's your co-workers, that are the issue, maybe its you? Instead of assuming you must be God's gift to all the problematic people in your office, maybe you are actually the drama queen(or king...some of you men...i swear) Instead of believing you are a magnet for all the 'weirdos' . . .take a look in the mirror;)

Now I am not being facetious, but honest. So many of us (i included) are guilty as charged for passing the blame. It's time to stop focusing outwardly and instead realize we, ourselves, have so much we could do to better ourselves. I trust you will see a change in your surroundings by making changes in yourself. Altering your attitude and outlook will ultimately adjust your lens on how you perceive the world. Try it out...if I am wrong then forget i ever said it:)

First Day of School

'First days' are always adventurous, exciting, nerve wracking, and unpredictable. In my case, I have had a roller coaster of all these emotions throughout the past couple weeks; first, relocating to a new area and home, secondly, a new job; thirdly another new job, then quitting an old job; and just yesterday was my first day going back to a brand new school, and not to mention taking public transit...which you guessed it, I am pretty darn new to that as well!

I chose BART to travel to school because it is near my new place and it would be a convenient and less expensive way of transportation--not to mention avoiding the crazy parking situations in Bezerkeley.

To lessen the panic of possibly jumping on a train in the wrong direction I decided to do some homework ahead of time and got myself a BART schedule and map. The map makes it simple enough for a two year old to navigate, yet I still found myself asking the people around me for reassurance regarding what platform I was supposed to transfer on to etc. I was sure that I was going to end up in the wrong place and be late, or even worse, miss my first day of lecture!

As the SFO/Millbrae train made a smooth stop at the platform I jumped on and found a seat. I scanned the car and was pleasantly surprised at how clean it was and how 'safe' the people all appeared to be...this was nothing like the rumors I had heard about BART. I sat back with my iPod in hand and relaxed as the train eased forward...only knocking one elderly, overweight man on top of the woman I had been talking to. (For those of you regular BARTees you must know it can take you by surprise when you aren't positioned in fighting stance) The humor of that situation calmed my anxiety and I was sure that I would successfully find my way to school.

The BART conductor kindly called off every station as we stopped along the way to relieve and reload passengers. Next stop was my place to transfer. So as we slowed to a stop at the MacArthur Station, the conductor explained,

'This is a transfer station, for those of you who wish to continue on to San Francisco/Millbrae please remain seated. For those passengers wishing to travel to Fremont please exit and cross to platform 3. For those passengers heading to Richmond, please exit, go downstairs, and go back up to platform 1'

'SWEET!' I thought to myself,' he made it so easy, 'why did I even worry?!' I sprinted off the train and down the stairs, across the hall and taking steps two at a time back up the other side. Just as I reached the top stair my connecting train arrived. 'This is so my lucky day!!' As I entered the Richmond train...WOW!...that was the only word that came to mind. This was completely different in every way then the last train. I had now entered a shmorgesborg of all ethnicity's and age groups. Though the train car was packed to full capacity and I could hardly see the map, I knew with out a doubt I was heading in the right direction. I don't know what it is(and I don't say this to offend) but I could smell my way to Berkeley. HaHa! I'm not sure why I feared finding my way so much, I should have remembered to simply follow my scent-ses, the hippies, the naturalists, the smarty pants, the guys with no shoes, and the aroma of once every-other-week showerers. These are the fascinating characters that make Berkeley... well Berkeley!

Needless to say, my first day of school was absolutely fantastic! BART, my new school(which actually is brand spankin' new!!and I LOVE it), my professor(she is BOMB), the lecture and area of study(Microbiology...very engaging:)), and my new friends I made in class!! What a splendid first day! Thank you God:)

The Grass is Greener Where You Water It

Just recently, I for the second time made the 'big move' out of my parents nest and out on my own. As I was tediously packing the vast array of clutter that so gracefully furnished my "rest stop" in Castro Valley, I came across much memorabilia from my childhood. My Ma had so generously decided to assist me with such a feat, so together we laughed and were amazed at my knack for hoarding any sort of reminder of my younger years.

Under the bed I revealed ticket stubs and brochures, birthday cards and bank statements, sugar packets and every sort of odd'n'end imaginable from all places visited, missioned, or vacationed. That part was nothing in comparison to what I discovered while rummaging through the closet. As I knelt on the floor to pull out some shoe boxes I noticed a larger box tucked in the corner. I shifted the heavy box closer to myself and carefully untucked the corners to reveal its contents. Inside were two tall stacks of spiral bound notebooks. To you it may seem kooky, but the pages in each of those notebooks were filled from top to bottom, front and back with the manuscript of my life from my younger years until now.

I had forgotten where I placed all these novellas of my day to day thoughts, experiences, crushes, joys, and tears. For fun I flipped open one and began to read what I wrote. Immediately I was derailed from the duties of packing and was rather engulfed in the humorous and heartfelt messages I had so diligently penned day in and day out. As I shared some memories with my Ma, she laughed and reminded me of how I used to always be eager and expectant of what was next to come in life.

'You always were going to be happy, WHEN. . . happened, or WHEN. . . age came, or AFTER. . . was over. THEN you would truly be content', she reminded me,'You have definitely changed a lot since then, in fact I can hardly recall a scenario when you have repeated those phrases'.

The truth is, I was never going to be happy if I couldn't be satisfied with what I had, and who I was in this very moment. A viewpoint in lack of maturity sees the grass always looking greener on the other side; what is not yours(or what you can't have) must be better then what you already possess. When you have no commitment or responsibility to someone or something it's natural to be drawn toward what is eye catching. There are innumerable examples I can think of that easily lead us to covet, such as-cars, boats, electronics, homes, jobs, incomes, spouses, body types, status, clothes, etc... But what gives something that extraordinary value?

When it comes to relationships and marriage, its the time, effort, love and commitment through thick and thin that so tenderly develops such a beautiful union of two people. From an outside perspective it can be easy to say, 'If only my husband was like hers, then I would be satisfied', or 'If only I had a home like that I would be content', ' If only I had a fit body like hers I would be happy','If only I made more money...'

The truth is, you are more then able to have happiness, joy, and contentment no matter where you are or what you don't have if you are willing to nurture that which you DO have. Water your own lawn, so to speak, and reap the benefits of what lies within your picket fence. Find the positive in every situation. Seek ways to serve your friends, family, neighbors etc. Challenge yourself with this question, 'If I died today would I die content? Or is my soul in a tizzy until whatever it is in the future arrives or is completed?' It would be a shame if the latter were true because no one is guaranteed a certain number of days. Would you forfeit the joy that could be yours daily because of the coveting of something you may never attain or accomplish? Only God knows the amount of breaths you will take on his planet; make the most of every one you receive.