Testing

I WISH I MAY, I WISH I MIGHT

The times I have been asked "if you could go back, would you have"... are too numerous to count. Currently, my answer goes like this:  'Since I am not the same person I once was, how can I possibly know, and I did what I believed was best.'  Truth is, no one does their best; we get tired, lazy; even mean-spirited.  

I wish I may, I wish I might can be turned into wishing I had or had not, or, on a more positive note, a wish is a way to pray for something good to happen for yourself or others.

As a child, I wished for a horse.  I blew at the little, fluffy milkweeds until all the seeds were released, certain my wish would come true.  One day a horse appeared, something I am grateful for, a result of my Dad's understanding of my desire.  Blowing on the milkweed was a fun way of hoping for what I could not see.

If I already had a horse, I would not have wished for a horse; who hopes for what is right in front of him?  I had faith in the unseen. "Faith is the confident assurance of what we hope for is going to happen."  (Hebrews 11:1) I cannot go back to a time to wish something away that already happened.  What I can do is to make new choices based on experiences of the past.  You, too.  It's up to you today to live in the goodness of faith in God who commanded and formed the entire universe.

REALITY 101 #1

 

     Watching and waiting, mesmerized by the mysterious greatness of the ocean, I thought of walking in, much like Edna in the short story by Kate Chopin called "The Awakening."  It was a day, moment which should not have been.  A mistake, a 'what if.'  

     Walking into the ocean isn't something I seriously would do; I only romanticized the idea because of a sudden tragedy which the occurrence of another would change nothing.  The headlines would read like this:  "Local women drowns after her dog is killed by a hit-and-run."  Or:  "Tragedy strikes twice for one distraught local man."  Besides, I was a little afraid of deep water, the way Edna had been before she learned to swim.  

       My reality that day was this:  my little dog was gone forever; there was no way to change or reconcile it; I had to go through it.

     It happened so fast, a moment in time, less than two minutes, resulting from the carelessness of another dog's owner...and our dog's panic; in his panic he slipped out of his collar, ran, and was killed instantly by a car.  

      As I ran to the top of the hill and toward the main road, there he lay, still, on the road's center, his beautiful white fur splayed about him, not a mark on his body.  I thought being chased by the other dog had caused him to faint.  But no, he was gone; as I picked him up, I felt no heartbeat.  Our little miracle gift pup was dead, and I had to walk home, leash in hand, and tell my husband.  

     Whenever I walk by where our dog had his last breath, I am reminded of the kindness of the other dog's owners, how they drove me to the veterinarian, paid the vet to examine my dog, and extended their apologies for what was not their fault.  There was no fault; accidents happen but kindness alone could not make up for the loss of our dog.  It is part of life.  My husband had to be told, I did not walk into the ocean, and eventually we found us another lovely dog.

      Do I believe there is a reason for everything?  No, I don't.  Sometimes things just happen because they happen. What we do with it thereafter is what matters.  Do I believe God is in everything, and doesn't waste a hurt?  Yes, I do.  "He comforts us when we are in trouble, so we can share the same comfort with others in trouble..."  (2 Corinthians 1:4-5)

      I have a friend who believes our animals will be in heaven, and we will see them again.  And why not?  God made animals for us to take care of, to love, for comfort, and it is up to me to share this same comfort with others who have lost a pet.

Does Every Cloud Have A Silver Lining?

     After taking this picture over the magnificent Oregon coast, I noticed the silver lining around the clouds, reminding me of the phrase "Every cloud has a silver lining."  "Does it?" I asked myself, leading me to examine the quote more closely.

     At first I thought the words were from a proverb in the Bible but it wasn't found there so as I went along, a writing by John Milton in 1634, and another by Mrs. S. Hall in 1840 were found.  (You can look these up if you want)  Both authors said the same thing in different ways:

     "...I did not err; there does a sable cloud turn forth her silver lining on the night..."   - Milton   (near-forgotten language!!)

     There's a silver lining to every cloud that sails about heaven if we could only see it."   - Hall   (more modern!!)

     What both authors express is how difficult times lead to better days.  But do they?  In contrast, there is a verse in the Bible which reads: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."  - Romans 8:28

     "All things" must include difficult things too; God's purpose is always good; the verse does not say according to MY purpose.  Just because God is working on, in, and through struggles does not automatically mean "everything's coming up roses."  Sometimes the opposite happens.  And, the Bible verse is directed toward those who love God while the silver lining metaphor is for anyone.  

     When going through a struggle, seeing a silver lining anywhere near the cloud feels unlikely; impossible, even - often it looks only gray and dreary.  But God.  He is a God of possibilities.  He can and does work through the human experiences of suffering.
     Go back to the clouds and silver lining.  Some days are dark, and not facing the day can seem like a good option.  I had such a day like this back on February 13th, 2020.  I know this because I've kept a journal for 40 years, and sometimes going back to what I've written is funny, strange, or revealing.  I'm not sure what was going on but this is what I wrote:

        "Saturday now.  I feel depressed, sad, and alone.  6:30 am.  Pip is awake; I've been awake since 4am.  Headache.  Cold rain.  Can't sleep.  Decided to get up.  I have a life hangover.  Life.  Mine."

         (Does this sound dreary or what?  Not so obvious what is going on but I continue):

         "I'm watching a movie about other people.  Sometimes it makes me happy to watch a drama of others' problems.  This one is called "BEST MAN DOWN."  There are some people in the movie who are not very nice.  (In real life too.)  Some are depressed.  Others are in denial or pretend to be who they are not."

          "In this movie, a man dies - the best man - I like him and it is sad how he is suddenly gone.  He was fun and likeable.  Then there's a girl - the dead man's girl - and she is sad.  She can't seem to show it so hides it.  With her I can relate."

          "I'm trying to adjust myself to 'what is' today.  Adjust.  I keep on wanting something different and am unable to make it happen.  It is cyclic.  Life is cyclic.  No matter what is, or is not going on, God's favor is a part of my life.  (Favor is my word for the year.)  God is for me, and when others don't treat me like I want/need to be treated, I have to move beyond them, adjust my day, and find a new strategy."

                             IT'S A START.

          "I'm 63.  I might not have much time.  We never really know.  Because of that truth, I will try to live through this day only, and not tackle all my problems at once.  I can do something for 12 hours that would appall me if I believed I had to keep it up for a lifetime."  

          "I will also be as agreeable as I can, and I won't find fault with anything, nor try to improve anybody but myself.  That's the hardest part...  In my life...  When I feel depressed, sad, and alone.  It's not easy."

          "The day went on.  It improved.  It improved because I was honest with how I felt about life lately.  I know I envy others sometimes, and that means I am being my overly self-focused self who wants to be sad for awhile, and who doesn't stay that way for long since it isn't my true nature to stay sad.  I am a resolver."

           "James brought me a balloon!  I never get a balloon, and like any child, I loved getting one.  Today I will put it in our room."

           "Like I said, Saturday went on.  It was good.  I baked heart-shaped sugar cookies with butter frosting, sprinkled with magic red sand and dots.  So delicious!  I cooked dinner but don't remember what it was, made phone calls, thought about others' lives beyond myself, cleaned up, then watched the end of a movie about autism."

        That's the end of my journal for February 13th, 2020.  I noticed how I did not reveal the exact reason why I was having a down day but I hinted at the unkindness of others, and with my difficult self who is not content for long.  I gave myself a pep talk, and made conscious efforts to cheer myself up.  Getting a balloon made me feel loved, important.  The silver lining is how I chose to respond to my "depressed Saturday," something anyone can do.   

           

            

           

LIFE OFFERS STORMS; GOD OFFERS LIFE

WHILE THE STORM RAGES, I AM CHANGED.

    Sometimes we give up all hope; the sun and stars seem dim, the moon non-existent.  Darkness.  We feel as if we will not survive the current crisis.

     But God.  He says, "Do not be afraid."  He would not say that, and it would not appear so often throughout the Bible, particularly in Psalms, if we were not fearful of the unknown, the uncertainty, the storm, and the wreck sure to come.

     In the midst of the storm, it is easy to forget God's faithfulness to us, and of His promises. We forget the light during dark times.

     God does not fault us for our despair.  And, we do not know how our story ends. God does. He gives us His Word; His promises, and God uses our storms and wrecks for His purpose. When we let Him, He changes us, and our eternal destiny is upon us. Whatever the storm, with God's help, He will strengthen us. (Philippians 4:13).

     Check out the story about Joseph in the book of Genesis or of Job in the book of Job (chapter 42). It’s up to you. What the evil one meant for evil, God used for good (Genesis 50:20).

     

     

     

A MOMENT IN TIME

Everything is a moment in time, then it is gone.  And whether good or bad, the moment is logged away as a memory to be pulled out, talked about, to laugh or cry over, then stored away again.

A friend gave this sweater to me, new with tags, and trying it on, I looked in the mirror, and was taken back to a time years ago, something that made me laugh all over again.

During our first years, my husband, James, found himself looking for work, going to interviews, and learning about himself and others along the way.

One day, he was called for an interview, something very exciting because this was the 80's, a time of recession and job-scarcity.  So we decided he needed a new suit for this special occasion, and off he went to the local Sears store, where he found just the right one, brought it home, and hung it up.

Finally, it was interview day!  On went the new, gray suit and shined up shoes, and out the door to be on time and ready to impress...

After about two hours, James returned, ready to tell me about the interview so I sat down opposite him while he, standing, began telling his story in the usual way, moving around and raising his arms as he talked.  I watched while listening when suddenly I noticed something hanging from the armpit of his suit jacket, much like in the above picture.  Staring, an image came into my mind of him being interviewed, tag waving about as he answered questions, perhaps the interviewer trying not to notice, and I began to laugh, showing him the tag we forgot to snip away from the suit, price still clearly showing, and he started laughing as well.  It was a great and memorable moment in time, one we still laugh about today.

HABITS

Habits.  Something we all have in common; some worth keeping, others not. So what exactly is a habit? Because I have a 1977 edition of the New Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, I thought this would be the perfect starting point: look it up.  There are nine entries for the word "habit" in this edition -  #1 refers to clothing, #2 refers to costume, and #3 has to do with the manner of conducting oneself (closer to what I thought but not quite!) Skipping down to entry #7 finally gave me the definition I had been searching for.

     Habit:  A behavior of pattern acquired by frequent repetition or physiologic exposure that shows itself in regularity or increased facility of performance.  Part b states: a mode of behavior that has  become involuntary (such as addiction).

     It was this morning when I looked the word "habit" up; now it is after 10pm, and I've thought about my own habits.  Today, for example, when I awoke, the first thing I did was walk to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee.  It is my habit to do so, and when I'm not on time (according to my brain), I'm not so happy.  If I'm out of coffee, on go my jeans and off to Safeway for "Peets" or the drive-up (desperate move!), and I don't think of this habit as negative!

     Later on, I sat observing my dog who is pictured above. Even he has habits, each day doing the same thing:  go outside, come in, eat, drink water, then lay by the fire, go on a walk, etc.  He is so predictable!  It is his habit, dependent upon me to make it happen.

     The month of January brings with it a desire for change known as resolutions which correlates with habits. The most common are to eat healthier, get more exercise, and to save more money. I read how after the second week of beginning a change, most people forget what it is they promised to do or not do.  So, why is it so difficult to resolve to do or not do something?  Not an easy-to-answer question.  Volumes have been written on this subject, podcasts are spoken, sermons taught, classes studied, support groups created, counselling, coaches, medications, weekend retreats, etc.  Some of this has value, but... still not simple. Making daily, slow, step by step conscious decisions is hard work; there is no way around it.  Sorry.

        I'd like to believe we don't give up on ourselves, that building new habits is possible, fun, and rewarding.  Find what works for you.  For me, perks work.  I set a reachable goal, then reward myself in some way; a celebration!  I do listen to others' success stories on podcast or YouTube, I am in two support/study groups, I study, write my intentions, and am kind to myself.  When I mess up it's no big deal; I begin again.  Listening to what I tell myself is important; the mind is powerful and easily fooled by what you tell it.  Think!  Pray!  Ask for help!  We all need a little help sometimes.  And, as usual, it's up to you!  

    

     

     

TIME AND WHAT IS NORMAL

     It was 4 am when I awoke thinking about time; how much time has passed, how much time we think we have, and what the truth really is.

     A talk show celebrity, Kelly Ripa, is approaching her 50th birthday this year and was remarking about how amazing that is, etc. I agree with her - 50 years is half a century, a remarkable amount of time for anyone.

     So I lay in bed calculating how many days there are in 50 years.  It's 18,262 days!  By the time I reach my 63rd year, I will have had 23,010 days; 4,748 more days than Kelly simply because I'm older but she could surpass me if she lives beyond me.  Or not.  There is no way to know for certain.  

     Then I thought about just one day, how long it is, how quickly it goes by, and how some people never live beyond a day.  We cannot comprehend how much time we have been given by our Creator or why this is.

     On a lighter note, Kelly Ripa is a favorite of mine; I enjoy her bubbly personality, quick wit, and hair style.  I would say that Kelly leads a normal life for her, but not an ordinary one. As a celebrity, she has received many awards throughout her career as an actress, a talk show host, dancer, etc., and she lives in a milli-mansion. Normal for Kelly is not normal for me, and my life is more ordinary than hers. I tune in to watch her as often as I can because she brightens my day.

     Beyond thinking about Kelly Ripa, my mind took me back to long ago places when I was young and for the most part, care-free, and as far as I know, leading a normal life in a big family in a small town. But what is normal?  I now know for sure that some of the ways I grew up were considered not normal but I could not have known this at the time because it seemed normal to me.  

     "Normal" is different for everyone, something I noticed throughout my childhood, and notice more as an adult when visiting others' homes or environments. No two families or persons do anything the same as the other.

     I had girlfriends whose moms ran a tight ship; a place for everything and everything in its place, while another's mom let the housework slide - dishes piled high in the sink and on the counter tops, junk strewn here and there...my Mom was neat so we had to be neat too, and still are.

     If I could go back to what was normal for my 8-year-old self, what would I say to her about what she thought was normal? Was it normal to go barefoot most of the time? I did not like wearing shoes. Still don't. I took my dislike to a whole new level by challenging myself to see how black and dirty I could get the bottoms of my feet during the summer by walking on the hot, sticky, tarry pavement. I would find an especially sun-softened area and stand on it until my feet were coated with tar, then walk around attracting additional dirt, grass, and gravel. At the end of the day, I would check to see how well I was doing; the blacker the better, and I didn't want to ruin my progress by bathing. Was this normal? To my young self, I would say yes.  For someone else, maybe not.

     What about forcing a young girl to stand in the pouring rain with a book of matches, telling her she must get the garbage in the burn barrel lit and burning before she could come in the house? Is this normal? To my 8-year-old self I would now say it's completely not normal! You just did not know it.  It was a different another time in life.

     One thing I do know now is this: "There is a time for everything under Heaven," and we have been given as much time in any day as the next person, however the day ends, to do whatever the next thing in front of us is, whether normal or not; good or not.

Also, "God has made everything beautiful for its time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3 for both quotes.)

     For me, time is beautiful; life is beautiful; a space which has a beginning with an unknown end. It makes sense how God would put eternity in the human heart: a desire and longing for something different from what is. What has been put in by God cannot be taken out but it can be violated by making it what it isn't, such as misusing time, whether normal or not; good or not.

     While Kelly Ripa leads a more exciting life than I do, she and I have the same 24-hour day, and in my ordinary, normal, sometimes not normal way, it's up to me today to make the most of it, however it ends, especially during these  challenging times.  

PICTURED:  An ordinary, normal day at home with family. 

     

     

EASTER MEMORIES, OLD AND NEW

     Growing up, Easter was a special time in our home, a time of  surprises on Sunday morning - colored eggs hidden beneath furniture, baskets overflowing with chocolate bunnies and bright jelly beans, and later on, a holiday feast at our Grandparent's farm, complete with ham, tender rolls, deviled eggs, and sweet cakes for dessert. Year after year this tradition carried on, festive and fun, yet not about a resurrected Savior.

     When I grew up, I discovered a new truth, one which I had not heard of, how Easter had another meaning, and the eggs colored so beautifully and hidden by our Mother's hand were also a symbol of  an empty tomb, the empty grave of Jesus.

     Seeing Easter more  clearly gave me an entirely new-found perspective, one which I could understand and appreciate. It made perfect sense, this Son of  God who died for all.

     Easter is a time of rich tradition celebrated in many ways all over the world. We will always color eggs, put out special  decorations to signify new life, enjoy sweet treats, send cards, then end the day with a simple and delicious meal with family and friends.  

     In addition, we celebrate the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus at home, at church, in the community, and especially in our hearts as we read and reflect about this Glorious Day.

     "When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity."      1 Corinthians 13:11-12

     

CHANGE. WHAT'S YOURS LIKE?

  December 31st of 2019, and time to make up some resolutions....or not.  I find the word "resolution" itself more than intimidating, and even a bit scary so I want to get something straight here:  to resolve does not mean to change,  and change is the outcome of a resolve.  Resolve is intention, change is to act upon resolve.  

Assuming it is, what makes change so difficult?  Including myself, I notice in people the same patterns year after year, even and especially when they want to change something.  Change is personal; therefore, it is hard to do.

Some changes are obvious, like the picture above.  I have changed over the last few years (lines on face, etc.), and Angus used to be a baby!  Those are naturally occurring changes, visible from the outside; so what about on the inside?  There is plainly no easy way to change, and I think most people want a simple, quick, and done deal, like in maybe a week or two.  Hasn't worked for me yet!

Scientifically speaking, it is a fact that the more you do something, whether positive or negative, the more you will continue to do it because a pattern of thinking develops, and the channels in the brain deepen as the years go by.  (That's the scary part!)  No, don't stop reading!

Of course, there is more than one type of change, brought on by life events such as a sudden disaster or a spiritual force, both of which will cause one to become more motivated during the process of change.  For example, my husband had a spiritual awakening around the age of 27, and he immediately quit using tobacco, a habit of 15 years!  However, the desire to smoke took longer to overcome but the resolve won out.

I have no handy hints or suggestions here.  I have lived long enough to notice that people tend to resolve but fall short of change.  Not to sound negative, but has anyone ever wanted you to change something about yourself or in someone else but they don't seem too interested in what they need to change?  It is simply easier to spot the shortcomings of others but not the ones in ourselves.  

What I do believe in is progress, and progress is a process which is never instant or painless.  It also requires careful planning.  My husband stopped smoking, and avoided even touching tobacco products and used the word "no."  He had a plan.

Ok, a little humor please!  For years, I have tried to be a morning person like some of my friends...you know, cheerful and chatty in the a.m. and sound asleep by 10 p.m.?  I admire them!  But every time I worked on this, it was a fail, at least to a degree.  I did manage to force myself to at least not act as grumpy as I felt, and this was progress.  I  have now decided that I am ok not being 'Miss Happy' in the morning but I also will make you coffee cheerfully.  I plainly don't 'turn on' until after the noon hour!

The point here is to know yourself, to think through what to keep and what to give away (out with the old, in with the new!), and work towards a goal, however slow or frustrating it may be, so that you have accomplished something, whether it is  learning a new skill, stopping a habit, or working on a character trait.  And like you've been hearing for years now, you can do it!

ABOUT GOD

What is man that Thou dost magnify him, 
And that Thou art concerned about him,
That Thou dost examine him every morning,
And try him every moment?
                                              Job 7:17,18

What am I that God magnifies me,

And that God is concerned about me,

That God examines me every morning,

And tries me every moment?

     If God was sitting in the chair next to me, what would he find; what would He say about me?  What would He observe or perceive?  Nothing is hidden from God; no secret is left unexposed, and it is useless to try to hide.

     So we sit, God and I.  He is big, wears white, and somehow, strangely, resembles my own Dad.

     I have heard, over the years, how the relationship we have with our own father is closely related to the one we develop with our heavenly father.  Maybe.

     Let's say God resembles my Dad.  Then I would get him a cup of coffee, and a generous slice of apple pie.

     But this is God.  And He is going to examine me, something I don't remember my Dad doing.  Mine said very little; he was an observer, speaking only when necessary.  

     God would say I seem a little on the sad side.  He wouldn't ask why.  He knows why.

     It's good that I don't have to explain myself to God.  We can sit together quietly and enjoy the moment, not busy nor frantic with hurry.  I like that.

     God would tell me He has the problems of the world covered.  He senses how the world seems to be too much for me

at times.  He tells me to rest.  He tells me to be myself.  He tells me again - "He's got it.."

THAT WHICH WAS LOST

Turquoise encased in ornate silver - earrings like no other, given to me by my sister, Kim, along with a few other pair over four decades ago when she was sorting through her jewelry box.   More than happy to get them, I wore them regularly.

     A few short years ago, we were on a trip to Captain Cook, Hawaii to visit our son, Forrest, who lived and worked at a retreat center located high on a mountain overlooking the bay which sported the same color as the earrings I had been wearing since we left the mainland.

     Captain Cook is remote and jungle-like, dotted with working farms, small businesses, local restaurants, art shops, and coffee growers.  A much slower pace than Kona, it is surrounded by an untamed tangle of jungle vines, coconut palms, enormous fern, along with trees and plants bearing exotic fruits and flowers not found in cooler regions, sweet and colorful.

     It was in Captain Cook that I lost one of my treasured turquoise earrings, on a hot day, a swimming day, so off I walked down a recently cleared trail leading to the cooling bay.  Scrubby branches hung low, and as I moved one out of my path, an enormous brown spider flew into my hair, sending me into a panic of madly waving hands flinging through my long hair until I was sure the creature was gone.  Never a spider fan, a swim sounded even better: spiders don't swim.

     On my return from the bay, I reached up to brush hair from my face, and as my hand moved past my ear, I felt no earring.  It was gone! I knew immediately what had happened so traced my steps back through the spidery path to search for the missing earring.  I knew how minute was  the chance of finding it, and sure enough, with great disappointment, it remained lost.

     Soon after, I began an online search for a replacement for my earring; so many similar but never a true match.  A year passed, then another, and four with no luck.  My one vintage earring would remain a single. 

     Coming across my earring alone in my jewelry box one day, I decided to do another search.  It had been awhile and what could it hurt?  As I scrolled down through earring after earring for one matching my single, and ready to sign out, suddenly there they were - a matching pair!  Incredulous!  Clicking on Buy It Now, I quickly made the purchase before someone else did, and waited impatiently for the mail each day.  
     The little treasure finally arrived and now I have three nearly identical earrings.  As can be seen in the picture, the original is in the center and has a darker blue shade.  Also, the back is signed.  I will always keep it but how wonderful to have my turquoise earring set back.  These I won't wear to Hawaii.

    

BLACK FRIDAY IS FOR REAL

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

Thanksgiving is upon us and Christmas is being celebrated in the airwaves.  I keep hearing the words Black Friday as if some sort of extra holiday is on its way, pushing past Thanksgiving and tumbling into Christmas, and, in a way, there is truth to that. Retailers look forward to this day when millions of people will be out shopping, looking for deals or just enjoying the fun, while businesses make a profit.  Makes sense.  So we get this really long weekend of shopping followed by a Cyber Monday.  Historically, it hasn't always been this way.  

Black Friday has its roots in the 50's of the last century in Philadelphia, having to do with chaos in the city following Thanksgiving and the upcoming Army-Navy football game, crowds, traffic, shoplifters, and overworked police officers who gave Friday its bad name.  The term spread, doing retailers no favors, and finally, in the late 80's, retailers figured out ways to reinvent Black Friday, and turn it into something more positive, which, for the most part has been successful.

Whether you shop Black Friday or not is up to you, and I hope it is the beginning of a wonderful holiday season, not too stressful, not too glitzy, not too crazy.  I hope you can pause occasionally to look around you and really see what is going on, and enjoy.

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

A MOMENT IN A DAY

Now that November is here, and the holidays are upon us, a story came to me to share with you.  After reading this, I hope you will be inspired to share one of your stories with me and others.

It was a few short years ago during the busyness of December.  I was working at Macy's for the exciting and sometimes stressful holiday season, and after hours of sales, returns, complaints, and some good laughs, I was ready to go home.

Since my car was parked behind the JC Penney store, I headed in that direction, tired, hungry, and happy; happy because it was Christmas.  Carols rang throughout the mall, giant ornaments of rainbow colors met my eyes, and scores of people bustling with their last minute gift buying.

Reaching into my pocket, I remembered the ten dollar JC Penney gift card I wanted to use and with just half an hour to closing, I figured it could be put to good use somehow, so strolling into the store, I pulled a bit of energy out and walked toward the holiday decorations thinking I would buy a new ornament for our tree.

We all have special personal gifts, and one of mine is a visual gift; I notice everything that appears out of place, and as I scanned the ornamented trees, a small red gift bag came into my view, and it was out of place.  I scooped it up, and being the curious person that I am, I peeked inside to find a beautiful silver gift box tied up with a golden ribbon, and inside the tiny box was an exquisite jeweled necklace.  Amazing!  I looked around but there was no one in sight. But I knew what to do.

JC Penney was clearly written on the tiny box so I figured there was someone wondering where they had dropped it.  I imagined it was a man who had spent a great deal of time choosing just the perfect necklace for his wife or girlfriend, and I thought how disappointed he would be when he noticed the loss.  I  imagined how he had saved a long time for this perfect gift for some special occasion.  But why did I think it was a man?  Because of the way it was wrapped, and the delicate beauty of the jewels.  A man would purchase this for that 'special someone.'  So off to the jewelry department I went, hoping to solve this mystery.

Of course, all of  the sales personnel were busy helping customers so I waited.  And as I waited, I observed mixed expressions upon the faces of the many waiting shoppers, some anxious, others cheery. Suddenly from a distance a man came striding towards the department, looking frantic and upset, carrying bags, sporting a tan trench coat, wire rimmed glasses, and wearing i.d. tags around his neck which clattered noisily as he rushed to the counter. He was perspiring as he approached, and in that moment I knew I had found the man.  I just knew.

Interrupting the sales staff, the man burst out that he had "lost the jewelry he had just purchased, and had it been turned in?"  There were a few seconds of confusion on the sales associates face until  I stepped up, handed the missing red bag to the girl, and said, "Here it is. I found it in the holiday ornament area."  I thought the man was going to have an attack right there.  His eyes became wide with astonishment that the gift had been found, and that anyone would even return what was lost. He came over to me, thanking me over and over again, then reached in his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and offered me a reward for what I had done.  Smiling, I simply said, "No, thank you.  I am just happy you have it back."  And that was it.

Afterwards, I felt sincerely happy.  The incident could have had a very different ending and I was glad to have participated in the man's joyful moment.  There is a verse in the Bible, John 2:24,25 where Jesus says that ..."He did not put his trust in people,"... and again in Philippians 3:3 where Paul states ..."We put no confidence in human effort"...  These verses show us how human nature gets in the way of goodness and joy.  I could have kept the necklace; indeed, it would have been so easy.  But I chose a different route, one with lasting value, and not because my human nature is more finely tuned.  It isn't.  It was up to me to do the right thing at the very moment when I had a choice, just as it is up to you when you when you are faced with one as well.  

LISTEN, OVERLOOK, VALUE, ENCOURAGE. (LOVE)

Have you ever attempted to speak into the life of someone, only to get a rejection?  Your intentions were well meaning and right, or so you thought, until you were told to "butt out" in one way or another.  But think of it this way:  how well do you take regulating or monitoring from someone else, especially when it feels like criticism or judgement?  

:Sometimes our 'words of wisdom' are rejected, we feel rejected.

Sometimes others just are not ready to receive what we have for them.

Today you can be challenged to be agreeable, not finding fault in others, to not criticize one bit, to not act like your feelings are hurt, and improve and regulate your life only.  That's a big order, yes, and it can be done.  Encourage one another as you want to be encouraged.  It is up to you today.