brenda’s thoughts, watch out I’m Christian

I remember when the kids and I first moved into our own home after the divorce. We kept saying, ‘This is like a fairytale or a dream.” We didn’t want to wake up. I had this excited frightened feeling that it was too good to be true, that it would all end soon. It didn’t. God blessed us richly during those years.

This is a chance to really help, to roll my sleeves up and help God’s people. Psalm 23:3 “he guides me in paths of righteousness for his names sake.” I hope and pray that I won’t say or do anything in this position that isn’t God’s will and that everything is done to glorify him. I’m both frightened and excited.

Last night I walked past my son, who was sitting on the couch, and he turned his cell phone away from me. He was texting a girl. At the movies with friends, I chuckled as I walk past a couple who were dressed as pirates on my way to see a movie which I very quickly realized was one of the worst movies I had ever seen. Bug, (I could be funny and say, “This is your brain on bugs I mean drugs”.) don’t waste your money! In the middle of the night I shot out of bed at the sound of fireworks and firecrackers in the drive way. “Oh yes, my daughter and her fiancé went to South Caroline yesterday”. I went back to sleep.

This morning I read the news off the web with my coffee. “Don’t be so alarmed about rats in New York restaurants”, “Small town America still believes in the war in Iraq even if their sons die in it”, “Grizzly photographer is mauled by a grizzly again”, “Beaches in N.J. aren’t so safe”, and a photo of war widows laughing out aloud together are what I find. Ah America, land of the free!

I think I’ll go for a walk by the creek now.

It’s another chilly morning. “Layers, layers, layers” my mother would say, “dress in layers”. Yesterday I got a little sunburn. As the spring days turn in to summer days I look more and more like my Cherokee ancestors, except that my eyes are blue and I continue to dye my hair blond!

I’ve made a pot of vegetable soup which fills the house with a delicious aroma and am studying for an exam in teaching strategies for Special Education. I have found the most interesting site and am happily wallowing in new information. Life is good today and tomorrow it will be what I make of it or

Ecclesiastes 3

I’ve decided that there’s nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That’s it-eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It’s God’s gift.

I love the entire book of Ecclesiastes, don’t you! Because we’ve all wondered, “What’s the point?” and Ecclesiastes addresses that question. Its another example of how God knows and understands the heart of man/woman.

Good night this soup is good!

I noticed this today.

When my children were little what they wanted most was to spend time with me. Don’t get me wrong they still counted how many presents were under the Christmas tree and asked for the most expensive toys, but what meant the most was the time spent with me. (Mine aren’t special. Well they’re special to me. All kids are like that.) They loved sitting on my bed at night and listening to me read to them or spending an hour or more at the dinner table just telling me about their days or sitting on the porch reading the paper together and watching the fireflies.

Now my kids are grown and nearly grown. I don’t get to see them as much as I’d like. So today, on Mother’s Day, of the gifts received and words spoken what meant the most to me was that they both spent time sitting on the back porch with me just talking.

If you’ve never had children I highly recommend it.

The river trip was great. Here’s a link to if you want to hear more. Go to the ”short trip behind the base” link.

http://www.geocities.com/ocmulgee_adventure/

I saw something the other day that stopped me in my tracks. I was in the library of a primary school (pr-k, kindergarten, 1st, 2nd). On the shelf by the door for all to see and check out was a picture book. I picked it up and read it while the kids were playing a game with the librarian. I was shocked. The book was the story of an old lady who is lonely until she realizes that her friend has been reincarnated into a dog. In the end she gets reincarnated also and they live happily ever after together. Its children’s picture book! I’ll try to get a link tot he book

Also, a prayer request, I’ll be giving a good long testimonial in a couple weeks to a small group and possibly again in front of the whole church. I pray a hedge of angels around me to keep out all distractions so that I say what God would have me say and not what satan entices me with.

I’ll be on the river again today, same stretch as last time. Maybe this time I’ll remember the sun block and get a decent picture of one of those gators. The poison ivy is gone, by the way. Yeah!

Tried to give blood last night but hadn’t eaten very much all day so they said I was too dehydrated. I’d add that I got a lovely bruise for my effort but that’s my own fault. I’ve given blood before, I knew better than to not eat or drink much all day. What women go through to try and be attractive (thin) is ridiculous and sometimes unhealthy. I won’t go farther on this subject it would only make mad.

Psalms 46:10 

Psalm 46 The Message “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God,…”

Psalm 46 The Amplified Bible “Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God…”

Psalm 46 The NIV ” 10 “Be still, and know that I am God;…”

When I miss my quiet time I miss my quiet time.

I want to say something about making sure you have a quiet time everyday. It is of monumental importance.

It’s a good idea to start your day praying, listening and reading God’s word but that isn’t always easy. When I try to do it in the morning I get carried away and end up running behind. I’ve thought about setting a timer but haven’t tried it yet. I’m not sure I possess the kind of discipline it takes to have quiet time in the morning. Nor am I sure that time of day is what’s important.

I know some people who have their quiet time in the middle of the day. They read the Bible during lunch or at break, sometimes at a park or under a tree. There’s also those drive up restaurants where they bring the food to your car. Those are great for getting work done without distraction. Just don’t answer the phone.

If you’re like me and carry a laptop with you then you can pull up your journal and scripture every time you log on. http://www.biblegateway.org/. You can journal to God. Try http://www.allaboutgod.com/journaling.htm

Personally I like my quiet time at the end of the day before I go to bed. This is the time when I look backward at my day and forward at the next day. I ask myself, “What good happened today, what bad, what did I learn, what does God think, what does scripture say and what about tomorrow?” I like to set up small goals, like baby steps.

I know I’m “planner dependent” so that’s where I write my scripture, goals and prayer requests. A scripture to dwell on and a stumbling block to avoid is a good rule of thumb. I also carry a small journal for when it just starts flowing.

I also like listening to Christian radio or CDs on the way to work. It gets me in that praise mode so that at least for awhile I’m seeing through the eyes of Christ whose love for me was so great that he gave his life.

It also helps to listen on the way home from work, especially if I’ve had a tough or spiritually confusing day. It sooths my exhausted soul.

Do you know what word jumps off the page from this scripture at me? “Self-control!” If you are sober, if you have your emotions in check, if you are clear headed, if you are in control of yourself then you are less likely to loose control!

I reckon you know God wants me to get control of my emotions. It seems that God is leading me through the fruits of the spirit one by one all the way to maturity, for a purpose I’m sure, to glorify God.

For other scripture of the same nature

http://cf.blb.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=sober&Version=KJV

I believe the word sober doesn’t just refer to intoxicants; getting drunk or getting high but anything that keeps you from thinking clearly. A strong emotional response can make you do things that you wouldn’t normally do. When your impassioned over an issue whether its anger or grief or love your responses are affected.

Last Sunday morning while I was getting ready for church my mom comes and tells me that they can’t find my cat Fred. He was pinned in the driveway by two big dogs and now they’re worried. Memories from the past week of other cats being found dead from dog attacks flood my mind and I’m out the door walking up and down the street calling for my cat. From one end of the neighborhood to the other I walk looking not just for signs of my cat but for signs of dogs running loose. I was so angry. The image of the rifle at the backdoor kept reappearing in my mind. I was so angry. A battle began as to what I should do if I found my baby dead. Should I call the pound or take matters into my own hands? Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I chose to call the pound. Praise God I didn’t have to. Fred was hiding under the back porch.

Emotional responses cloud our judgment probably more frequently than alcohol or drugs. I think this is what the verse “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Pro 4:23 is referring to.