One of our families favorite places to eat is Carolina Diner. It is a small diner with awesome food. Our family has been a frequent visitor for quite some time and we love it. The wait staff hasn't changed much since we started going, except for adding new wait staff. We recognize them and from what we found out today, they recognize us.
The waitress asked us where our youngest son was. The fact she remember us and the little guy who wasn't present tickled us. It is a great feeling when we are remembered. It is a great feeling when we are missed.
I have wondered in the past what impact I have made on others in my community and I have contact with on a regular or semi-regular basis. I have to wonder, how many times have I made a negative impact on others.
What does that say about me and my testimony if it was negative? How can I be sure that when I am remembered in a small town diner or anywhere the result is positive?
It requires me to make certain my testimony is Christ like. That I remember the words in the bible as more than just written words, but living words. Words to be lived through me and by me. The bible is a living instruction manual, teaching me what I need to know to live my life as Christ life as possible.
Will I ever be perfect? No, there will be times when I leave a not-so-good impression on those around me. But it is great to know that I can go to my Father and ask him to forgive me for those sins. I can go to my Father and ask him to teach me again what I need to know. I need to be willing to open my heart and my mind to his words. I need to be willing to change those behaviors that leave a negative impression on others. I need to, but sadly, I don't always do.
I want to be remembered by the wait staff at a small town diner in a positive manner. I want to be remembered as a Lady of Proverbs 31.
Showing posts with label be still and know that i am God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label be still and know that i am God. Show all posts
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Jasper and Josie
Shortly after we moved to Hendersonville, our youngest son asked for a kitten. Our oldest son didn't want a cat in the house and didn't want to have anything to do with the cat once we brought it home. We went to the pet shelter and our little guy had found his kitten. Jasper, with his orange-red-yellow striped fur. I am not sure what the actual or official color is, but he has orange-red fur.
Josie is suppose to be his sister. She is grey with white patches and white paws. She was extremely little, most likely the runt of the bunch, tiny as she was. Well, we agreed to adopt Jasper, but Josie wouldn't let our oldest son move without showering him with attention. Our son bent down and began to pet Josie. He spent a lot of time with her and must have fallen in love with her immediately. Our son who wanted nothing to do with a cat for any reason looked up at his father and me. He simply asked, "Can we get two kittens"? I looked at my husband and I looked at the kitten and looked at my son. His kitten cold heart had melted, he wanted not just any kitten, he wanted the one who was desperately trying to get him to notice her.
Josie and her brother were adopted that day. Jasper knew which person in our family had chosen him. Jasper's loyalty was to Andrew. Andrew was his boy. He laid next to him, played with him, fed him, and slept with him. Jasper was his and Andrew was his boy.
The scrawny little Josie stole Tony's heart and just as her brother did she had spent all of her time and attention with Tony. She would run to the door when she hear him coming to the door. She would sit in his lap alone. She knew that he was hers and she was his.
Josie and Jasper both knew the rules that day we walked into the animal shelter. They knew that they needed to win the heart of whomever came looking for a kitten. Jasper by nature is friendlier with strangers than Josie is. Jasper looked healthy and robust for a little kitten. Josie, by all accounts was the lesser of the two kittens. Small in size, we found out shortly after arriving home, sickly. She doesn't like strangers. She will hide and wait until they are gone to come out to eat, potty or play. But that day, Josie knew her life laid in someone else's hands. She knew that she needed to step outside of her comfort zone and take that risk. That risk to show love to someone she just met. That risk to share of herself what she didn't want to lose. She wanted to be loved, cared for and taken home. She wanted to be saved from life in the animal shelter. She wanted to go where she would be loved forever.
Josie and Jasper wanted what we are all looking for. They wanted to be accepted, to be loved and cared for all their days. Don't we all have the same wants, needs and desires. We want to be loved, we want to be accepted and we want to be cared for all of our days. I know the only source of that love, acceptance and care, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God's perfect plan was to have his son come into the animal shelter (the world) and give us what we need to find him and let him know we need him to take us. The best part of all, Jesus takes us. Each and every one of is able to be adopted by Jesus. This is exciting, this is life altering and this is all we need to know that we will be loved, cared for and accepted. We are accepted no matter how sickly we may appear, he accepts us no matter what.
Do you have a desire to be loved, accepted and cared for? Go ahead and step outside your comfort zone and ask Jesus to take you with him.
Josie is suppose to be his sister. She is grey with white patches and white paws. She was extremely little, most likely the runt of the bunch, tiny as she was. Well, we agreed to adopt Jasper, but Josie wouldn't let our oldest son move without showering him with attention. Our son bent down and began to pet Josie. He spent a lot of time with her and must have fallen in love with her immediately. Our son who wanted nothing to do with a cat for any reason looked up at his father and me. He simply asked, "Can we get two kittens"? I looked at my husband and I looked at the kitten and looked at my son. His kitten cold heart had melted, he wanted not just any kitten, he wanted the one who was desperately trying to get him to notice her.
Josie and her brother were adopted that day. Jasper knew which person in our family had chosen him. Jasper's loyalty was to Andrew. Andrew was his boy. He laid next to him, played with him, fed him, and slept with him. Jasper was his and Andrew was his boy.
The scrawny little Josie stole Tony's heart and just as her brother did she had spent all of her time and attention with Tony. She would run to the door when she hear him coming to the door. She would sit in his lap alone. She knew that he was hers and she was his.
Josie and Jasper both knew the rules that day we walked into the animal shelter. They knew that they needed to win the heart of whomever came looking for a kitten. Jasper by nature is friendlier with strangers than Josie is. Jasper looked healthy and robust for a little kitten. Josie, by all accounts was the lesser of the two kittens. Small in size, we found out shortly after arriving home, sickly. She doesn't like strangers. She will hide and wait until they are gone to come out to eat, potty or play. But that day, Josie knew her life laid in someone else's hands. She knew that she needed to step outside of her comfort zone and take that risk. That risk to show love to someone she just met. That risk to share of herself what she didn't want to lose. She wanted to be loved, cared for and taken home. She wanted to be saved from life in the animal shelter. She wanted to go where she would be loved forever.
Josie and Jasper wanted what we are all looking for. They wanted to be accepted, to be loved and cared for all their days. Don't we all have the same wants, needs and desires. We want to be loved, we want to be accepted and we want to be cared for all of our days. I know the only source of that love, acceptance and care, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. God's perfect plan was to have his son come into the animal shelter (the world) and give us what we need to find him and let him know we need him to take us. The best part of all, Jesus takes us. Each and every one of is able to be adopted by Jesus. This is exciting, this is life altering and this is all we need to know that we will be loved, cared for and accepted. We are accepted no matter how sickly we may appear, he accepts us no matter what.
Do you have a desire to be loved, accepted and cared for? Go ahead and step outside your comfort zone and ask Jesus to take you with him.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Be Still and Know
I have a phrase running through my head today. I am sure I am not the only with this happening to me. I was told when I hear something over and over in my mind, that is God talking to me.
So, God is telling me to 'be still and know that I am God'. I have been thinking about this phrase and have been looking about things in my life. Do I want to be involved in the women's ministry at church or do I need to be involved in the women's ministry?
Do I need to be working outside of the house or should I focus on the freelance writing I am doing and Avon? Is it my desires or God's will. How will I ever know for sure?
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.
I have worked in the home part time, full time, worked outside the home part time and full time. I enjoy being busy and I enjoy taking time to relax. How do I know what I should do?
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.
I have practiced being still. Did that mean I didn't do anything at all? No, I pursued the freelance writing gigs. I applied for positions and I was chosen for those positions. So far, all the money that I was promised for those pieces of work have been paid to me. I was not worrying about the freelance work, I applied and applied and applied to many different projects. I received the work, I believe because I trusted God was leading me in this direction.
What about selling Avon? Was I being still then? Well, I had pondered selling Avon for a while. But the deciding factor was how many items that we use on a regular basis were sold by Avon. The prices for the products were very reasonable even before selling Avon. But, I thought about what I could pay for the products as an Avon representative and how much I could save our families budget.
I decided over three months ago that this is what I would like to do. But I felt that I needed to wait.
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.
I was and I waited and I feel that I am being rewarded for my stillness. I took a leap in this endeavor and so far, I have been rewarded.
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.
Can there be anything more difficult than being still and knowing that He is God? How many times do we want to be busy doing things for God? How many times do I try to get in God's way and share with Him what I would like for Him to do? If I could only learn this lesson the first time and be still.
I know that He is God. I just don't know in both my heart and my mind that He is God. I want to do for myself and cry when it doesn't work out. But as always God is there to tell me.....
"Dannie, look at me. Look not only into my eyes, but my heart. Dannie, be still honey. Know that I am God and I can do all that you need for me to do. Be still Dannie, so that I can show you how much I love you. Be still Dannie and know that I am God, your God".
Be still and know that He is YOUR God.
So, God is telling me to 'be still and know that I am God'. I have been thinking about this phrase and have been looking about things in my life. Do I want to be involved in the women's ministry at church or do I need to be involved in the women's ministry?
Do I need to be working outside of the house or should I focus on the freelance writing I am doing and Avon? Is it my desires or God's will. How will I ever know for sure?
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.
I have worked in the home part time, full time, worked outside the home part time and full time. I enjoy being busy and I enjoy taking time to relax. How do I know what I should do?
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.
I have practiced being still. Did that mean I didn't do anything at all? No, I pursued the freelance writing gigs. I applied for positions and I was chosen for those positions. So far, all the money that I was promised for those pieces of work have been paid to me. I was not worrying about the freelance work, I applied and applied and applied to many different projects. I received the work, I believe because I trusted God was leading me in this direction.
What about selling Avon? Was I being still then? Well, I had pondered selling Avon for a while. But the deciding factor was how many items that we use on a regular basis were sold by Avon. The prices for the products were very reasonable even before selling Avon. But, I thought about what I could pay for the products as an Avon representative and how much I could save our families budget.
I decided over three months ago that this is what I would like to do. But I felt that I needed to wait.
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.
I was and I waited and I feel that I am being rewarded for my stillness. I took a leap in this endeavor and so far, I have been rewarded.
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.
Can there be anything more difficult than being still and knowing that He is God? How many times do we want to be busy doing things for God? How many times do I try to get in God's way and share with Him what I would like for Him to do? If I could only learn this lesson the first time and be still.
I know that He is God. I just don't know in both my heart and my mind that He is God. I want to do for myself and cry when it doesn't work out. But as always God is there to tell me.....
"Dannie, look at me. Look not only into my eyes, but my heart. Dannie, be still honey. Know that I am God and I can do all that you need for me to do. Be still Dannie, so that I can show you how much I love you. Be still Dannie and know that I am God, your God".
Be still and know that He is YOUR God.
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