Link
12 Stones - a very good Christian group!!!
Driving to Work
Since the company I work for moved their office to a new location late last year, my commute increased from 10 minutes and less than 4 miles each way to 25-30 minutes to work, 30-45 minutes home and just over 10 miles each way.
I don't really mind the commute although gas prices are increasing. I'm thankful to have an economy car and that the commute is a fairly straight shot both ways, but at times it leads to frustration because of bad drivers.
Driving is often the biggest challenge I have in practicing patience, and often one of the most frustrating parts of my day.
I have my own little theory that the increase in bad driving is reflective of the trend in society today towards selfishness, me-first thinking, and the lack of consideration and courtesy that's becoming far too common.
Every day I see people rushing in a merging lane to get ahead of as many cars as they can, or not letting someone in who's trying to merge. I constantly see people running red lights, speeding on surface streets and weaving in and out of traffic in their quest to gain a few seconds of time.
I see people blocking intersections trying to make it through the green light, and they end up causing traffic jams because they're still blocking the intersection when the light for the cross traffic turns green.
Rudeness and impatience abound on the roadways, and also in interactions with strangers. Men today no longer think twice about swearing and using foul language in front of women, women no longer think enough of themselves and sound as bad as the men. It's enough to make a sailor blush. Men don't treat women with respect, women don't act as if they deserve respect.
While we've made progress in many ways, at the same time we're losing the qualities that make us better people...courtesy, respect for others, selflessness, consideration. You can see it on the road. And it's sad.
Birthday Musings :)
So my 40th birthday is coming up (on August 1st
) and my sister asked me what I wanted. After thinking on it for a couple of days I finally decided that the best gift would be for the living room, dining room and kitchen to be painted.
I've lived in this house for over 13 years and the kitchen has always been an ugly dirty manilla file folder yellow. The living room and dining room have been painted before, but it was an off-white color, and in the living room the trim around the doors and windows is painted an icky dusty rose color.
It's time for a facelift! The living room will be a color known as 'Washbasin Blue' and all the trim will be white. The dining room will be "Blossom Green", a bright cheery spring green, also with white trim, and the kitchen will be "Green Room" and the cabinet doors will be white. I'm thinking of painting the hood over the stove in a blue and white striped pattern, like an awning, and I have a rectangular black metal basket that I'm going to hang above the sink with artificial plants cascading down from it, and a few copper items hanging from it as well.
I still have to decide what to do about the drawer handles and knobs for the cabinets. Maybe something nice and simple in brass...
While my sister and her helpers are painting the rooms I'm going to be painting a small desk I bought at the Salvation Army thrift store for $12.50. It's going to be a creamy off-white with a hydrangea design stenciled on it. Nice!
My other project is getting my room shaped up and pretty again. I want to repaint it the same color as it is right now to freshen the paint, and I need to figure out what to do about blinds.
I have some white netting fabric that's very soft and drapes nicely, and I want to have it draped above my bed and down each side at the headboard.
I think I have a good idea! I got two wicker chests from my sister, and I may use those as end tables for my bed - I think they'll work out great!
I love inspiration
Now all I need to do is figure out where to put the cat tree....hmmmm...
Love and Marriage
For some reason the song "Love and marriage, love and marriage, go together like a horse and carriage" keeps going through my head today. It could be worse...the dreaded "It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small w..." Well, you know the tune that could be going through my head :P :D
To the world today, love and marriage don't always go together; quite often, they're mutually exclusive. Love doesn't imply a commitment but rather is something that is casually given and casually discarded.
I've seen it in my own family with my father. He's on his 7th marriage, and I'm sure he's told every woman he married that he loved her, but that love vanished quickly when problems began, and divorce soon followed.
Love as the world defines it is a transient thing, based on fleeting emotions and dying an easy - although not painless - death.
I'm thankful that love -
real love - has been defined by God in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
Love is patient; love is kind.
Love does not envy; is not boastful;
is not conceited; does not act improperly;
is not selfish; is not provoked;
does not keep a record of wrongs;
finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth;
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love never ends
Someday when I marry, I want our love to be based on the above rather than a sparkly, bubbly feeling.
I want love that's rooted in a lifetime commitment, for better or for worse, that looks to spending the rest of our lives together. A love that runs deep and strong and also has light, bubbly, fun moments of romance, and can stand the test of time.
A love that means marriage.
"Love and marriage, love and marriage
Go together like a horse and carriage
This I tell you brother
You can't have one without the other
Love and marriage, love and marriage
It's an institute you can't disparage
Ask the local gentry
And they will say it's elementary
Try, try, try to separate them
It's an illusion
Try, try, try, and you will only come
To this conclusion
Love and marriage, love and marriage
Go together like a horse and carriage
Dad was told by mother
You can't have one without the other!"
Making a Difference
You know how sometimes you wonder if what you're doing is making a difference, if you've been a good witness of the Lord and His love, grace and mercy?
God gave me the gift of knowing He'd used me to make a difference in someone's life, and I'm grateful for that.
Many years ago I worked at First Nationwide Bank's corporate offices in West Sacramento, and one of my coworkers was named Cynthia. She and I and another person named Tanya used to have lunch together regularly, and while I don't recall a lot of specifics, I do recall enjoying those lunch hours with them.
Another thing I recall is loaning a book to Cynthia, "Hinds Feet on High Places", and she reminded me that I loaned her another book, "My Maker, My Husband" by Sharon Ries, the wife of Calvary Chapel pastor Raul Ries.
I never thought I was doing anything special or making a difference, but Cynthia told me that the books I loaned her and my witness had an impact on her life and helped her in her walk with God.
That left me speechless - pleasantly and happily so, but speechless. How often do we receive the gift of knowing our witness had a positive impact?
I’m thankful God allowed me to see Cynthia again and to learn about this, and I pray that I continue to be a good witness of Him in all I say and do. I want to always have integrity and honesty in my dealings with others, and even if someone doesn't like what I do, for them to be unable to lay a claim of dishonesty or lack of integrity at my feet.
Cynthia, if you read this, thank you!!
