Do something, or do nothing?

Recently, I spoke to someone who asked me, "Isn't it better to do something, than do nothing?" The question struck me at the time, and I managed to utter a somewhat informative answer on my position on that. Later, I chastised my-self for not screaming, "NO, NEVER JUST DO SOMETHING!!"

Now, I know you can argue that....surely there are times when it is better to do something than to do nothing. If a child is running out into the street, and a car is coming, do you do nothing?? If your cat throws up on the carpet, do you do nothing? If you don't feel "called" to take out the trash, do you do nothing??

Let me give you my take on it. We are all born with innate talents and gifts. We develop experiences and family history's. We have passions....things we just love to do. Is it better to go through life just doing something? Or, do we only give what time we have to things that we are born to do. Obviously, like in the above paragraph, we spend a lot of our time doing a lot of things that we have to do, not want to do. Everyone has to wash dishes, change diapers, pay the bills....you get the picture.

But, what we do with the rest of our time determines the quality and character our life will take on. What about the dreams we have? What about the visions God has given us for ministry or how we want to raise our kids? Finding a place in the world to just do something is just like admitting that you have no vision, no dreams, and no guts.

2009 already....

Ok...can it really be 2009 and February at that?!! I haven't written in awhile. Today is my Dad's 75th birthday. Happy Birthday Dad!! Last year was rough for him as he had heart surgery and several complications. I hope this year is happy and healthy for him.

I also just finished our reservations to Hilton Head S.C. We will go in May. Thanks Aunt Margie and Uncle Jim! I am loving the thought of going to a beach in warm weather. Can't wait to feel the sand under my feet.

Had an awesome time last night at our Super Bowl party! SOOOOO sad that the Cardinals lost. I am always for the underdog. Kurt Warner is such a great guy too. *sigh*

Wishing you all a happy 2009!! I will write more later!

Passions in any form

Last week I watched the CMA awards show. I love country music! Although I am not a Vols fan, one of my earliest memories was standing outside in our front yard on our 100 acre farm, and singing "Rocky Top" at the top of my lungs! Like it our not, there is a lot of soul in country.

While I love to watch Carrie Underwood perform, the hightlight of my CMA night was watching Kid Rock perform "All Summer Long." I love that song! Why? My goodness, you say, it mentions whiskey and sex and an unknown "smoking" substance! And, you would be right about that. I think the thing I like is the passion behind the song. The song is about a man looking back on a summer when it all came together....a summer full of passion.

Wouldn't we all like to live like that? Full of life and passion in our day? I believe Adam and Eve must have felt a similar passion in the garden. They had each other, a beautful place to live, their needs provided for without all of the stress of our current, crazy world. That was until they believed there was more than what they were experiencing.

Clyde and I have simplified our life in the last few months. We want no more of the facades of life. We want time for each other, time with our kids and time to fulfill the passions God has given us in our life. It is amazing how quickly life can become a rat-race, chasing down goals that rob us of today and the things that really matter. I am sure Adam and Eve would have loved to be back in the garden after they saw what they had traded it for: death, hard-work, and pain. Not that I am against hard-work! There has to be balance, right priorities, and joy! That's why "All Summer Long" is a favorite. Letting go and just enjoying........

Up and at it!

This morning we are back on a schedule after a 6 weeks hiatus where we moved our house , garage, 2 storage units and an office to our new home. Whew! We are ALMOST finished!

This morning from my office window, I see no other homes or buildings, just beautiful fall leaves and a gorgeous hard maple in the throngs of its fall color: gorgeous, bright, golden yellow. The cats are up of course and all over the place. I am thankful, but feeling overwhelmed. We have a lot of changes taking place right now in our home. Not just the move, but choices we are making regarding ministry. It is a hard place to be right now.

Years ago, while still in college, I changed my focus from pre-law to Education to accommodate what I thought would be potential seminary training after college. Instead, I went right into ministry, placing myself in Tahoe as a youth minister after being sent there in college as a summer missionary. I loved Tahoe. I loved ministering to the kids there. It was there I met Clyde and we married. After discovering we were expecting after only three months into marriage, I knew my future in ministry would be different than I had thought. From that point my life became a balance of marriage, motherhood, and ministry. Ministry outside of my family became last.

It is still this way today. I have been a youth minister, a women's ministry leader (even serving as the president of the Wives Fellowship, Metochai, in seminary....a group of over 250 women). I have taught bible studies, led 301 and Imprints classes where we discovery our giftedness, personality and Strengths.....even led children's church. I have been a volunteer for Compassion International. In the last three years, I have helped get 35 kids sponsored through Sunday adoption programs. Yet through all of this, I find myself currently with no ministry, no group to share with, no impact. It is disheartening. It is a sad place to be. Funny how others choices affect everything around you. I guess it is that way with all of us, with my choices as well. Here's hoping that my choices today and yours, will leave others for the better. Amen.

Democrat or Republican?? What's your platform??

I find this whole political race very interesting. As my friends and I have gotten older, so many of the issues surrounding the debates are more applicable to my life than ever. Some of us vote the way we vote because that is how we were raised, others have a particular issue that keeps them adhering to one party, others may vote by the man that best they identify with. I have friends on both sides of the party line. Some are Democrats because they are concerned about the environment and the issues surrounding that. Some of these people are vegans or vegeterians....and they want peace at all cost. Others are Democrats because of the economic and social issues the Dems. stand for. They might know first hand about rough economic times and want relief. Some Democrats, like many of the celebrites you see supporting Obama, want rights for all. They are not neccessarily economically strapped after all, they just believe abortion and homosexuality should be allowed to exist and be maintained without rights being infringed. They are about limiting what they believe is the Republicans "moral police" reputation. On the Republican side of things you have your Pro-lifers, your corporate leaders, and your higher income bracket wage earners anxious to keep their money in their pockets and out of the governments hands via taxation. They want to invest thier money to stimulate the economy, not be taxed to death. Also on this side, the millions of evangelical Christians who believe we are a God fearing nation and want to keep it that way. They appose gay marriage and the moral decay they believe our country is in.

I mentioned I had friends on both sides.....I find it interesting that there is no "one size fits all" Democrat or Republican. Let me explain. While many of the Democrats are pet lovers, some are not. I have one friend who HATES cats and dogs, but is a solid Obama supporter. I also have Republican friends who love cats and dogs....they are their babies. They are also pro-life. I was raised in the home of two Independent Mid-westerners. My parents voted on both sides of the party line, though I will say Ronald Reagan became a hero in our home. I myself, have voted mostly Republican. After working in inner city Dallas-Fort Worth, I am a pro-lifer. I believe women have a right to their own bodies, but have seen the devastion abortion causes in the lives of women. I do not try to take away the rights of the mother, but to protect the rights of the child who's heart started beating at 20 days after conception and the soul of the woman who might be haunted for the rest of her days by the ghost of abortion. I am all for women's rights, esp. if that female is inside her mother's womb without a voice. My pro-life stance goes further. Recently, I went to the "Fix For Life" clinic to have my sweet girl fur- babies spayed. I was told there was a three week waiting list. I expressed concern that one of them might be in heat at that moment and what could I do. I was told that when I came in 3 weeks later, they could "take care of that little problem" if it existed!! They would abort my cats kittens if she were pregnant!! What?!! Would a Democrat-pet-loving-environmentalist stand for that?? What about the cats right to choose?? The cat had no rights according to the clinic. Hmm.....just makes me wonder, doesn't it you???

I did it MY way

We are in the middle of moving. Can I get any sympathy?? Anyway, it has been on ongoing process for the past 12 days. Are we close to being done? Hardly!! I am weeding through clothes, toys and misc. pieces of whatever that I have been hanging onto for the last 5 years, or AKA, the last move. Moving just stinks. Well, we are making the best of it in the process. Today, we moved most of the school room. The hundreds of books, and boxes of supplies made it along with the bookshelves and school table. We are so glad to have the extra room, but I am afriad of filling it up!! Tonight, I got a great lesson in life and faith from my little 3 year old. It seems for the past 12 days, that this adventure we are on has been just one big opportunity for him to get into everything. Everything we have drug out to move has been a target for his little hands. Tonight I was working hard to get the books in the school room organized again. He kept taking them out of their respective piles to look at. Then, we had the chairs stacked up and he was unstacking them to use them. On and on it has gone, us with our agendas and plans and him with his. He just wasn't working with the system!! I thought about that tonight has I told him again, that he can't have his own agenda here, we are in a mode of operation he does not understand. I laughed as I thought about the Lord looking at me smiling. How many times have I had my own agenda, and operated against the Lord's plan? All of us at times, working on what we thought was important, were actually disturbing the plans of the Lord. That's how it is when we operate on our own, apart from his leading. We just get mess it all up. Something to think about. Do we want to be like toddlers, or mature believers?

This Little Light of Mine.....

Wow. I sure wish I could update this daily. It is difficult to find the time. Clyde was out of town last week. Weston has started football. Hannah has started back in 4-H. The other boys will be starting soccer soon, and the fair is next week. It is THE Fair for those who don't know. The Wilson CO. Fair is one of THE things to do in TN. Clyde is on the fair board for the first time this year. We are just busy..... It is hard to remember in the midst of it all the priorities of life. This week I was reminded of them. My friend David, and his wife Krista, who live in Texas have a 10 year old son, Chapman, who was involved in a motor bike accident this week. He will be fine and is going to be released to go home tomorrow. Another "Yeah, God!" moment. Yesterday at practice Weston got knocked around pretty good and received a neck injury at football practice. "Here we go!," I thought. I can only imagine the injuries he will sustain in this sport he loves so much, and there is nothing I can do about it. It reminds me of a scene in Finding Nemo where his dad Marlin tells Dory that he promised Nemo that nothing would ever happen to him. Dory says, "Well, that's a strange thing to promise." Marlin says, "What do you mean?" And Dory replies, "Well, if nothing ever happened to him, then nothing would EVER happen to him....no fun for little Nemo." Hmm....By the way, tomorrow WED. morning on Good Morning America at 7 AM tune in for the interview with Steven C. CHapman and his wife Mary Beth following the loss of their daughter Maria Sue. Bring a tissue or two.