"5 Small Things Friday" No. 4

Go back and read this post for the story behind "Five Small Things Friday". And yes, I know I haven't posted No. 3 yet. There was another post hinged on it that I haven't finished yet, so I'll be posting them at the same time when I get them finished.
For this week, here is my list:

1. Sight: A group of kids playing football.

2. Hearing: Victory Rd.'s young musicians.

3. Smell: An evergreen candle.

4. Taste: A snacky supper - a bowl of green beans, a corn dog, a piece of cheese toast, and a little bowl of strawberry yogurt.

5. Touch: Warm snuggly blankets on a chilly night.

The stories behind the list:

1. In after-school, one of the things the kids love to do is play football. The teachers' kids will come out and get the game going with the after-school children. They'll get their teams together and play for hours and hours. It's so fun to see them - from thirteen to about six, all out there running their hearts out, having a ball, and they're all pretty good too! The light is just beautiful - that late-afternoon light - and it adds such a neat affect to the scene. This Wednesday after-noon was like that.

2. Every Wednesday night when they play and sing, it seems like the group just gets better. This past Wednesday was no exception.

3. One day when I got back to the house, Trissy had a candle burning on the kitchen table. It was Evergreen scent, and it made the whole house smell like a pine fire. Oh, it was SO nice!

4. Saturday evening, I think it was, The Grandparents came to the house for supper. Alot of times for supper we do a kindof 'every man for himself' thing, and we just have whatever. It's fun! This time Mom made tomato soup and cheese toast since we had guests, but I went ahead and fixed myself a hodge-podge of some of my favorite things out of the left-overs we had in the fridge, in addition to the already-delicious meal :) .

5. One night it was supposed to get cold, so I put an extra quilt on my bed and when I woke up the next morning, I was snuggly warm against the chill. Mmmmm!

What Have I Learned In Three Years?

Well, today is my blog's third birthday. Three years ago today I was sitting at a computer in this same row, in this same library, in this same school, clicking the "Publish Blog" button, and starting on a whole new adventure in journal-keeping. How little did I imagine the enjoyment I would get, and the lessons I would learn from it.

What have I learned in three years?
Well, I know alot more about HTML than I did then!
I've learned that the 'outside world' really is as heartless, depraved, and sad as I'd always heard.
I've learned that there really are other Godly people out there - there is still hope for this heartless, depraved, sad world!
I've learned how to cook (a little bit better, anyway)!
I've learned to fall in love with photography. I've learned about photographic styles, and which I like best. I've learned Gimp is just about as good as Photoshop - and it's a whole lot cheaper (Gimp is free)! I've learned that I just don't have much photographic talent - yet!
I've learned that to plant Flowers, you've got to get your hands in the Dirt.
I've learned how to set up an Etsy shop.
I've learned to never take a good church for granted.
I've learned to never take good friends for granted.
I've learned that writing is rewarding. And that it's tough.
I've learned that God is sovereign.
I've learned to find pleasure in the small things.
I've learned alot about art.
I've learned alot about determination, perseverance, and how to "Do Hard Things".
I've learned that sometimes if you really want something to happen, you've got to go after it and make it happen.
I've learned that sometimes being introverted is a choice. Being extroverted is too.
I've learned that I love the color combination black and ivory.
I've learned that there are some books that are just not worth reading - even if they come highly recommended.
I've learned (again) that good people aren't perfect; the best and most mature Christian has a chink in his armor. The young and inexperienced Christians have a bunch!
I've learned that a mission trip is one of the most rewarding experiences a young person could have.
I've learned that prayer really is the greatest force on earth, and that if people know you believe that, they will open up their hearts to you and ask you to pray for things in their life.
I've learned that saying "goodbye" is sometimes the hardest thing you ever go through. I've also learned that there is no such thing as a wasted life in the kingdom of God.
I've learned about Christian apologetics and thinking logically.
I've learned that love must be tough always.
I've learned that thankfulness is the key to happiness.

Of course I'm being a tad facicious with some of the things on this list, but these really are areas where I have 'learned' in the past three years. Some things I learned from the ground up, some things I learned more about what I already knew a little bit about, some of the things were just transfers of what I knew in my head, to what I now TRULY BELIEVE, through tests and results, and seeing firsthand that they really are true.

Like about planting flowers in the dirt. Of course I knew that you plant flowers in dirt! But there's a two-fold meaning there. When the Lord told us to go into the world and tell others about Him, He didn't mean for us to do it from the safety of our own little clean, white, comfort zones. He didn't! He got down among the 'dirty' people He loved, and He planted seeds of beauty and Godliness in the Spiritual dirt. If we expect to share His saving grace with those who don't know Him, we must expect to get in among them, love them with His love, and be willing to get our hands dirty to show them how much we care. In my time at college, I've had a hard time getting past barriers like dress, bad language, inappropriate topics, and other things about the people I'm around that I have nothing in common with. But the Lord has helped me work on that (after all, these people don't know Him; how else would lost people be expected to act?!) and learn how to try to be a friend and show HIM to them, through how I conduct myself and how I care about them.

I've learned alot in the past three years. And the above is by no means an exhaustive list!
It's been an interesting journey. I wonder what the next three years will bring... Maybe it's best that I don't know now.

"5 Small Things Friday" No. 3

Visit this post to learn about "5 Small Things Friday".

Two of my things are from today, instead of last Friday through yesterday, but since I came up with this "5 Small Things Friday" idea, I guess I can bend the rules :) . And these two seemed to fit the idea better than other things that happened this past week.

My list this week:

1. Sight: Rebelutionaries.

2. Hearing: "Jesus Christ is Lord."

3. Smell: Cold Autumn air.

4. Taste: A gingerbread man.

5. Touch: A hug with Mrs. Renae.


The stories behind the list:

1. I'm working on a post relating the amazing experience of being at the last "Do Hard Things" Conference of the last Rebelution Tour. What a blessing! I'll try to post soon.
We got to the church early, and the huge church building and campus was already buzzing with activity. There were groups of sunny, fresh-faced teenagers with huge smiles (and that early in the morning too!), waiting to greet us in the parking lot and at the doors as we walked into the building, teenagers behind the registration table, teenagers giving directions, teenagers handing out the keypads we'd need for interaction during some of the sessions, teenagers manning the book tables, teenagers running equipment, teenagers praying, teenagers there for the conference. I only saw a handful of adults in actual positions of coordination or leadership during the whole event - almost everything was handled by young people, whether pre-teens, teenagers, or those in their early twenties. It was a breathtaking experience - all these hundreds of busy young people were here for THIS!

2. To hear each tiny voice make a distinct echo in that huge room - it was so powerful. Listening to "...the harvest come in."
A young girl, "Jesus Christ is Lord." A college-age young man, "Jesus Christ is Lord." A small boy, "Jesus Christ is Lord." Two friends in unison, "Jesus Christ is Lord." A mom, "Jesus Christ is Lord."
"Jesus Christ is Lo..." "Jesus Chri..." "Jesus Christ is ..." "Jesus Christ is Lord."
Then that one final thunderous shout as we all join together - hundreds of voices proclaim, "JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!"
Gives me chills all over, just remembering. Even when I'm old and my mind may be gone otherwise, I hope this is one memory that stays with me all my life.

3. Last night Mom went outside to get something out of Dad's truck. I offered to get it for her, but I was already in my pajamas, so she wouldn't let me. But I hung out the front door waiting for her, soaking up the chilling air. I blew out my breath into clouds that billowed like fog against the black sky. I closed my mouth and breathed deep and long of the pure cold air, and felt it fill me all the way down to my toes. It was exhilarating!

4. Today all I had for lunch (well, until late afternoon anyway) was a Little Debbie gingerbread man and some milk. I know, why eat store-bought when my Mom is such a great cook?! Because several boxes of these conveniently-individually-wrapped gingerbread men were given to us, because I was at school and these cookies are already wrapped and I can just grab one for a snack, because my Mom has not had time to make gingerbread for quite a while, and because these store-bought ones are very good, I've got to admit! Gingerbread is great - it gives you just that "little something sweet" you want at meal time, but it's not terribly overloaded with unhealthy ingredients.

5. Dear Mrs. Renea. I'll tell you a secret - I didn't really like her when we first started going to Victory Rd. That's horrible, I know, but they say confession is good for the soul. Now I can't think why I didn't always love her! Probably because I just didn't understand her. She is very quirky, but aren't we all (especially at Victory Rd. - we seem to attract "extreme" personalities :D )?! She is so fun and lively, yet so sweet and wise. Today there were a bunch of us from the church and Victory Rd. Christian Academy working on a fundraiser for VRCA and Mrs. Mandy was the one in charge. Long story short, things were getting hectic, and I think it was one of those "I just want to sit down and cry" moments for Mrs. Mandy. We were all busy and running around like crazy, but at one point she came to grab something that was near where I was, and I just reached out and gave her a quick one-arm squeeze to try to cheer her up. She pressed her nose against the side of my face and hugged me back - hard :) .

"5 Small Things Friday" No. 2

Go back and read this post for the story behind "Five Small Things Friday".
For this week, here is my list:

1. Sight: A living evidence of an answered prayer.

2. Hearing: A happy wren's evening song.

3. Smell: Bacon cooking at Waffle House.

4. Taste: Cool clean water after a 2.5 mile walk/run.

5. Touch: A child's hand in mine.


The stories behind the list:

1. Every year, on a Wednesday night in October, Victory Rd. meets at the college's football field / walking track instead of at church. We have a devotional on the bleachers, then the rest of the evening is spent eating supper, visiting, and walking/running on the track. The walk/run helps raise money for Life Word broadcast ministries.
This past Wednesday night was our walk/run. At one point I took a break and climbed up the bleachers to watch those on the track down below, and I saw Bro. Dennis and Mrs. Carrie were walking together. 'Strolling' is a more accurate word, though, since Mrs. Carrie's size is preventing her from moving very fast anymore :) . Bro. Dennis loves to 'work the crowds' and usually manages to seem like he's everywhere at once, but this time he was just walking with her. It was such a beautiful picture - him slowing down for her, the two of them chatting away as they walked, and the obvious evidence of answered prayers and new life. As I watched them, my heart overflowed with thankfulness, joy, and tremendous gratitude to the Lord for His goodness, compassion, and kindness - to them, and to those that love them!

2. I was washing my car Saturday evening, enjoying the fresh fall air. Suddenly a wren started singing at the edge of our yard. He was singing his little heart out, and it sounded like he was just so happy he had to praise the Lord :) . It made me glad.

3. As I got off work the other day, the Waffle House next door to the Academy was warming up for the supper crowd. It smelled SO good!

4. Wednesday night at the walk, I walked and ran a total of 2.5 miles. That's not that much, but a big drink of cool fresh water was so refreshing afterward! So many people don't have clean water at all - the Lord has been so good to me, even in things like clean water that I take so for granted sometimes.

5. During a huge part of my time on the track, one of my little after-school girls trotted along beside me. Her and her two brothers usually get picked up from school and taken straight to the church and dropped off for class on Wednesday nights, but since the church was meeting to walk this night and there was no class, they had come ahead anyway with the group of kids on the church bus. Their family situation is so sad and mixed up. I try to be a friend and a good influence during the time I have them at after-school, and I've gotten pretty close to them I think. She followed along beside me chatting away lap after lap, and she's only nine or ten. Once as we were walking along, she slipped her hand into mine. My heart ached for her and all others like her, but I was so thankful to think that maybe I could make a difference in her life.

Gulp!

Well, as you can see, my design is now somewhat different. I was just going to try to tweak something, Blogger assuring me that I could revert to my original design if I wasn't satisfied. Yeah, right. Bologna. Never, never, NEVER believe Blogger! My whole blog disappeared, and I sat here for almost a minute in stunned disbelief. Two years' worth of writing. Gone.
Gulp!
I guess the Lord just directed my fingers, 'cause after going through cardiac arrest, coming to, and praying that the Lord would help me get my writing saved, at least, I just randomly tried something else, and it all appeared again. Granted, the 'look' is different, but at least it's there! I've spent a little time tweaking the design now, and I'll admit it's beginning to grow on me. Just a little. There are pros and cons. I now have both a left and a right sidebar, and I LOVE that. There are other things I could do without, but it's okay.
I'm just thankful my blog is still in existence!

"The Key To Happiness..."

I was scheduled to do the devotional yesterday at the Thursday morning breakfast, and I knew I didn't want to get up and say just anything. Here was an opportunity to speak to these kids, to maybe influence them, to hopefully plant a good seed in their mind to grow during the rest of their day.

So I followed an old piece of advice:

"Write (or in this case, speak) about what you know."

I decided to speak on something the Lord has been teaching me lately. Here it is, not word-for-word obviously, because of variations I thought I should make in the moment, but nearly word-for-word. I didn't deviate much. The breaks were so that if I got lost, it would be easy to find my place again :) .


"Pro 17:22 'A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.'

I’d like to focus on the first part of this verse. It talks about how a person’s mindset affects their life. A merry heart… If someone is happy, it does more for them than any medicine.

I heard a quote quite a while back related to this, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot recently. Several things have been happening in my own life lately that have brought it to my mind. It says:

'The key to happiness, is a thankful heart.'

Think about that for a minute. The key to happiness is a thankful heart.

Everyone wants to be happy. It’s just the way humans are! But obviously not everybody is.

People try to buy happiness all the time. Some people think if they just have this thing or that, like a new phone or some other fancy gadget, then they’ll be happy. Or if they get to go on their dream vacation, it will make them really be happy.

But it doesn’t work that way. You can’t buy happiness! Now, you can buy fun, but you can’t buy happiness, and 'fun' doesn’t last. As soon as the vacation’s over, you’ll be looking toward next year. As soon as the new model comes out, your 'new' phone won’t be so great any more.

The key to happiness, really is a thankful heart. You can only be happy if you decide to be happy. What I mean by that is, if you’re always looking for what you don’t have, to satisfy you, you’ll never be satisfied.

You’ve got to make a decision to be thankful for what you have. But you can’t just be like, 'Oh… yeah… you know… I’m happy that I have food… and I’m glad I have a house I can sleep in when it’s raining, and that I’m not like those poor people in down in South America or Africa or somewhere…'

I don’t mean like that. I mean REALLY looking at what you have, and enjoying it. BEING THANKFUL for it!

Just as an example, say there’s this popular person at your school. Or they don’t even have to be popular, it’s just someone you’d really like to be friends with. But they have someone they always hang out with, and are good friends with, and they don’t really seem to notice you that much.

So you’re unhappy, because you can’t have that special friendship. Then say there’s this kid in the grade below you. And for some reason they don’t have a lot of friends, it’s not that they’re a bad person, everyone else just already has their little groups, and this kid has kindof gotten left out. And you don’t really notice them that much either.

But then you realize they always seem to be around where you are. They really seem to pay attention when you give your opinions about something. They seem to look up to you.

So you take the energy you were spending being sad about this person you wanted to be friends with, and instead you take a look at this kid. And you get to know them, and turns out even though they are younger than you, y’all have a lot in common, and boom! you had a really great friend right there waiting to be discovered!

That’s an example of being thankful for what you have. Not focusing on what you don’t have. And that’s just one example!

When you do that, you have made a conscious decision to be thankful, and in doing that, you notice how great the little things are , and it’s made you happy!

Everyone wants to be happy. And right here the Bible gives us the key to it. And this is just one verse in the Bible that talks about this idea.

A merry heart, or a thankful heart, is the key to being happy, to really enjoying all that the Lord has put in our lives.
So, I’d like to challenge you to notice the little things, and be thankful for what you have today."

"5 Small Things Friday" No. 1

This is something new I want to start. You see these weekly things on so many blogs, like "Hello Monday" or "Terrific Tuesday" where you post on a specific topic on a specific day of the week, then link up if you've done it.

I don't this to be quite like that, but maybe a little similar. For one thing, if you decide to join in, I don't want you to link back to this blog. I am not one of those bloggers who blogs for an audience. If people stumble across my blog, fine, and I hope they get something good from it. But I keep this journal of sorts for myself. I don't want alot of 'publicity'.

Also, if you do decide to do this with me, I don't want you to feel pressured to keep it up. If you miss a week, that's okay! If your schedule is so busy that you've got to drop it, I hope it was a blessing to you during the time you participated!

And third, even people without blogs can join in if they'd like.

Here is the idea behind this idea, and also the 'rules':

The idea behind the idea is to help me notice the little things in life. The amazing mundane details that make existence enjoyable. Those little things we tend to not notice until they are gone.

In the last year or so, the importance of not taking for granted these special things has been pressed upon me in many different and unique ways, probably more than at any other time in my life. Or maybe I'm just starting to notice more than at any other time. I've found myself focusing on, noticing, and really appreciating these things. Small things. Like the laughter of a friend. A child's trusting eyes. The natural glitter in a flower petal (I'm serious! Look for it - it's there!). The smell of the earth after a rain. Or the rough texture of a concrete floor under bare feet.

I want to capture these moments. These memories. I want to learn to be even more grateful for them. And I want to notice more.

So here is the challenge. For each sense God has given us - Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, and Touch - I'm going to record one 'Small Thing' I noticed in the past week. From Friday to Thursday, and then post my list on Friday. You're welcome to join me!

1. If you choose to post on your blog, you're welcome to use my image.
2. Please do not link back to this blog, but say you got the idea from a fellow blogger.
3. I'd love it if you left a comment with a link to your post, so I can see what 'Small Things' you're noticing!
4. If you want to post pictures or the story behind the 'Small Things' you noticed, that's fine too. I will probably be doing that off and on, depending on how much time I have to post.
5. If you don't have a blog, you can still do this! And, once again, I'd love for you to comment here on the Friday post for that week, and let me read what your list is!

For this week, here is my list:

1. Sight: A friend's smile.

2. Hearing: A child memorizing a Bible verse.

3. Smell: Clean towels.

4. Taste: A garden salad.

5. Touch: My cat 'hugging' me.


The stories behind the list:

1. I want to do a post on the whole story, but in a nutshell, the college kids hosted a game night this past Sunday night after services for the Junior High and High School kids who came to church. The whole idea is to build relationships and hopefully influence the younger ones in Godly ways. We're hoping to branch it out more too, and that these kids will bring their friends. If you want to come to the game night, you've got to come to church too.
Anyway, we played this great new game (well, new to me) called 'Spoons', and it was a blast! It was good to see the smiles.

2. I usually don't work the after-school program on Thursdays, but the lady that does, had worked for me Friday so I could go with my family to see Courageous. She had to go somewhere yesterday, so we just traded days.
The kids have got to do their homework before they can play, and Scripture memorization is part of it. One of the little girls wanted me to listen to her work on her verse.

3. The other night after we'd washed laundry, we had to get out clean towels for showers. I just shoved my nose into one, and breathed deep. Mmmmmmmm!

4. The other day for my lunch, Trissy fixed me a salad to take to school. I love salads, and she'd put lots of good stuff in it - lettuce of course, and carrots, grated cheese, tomatoes, boiled eggs, and topped with Ranch dressing! Wow.

5. I don't know if I've ever told about Winky, a.k.a. "The One-Eyed Wink". My kitten I rescued from the parking lot after work one night last winter. He only has one eye. We think he was just born that way, because there were no scars. He is so loving. Almost like he realizes how indebted he is to us :) ! He loves to come up when we're out in the yard, and raise up on his back legs, and 'hug' our legs with his front ones.


Even if you don't keep a list, take the time to notice the 'Small Things' that make up life.