TEENS

There are teens, and then there are teens.  What?  You may say why I am making such an outrageous statement.  But,  it is true. Teens seem to be placed into one category..”Rotten.”  Absolutely, there is that frontal lobe in the brain ,  which doesn’t seem to be connected to the brain at all! Since our third child is now in the midst of her teens, it would seem as if I would know what teens are all about.  Granted, I may have a range of experience in what to expect in the teen world, but I am still learning. What I have learned is not to pre-judge this stage of development. There are those who branch out, WAY out, but there are others who go through a stage of independence, anticipating what is ahead of them in life after high school, along with those who are still taking the small steps , becoming independent, but still are dependent upon their loved ones.  In any case, we must open up our eyes, ears and tongues as to how we respond to this group. We are their role models, though they may not acknowledge this.  Let us pray they feel the Holy Spirit within them, protecting them and loving them, as they begin to leave the nests to start their own life in this big world.

TOMORROW

The last line of the novel “Gone With the Wind” has Scarlett O’Hara saying “Tomorrow will be another day.” Yes, it will be another day.  How will we approach it?  Will we drag into the new day all the heaviness we are carrying upon our shoulders? Doing so will soon have our shoulders down to our knees, as we continue to add worries to those we can’t let go.  Or, we could try something new; trying to start each day with a clean slate. We will be floating on air before we know it.  What matters is what is happening right now, not what happened yesterday. Ask the Holy Spirit to help lift you up. Forget the past; breathe in the fresh air. Let your soul feel the new energy. Say a prayer of thanks to God for letting you enjoy another day in His beautiful world.

OLD FRIENDS

OLD FRIENDS

While out doing some Christmas shopping today, I heard a familiar voice call out my name.  I had not heard this voice in over 30 years, but I knew it immediately, belonging to a former high school friend.  We started laughing and visiting as if we had seen one another last week. After an hour, we finally pulled away to start our shopping once again. Of course, there were a few more hugs good-bye and a few more of 'one more thing to say', before we both went on. This friend is quite spiritual, which made our conversation take on a different tone than the one we had in high school. We have led different lives since our high school graduation, yet the Spirit brought us together for a chance meeting. It was a good example that though we may think we are different from one another, we still share the same Spirit of God, giving us enlightenment in our lives, no matter where we are!

TASTE AND SEE

A favorite verse of mine is Psalm 34:9, “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”  We can taste and see His goodness as we live in His image.  This does not mean we grow our hair out and wear the white robe and sandals. Rather, we live with the same sense of loving, caring, kindness, teaching, listening and learning from one another as the Lord would.  Similar words include graciousness, courtesy, warm-hearted, generosity, gentleness, understanding and giving attention to those we greet. Our morning prayers must ask God to let us feel His Spirit within us as we carry out our actions of the day. We will taste and see the goodness of the Lord everywhere we go. A smile will remain on our faces, no matter where we are. As we know, smiles are contagious. Let our smiles remind others of the great works of the Holy Spirit!

THIRSTY

Can you recall when your mouth was so dry, you desperately needed water? We can't envision anything else, as everything inside dries up. Think in the same realm, but this time, be thirsty for the Lord.  What if you couldn't have Him in your life?  Would you die from not having God to replenish your thirst, as if you were out in the arid desert without a canteen? Instead, we can remember what we have been told, that if we continue to have faith as tiny as a mustard seed, we can achieve the impossible.  Our canteens would be filled, bringing back a new life.Our souls would constantly be replenished by the love of God, having the Holy Spirit being actively alive within each of us.  Never stop those prayers to God, asking Him to please keep you going in your spiritual life, never letting its stream of wisdom, knowledge and love go dry. As it continues to flow, so will you words of encouragement and prayer continue to flow, always blessing God for the good life you have been given.

CALLER ID

Imagine yourself being busy in your house, catching up on the endless cleaning, cooking and laundry.  The phone rings.  Thank goodness for Caller ID. You run over to the little screen to see who it is calling. It could be someone you are delighted to hear from, a diversion from your mundane tasks. On the other hand, it might be a 'courtesy' call, telling you your life would be better by taking a deal on light bulbs. You don't have time for such a call, nor do you care. Now, imagine looking over at the little screen and read that it is GOD calling you. Would you take the call? How much time do you have for Him? Saying to yourself “Maybe later; He can leave me a message,” is shutting Him out.  But, if you do answer, your life is changed forever. Your house now becomes a home, filled with His Spiritual love. By your answering, He is now there to answer you, whenever you call out to Him!

ADVENTUROUS

ADVENTURISM

I was thinking in the night (frequent insomnia here!) about my Uncle Robert. He was in town visiting the family.  We went out to eat, where the server told us the special for the evening was frog legs. After he went on, Uncle Robert told me it would be great to order frog legs, that it was fun to be adventurous. That was enough for me. The server took my order of frog legs. He next asked Uncle Robert what he wished to eat. He said he would like the steak.  I turned to him, surprised, saying he had just told me it was fun to be adventurous.  Yes, he said, he did say that, but he did not mean he would be! It was my first laugh of the evening, as he continued to keep me in hysterics about college times with him and my dad, who had been his best friend, in the late 1940s. I heard of how the bread truck driving in front of them  lost loaves of bread on the road, not knowing the back door had flung open.  They grabbed the bread, going from door to door to sell their bread. Another story was of their return from nearby Juarez, where one buddy was more inebriated than the others. They put him to bed, deciding to shave his head, with the friend never waking up.  The fun didn’t stop there; they carried his bed, with him in it, placing it on the lawn, in the middle of the campus.  They stayed there with him, waiting for the response when he woke up. As the sun glared on his face, he woke up, looking around, completely confused on how he got there.  Bewildered, he began the gesture of running his fingers through his hair, discovering the next surprise, of the shaved head. Shocked and wide awake by now, he was yelling profusely while Uncle Robert, my dad and others were screaming in laughter.  What a wonderful evening I had, as one story after poured out.  Of course, my father had not told me about these times, so it was fun to see his close friend of many years spill the beans. To think they stayed friends all their lives, with his sister later marrying my dad, is such a treasure. Friends are a treasure.  I wonder how many of us can say we’ve stayed friends with those from so long ago. Maybe this is the time to find out where they are today, surprising them with a call. With the Internet access, it is easy to find so many ( I just discovered whitepages.com!). If there had been a parting of the ways so long ago, what better time to forget the past and rediscover those precious times. Remember the Holy Spirit is there, giving you all the courage you need to pick up the phone! Oh...and for those frog legs?  I had more fun picking up the legs, feet attached, showing them off, getting groans out of others, than eating them!

RESPONSES

I recently had a theology course, having weekly discussion boards. After one of my entries, a classmate said my response would help her have a new relationship with her teen.  I had said that no matter what young adults told me, I responded with sympathy. It might be a broken fingernail, a happening in their day, or how a friend responded to something that had said. I have also done this with the students I have had for the past 38 years.  To them, whatever the catastrophe, it is a true problem.  As adults, if we have a problem, we do not want someone to laugh at us. It is human nature to want sympathy. Have concern and listen to what they say.  Show expression in your response, letting them know you have heard them. It does not hurt to throw in a hug or two! They are the next generation; let us show them the way!  Open up your heart to the Spirit. Doing so will let your heart open up to everyone!

GIVE-AWAY

It’s been 20 years, but I still have a memory of a boy about 13  years old standing in the street selling newspapers. He had  a thin shirt on, shivering.  I rolled down my window,  asking him where his coat was.  He said he didn’t have one.  To this day, I wonder why I didn’t hand him my jacket. Learning from this, I  keep extra coats in my car, as well as gloves, neck scarves and hats.  I carry boxes of raisins and snack crackers to give to those begging at intersections.  In the summer, I carry cold water bottles.  As they light up, I see how a little something can mean so much. All of us should ‘give away,’ as many are hungry and cold. Our closets have items no longer worn.  Post holiday sales are great for stocking  up on hats and gloves. Pray to our Lord how thankful we are, blessed to reach out to someone else.

JOURNEYS

During our lives, we go on many journeys.  Many will be delightful ones, but there will also be ones of sorrow, anger and misery. Each journey we take adds character to our inner spirit. Wisdom will be strengthened as experiences occur. Sometimes, we will be on a beaten path, not yet realizing we can't go that way.  Choices will be made, learning as we go if it was the right decision to make. It won't always be easy. But, God doesn't want us to quit taking the different roads in our lives.  That is why He sent His Spirit to live with us, to help us as venture out to the unknown, always filled with His love.

EXQUISITE

"Your words, Lord, are spirit and life." Ps. 19
How exquisite these seven words are. The Lord never stops speaking to us. He is there in the splendid array of reds and oranges from a sunrise or sunset, or by the snowflakes silently falling upon trees. We feel Him as the wind provides a peaceful breeze. He is in the sounds of ocean waves breaking as they reach the shore, the rain hitting the windows, a squirrel chirping, the birds singing.  There are the sounds of laughter, the cries of a newborn, the tears of sadness and joy. We hear it in the conversations with one another. We feel Him speaking as we share a hug or in the holding of hands. Our Lord never sleeps, always there to share His Spirit and His life, expressing His eternal love for us.

Happiness Souffle

This morning, a former grade school student came by to say hello. Knowing that she was coming, I was going through old files to see if I had saved something she had written, nearly 30 years ago. What I found was a compilation of short essays and poems done by my gifted students. It was fun to go through memories with her, looking at various journal entries she and others had written. One student had written a wonderful 'recipe,' calling it a "Happiness Souffle." She gathered together friends and good times, stirring them together well. Added to this was a pinch of forgiveness, blending softly. During the blending, happy memories were to be tossed in. Finding a nice place to let it set, care was to be stirred in, letting everything sit for awhile. When it is ready, do enjoy the happiness. What a beautiful recipe! It is one we need to remember to pull out and make often, not letting our busy and hectic lives bury this recipe at the bottom of a pile. We will never remember all that was in that pile, but we will remember all of the ingredients of this souffle. It is just what the Spirit of God ordered!