Mint Meltaway Miracle

Have you ever gotten a gift--so unexpected from your beloved that it nearly took your breath away?

Today, I received such a gift. So sweet, thoughtful, and completely unexpected that my eyes filled with tears.

It was like this. I went into Walgreens with my -learner permit, always ready for a drive- daughter to buy sidewalk chalk for the youngest two of the household. Before we went in, I announced to my daughter that I would get us a package of Fanny May Mint Meltaways to share. My husband can attest that these are one of my favorite candies. Sidewalk chalk in hand we headed for the candy aisle. I confidently reached into the box which would hold the Mint- Melt-Aways. All I felt was empty space. I picked it up, turned it upside down and nada. There was not even a crumb! I checked the Trinidad box next to it and all it contained were two packages of Trinidad chocolates. I sighed. I peered over the top of the shelf and there were no lone packages of Mint-Melt-Away chocolates. Out of luck. No other candy would do. Oh, well.

Yet on my way out, I made a last ditch effort as I asked one of the stock boys to see if there was another box of my 'fave' candy in the back. He went down the Easter specialty aisle and we followed to a point--realizing we couldn't go into the back. We chatted up the variety of Easter candy available for sale until he came back and noted that there was no box of Mint-Melt-Aways in stock.

And then the oddest thing, I glanced up and there on the shelf--right next to the Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs were two packages of Fannie Mae Mint Melt-Aways. A whole aisle over from where the original box was--in the Easter Candy aisle--my absolute favorite chocolate mint, melt in your mouth delicious treat--just for us! I scooped them up in absolute, surreal disbelief and excitement. For in my heart I knew it was a gift from my beloved. The creator of all things. My Lord, My God and Savior who would care enough to give me a token of his love.

When the cashier asked how my day was going...all I could choke out, was "better than I could have hoped for."


Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Daily 10

While using the treadmill this evening at the Y, I lamented over how I had become a ping pong in the game of life. I flit here. I whiizzz to the sound of that crisis. I react to the voice on my left, and run from the fear of failure. Somehow, that doesn't seem right, when God has a big purpose for my life. In fact, I hope it's no surprise to you, but he has a big purpose for yours as well.

As I continued on with my slow jog/fast walk, I came up with a small goal. I will do at least two miles a day. Sure, I can fit that into my hectic schedule--just 26 minutes out of my 24 hour a day life. I thought a bit more--after all, I was going nowhere fast. I could come up with a list from one to ten. Yeah! A daily ten list. I liked the sound of it. I could come up with a new daily ten for each month. After all, I get bored easily.


10. Throw out or give away 10 things per day.
9. Spend 9 undivided attention minutes with each of my 5 kids.
(They are teenagers and can only take so much of me.)
8. Give away 8 compliments/words of encouragement.
7. Pray for 7 people and their needs.
6. Sing 6 Praise songs out loud.
5. Eat five servings fruits and veggies.
4. Drink 4 eight oz glasses of water.
3. Write 3 pages.
2. Walk/jog 2 miles.
1. Commit to memory 1 scripture verse per day.

Today's Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear or timidity but of
power, love and self-discipline.

By following the daily 10, I will be given to self-discipline, and I will seek to live my life in love and seek out the power of God.

So what about you? What are your daily ten? I'd love to hear them!

What We Cannot Hear with our Ears, we must listen for with our souls.....

Saturday morning--9:07am and I've been without a working hearing aid since about 3:10 yesterday afternoon. Just like that--kaput. The natural hum of air conditioners, overhead lights and the ticking of clocks were erased from my world. Voices became muffled and I had to fall back on lip reading and body language.

Funny how when your outside world begins to disappear, your inner world of introspection ramps up a volume all its own.

With faith that my H.A. will move into full operation SOON--(do you detect my mounting impatience) I anticipate the epiphany that comes when the power suddenly returns after a period of silence and darkness.

Now, I can revel in this loss for a short spurt but when it goes on...and on...I have to reach inside for a resilience and acceptance so as not to add to my frustration.

I am grateful for the women at Subway last evening whose naturally booming, resonant voice made it easier to hear as I stop to pick up Friday night's Fast Food Frenzy for a family of seven.

I am grateful for my husband whose voice also carries and makes conversation easy and still possible--and for the cacophony of voices coming from my children which make me feel at home.

My eldest daughter, Everett joked that I'm now down 3 of my senses-smell.(check out my post Epiphanies of the Olfactory Sort), diminished sense of taste, and now--even more so, my hearing. I now have to kick into high gear...sight and touch. And for those of us with sixth sense...I rely more deeply on the connection of the divine with my soul.

With some pride, I note, how incredible it was that I went through the first half of my kindergarten year without the help of a hearing aid. More remarkable yet, was that my kindergarten teacher did not notice and was amazed that I did so well. Children are very adaptable and can often make up for that which they do not have. Please note the success of many children who are missing some body part or other from birth.

Yet, it is always more difficult to adjust to loss of what you know than to cope with what has been missing all along.

So, now here I am in my 40's. I realize what a great life I've had and how much I take for granted.

*A family who loves me unconditionally.
*A husband--true, faithful and steady.
*A job/career which for 15 years has provided a bi-weekly paycheck without fail--not to
mention great friends and co-workers who are ever true.
*The key to a house, which door has stood open to me on the same street and neighborhood
for over 11 years.
*A God, personal Savior and friend who will be steadfast forevermore.

As I experience these inconvenient losses--even for short periods--it is a great reminder that all of this shall pass away. It is a gift that I can be reminded to store up for myself treasures in heaven which will not rust nor perish. For one day I will have a new body--one that will not falter, a room in my Father's house, no tears and no pain. I will sing of his love forever.

For now I am grateful that I will always hear my Father's voice-hearing aid or not.

No complaints.....here...well, most of the time....

Okay...I admit it. I've been complaining lately. I have the red marks on my wrist to prove it.

Well, let me explain. Awhile ago I had overheard via a morning news show that some people were working on becoming. --not tobacco free, caffeine free, sugar free or fat free, but complaint free. And, in order to break the complaint habit they were wearing a purple plastic bracelet on their wrist. The bracelet was a reminder to be free of complaints. Each time a person who wished to be 'complaint free' would have a complaint, murmur, or discontent about their life, they would switch their bracelet to the other wrist to help him/herself become more conscious of this thought process. Switching the bracelet would also be an opportunity to express gratitude and look at the positive rather than the negative.

Being overwhelmed, and irritated more often as a by product of stress, I thought, this might be a great plan as I am not happy with where these negative thoughts are leading me in my life. Saturday morning I took a thick rubber band and put it around me wrist to see if it worked. For the first half hour, the band went back and forth so often one would have thought I was wringing my hands in distress. In so many ways, I guess I was.

Interestingly enough, my two teenage daughters caught on and did a little wrist changing of their own by Saturday night. It was fun to have some company--after all doesn't misery enjoy such a thing?

Where am I today--just two days later? Well, a little better off. Sure, I have a long way to go, but it struck me. I have so much to be thankful for--despite these irritations and misgivings. If I were to die tomorrow, or if all this would suddenly disappear, who am I to complain? I've already had so much more than a great number of others. So I say 'thank you, Lord'.

Read Psalm 63: 1-5

Psalm 63:5...My Soul will be satisfied....

Check out: <<>>
Read Will Bowen's Book , A Complaint Free World

The Illusion of Efficiency part 2

So here it is a week later and the benefits of my efficiency are: two long gone mutilated cartons of chocolate and vanilla ice cream. Some of its remnants may very well be housed somewhere on my hips. The yellow cupcake mix has been stirred, baked and devoured- while still remaining are smaller portions of the vanilla and chocolate frosting awaiting their fate with the chocolate cupcake mix. These will most likely be served as a treat for the first day after school. The bananas were mostly gone by the end of the next day and the poor guys with black spots swiftly moved to the fridge to await their doom as banana bread Oh, and the $1 cantaloupe is but a distant memory. The 'newbie' cashier( the source of my disgruntled wait) is most likely more adjusted to her job and the line at the local discount store is moving much more swiftly.

All this thought brings me back to Ecclesiastes Chapter 1.
"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the teacher,
"Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!"

In my life, I do admit it. Very often, I can feel like nothing more than a dog chasing it's tail. I strive, I aspire, I plot, and pursue. For a brief few moments...like last Sunday, I can feel atop the world. The coupons line up on their dotted lines and they connect with the sales. The doors open and I breeze through until "WHAM" I'm face to face with the illusion that the glass did have a ceiling after all.

'It all had been going so well....' I whine. 'What happened?' Am I not in charge of my destiny? Do I not have the power to chart my own course? "If it is to be it is up to me" - right? Those 10 simple little words. Maybe. Maybe not.

So, Monday morning, I start off to work. As I merge onto the beltline, my mind begins a merger of it's own. " Every time, I don't spend money on x I'll put it in y. And any extra I get from z will go to help out a." " I will be efficient. I will get my ducks in a row. So ponder away I do. I am feeling powerful, efficient and in charge of my life!

Until....a van switches to my lane and there on the license plates it reads. Deut 8 18
A message from God! I quickly jot down the plate in my notebook and make a mental note to look it up later.

Deuteronomy 8:18 "But remember the Lord your God for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth and so confirms his covenant which he swore to your forefathers as it is today."

'Interesting.' I thought. So I went back a few verses and read some more.

I am to follow his commands. verse 1
I am to 'humble' myself. verse 2 and 14
I am to praise the Lord for his gifts and greatness. verse 10
I am to remember where/who it all comes from. verse 18

I cannot allow for the pride of my ways to diminish the truth that it is through God that my wealth(efficiency) and blessings come.

For when push comes to shove. This, that and the other of this earth is 'meaningless' as we have no true control over it all. It is merely an illusion that we do.

Meditate on this: Ecclesiastes 11:6-8
Remember him--before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken,
before the pitcher is shattered in the spring, or the wheel is broken at the well
and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God
who made it.

Meaningless! Meaningless! says the teacher. Everything is meaningless.

And yet...everything we do in God is everything.

The Illusion of Efficiency

What's my hurry?

I came in focused. I zeroed in on the deals, calculated my losses and tried to gauge which line would give me my best return.

Then it went south.

I took the risk and walked the length of the store to the 10 items or less line--after all I came in just under the wire with 9. And so there the game of entrapment ensued. The line was longer than I anticipated--but then again they all were. It would take me just as long to turn and walk the other way to the 20 items or less lines. I chided myself to 'be still'.

Yet I couldn't help but wonder if I could pick another line and escape from this discount store unscathed. I was doing so well. I managed to pluck a cantaloupe for a buck, stock up on two cake mixes to assure that the frostings opened this morning for Wyatt's donuts didn't go to waste-- ca-ching! at only 88 cents per mix.

I picked up the milk before we ran out. That'll save me time after work tomorrow. Two half gallons of ice cream for $5 in complimentary chocolate and vanilla. This will keep all the troops happy.

The bananas were just green enough to be the perfect ripeness by the time they've finished up the yellow ones in the basket tomorrow morning. No black spots for us! There were requests for M & M's for ice cream mix ins--on sale! Oops...I forgot Wyatt prefers peanut butter cups... and oila! - an 8 pack of peanut butter cups for merely a dollar magically appeared at a column just before the 10 items or less register. Plop! they went right into the cart.

Yes, smug I was at this job well done.
That was... until... the line slumped to a snail's pace.

Stay tuned and find out... did I jump the line?, did I arrive home with a melted mess? and what exactly did my Lord have to say to me about this obsession with being efficient?

Beautiful

Beautiful by Carmela Mulroe

I look at you in the mirror,
and contrary to what you may believe...
contrary to what others may have told you.

You are beautiful.

Your shoulders straight are beautiful.
Your breasts taut and proud are beautiful.
Your shape and curve are beautiful.
Your hair with color and shine are beautiful.
Your smile and the sparkle of your eyes are beautiful.
Your imperfections created in God's image and plan.....are beautiful.

Strip all away, shoulders, eyes, shape, hair --even imperfections and what lays beneath it all...
fluid, perfect and complete is the beauty you hold within.

Beautiful

Let us all rejoice today in the fact that we are 'fearfully, wonderfully, made'...in God's image and plan. Read Psalm 139 as a wonderful reminder. Embrace your beauty today.