Relying on a Master

I’ve told you about Munchkin – that she was one of 4 feral kittens dropped off here about a year or so ago. I wasn’t impressed with any of them. But, I do not have the heart to kill them or not feed them.

Three died from one cause or another. The runt, which got named Munchkin, has survived. She doesn’t want to be picked up. She doesn’t let you hold her. She is obstinate to a huge degree. She has the markings of a Siamese cat. All in all – she is still beautiful.

Last night we decided to camp out in the back yard again. We had cots put into our screened in gazebo. Munchkin wanted in too. So I brought a blanket that I’d given her and put it on the floor. She was content.

I rolled over and to my back I felt something. “Jess, is that the cat behind me on my bed?” He looked, “Wow, it sure is.”

With her paw, she slapped at my back – she wanted me to roll over. I didn’t make a move away from her last night. When I moved to give her room – she only moved closer. At one point, I awoke to find her paws – one on each side of my face and her face within inches of mine – purring and in complete ecstasy of sleep.

In reflection, I see a wild unruly kitten, turning into a loving wanting attention and petting and massaging cat. I think of those unsaved and how God takes the worse of the worse, and turns them into something special. I think the patience I’ve shown her has taught her not to be afraid. I think the patience God shows us, gives us more and more opportunities to turn to Him and do his good works.

So, maybe like a feral cat, we can all learn to trust our Master – He feeds us, He clothes us, He watches over us – and what better Master to have than Jesus!

The Clutter

The Clutter

I keep telling myself “you have all this stuff for this garage sale because you closed down two stores”. Hmmm – yes that is all true. But, I must admit, I’m totally surprised at the “clutter”, even if it is for a garage sale. I’m totally blown away at how much we’ve cleared out and yet – what all remains.

As I sat taking a break this afternoon (pedometer says I’ve walked 12.8 miles this morning) I looked at the clutter in my driveway and studied the clutter. I’m praying it will bring in money – at least a little – perhaps enough to replace the carpet upstairs from the damages of Hurricane Ike. I don’t think I am asking for much.

I thought about how cluttered our lives can get. I thought about all the activities that most of us have going on – especially parents and grandparents with children to run after.

I think sometimes it is necessary to “de-clutter” our lives. I think we have to let go of the hurts, the damages done to us; we have to redress ourselves. We have to put on the whole armor of Christ – to survive – and to do that – we have to let go of the clutter – the clutter that keeps us from reading God’s word or the clutter that keeps us from diligently praying or the clutter that keeps us from singing God’s praises.

I’m really working at de-cluttering my home. I want a simplistic life at home. I want a more organized life. I want to have a place for everything and everything in its place. And, in my personal life, I want to rid myself of the hurts of the past, the anger I may still be carrying for one cause or another, and anything that keeps me from being better. I want to shout and sing without worrying about the clutter or who helped put it there.

I think we all carry our own clutter. And, when the clutter manifests into pure garbage, then we lose sight of who we are, what God’s purpose for us is and how to accomplish the task.

Anthony Graves

Anthony Graves was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death eighteen years ago. Yesterday, after appeal and appeal and appeal, Bill Parham, the District Attorney for Washington and Brazos Counties of Texas, after many hours of investigating by his staff and the ex-Assistant Harris County District attorney, Kelly Seigler, declared Anthony an “innocent man”.

Anthony walked out of the jail at 5:30pm. A free man. The first thing he wanted to do was go to his mama. He had not had a hug from her in over eighteen years. He just wanted to see his mama. He has grandchildren he’s never touched.

Calvin Garvie and Lydia Clay-Jackson were his trial attorneys. Calvin is a hard working attorney. He is smart. He is diligent. Anthony’s case and one other, Rodney Reed’s case, has haunted Calvin and in fact, as great a capital trial lawyer as Calvin is, he stopped doing death penalty cases.

I thought of Paul being placed in prison – simply for preaching and teaching God’s word. Paul was stoned and placed into prison at least three times.

I am not comparing Anthony to Paul – but am using Paul’s false imprisonment as an analogy of what Anthony and others can learn. We can all ask, when put into bad situations, “how does this apply to me?” Paul, though persecuted, continued to preach and emphasize to study and practice God’s word. Paul believed in the power of prayer. And, in the end, Paul grew from the imprisonment. He grew in strength, knowledge, and wisdom and had a much stronger faith.

When we, like Anthony and Paul, are faced with tough times, we can grow from them. I believe that is when we have to read our Bible’s more, pray more and become listeners of God.

I’m proud to work for attorneys like Calvin Garvie. I’m proud to know that District Attorneys like Bill Parham have the courage to face the rebuttal of a decision to free and state the “man is innocent” a man who has spent eighteen years of his life in prison.

I hope we can all learn something from Paul and Anthony’s travesty of justice. And, in the end, when we all have our own injustices, we can become stronger than we ever were.

Listening to God Whispers

Since I began writing, I’ve received several emails telling me “”where is my post for today – it’s late!” or “I loved the story about…” or “this really hit home today.” These emails are my encouragement – they motivate me – they are my kick in the rump to get ‘er done when I haven’t written that day. I try to do at least one week’s worth of blogs ahead of time. Sometimes I don’t do it – I know I should – I’ve “gotten too busy”. Those are excuses.

I have to be real honest with everyone, when I started writing this blog I had pneumonia. The first 4 days were so bad that I was as limp as a noodle, hurt so badly, couldn’t breathe and didn’t and couldn’t muster the energy to even go to the doctor. I prayed fervently during intermittent sleeps. One prayer that stuck out in my head was “God if I’m not going to get any better, please take me home now.”

Yes I prayed to die. I was that desperate. What in reality was just a short time later, I was over the hump or the hurdle to getting well.

I remember waking in the middle of the night with God whispering – “you are going to write”. I said, “Why me? What have I got to say that someone else would want to hear? And, how?”

I slept so soundly after that – literally I slept for 2 days straight without getting up or even going to the bathroom. Had anyone been there with me, I’m sure they would have thought I was comatose.

The morning I woke, I went straight for the computer. I said, “Okay God – Your will – not mine – show me what to do.”

I wrote 9 blogs within 3 hours. I can only say it was strictly God’s doing.

I think that we all lose the concept that we are here for a purpose, a rhyme and a reason. God has a master plan for all of us. It isn’t up to us what it is, or for us to decide when or where but it is up to us to listen to those God whispers and follow His will.

I’m grateful everyday for life. I love life. I want to live life to it’s fullest. And, I’m awesomely blessed to be able to share a few thoughts each day with those that read this, and perhaps along life’s way, put a smile on someone else’s face, a song in their heart, a dance in their feet or even a memory in their mind. That’s what life is all about – J(Jesus) O(others) Y(you)!

Listen to your God whispers – He works through all of us – even this one who can be such a cutup. Pass a good one

Humility

Humility

I have learned a lesson in humility today from a young friend. I was asked to make a Rodeo Queen Contestant dress for a friend named Hayley. Hayley is a senior this year, her last year to be able to ride in the arena, to try out for rodeo queen. Her grades are above any parent’s dream. She has a great disposition.

I learned today that after all the mistakes, a protest and recalculation of points, Hayley should have been awarded 2^nd runner up in the rodeo queen contest. The officials would not do anything to change the status since the rodeo was already over with

I was upset. I was angry. I was disheartened knowing how hard Hayley had worked on her speech; the hours spent getting gussied up, working with her horse to be deprived of her rightful title.

Her mom asked me not to take any action. Hayley chose to not hurt the other girls who have the titles – even though they truly didn’t earn them. She didn’t want anyone else’s feelings hurt.

I think that takes a lot of guts to say, “it’s okay; it’s over and done with, and let’s move on.” Not a lot of seventeen year olds can do that.

Hayley showed me that having a title isn’t near as important as making the initiative to go out for the Rodeo Queen position. She showed me that she knew she had done her best and that was all she required of herself. Prior to the competition I told Hayley, that in my eyes, she was already a winner for what all she had accomplished, worked for, earned and had done.

Her attitude about the miscalculations and not wanting to hurt anyone shows me that she is more of a winner than I originally thought. She is a Queen among friends and peers. I tip my hat, to you Ms. Hayley; you have shown grace under fire, humility and compassion throughout all this. I still believe you are the best winner of all.

Lost

Have you ever tried anything new? Gone to a foreign country and didn’t really know the laws or the rules? Have you ever been lost in a city or just lost in a shopping mall?

Those times can be trying; they can give us an uneasy feeling and even fits of anxieties at times.

We look for remedies. We search for maps. Perhaps, we even ask, “Do you speak English?” We get on our iPhones or iPads and search for information or directions. In trying a new recipe, we may even ask someone if they have tried it before.

No matter what the “new” was or the adventure may have been, it was an experience. Sometimes the experience isn’t something that we would have chosen to do, but, nonetheless, we have to do it.

I have a friend about to experience a period of time that I’m encouraging her to hold her head up like a woman and not with the grief of a child. I’ve shared 1 Corinthians 13:11 “when I was a child I spoke as a child, I acted as a child, but when I became an adult I put away childish things.”

No matter our circumstance – we have to act as adults. We have to see our way through the issue – the lostness – the darkness – the unknown. Many people thrive on the adventure of the unknown, many would rather shiver as a child – instead of like I say, “put your big girl panties on and just do it”.

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you always.” It’s times of the difficulty, the times of the fear, that we have the privilege of relying on God even more. Don’t be afraid to take that faith and rely on God – He will carry you through the tough times – and He will hold you even when you are alone.

Homecoming

Homecoming

Some folks say that you can’t go back home, that there’s never a returning point. John Grisham wrote Bleachers about a football player who returned home when his football coach died.

I went home yesterday – to a Football Homecoming. It was the first homecoming I’ve been too since I graduated high school in 1972. A group of us had planned to meet.

I was hesitant at first about even going. But, then I was depended upon to purchase tickets for eight folks. I didn’t want to let anyone down. And, I had to repay my brother who picked the tickets up for me.

As one friend at a time showed up, there were hugs and more hugs, laughter, a few tears, and pure joy.

I was not disappointed in going to the Homecoming.

Some folks say things aren’t the same as it was when we were kids. That’s okay, things aren’t supposed to be. We are supposed to be adult enough to go with the flow of things and discard the rubbish.

There’s a saying that you know who your friends are when there is a distance of time between the visits – but when you are together it’s as if there was no time lapse at all – and you can pick up right where you left off.

I was glad to see Milton, Ellen (who reminded me of a prank I played on one of the counselors at GA camp one year), Janice, Debbie, Lynda, David, Camille, Rhonda, Tommy, Scott, Kathy and others who were there.

I’m grateful for friends. I hope that you have the opportunity to reach out and find an old friend today. Friends know how to lift our hearts and make our wings flap when we forget how to fly. They are strength when we need it; laughter that can fill our souls; they are the salt of the earth; they are part of the threads that bind us. I’m so glad I went to that homecoming!