I’m Rich but I’m broke…Broken but made whole

Psalm 34:18

Verse Concepts

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Standing in line was simple … My kids weren’t with me so standing in a long line was rather peaceful.  The slower the cashier went and the more stuff the lady in front of me sent her kid to go get to add to her over the limit of the fast lane service.  Well I counted it all joy as it added to my peaceful moment to think uninterrupted.

I pondered as I do love to ponder if I should go back and snatch the list from the man in the scooter and finish his shopping as I had offered.  He was in my eyes struggling a bit trying to get items that were too high up out of his reach or to low down and still out of his reach.  He let me help him once as I passed him, after I pleaded to let him let me be freaking helpful and nice.

I glanced back and asked the lady to save my spot so I could go check on him.  He was staring at something low on the shelf, but I held back.  I stood my kind freaking ground, so that he could keep his pride intact. 

I’m a friendly sort so I laughed with the lady behind me and told her my dilemma as I wanted to help but didn’t think it would be good.  She huffed about how men are and we giggled.  

 Then I told her something of a creed of mine.  I’m not rich, but I am blessed.  I will never pay your mortgage but I will hold a door carry a bag, give you my cart and save you a quarter.  

You too may feel broken like you don’t have enough, but you are everything to someone.  You are chivalry when you hold a door for a lady who has been abused.  You are an angel when you remind another human of the beauty of humanity.

We are here to serve one another.  Not because it’s nice or kind.  Because it heals.  It heals wounds that we never can see.

You are a healer

You are a forgiver

You are chivalry

Yes you Are

Psalm 37:8-9International Children’s Bible (ICB)

⁸ Don’t get angry.
    Don’t be upset; it only leads to trouble.
⁹ Evil people will be sent away.
    But people who trust the Lord will inherit the land.

Thanksgiving

My heart beats because He calls it to be and when it stops I will meet him face to face and give him a big old Thank you for letting me be me.  Until then I will honor that beat and live laugh and love

I know yall have already moved on to Christmas.  Heck the stores actually were already Christmas ready several weeks ago.  But I want to rest on Thanksgiving.  I want to ponder about well First how in the heck Jeralyn made the best greens I have ever had in my four score of living on this planet.  Second Velvet’s mac & cheese, cause yes she put her foot into all the way up to her knee in cooking. 

My kid asked why other countries didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving and I started rambling about Pilgrims and Native Americans meeting and eating together.  As I was talking though I could actually here myself and forgive me, but my answer seemed silly.  Thanksgiving for me well it has long ago lost its historical value and I am so happy it has.

Thanksgiving to me is so powerful to me.  When I was a kid it was about making pictures of turkeys and yes Pilgrims and Indians, but now its all about love.  Truly showing the love that God rains on me.  Taking the time out not even to reflect, but to allow a little bit of me to be something that someone is thankful for.

By breaking bread with a stranger, feeding the dude on the corner, standing cold in a parade line laughing with strangers.  

Thanksgiving to me is resting in the person that you are and sharing the gifts that God has given you out.  Given out your smile, your hugs, sometimes even your tears.

I just wanted to say Thank yall for hanging in there on this journey with me.  This is far from my best writing, but I’m just thank full that you even take the time to use your gift of sight and intellect to take the time to read.

Even the smallest part of your beings is a blessing to someone.

Perspective

Perspective

In my hometown there was a debate and apparently an answer about a forty foot cross that will be decidedly removed.

A group decided that this was a Christian symbol that it was offensive to them as Atheist.

Needless to say I was pissed.  Then, well then it hit me.  This landmark has been in my hometown for decades.  The large cross had been there for so many years, that I the Christian honestly considered it a landmark.  Literally when giving people directions it was normal for the locals to tell others driving in that area, you will see a big cross go halfway around and the club (yes the club is on the right)

What hit me is that Atheist notice our symbols and fret them more then we honor them.  Two, do people really believe the blessings is in the symbol.  The key to this entire wonderful journey is that the tomb was empty and the cross was bear.


IJS (My kid taught me what that means)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_Cross

I am YOU

I’ve missed talking to you this way…Thank you for always being right there when I return

So the new thing I have is I actually grumble and buck at God.  Yep I’m not brave just observant that God has nudged me and I have nudged back and said well if You xYZ then I will do ABC.

My expectation my deep lie that I tell myself is that He isn’t listening to little old me.  Oh yes I believe in God, but the lie I believe many of us and at least I have told myself is that He is way too big great and wonderful to speak with little old sinning me.

He never fails me though.  He always finds ways to remind me that.

He counted each hair on my head…

His plans for me, specifically are for good

That He gave his son, for me Nene, Senetra specifically

A lot of his promises that start with “I Will” I’ve noticed say you.  Not everybody, not all of Y’all it says you.  You is a word that touches my soul because it means the eyes that I am looking into, the ear I am speaking in to, the heart that I am mending.

God is I AM

I am You 

Do you know how we get to develop a relationship is when we recognize that each of us is the individual you.

I’m back Father be with me – Thank you for being with me.  

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

My thought on Heaven has always been this, not only will I see a lot of relatives that have passed on, like my grandma Esther and I will even get to meet her mother Josephine, but that I will also meet a lot of folks who I never knew by name, but my life had crossed their lives.

Don't worry I'm not planning to die or pass as they say in the south.  Also cording to a Facebook quiz that I took to find out how old I would be when I die, it stated "You will die at 94 in The NASCAR"!  Therefore I am good to go.

Anyway a few days ago God met a need of mine in a totally unexpected way by a totally rare but wonderful visit from a friend.  So I decided to give 10% of what I was given.  I had a debate with myself whether it should go to the church.  Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of a conversation about filling the storehouse (My view that's the church).  Then if I wanted to give above that well, that would be cool too. 

So with $10.00 in my hand I was determined to bless someone and before were the Golden Arches - Good old McDonalds.  So I used my 10 bucks to purchase something for the people behind me.  Giving feels AWESOME...I was floating and I thought when I meet those guys in Heaven, they are going to tell me how that one kind act changed their perspective on humanity.  (Too much oh well it's my day dream)

Then my mind glided into another group of people that I would meet in Heaven as well.  These individuals would be made up of the people who I had given the finger to while driving(Yes bad drivers will be in Heaven too), the telemarketers that I yelled at, the servers that I didn't tip cause they were rude, the people that I had gossiped about, the neighbor that I would turn away from to avoid speaking too cause, I just didn't feel like talking.  The family member that I could have shown some grace too.  The ex's who could have had some forgiveness. 

Yes they too would be there ...

The point think before you act, pray before you speak, love before you hate, praise before you curse, cause where all going be in Heaven one day...Yesssssss even the person that had 30 items in the 10 items or less line.

Thank you God for the gift to write may it be a blessing  Thank you God for the Holy Spirit who whispers my path and when I don't listen he shouts.

I started this post a different way...It was a lot about me doing a good thing.  The post didn't feel right though so i didn't publish it.

Then it struck me - in a gentle whisper, it's not you kiddo, but the Me that is in you.

This past year has been full of ups and downs.  Saying goodbye to my cousin Rhoberta, sad and joyful at the same time because, her life had given me and my family so many wonderful memories, which eased the pain.

I got a new great job when I wasn't even looking.  My relationship status  changed and my house grew.  All while becoming closer to a half century. 

Count it all joy - Yes that is a hard verse to swallow.  Its sweet when it includes great health, new births, new homes and relationships.  But what about the other side of the rainbow.  A bad health report, unruly children, or even death.

How in the world do you count that hot mess all joy.  Well because you put it in God's hands, your tears, your bad medical report relationship all the good and the bad that you get from relationships. 

This post is far from my best blog and not even close to my worse post, but I count it all joy because it is too God's glory that we live.

Amen

Cracked...That small voice

Matthew 6:25-26

25Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns — and yet yourHeavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Yep its broke ugggghhh!  The funny thing is I'm wondering if at least half of you reading this already know what i'm talking about before reading any further.

Yesssss - cell phone screen cracked.  I don't want to say any names I will just say Life ain't Great right now, as I observed in slow motion like a beautiful yet evil dance my cell phone fly from my hand like a bird, but wait "It doesn't have wings!" and the cell phone and I both seemed to ponder its lack of wings at the time as it hurtled towards the cement.  I watched in shock...Not so much because I knew it was not going to be a smooth "Sully landing"

But because approximately 4 days ago, a sweet small voice said, put your case back on your cell phone.  I clearly remember thinking hmmm.  Thank you God, for the reminder, that probably means I' going to drop that phone soon.

Then came the distraction, who knows maybe my daughter called me, maybe something important and wonderfully irrelevant to my future occurred on the Hulu show I was also watching.  Heck maybe a song came on that reminded me of a past crush.  WHO KNOWS!!!! What the distraction was but like dust on a shelf the sweet voice reminder to put the case on was wiped away.

I pondered this as I held on the phone to later learn that my warranty did not cover this event. 

But something even greater came a BLOG from the big guy.  A reminder that He is real, He knows my beginning and my end.  He loves the big parts of my life and cares about the little nuisances that may occur. 

Pay attention to the voice.  You don't want to make Him Yell.  Special shout out for obedience as well. 

Take away!

He DOES SPEAK!  We (me - I) should listen.  My personal opinion dang if the Devil ain't in the distractions!