A Bit of Humor
Comments (2)You know how it is when its your birthday or Christmas or something, and people ask you what you want and you can’t think of a single thing to tell them? But two weeks after, you’re kicking yourself because you really wanted this or that?
Well, this is a bit selfishly inclined, but I just thought I’d put down my top 10 to help y’all out in the future!!! LOL
1. Gift card to Target – $5.00/$10.00/$20.00 – $5,000.00!!!! Whatever – it will all be appreciated greatly!!!
2. Gift Card to Forever 21 – any denomination is okay – no pressure! 
3. Gift Card to Doubleday Book Club
4. A massage/spa day (within reason – no ridiculously expensive spas – not worth the money)
5. Ballroom Dancing Lessons and a partner to go with
6. Gift Card to the movies
7. Gift Card to Chilis, Outback, PF Changs, etc
8. Of course, wine, wine and more wine!!!
The last two are going to be a bit more challenging:
9. Insight and understanding
10. Discernment of God’s will for me…
So, there you go!!! Now you just have to check the list and its all so easy!!!
Latahs!
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The Struggle
Comments (1)I would have to say that if you look at me and think you see what you get – you may be in for a surprise….
I am a COMMITTED christian – Jesus is the CEO, Saviour of my life… But I love some stuff that traditional christians may frown at – Dance hall (I LOVE my dance hall!!!!) for example!!!
I have other things I like that the “CALL” teaches me to give up – and so I STRUGGLE!!!! You either look at me and see this nice christian girl, or you see the freak that lives deep within me… And I gotta tell you - I love the freak sometimes!!!! Midas loves the freak! I can party with the best of them without being disgraceful, disrespectful of self or of Midas!!!
But it is a struggle isn’t it – knowing where the line starts and where it ends… I wish I knew… Because at the end of the day – its more important to me to follow Jesus than to have fun!!!! I’m just not sure they’re mutually exclusive… Help me here Lord!!!!
Peace Out!
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My Top 10
Comments (4)Recently Pastor Brian Vasil of Vasilating posted his top ten movies – that started me thinking of mine!!!
Now, let me just forewarn you – I like an odd mix of genres – I enjoy different movies for different reasons and don’t have one type of favorite. In fact, I tend to classify my favorite movies as the ones I could watch over and over again each time I come across them at whatever stage they’re at!!!
With that disclaimer in place (smile) here they are:
1. The Sound of Music (my all time favorite movie ever)
2. Bambi – the first movie I remember ever going to see with my parents at The Harbour View Drive In in Jamaica!!!
3. To Kill a Mockingbird – also one of my absolute favorite books!!!
4. Shawshank Redemption – don’t ask me why, too many reasons to list - just LOVED it!!!!
5. The Silence of The Lambs
6. Oliver Twist
7. Save The Last Dance
8. Bridget Jones’ Diary
9. City of God
10. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
I know – its a strange mix… But that’s me – a strange blend of personalities all into one person!!!! (Get it – All about eve)
Have a great weekend and, don’t forget, if you get the opportunity, stop by our internet campus at www.flamingoroadchurch.com. Services on Sundays at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. You WILL NOT regret the time, I promise you!!!
Till next time,
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Quote for the Day…
Forget mistakes. Forget failure. Forget everything except what you’re going to do now and do it. Today is your lucky day.
Will Durant
My Story
Today as I spent some time in prayer, I felt moved to share my story about how God changed my life. That sounds kind of funny in itself, in that God created my life, right? But once we’re created, we all have a chance to choose to follow HIM or to go our own way!
I grew up in a very Catholic home, with very spiritual parents. Like many people, that can either influence you to be the same or to rebel, and I guess I was somewhere in between for much of my adult years. When I moved to Florida, I was very fortunate and blessed to achieve success in my career – pretty much a level of success I’d never achieved before. Things were good – but I was riding on my belief that this success was really due to my efforts – or the joint efforts of my husband and myself…
Yesterday, a couple friends of mine were talking about life and why it is that some lessons are so costly to learn… well, we learned that our success was not of our own making – but a blessing – a gift from God and that our lives were filled with the material and no spiritual focus or gratitude for it whatsoever…
You know that saying “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away…” I’m not saying that we lost everything – what I’m saying is that business got very tough and we lost our confidence and our hope – and we were LOST for a good while!!!
In one of my most hopeless moments, a friend’s invitation to church started a sequence of events that totally transformed my life… and did so in a way that left no doubt whatsoever that God was teaching me, helping me, nurturing me – guiding me through the darkness to see the real light – the light of knowing that all things come from HIM, and that you can have a little or you can have alot – but you always have HIM!!! And that transformed my life…
For a while I was SOOO excited by this awakening that it was all I could talk about – I just HAD to share the amazing ways God was SHOWING me He was working in my life! I got the “Jesus Freak” title, the people who expressed their weariness of hearing me talk about it, or their resentment of it… I also had many who came forward to encourage me – but I have to admit that after a particularly biting discussion with someone I love very much, I grew quiet on the subject and just did my thing in private!
Now, today, I’m stepping out in faith, because I have something to brag about – GOD loves me! God is working in my life, He is guiding me and holding my hand daily as I walk through every challenge and every blessing!!! He is putting people and opportunities in my life to help me to grow in faith and when I mess up – HE loves me anyway!!!
Yesterday at church we talked about envy and that when you WANT something, you somehow convince yourself that you NEED it… For the past few weeks, I’ve been convincing myself that I needed to win a $5000 Target gift card for taking an online survey
(I know, I’m an idiot)…
Now I know that I want and I NEED God to be the director and CEO of my life – and you know what’s so exciting?
HE IS!!!
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What Makes You Happy?
There are some things that no matter what is going on in your day, the sight of them bring you joy and make you smile! Have you ever thought about that?
For me, I could be having the worst day and I see a sunflower and it makes me SMILE!!! I don’t know why – they just seem like such a happy, joyful flower! Makes me think of that scripture:
Matthew 6: 28-29 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.”
If you look at the intricate make-up of a sunflower, they’re absolutely amazing!!!
I also love to see my Mom dressed in yellow, because when she wears yellow, it reminds me of sunshine… I think my Dad must have seen that too, you know!
I love stormy nights when I’m tucked in at home – I’m a little bit afraid of thunder (not so much the lightning, which I know makes NO sense), but I love the wailing of the wind, the pounding of the rain against my roof and the safety of being next to my hubby as nature displays her force…
I keep a picture of my Dad on my desk…. He passed away five years ago now, and everytime I look at him, it makes me smile. And you know what – when I know I’ve done the right thing – the thing that would have made him proud, I SWEAR his smile seems wider and brighter!!!
To me, anyway… and THAT makes me smile!!!
What about you – what makes you happy? Its so much more fun to think about that than the things we worry about in life…
So what’s your story?
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Ever Wonder
Ever wonder why you bother?
Ever wonder who died and made you Boss of trying mend all relationships?
Ever wonder why you even care???
There are days like today that severely test the very fibre of my commitment to Christ!!! I feel like swearing, cursing, turning my back on people – and for what? I don’t know that they even know what they did!!!
Days like today are the most challenging as a Christian… These are those kinds of days when you’re asked to overlook your pride and to be humble as Christ was humble…
Matthew 16:25 “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it”
Colossians 3:12 “Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe youselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14. And over all these virtues put on love,which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Colossians 3: 8 “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips.”
I guess I had better go sleep on those scriptures…
Why Am I Up Again???
Its midnight and the night is stormy with thunder and lightning ripping across the navy blue sky… I am EXHAUSTED and yet, am awake, because my mind is full!
First, someone close to me lost their Dad yesterday… I didn’t know their Dad, but I know what its like to lose your Dad and I feel his pain! I pray for him and his family… And I miss my own Dad very much!
It also made me think of all that we take for granted!!! As the baby in the family, I know I’ve always been selfish… But I’ve also been a very caring daughter and sister too!!! Of late though, I find that with so many things going on in my life, I’ve lost sight a bit of what I used to be most grateful for!
I always used to say that my true treasure in life was my family – these days, I don’t pay as much attention to them as I should… And times like this make me realise that we only have this moment for sure – any other is uncertain!!! And we should make the most of each one we have and the people we love!!!
I’m also thinking about families with rifts… where hurt and misunderstanding lead to pride and unforgiveness! What could possibly be worth never being able to have the opportunity back to resolve a misunderstanding? What could be more important than family?
There’s always someone that’s right and someone that’s wrong – or more often, both are right and both are wrong in one way or another!!! Is it worth forever???
Last week, a group I network with took some time to talk about our most memorable Fourth of July… A new member stood and talked about how his family had developed a rift and stopped speaking!
Someone came up with the bright idea a few years ago that they should reunite by going on a cruise together to resolve their differences!
To him, it spelled disaster in the making, but in fact, it turned out to be the catalyst for them all to get all their issues out and resolve things and really reunite as a family!
A few weeks ago, a close friend of his was killed while at a gas station – and though he was grieving deeply, it made him so happy that his family had the opportunity to resolve their issues before one of them moved on to the next life…
Time is so fleeting! Before you know it, this moment is gone, able to be recaptured only in memory or in pictures… Don’t waste one more second of it!!! Live fully each moment, loving the ones that matter most and helping others along the way!!!
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Not Having It…
Yesterday I was at the hospital to meet someone and when I was walking in a woman was walking out, towards me. As she drew close to me she handed me a piece of paper and said in a very urgent tone, “Call me!!! I have to tell you something – its very important!” And then she walked away!
Obviously, I was somewhat taken aback, as I had never seen the woman before in my life! Then I looked down at the slip of paper to see that she is a Psychic, and the flyer proclaimed that she can tell you all about your past, present and future!
As I crumpled the paper and tossed it into the trash, I said to Midas that it freaked me out a little – I mean, what was she saying – that she had some urgent warning for me, some impending doom???
But I tossed it because, you see, I don’t believe in psychics! I grew up Catholic and my Mom always told me that stuff was a sin so that’s my first issue with it…
My one experience with a fortune-teller was when I was in Grade 13 and went to a party where there was a tea leaf reader! I should have been suspicious when she told us that as a child she used to read her cocoa!!! Anyway, she read my tea leaves and told me I was going to get all A’s in my upcoming A-Level exams and that I would marry someone whose first name began with C.
Well, I didn’t get ANY A’s in my A-Level exams and my hubby’s name definitely does not begin with C!!!
As I grew older I just lost any belief or even interest in anything of that nature – it just seems too hokey for the most part. Not that I believe its completely impossible for people to have extrasensory perception (ESP), I just think its pretty unusual and am not sure what purpose the Lord wants it used for so I am wary of people who profess to have it!!!
As for this lady – well, I have no desire to know my future… Take these into account:
Micah 5:12 I will destroy witchcraft from your hand; and you shall have no soothsayers
Leviticus 19:31 Turn not unto necromancers and unto soothsayers; seek not after them to make yourselves unclean: I am Jehovah your God
2 Kings 21:6 And he made his son to pass through the fire, and practised soothsaying, and used enchantments, and appointed them that divined by a ghost or a familiar spirit: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him.
Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves
God really teaches us that fortune-telling or soothsaying is not of GOD! I believe people have the ability to prophesy -but I also believe there is false prophesy!!! My general rule of thumb is that it must relate to God’s teaching in order for me to find some credence to it!
Also, I go by this scripture in my life:
“Let not your faith rest on the wisdom of man but rather on the power of God” 1 Corinthians 2:5
You see – what could that woman have to tell me that would really impact my life? We all know we’re going to die; we all will face times of trial and times of joy! If we focus instead on living each day as though it were our last, we would be focussed on the most meaningful things in our lives instead of the trivia man gets caught up with!
That’s just my opinion anyway… What do you think?
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Your Best LIFE!!!
A friend sent me this…. I think it’s worth sharing….
LET IT REALLY SINK IN – THEN CHOOSE .
John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood
and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how
he was doing, he would reply, ‘If I were any better, I would be
twins!’
He was a natural motivator.
If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee
how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked
him, ‘I don’t get it!
You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?’
He replied, ‘Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two
choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or … you can
choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood.
Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or…I can
choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.
Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their
complaining or… I can point out the positive side of life. I choose
the positive side of life.’
‘Yeah, right, it’s not that easy,’ I protested.
‘Yes, it is,’ he said. ‘Life is all about choices. When you cut away all
the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to
situations. You choose how people affect your mood.
You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It’s
your choice how you live your life.’
I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry
to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him
when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident,
falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.
After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released
from the hospital with rods placed in his back.
I saw him about six months after the accident.
When I asked him how he was, he replied, ‘If I were any better, I’d be
twins…Wanna see my scars?’
I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through
his mind as the accident took place.
‘The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my
soon-to-be born daughter,’ he replied. ‘Then, as I lay on the ground, I
remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or…I could
choose to die. I chose to live.’
‘Weren’t you scared? Did you lose consciousness?’ I asked.
He continued, ‘..the paramedics were great.
They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me
into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and
nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read ‘he’s a dead man’.
I knew I needed to take action.’
‘What did you do?’ I asked.
‘Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,’ said John.
‘She asked if I was allergic to anything. ‘Yes, I replied.’ The doctors
and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, ‘Gravity’.’
Over their laughter, I told them, ‘I am choosing to live. Operate on me
as if I am alive, not dead.’
He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his
amazing attitude… I learned from him that every day we have the
choice to live fully.
Attitude, after all, is everything .
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about
itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’ Matthew 6:34.
After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
To Your Best Life,
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