Two Golden Days

A small piece of newsprint that I found in a New Testament that belonged to my Dad is titled, “Two Golden Days.”

“. . . There are two golden days about which I never worry: yesterday and tomorrow.  Those days belong to God. Therefore, that leaves me only today. Any man can fight the battles of just one day. ‘Oh, friend, it is only when we add the burden of those two eternities – yesterday and tomorrow – that we break down. Those are God’s days. Leave them with Him. Therefore, I will journey just one day at a time.’ ” 

This torn section from a printed page is now in my Bible. May the words be so for me!

~ Sunset picture from non-solo-arte. com

What’s With the Change?

It only took three mornings for my body to catch up with my mind: 

• Clocks changed þ 
• Later bedtime þ
• Psyched for an extra hour of sleep þ 

I told myself that six o’clock is the new five o’clock, but my body responded, “No, no, no! It’s coffee time and you need to get up.”

I’ve always wondered why the "powers that be” mess with time. Maybe it’s because they need something to make them feel powerful.

Coffee Cup - clipartbest .com

Unexpected Gratefulness

My needs are basic and my wants are few. Things I want more of are minutes and hours with family. Food and shelter are more plentiful/spacious than I deserve.

There are, however, some things about which I complain and actually might enjoy more if there were less. This past Sunday I saw a “more is less” example that reminded me to be grateful.

When Hubby and I need to travel on a Sunday, our practice is to leave early in the morning and find a place of worship along our route. This past weekend we hit the jackpot (so to speak) by arriving in a large city mid-morning. Here, we had our choice of mega-churches located along the interstate service drive.

We selected a large church where we entered the huge foyer filled with chatting people. Many strategically located signs provided information  –

• Reception Desk
• Worship Center
• Nurseries
• Children's Area
• Youth Area
• Breakfast Café
• Coffee Bar
• Offices

– but no easy to locate restroom signs. We had to ask. (Did I mention that we were traveling?)

Ten minutes prior to service time found us situated in the sanctuary. Being early allowed us time to:

·       count down minutes to starting time by following clocks on two large screens.

·       wonder when people occupying the lobby would arrive for worship.

·       watch preparations taking place on the stage.

At around 2:00 and counting, worshippers rushed in (many with coffee cups) and most were seated by the time the clocks hit zero. At that precise moment, a guitar strummed the beginning notes of the first worship song.

Thirteen minutes later, we finished that song. (“We” is used loosely here since I did not know the song and, therefore, was not singing.) Now, about gratefulness. This brief song being sung over and over for thirteen minutes made me realize how grateful I am that the worship leader at my church knows how to bring a song to closure. Short-term, I was grateful the second song lasted for only six minutes and we could sit down.

Following one hour and twenty-five minutes of singing, prayer, offering, sermon, and communion, the service of baptism began. We are not in the habit of leaving services early, but our goal was to reach home before dark. We left

Note to self: On next trip locate a little church – preferably in a small town.

God Answers Prayer

"The nicest place to be is in someone's thoughts, the safest place to be is in someone's prayers, and the very best place to be is in the hands of God." ~ Connie Stodola

Praying for victims of tragedy; needs of family and friends; our country; this broken world.

Clipart from Pindaddy

Thinking and Feeling

I think that:

• retirement changes perspective. “No one ever contacts me” has come to mean that I haven’t had an extended conversation with a family member (other than the one who lives in my house) for at least five days.
• most people don’t realize it takes years, not weeks, to write a novel.
• nothing could be more frightening for me than finding my Hubby unconscious.
• small group situations with friends and family are fun and parties with groups of unfamiliar people are “unfun.”
• beginning my college studies after having four children was a blessing. I’m glad that, while earning my three degrees at state universities, I could joke about the silly ideas of liberal professors.
• without my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren there would be much less joy in my life.
• Hubby being my total opposite makes for balance during our journey together.
• I write much better if, at the same time, I snack on Gummy Bears. (Harbio to be exact.)
•  my real friends don’t care what kind of house I live in, what kind of car I drive, where I shop, or how many degrees I have earned.
• it was okay to feel appreciated when a fifth grade student checked to see if I might be considering a divorce because she wanted me to meet her father.
• my most obvious absent-minded professor event was wearing one each of identically made navy blue and black shoes to class.
• God understood this mother’s plea and did not view me as foolish when I begged Him to take the cancer from my daughter and place it instead into my body.
• a good scripture for today might be Isaiah 45:3 as I process the news that a friend has cancer.(Oswald Chambers comments on this verse by writing, “We can see the stars because of the surrounding darkness. And it is because of the mysterious darkness of God’s providences that the secrets of God are ever known to us.”)

Joanne

 

    JoAnn

         

             Charlene

Opinions Concerning Leadership

Horst Schulze, hotel group CEO, tells people who have been selected for leadership, “We are leaders; we have forfeited the right to make excuses.” A no excuse policy is likely one of the reasons businesses have thrived under Schulze's leadership.

My Opinions:

Failure results from poor leadership choices.

There is not a “woman card” for failure.

Employees are not to blame for organizational failure.

People skills and leadership skills are the responsibility of and modeled by leaders.

It is impossible for one who has never been on fire to “burn out.”

“The buck stops here,” is a phrase that was popularized by President, Harry S. Truman. Unfortunately, in today’s society, shifting the blame and refusing to take responsibility seems to be the norm. Store managers, church leaders, educators, politicians. I'm somewhat weary of irresponsible egotists!

Clipart: Joshuanhook.com & Farmwarsinfo