This weekend my husband and I went out for breakfast at a little small town cafe not far from us. Our efficient hostess seated us at a small table in a little area that had about four other tables in it. After perusing the menu, we each made our breakfast choices and then settled back to visit and do a little people watching while waiting for our waitress to come take our order.
There were only three other people seated in this area with us; a man sitting alone at the table next to us and two young women sitting at one of the other tables. It was these two women who caught my attention. They had arrived before my husband and me and were already comfortably seated by the time we were shown to our table. There they sat, facing each other from opposite sides of the table...both totally engrossed in their own smart phones and completely ignoring the presence of the other person! I nudged my husband and whispered, "How sad is that?"
I know I'm climbing up on my soapbox here, but I'm so tired of how cell phones, tablets, computers and the whole technology thing has turned us into such rude, inconsiderate people. Somewhere along the line we seem to have lost the skills of face-to-face social interaction. We spend our time catching up with other people on Facebook. We are even getting to the place where it's too much trouble to place a phone call so we can actually speak to another person. Instead we send texts back and forth, and back and forth.
I am saddened by this turn of events and I fear for the future of interpersonal relationships. You'd think that with the popularity of places like Starbucks that seem to be all about getting together with friends, that social interaction will remain as strong as ever. But if you take the time to look around a Starbucks, a large percentage of the people there are absorbed in what's on their laptop or their phones. Of course, there's some visiting going on, but it's often interrupted by someone constantly checking their phone.
This phenomenon has certainly made its way into the workplace as well. I can't remember the last time that I was in a meeting where at least one person didn't pull out their phone to read a message they had just received, as if the world would come to an end if they didn't check it immediately. It's rude and insulting to the people with whom you are meeting. The worst example of this that I have witnessed was when a high ranking manager, who was welcoming a group of new employees, stopped mid-sentence to check his phone that had buzzed. Really?
I'd like to say that I haven't been sucked into all of this, but I'd be lying. My cell phone goes with me where ever I go and I check it frequently. And to my shame, I have been guilty of ignoring the person I was with in order to read a text that just buzzed in on my phone.
I know that tweets, texts, blogs and Facebook walls are all suppose to be the modern tools of social networking. But to me, it's social "not-working." I am going to make a concerted effort to be more deliberate in how I interact with the people in my life. I want to enjoy them. I want to be available to them and I want them to know that I value them...more than my cell phone.
Okay. Would someone give me a hand? I'm stepping down from my soapbox now.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Grace Upon Grace
In my devotions yesterday, the scripture verse for the day was John 1:16 which says "For of His fullness, we have all received, and grace upon grace." NKJV. It was that last part of the verse that caught my attention, "grace upon grace." I haven't been able to stop thinking about that.
In scripture, "grace" can refer to two things, the first one being God's saving grace that was manifested once and for all in the sacrifice of His son, Jesus, as the payment for our sins. How grateful I am for that grace!
But over and over again, the Bible speaks of God's grace toward us and it is referring to a different type of grace. This grace is God's free and unmerited favor that he extends to us in spite of our sinfulness. There is nothing that we can do to earn this grace or to deserve it.
We live in a world where grace is in short supply. Our imperfections and failures are rarely met with grace and forgiveness by others...even by our friends, and certainly not by our enemies. It is a hard life, with little expectation of grace.
But then, in walks God. And with Him comes grace. Psalm 86:15 says, "But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." Philip Yancey, author of the book, "What's so Amazing About Grace?" has said, "There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less." And it is because of this unfathomable love that God is gracious towards us.
I know that no matter how hard I try, I will never live a life that is deserving of such grace. But the good news is that God is willing to cover my shortcomings and failures with His "grace upon grace." He offers me forgiveness and showers me with blessings simply because that's who He is. And the only thing that I can do in regard to this amazing grace is to accept it with a thankful, humble heart.
In scripture, "grace" can refer to two things, the first one being God's saving grace that was manifested once and for all in the sacrifice of His son, Jesus, as the payment for our sins. How grateful I am for that grace!
But over and over again, the Bible speaks of God's grace toward us and it is referring to a different type of grace. This grace is God's free and unmerited favor that he extends to us in spite of our sinfulness. There is nothing that we can do to earn this grace or to deserve it.
We live in a world where grace is in short supply. Our imperfections and failures are rarely met with grace and forgiveness by others...even by our friends, and certainly not by our enemies. It is a hard life, with little expectation of grace.
But then, in walks God. And with Him comes grace. Psalm 86:15 says, "But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." Philip Yancey, author of the book, "What's so Amazing About Grace?" has said, "There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less." And it is because of this unfathomable love that God is gracious towards us.
I know that no matter how hard I try, I will never live a life that is deserving of such grace. But the good news is that God is willing to cover my shortcomings and failures with His "grace upon grace." He offers me forgiveness and showers me with blessings simply because that's who He is. And the only thing that I can do in regard to this amazing grace is to accept it with a thankful, humble heart.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Holy Leap Year, Batman!
So today was it. It was your bonus day!
Only once every four years do we get this extra day. Did you do anything special with it? Did you even recognize that this was a special gift; 24 extra hours over what we usually have in a year?
I realize that it's not an official holiday or anything like that. No decorations are required or brightly wrapped presents or even chocolate...though that would be nice. Simply February 29, an extra day. But if you think about it, that's a pretty extravagant gift!
Only once every four years do we get this extra day. Did you do anything special with it? Did you even recognize that this was a special gift; 24 extra hours over what we usually have in a year?
I realize that it's not an official holiday or anything like that. No decorations are required or brightly wrapped presents or even chocolate...though that would be nice. Simply February 29, an extra day. But if you think about it, that's a pretty extravagant gift!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The Moose War
I realize that with all the horrendous things that happen in the world, the story I am about to tell barely warrants a blip on the news meter. But a few short weeks ago, my home was the scene of "The Moose War." Here's how it went down.
One day, my husband told me about this giant stuffed moose that he had seen at Costco for "only" $37. He raved about how cool it was...close to six feet tall... and how much our granddaughter, Ella, would love it! Fortunately, he realized how unrealistic it would be for our kids to have a giant stuffed moose in their small home.
However, at this point his common sense flew out the window and he started suggesting that ours was the perfect residence for this overgrown stuffed animal because Ella could play with it whenever she visited. This was when I cut him off at the knees, and told him in no-uncertain-terms, that we would NOT be bringing that furry behemoth into our home, end of story!
Before I go any further, let me just set the stage for the battle that was about to ensue. My husband and I have two grown children whom we love dearly. But an interesting phenomenon happens when your children grow up. They leave your home much sooner than all their belongings do! Can I get an "amen" from all you parents of grown children whose homes have become the unintended storage units of their childrens' belongings?
I am not trying to lay any blame here. And our son would be quick to step in here and remind me that when he moved his bed out of our home and into a tiny basement apartment for his junior year of college, his dad insisted that he take everything else with him too. I can still see the hurt look on his face when, 47 minutes later, his dad had turned his bedroom into "the office!" We love you, son!
But it didn't quite happen that way with our daughter. Somehow, from the time she first packed her bags and moved to college, until we could reclaim her room as our real estate, seven years had passed. And during those seven years, we had added many items (including a couch) that she "might need when she gets an apartment." The only problem was that she didn't really get that apartment.
When she finished school, she taught pre-school and worked as a nanny for a year during which her employers provided her with a small bedroom in their home. Then the next year she went to Russia to teach for a year. She could only bring two suitcases with her so that didn't do much for clearing out her bedroom. Then when she came home, she got engaged, moved back into her "nanny room" and worked while planning their wedding. So...it wasn't until late last spring, after the wedding and a move to California that the big U Haul box gave me my spare bedroom!
After the U Haul and my daughter and son-in-law drove away, I spent many hours cleaning and organizing this newly acquired space. I hauled the remaining stuff out of the room, rearranged some furniture and bought a new comforter. It still needs to be painted and a few more final touches but finally...we have a spare bedroom that can actually be used by guests!
Now, fast forward to three weeks ago when I was talking on the phone with my sister, Lisa, and wondering what was taking my husband so long to return from filling the car up with gas. Finally, I heard the front door close. As I chatted with my sister, suddenly my husband appears in the doorway with a giant moose in his arms and a sheepish grin on his face.
I'm sure my startled sister wondered what was going on when suddenly she heard me yelling "No!" I quickly explained that I couldn't believe that my husband had just walked in with a giant stuffed moose ! "Is it from Costco?" she asked. "Is that from Costco?" I asked my husband. "Yes! Isn't it cool?" he said. Then my sister said in my ear, "If it's from Costco, I know EXACTLY which moose you are talking about. It's huge!" she said unable to keep the laughter out of her voice.
For the next couple of minutes...while my sister listened...my husband and I did battle over the future of that moose. "It's going back!" I said. "But Ella will love it!" he said. "No...it's going back!" "But it's so fun! I already have a name for it...Taloose the Moose." "NO! It's not taking up my guest room for the next 10 years!" You see, that was really the crux of the matter. I had waited too long to have that room and I wasn't about to turn it over to a giant stuffed animal. Finally, my husband walked into the guest room and gently placed the moose on the bed.
Eventually my husband resigned himself to the fact that Taloose was just going to be a guest in our guest room But since the kids were coming over the next day, he could hardly wait to show him to Ella. However, to his disappointment, that didn't turn out quite like he had expected.
Ella took a couple of minutes trying to take in this giant mountain of fur...and then turned back to play with the cute little rubber duckies I had given her. Sometimes, less is more.
The next day, with only a few muffled sobs, my husband packed up Taloose and headed back to Costco. As I look back on this whole episode, I realize that the Moose War was pretty much like every other war in history...it was all about territory!
With peace restored, life has pretty much gone back to normal with only a few whispered references to how much Ella would have loved that moose. But about a week ago, I received a picture text from my sister, Lisa. It was a picture of a giant moose taking up an entire Costco shopping cart. It simply said, "Everyone is buying one!" That's great...just so "everyone" doesn't include me!
One day, my husband told me about this giant stuffed moose that he had seen at Costco for "only" $37. He raved about how cool it was...close to six feet tall... and how much our granddaughter, Ella, would love it! Fortunately, he realized how unrealistic it would be for our kids to have a giant stuffed moose in their small home.
However, at this point his common sense flew out the window and he started suggesting that ours was the perfect residence for this overgrown stuffed animal because Ella could play with it whenever she visited. This was when I cut him off at the knees, and told him in no-uncertain-terms, that we would NOT be bringing that furry behemoth into our home, end of story!
Before I go any further, let me just set the stage for the battle that was about to ensue. My husband and I have two grown children whom we love dearly. But an interesting phenomenon happens when your children grow up. They leave your home much sooner than all their belongings do! Can I get an "amen" from all you parents of grown children whose homes have become the unintended storage units of their childrens' belongings?
I am not trying to lay any blame here. And our son would be quick to step in here and remind me that when he moved his bed out of our home and into a tiny basement apartment for his junior year of college, his dad insisted that he take everything else with him too. I can still see the hurt look on his face when, 47 minutes later, his dad had turned his bedroom into "the office!" We love you, son!
But it didn't quite happen that way with our daughter. Somehow, from the time she first packed her bags and moved to college, until we could reclaim her room as our real estate, seven years had passed. And during those seven years, we had added many items (including a couch) that she "might need when she gets an apartment." The only problem was that she didn't really get that apartment.
When she finished school, she taught pre-school and worked as a nanny for a year during which her employers provided her with a small bedroom in their home. Then the next year she went to Russia to teach for a year. She could only bring two suitcases with her so that didn't do much for clearing out her bedroom. Then when she came home, she got engaged, moved back into her "nanny room" and worked while planning their wedding. So...it wasn't until late last spring, after the wedding and a move to California that the big U Haul box gave me my spare bedroom!
After the U Haul and my daughter and son-in-law drove away, I spent many hours cleaning and organizing this newly acquired space. I hauled the remaining stuff out of the room, rearranged some furniture and bought a new comforter. It still needs to be painted and a few more final touches but finally...we have a spare bedroom that can actually be used by guests!
Now, fast forward to three weeks ago when I was talking on the phone with my sister, Lisa, and wondering what was taking my husband so long to return from filling the car up with gas. Finally, I heard the front door close. As I chatted with my sister, suddenly my husband appears in the doorway with a giant moose in his arms and a sheepish grin on his face.
I'm sure my startled sister wondered what was going on when suddenly she heard me yelling "No!" I quickly explained that I couldn't believe that my husband had just walked in with a giant stuffed moose ! "Is it from Costco?" she asked. "Is that from Costco?" I asked my husband. "Yes! Isn't it cool?" he said. Then my sister said in my ear, "If it's from Costco, I know EXACTLY which moose you are talking about. It's huge!" she said unable to keep the laughter out of her voice.
For the next couple of minutes...while my sister listened...my husband and I did battle over the future of that moose. "It's going back!" I said. "But Ella will love it!" he said. "No...it's going back!" "But it's so fun! I already have a name for it...Taloose the Moose." "NO! It's not taking up my guest room for the next 10 years!" You see, that was really the crux of the matter. I had waited too long to have that room and I wasn't about to turn it over to a giant stuffed animal. Finally, my husband walked into the guest room and gently placed the moose on the bed.
 |
| This is a queen sized bed that Taloose is resting on so peacefully! |
 |
| Ella meets Taloose |
The next day, with only a few muffled sobs, my husband packed up Taloose and headed back to Costco. As I look back on this whole episode, I realize that the Moose War was pretty much like every other war in history...it was all about territory!
 |
| Farewell, Taloose! |
Saturday, February 18, 2012
It's Been a Year!
What a difference a year makes...
Happy first birthday (and birthday cake), my darling Ella!
All my love, Grandma
(Even if I am a little late getting this posted!)
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Passing Storms
Yesterday and today have been absolutely gorgeous sunny days...a far cry from what the weather was like two weeks ago when we were hammered by ferocious winter storms.
Walking through my neighborhood yesterday morning, I soaked up the glorious sunshine that was working to take the chill out of the morning air and I was struck by the contrast. Two weeks ago, we were right in the middle of some really dangerous weather that caused so much damage in our area. And yet there I was, a mere 14 days later, soaking up the sun.
But as I walked through our neighborhood, there was no denying that we had recently been through a major storm. Trees are still leaning and scarred by broken branches. Sidewalks are piled high with mounds of fallen trees and branches, waiting to be cleared away. The landscape of our neighborhood has been changed by the storms.
As I picked my way past these countless piles of brokenness and change, I was reminded that this life is full of storms that we must walk through. And while we are in the midst of them, it sometimes feels like they will never end.
Yet, today's sunshine reminded me that, no matter how bad the storms are or how long they may last, there will come a time when they have passed, and life will go on. We will probably not be the same people that we were before the storm and the landscape of our lives may have drastically changed, but sunshine will come again.
If you are in the middle of one of life's storms right now, I pray that you be encouraged to keep fighting the fight and hang on to the knowledge that one day, the storm will pass. And most importantly, know that you don't have to go through the storms alone. God has promised to walk through them with us and to sustain us until we walk in sunshine once again.
Walking through my neighborhood yesterday morning, I soaked up the glorious sunshine that was working to take the chill out of the morning air and I was struck by the contrast. Two weeks ago, we were right in the middle of some really dangerous weather that caused so much damage in our area. And yet there I was, a mere 14 days later, soaking up the sun.
But as I walked through our neighborhood, there was no denying that we had recently been through a major storm. Trees are still leaning and scarred by broken branches. Sidewalks are piled high with mounds of fallen trees and branches, waiting to be cleared away. The landscape of our neighborhood has been changed by the storms.
As I picked my way past these countless piles of brokenness and change, I was reminded that this life is full of storms that we must walk through. And while we are in the midst of them, it sometimes feels like they will never end.
Yet, today's sunshine reminded me that, no matter how bad the storms are or how long they may last, there will come a time when they have passed, and life will go on. We will probably not be the same people that we were before the storm and the landscape of our lives may have drastically changed, but sunshine will come again.
If you are in the middle of one of life's storms right now, I pray that you be encouraged to keep fighting the fight and hang on to the knowledge that one day, the storm will pass. And most importantly, know that you don't have to go through the storms alone. God has promised to walk through them with us and to sustain us until we walk in sunshine once again.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Two Little Things
I don't have any great words of wisdom to share today. I just wanted to take a couple of minutes to express my gratitude for two little things that made my world a little brighter over the last few days. So, here they are!
Over the weekend, I was working at my kitchen sink when I heard the sweetest sound that could have caressed my ears. Somewhere outside my window a single bird was warbling its soft, melodic song! After last week's storms that tore our neighborhood apart, this sweet reminder that spring will come again was just what I needed! So even though the skies outside my window were still heavy and gray, I heard hope in that little bird's song. What a blessing!
And then today, I was working at my desk when my boss swooped in (yes, she truly does swoop!) and presented me with a lovely little bouquet of red roses and the kindest note of appreciation for what I do. I was so touched. She is one of the busiest people I know, yet she took the time to stop and buy me flowers and write such a kind note. I felt valued as an employee and most of all, as a friend.
I know that all kinds of small blessings are always happening around me, I just don't always tune into them and appreciate them like I should. So for today, at least, I want to stop and be grateful for the sweet blessings that shower me daily!
Over the weekend, I was working at my kitchen sink when I heard the sweetest sound that could have caressed my ears. Somewhere outside my window a single bird was warbling its soft, melodic song! After last week's storms that tore our neighborhood apart, this sweet reminder that spring will come again was just what I needed! So even though the skies outside my window were still heavy and gray, I heard hope in that little bird's song. What a blessing!
And then today, I was working at my desk when my boss swooped in (yes, she truly does swoop!) and presented me with a lovely little bouquet of red roses and the kindest note of appreciation for what I do. I was so touched. She is one of the busiest people I know, yet she took the time to stop and buy me flowers and write such a kind note. I felt valued as an employee and most of all, as a friend.
I know that all kinds of small blessings are always happening around me, I just don't always tune into them and appreciate them like I should. So for today, at least, I want to stop and be grateful for the sweet blessings that shower me daily!
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