Intimidated by a Smart Phone

It's chic. It's cool. It was *free*.
It knows things I don't and assumes I know things.

It has its own  vocabulary. I thought I was pretty intelligent to use the word sync in a musical sense. Oops. I have to choose to sync apps manually or (I forgot the other choice). Speaking of choices, it offers me more choices than a Costco in Hong Kong. I'm a baby boomer in app paradise.

It takes pictures almost before I push the button, and I call people accidentally.

It can leap tall buildings in a single bound, and go across two oceans to tell me the time, news and weather in Germany.

I'm impressed. I feel a little bit smarter, but not much.

A Toast to the Mystery

In the past week, who could have guessed that more people would be jeopardized by cantelopes than by falling satellite debris?

Who knoweth what a day may bring forth?

When I awaken each morning I have expectations about what the day will bring based on several things: what I have to do for the day, how my mood is, how the people I live with respond to me, and what I believe about the Creator of life. It's often in that exact order.

Tomorrow  is an unopened package that I mentally shake, and maybe even tear a corner off of to peek into the future. I live virtually blind to the future, and yet I live each day with hope. The amount of hope I have for the day usually determines how well I meet it. In other words, if I look for a good day, I can generally find it.

Here's hoping that you meet the next new day, new week, new month, and  new season with courage and above all, hope.

Blessings Are Often Disguised as Challenges

None of us would deliberately choose troubles. And yet, some troubles come with their own side-kick blessings.

One example of this is money trouble. It forces you to:

re-prioritize
sympathize with others less fortunate
accept a liberal dose of humility
contemplate what is absolutely necessary for life

It adds a depth to your life that affluence can't. Of course, I'd like to try affluence, just for a while, to see how it feels! But I've discovered over the last 50 odd years that depth of character is more important to me than most anything else. I guess God knew that too. He always knows, doesn't He?

I've been fortunate to have been born in the most wealthy country in the world, and have grown up privileged in many ways. This current recession is a blessing in disguise for all of us who never knew that we really can trust God for our daily bread.

How many blessings in disguise have you experienced? 

Weeding Is Tonic

A bout of yard work was just what I needed to clear out the doldrums.

I highly recommend it. There's something about turning over soil, pulling weeds and re-potting plants that makes you forget all (ok, most) of your troubles.

That worn furniture I complained about is getting slipcovers! Why not?

Anyway, the outpouring of love I experienced during my little pity party was far more than I deserved, and I am up and thankful once again.

The swelling in my neck is down considerably, and I'm beginning to think I injured my shoulder doing stretching during drama class. We are getting older aren't we?

So about that kitchen floor? It's clean too.

Moral of story:

Doing is better than stewing.

It's Good To Have Friends In Time Of Trouble

Cured: or Rather Cleaned

There was nothing wrong with me that a view of the planes flying into the twin towers couldn't fix.

Perspective.

It's what keeps us going. We can always find someone better off, or someone worse off.

Most of our little problems are light in the weight of eternity. Still, we have to live through them.

A few friends help too! 

Lots On My Mind

Have you ever looked at your kitchen floor when you're overdue for a sweeping and mopping? Little and big ugly things are swished to the corners, clinging to to the floor and walls for dear life, the grunge a sickening reminder of meals, dogs, dust, and ick.

That's how my mind feels today.

I told you I would try to ignore the censor, so here goes:

I feel God is far away, though I am talking to Him daily, and reading His words to me.  Our financial situation remains dire, mixed with tenuous, although we have done many things to alleviate it.

My children have problems I can't help them with, like anxiety, nasty break-ups, and unemployment. My dog has periodic seizures which we have no money to get testing for, and I have gained about ten pounds making all my clothes tight and uncomfortable. 

Despite many jobs, and a schedule that is erratic and full, Jim and I are not able to earn enough money to solve things.  We are constantly draining our resources, and watching our vehicles lifespan ebb away without the ability to fix them. Since they are our primary means of transportation to work, it's scary.

I never have been a good housekeeper, and seeing my house dirty and disheveled, with old ratty furniture and carpet is disheartening. Looking at my green pool (no money for chlorine) and my dying lawn (sprinkler system is broken) hampers my struggle to be thankful I'm alive. Daily, the semi-crisis errupt, draining my energy, and seeming to require more faith than I have.

This morning, Sunday September 11, the morning we're all supposed to be focusing on remembering (I do remember, honestly I do) I woke up with a swollen neck. I think it's a swollen lymph, and I'm terrified at what that could mean.

I really have little time to even talk to friends about this, or to cultivate friendships (would love to go to a women's conference, but again, no  money) so you, my blogging buddies get to hear it all.

The censor is telling me I should wrap this up with a platitude, but I'm fresh out.

If this reads like a Psalm, well, then at least I have company. This is the scariest post I've ever written.

Thanks for listening. I'm sure tomorrow will be better.