Category Archives: human interest

Apr30

DAY 120

Posted on April 30, 2013 by lsgrlr

Life is filled with surprises some good, some bad. Like coffee cups that look like camera lens.

Today was a day of good surprises. Let’s backtrack a bit…Yesterday, when my brother and I arrived home our mother announced that she had purchased “a bullet” (???). My first thought? “You don’t own a gun!” Turns out it’s not that kind of a bullet. Nope, she bought the NutriBullet. A tiny little machine that annihilates anything within its confines (it totally reminds me of the Blendtec Blender). After the announcement, Mom proceeds to the refrigerator where she pulls out broccoli, spinach, carrots, strawberries, pineapples, blueberries and almonds. She puts them all in “the bullet,” adds water and blends away. What was left was a brown, dirt-like substance. She pours the liquid in two glasses and gives one to me and one to my brother (note she did NOT drink any). That first impression did not lie, it tasted like it looked…it was horrible. It was like drinking blended sand with grass added in. Not seeing the good surprise part? Wait, it’s coming. Every morning at work the nurses check my blood pressure (it’s not high; I just like to stay on top of it). Normally it ranges around 130/70 or 135/75. Today, my blood pressure was 123/59…WHAT! I like to think that the dirty, sand-grass drink scared my body so bad, my blood pressure thought to itself “maybe if I do this, she’ll never drink that again.” Here’s some truth. Often times the things that are best for us are the hardest to stomach…the hardest to do. Making right choices is a hundred times harder than making bad ones. In fact, bad decisions are so easy they oftentimes require no thinking at all. The dirty, sand-grass drink, was not delicious…I did NOT want to drink it. However, after drinking it I was able to reap the rewards. So it is in life the right thing is not always easy (or tasty), but it always gives good rewards.

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to destruction is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it” (Matthew 7:13, NLT).

So what am I thankful for today? The NutriBullet, great blood pressure and a coffee cup that looks like a 35mm Canon camera lens (this was my second surprise of the day).

Apr30

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought# 44

Posted on April 30, 2013 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Matthew 22. The teachers of the law go on a manhunt…more like a trip-up. The goal? To bait Jesus. They question Him about the law, (Oh, teachers of the law, really will you never learn?) I almost feel bad for them (almost), but mostly I just find them funny. “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ‘What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?’ They said to Him, ‘The son of David.’ He said to them, ‘How then does David in the Spirit call Him Lord’, saying: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool’. ‘If David then calls Him’ ‘Lord’. ‘How is He his Son? And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore” (Verses 41-45). Here’s a real simple lesson, don’t try to outsmart God, you won’t win. You’ll just end up looking “not smart”. Here’s the irony knowing this, we’ll still try (oh mankind, when will we learn?)

Apr29

DAY 119

Posted on April 29, 2013 by lsgrlr

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Before the flower can bloom. The seed must die.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

Today I have reaffirmed something I already knew to be true, but needed a gentle reminder. Life is hard, but God is GOOD. My mom lost her job, and subsequently, her health insurance. I have been trying for the past several months to get her health insurance. The problem however is that my mom is a diabetic (technically pre-diabetic) and individual health plans are not granted to people with pre-existing conditions. Therefore, finding an insurance is NOT going well…life is hard. BUT God (I think I have said before this is my favorite phrase in the Bible), is GOOD! How is God good? He brings peace and I have not freaked out (which is a miracle). Every time we have had to go to the doctor, He has provided. When we needed medication, He provided. Not one need so far has gone unmet. As I once again begin the search for affordable health insurance that would provide for my mother’s needs, I will not panic, I will not fear. My anchor is secure. Life at times is hard, but God at ALL times is GOOD! “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19, NLT).

So what am I thankful for today? The never ending, always perfect GOODNESS of God.

Apr29

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought# 43

Posted on April 29, 2013 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Matthew 21. This Chapter is full points that need to be made (however I have to leave for work), I can’t touch on all of them, so my advice would be to take out your bible and read for yourself…see what God has to say to you. There is one point that struck me though. Jesus called out the teachers of the law using two parables, the parable of the “Two Sons” (Verses 28-32) and the parable of “The Tenants” (Verses 33-44). “When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew He was about them. They looked for a way to arrest Him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that He was a PROPHET” (Verses 45-46). A prophet? Would you throw down your cloak and sing Hosanna for a PROPHET?! That was one of the saddest things I have read in the scriptures in awhile…the people completely and totally missed the point. They missed the Messiah, they didn’t understand the scriptures, which had clearly prophesied everything they were experiencing. Not much has changed since that time, we are still missing the point today. Still not seeing the picture except for the way we want to see it. The result? We once again miss God, we miss relationship with Him. It is still just as sad today as it was back then.

Apr28

DAY 118

Posted on April 28, 2013 by lsgrlr

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“So when the pain comes in like rain from the parts of life that maintains its strain, I can put my trust in the hands that sustain. It’s profound that with all these sinking ships around me, He surrounds me and He anchors me with His grace abounding.”
-“Anchor”, by Beautiful Eulogy-

“Anchor of my soul you sustain. When I’m in the storm you remain, you remain, good to me, good to me.” This is the chorus to one of my favorite songs, “Anchor” by Beautiful Eulogy from their album Satellite Kite. Life has storms and my boat will rock and sway…but my anchor REMAINS and sustains. Today has been one of those days when I needed to be reminded of this very truth. I didn’t wake up in a bad mood, but the day started with a deficit anyway. Why? My mom woke up in pain, which always throws me off track. When she is in pain she is testy and cranky (as we all are because we can’t see past how we feel). It is hard for me as her child to see this, knowing that I can’t make it stop. As children when we are sick, Mom makes it better. However, Mom doesn’t have a cold, or a cut. She pulls herself together determined to go to church. As we made the drive to church this song played from my iPod. It settles my soul and my mom’s soul. It reminds us some days there will be pain and discomfort, but our anchor is secure. He understands our weakness. He sympathies with our frailties. He through ALL situations and at ALL times will remain…GOOD (to you and I).

So what am I thankful for today? An anchor that is secure no matter the category of the storm.

Apr28

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought# 42

Posted on April 28, 2013 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Matthew 20. The last shall be first…not a popular concept in the world that we inhabit. However, this is the very lesson that Jesus teaches in Chapter 20. First with that parables of the landowner. “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them to the vineyard. About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing, He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. He went out about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and he did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.'” (Verses 1-7). Here’s an interesting picture the owner went out HIMSELF to look for workers. I can’t picture the CEO of my company doing that, yet God seeks us out. Continuing the story, at the end of the day the owner of the land, sends his foreman to hand out payment (another interesting point…foreman as Jesus, that’s a whole ‘nother post). He tells his foreman to start from last to first. The foreman pays the last workers a denarius. This has the ones who came first believing that they would receive more, since they had worked longer (and harder). However, the foreman paid them a denarius as well. They complained, therefore the landowner replied, “Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man that was hired last the same as you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last” (Verses 13-16). Mercy. It is what the landowner extended to the last workers, the ones who spend all day standing around doing nothing. He extended the same gift to them as he did to the ones that woke up early. It the same gift God gives today. He extends it to the kind-hearted, the pure, the holy, the honest, and the true. He also extends it to the mean, the angry, the killer, the liar and the thief. It is His gift and He can with it as He pleases. Our job? Be thankful that He extended it to us.

Side Note: Jesus does teach this same thought again in Verses 20-28…my advice read the Chapter for yourself.

Apr27

DAY 117

Posted on April 27, 2013 by lsgrlr

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Directions are what get you to you desired destination...follow them. (Picture by Lisa R.)

Directions are what get you to your desired destination…follow them.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

Right now, I am a captive audience (sitting under a dryer at my hairdresser). I am pondering my day so far. Many things have happened since my morning prayer (see Day 41). My prayer: “Lord help me learn the lesson the first time”. As the day has progressed, I have had many opportunities to put recently learned lesson into action (seems like God takes prayer seriously). This made me think about the importance of not just hearing a lesson, but actually understanding it. I was reminded of a recent incident with a patient. As I have stated before, I work for a cancer center. In the health care profession, we are constantly being graded against other entities that provide the same service. The goal is to be the BEST. This suits my nature just fine, as I tend to be very competitive. How are we graded? Patient Satisfaction Surveys. They are sent out (randomly) to patients. The range is between one and five, where one is the worst and five is outstanding. We strive for five. One such survey was sent to one of our patients (to call her a patient feels awkward…she’s more like family). In her survey she names us one by one (from doctor to registration person) and not one staff member was missed. She raves about how awesome the center is. How the staff has made even chemotherapy fun. She talks about our efficiency, our compassion, and our friendliness. After this amazing praise…she proceeds to rate us ones all the way down the survey. WHAT!!!!? I can’t help but laugh out loud when I think about this. The lesson? Our patient got the point of the survey. She knew what needed to be done. She understood the importance of a good score…but she didn’t understand the directions. That’s how we often are in life…we get the goal, understand the mission, but don’t follow or understand the DIRECTIONS. The result? The goal is not met. In the case of the cancer center, our quarterly scores drop. Our percentage falls and we have to wait for next quarter to rebound. In life, understanding the directions is equally as (if not more) important as getting the point. There is “no point” in getting the POINT, if you can’t follow the directions that will get you there.

So what am I thankful for today? That today I understood the directions (here’s hoping tomorrow will be equally as successful).

Apr27

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought# 41

Posted on April 27, 2013 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Matthew 18-19. In Matthew 18, the disciples get into a discussion about who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. I have a vivid imagination, I picture each of them giving reasons as to why they are the one. They take their argument to Jesus, so He can settle it (oh disciples…will you never learn? This is for us today too). “He called a little child and had him stand among them. And He said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me'” (Verses 2-5). Childlike humility and faith, that what Jesus is looking for. Children believe without proof. They can see bad clearly, they can see good clearly. They are not impressed with possessions or power, but spend time with them…and you are forever loved. Jesus tells His disciples to enter the kingdom of heaven they must have the purity of a child. It is clear to me that we on our own could never have accomplished this, that’s why Jesus had to come. Matthew 19, once again I wonder at how the disciples never get things the first time (then I remember I am the same). “Then little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them [????…REALLY!]. Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ When he had placed His hand on them, He went on from there'” (Verses 13-15). Were the disciples not present just one Chapter before when Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name, welcomes ME”…did they miss this? I would rant more, but upon self evaluation I realize that I do this action every single day, I learn it today and tomorrow forget. Thank goodness my Savior is gracious. I am taking an opposite leaf out of the disciples’ book when it come to this lesson, I will endeavor to learn the lesson just once ( Lord please help Your lessons to stick the first time).

*Side note: I always wonder who these children grew up to be? The Son of GOD laid His hands on them and PRAYED for them! I find that so amazing, so beautiful, and so like GOD.

Apr27

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought# 40

Posted on April 27, 2013 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Matthew 17. I don’t if I have said this before, but Peter is my favorite person in the Bible (second only to Jesus…and maybe Daniel). He is just so, HUMAN. He has the most awesome chronic case of foot-in-mouth disease. “After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up to a high mountain by themselves. There He transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord it is GOOD for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three altars-one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah'” (Verses 1–4). I love it (I smile everytime I read this), Peter is so in awe of what is happening he blurts out, “It is good for us to be here!” Understatement Peter: it is beyond comprehension that you are there. What’s your wonderful plan? I will build three altars, one for Jesus (okay that makes sense He is God), and one each for Elijah and Moses. What?! Why? There are men just like you. An altar for God this is correct, and altar for man…not so much. But aren’t we like that? God uses someone amazingly and instead of realizing that it is God working through them, we equate them to God. So as if to make Peter understand his folly, “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is MY Son, who I love. With Him I am well pleased. LISTEN to Him'” (Verse 5). Note the cloud says nothing about Elijah and Moses. God silences Peter. God says, “This is My Son, I love Him. Stop talking and LISTEN.” My answer? Yes, Lord!

Apr25

DAY 115

Posted on April 25, 2013 by lsgrlr

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First I want to apologise to anyone who has read this post already…I wrote this post exactly 100 days ago about a friendship that was on the mend. Today as I enjoyed an awesome conversation with my friend, I was hit by the importance of second chances. The importance of saying you’re sorry (even if you are not always sure what went wrong). True friendship is hard to attain, there will be many fair-weather friends, but not many people willing to ride out the storm. I am reposting my day 15 blog, because 100 days later I am still just so THANKFUL.

DAY 15…

We don’t do this journey alone…

I have a friend whom I respect and really care about. Our friendship took a weird turn and I could not figure out what caused this rift. At first I wanted to confront and ask…why? Questioning turned to anger because…how could you!? Then…I grew up.

Here’s a news flash…people don’t do what we want, and we can’t expect them to. Recently my friend and I have been working on our distance.The gap is slowly closing. I am blessed because she has taken the time and made the effort. I still don’t know what happened, but I am okay with that.

So, what am I thankful for today? I am thankful for second chances. I am thankful that I don’t do this journey alone. I am thankful for all the people I know and will know…who help shape my path. I am thankful that wrongs can be made right.

100 days later…I am still THANKFUL (for all the above).