by Sharon O | Sep 6, 2010 | Uncategorized
I was reading a magazine and came upon something wonderful. Thinking about this blog as I often do it seemed like a writing that I could share and since it was a ‘picture’ for sale in a magazine there shouldn’t be any copyright issues.
For the readers of this blog I hope for you to reflect on this writing.
Life is not a race-but indeed a journey.
Be honest~work hard~be choosy~say “thank you”~ “I love you”~and
“great job” to someone each day.
Go to church~take time for prayer.
The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh.
Let your hand shake mean more than pen and paper. Love your life and what you’ve been given~it is not accidental~search for your purpose and do it as best as you can. Dreaming does matter~it allows you to become that which you aspire to be.
Laugh often~appreciate the little things in life and enjoy them~some of the best things in life really are free. Do not worry~less wrinkles are more becoming.
Forgive~it frees the soul.
Take time for yourself~plan for longevity.
Recognize the special people you’ve been blessed to know.
Live for today~enjoy the moment.
by Sharon O | Sep 5, 2010 | Uncategorized
I wanted to bring up something I saw today at Target. It bothered my heart and my grandma radar was in shock as I walked by the little girls department the age range was little girls ages 4-7. There was a section of clothes that totally rocked my grandma world. On the rack was a very short black mini skirt with black lace leggings to go with it. I mean this skirt was short and black and very ‘revealing’ with black lace leggings for a little girl who is going to be running and playing at recess on swings and teeter toter’s. For a little girl who is under age 5 and totally innocent to what she is wearing or trying to look like. Am I over reacting or just old fashioned or is it really way out of line for some parents to purchase this and let their child wear it in public? It reminded me of the show toddlers and tiaras. I really dislike that show. The show is about little toddlers who are at a tender innocent age and still babies made up to dress as if they are 16 with makeup and fancy outfits and the parents are expecting them to perform. The little girls cry and whine because they don’t want to have their pictures taken or the makeup on or the scratchy dress. It is the parent who sitting there telling them they have to perform it feels like a form of exploitation. It is the parent who has the problem or sick dream. Good grief the first time I saw a preview of that show it almost made me nauseous. What is the message we are sending our little girls? Little girls who are precious and beautiful and innocent. I just spent time with my grand daughters this weekend and I want them to grow up slowly and with the knowledge that they do not have to do or wear anything to make them more pretty or more precious. They do not have to perform or pretend they are valued. They are loved and valued for who they are just because they are my grand daughters. Lord God I pray we do not send a ‘wrong’ message to our little girls. Help them to know they are precious no matter what they wear.
by Sharon O | Sep 1, 2010 | Uncategorized
The other day as I was skimming my emails and face book
I stopped at a quote of John Eldredge.
It felt so profound to me I just had to write it down and do more thinking about it.
I have read it several times and each time I grasp a new meaning.
John said: Changes in our lives often bring grief and loss. May we embrace and mourn our changes today. Let us not refuse them and lose what God has in store for us.
Changes… none of us like them.
I certainly don’t my routine is pretty much the same day in and day out and my ‘diet’ often is too. The saying ‘creature of habit’ is me. Furniture stays the same year after year, decorations stay the same for each season with very little variations. It is security for me to know that ‘the same’ is here and now and in the room with me.
When something changes it does bring a sense of loss and perhaps grief.
Jobs can change. Friendships come and go. Relationships move in and out of surface talk and deep sharing depending on the time and season.
Children grow up to become adults.
Life is full of changes.
When he said, “Let us embrace and mourn” the picture of a huge hug and a weeping for the night comes to my mind… it is cleansing and restoring.
We say good bye to yesterdays pain and sorrow and we welcome today.
We learn to live in today and look forward to tomorrow. As John says “let us not refuse the changes ahead for us” we might be joyfully surprised by what God has planned.
Today may we live in the now and not worry about anything else.
May we welcome with open arms the changes that might be ahead for us and be willing to accept them even before they come. I pray that we will not miss the blessing that might be around the corner just waiting to be experienced because we refused to change.
by Sharon O | Aug 30, 2010 | Uncategorized
Yesterday in church our music pastor moved from behind his guitar to a teaching position.
He did an awesome job.
I am always excited when God’s gifts are used in different ways.
Our church is not locked into a box of ‘this is your job and this is mine’.
Gifts are used in many ways and this guy behind a guitar became an awesome pastor teacher on Sunday morning.
He began by telling us how Jesus wants to be with us in the seasons of life when we feel overwhelmed and fearful while facing the storms ahead.
We all have them.
Financial storms, health storms, marriage storms, teenage storms, lost jobs or lost homes.
The list goes on and on and in the midst of these life changing storms Jesus wants to walk alongside us and hold us up through the process.
He began to read Mark 4:35-39
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples,”Why are you so afraid? Do you have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Then the music pastor teacher began to break it down verse by verse.
First of all don’t miss the fact that Jesus said,
“LET US GO over to the other side.”
He meant let us go together~you are not alone.
Second point a squall is no small wave… it is large~ it is scary~
it is overwhelming~ it is has the power to knock us over.
Third point swamped is really washing the entire boat full of water
leaving the men holding on tightly for their safety.
Fourth point they became irritated that Jesus was sleeping
while they were potentially going to loose their lives.
When they woke him I wonder if they said to each other,
“who is going to wake him up?”~ did they draw straws? did they choose by number guess ~ how did they decide or did they all run to him and tell him to wake up in the midst of their panic?
The music pastor teacher said, “They woke him up with the question we all ask…throughout different times of our lives. Do you care? Do you care Jesus that we could die? Do you care Jesus that our life is at risk? Do you care Jesus that I lost my job or my marriage or my friendship? Do you care…..???
They didn’t ask him if he could stop the raging winds and water…
they asked him if he cared.
They didn’t ask him to help them.
They asked him if he cared~it’s a very important question to sit with.
Then the music pastor teacher continued and said, “Jesus didn’t answer their question.”
He just stood up and rebuked the wind and water and told them to stop.
Rebuke means: to express sharp stern disapproval of; reprimand. admonish.
Jesus with a sharp stern reprimanding voice said ‘Quiet’ and the winds and the waves obeyed him.
No wonder the disciples were terrified.
Would you feel totally calm if someone you were with was able to speak a word and the wind and the rains obeyed them? Wouldn’t you feel like you didn’t really know the person? would you question who they are to have so much power? Would you still ask them if they cared?
The music pastor teacher continued to say, “when you face the storms of your life you have to remember he won’t let you drown. Remember he said let us go to the other side.” That means he never had any intention of leaving you alone. The journey is yours and his together.
Our AWE should be in the power and glory and beauty of a Holy God who chooses to walk alongside unholy broken people.
Then the music pastor teacher said, “Who ever holds your AWE holds your faith.”
So can I ask you who holds your faith today? do you run to Jesus and ask him if he cares?
I pray your awe will be found in the knowing that your storm is not faced alone.
That you have a savior who has the power to walk with you through it till you get to the other side.
May we face our storms hand in hand with the Lord who heals us through the process.
We must remember ‘we are not alone.’
by Sharon O | Aug 28, 2010 | Uncategorized
We went to the beach yesterday and we were immediately thrilled to notice a gaggle of geese there. We have
never seen Canadian geese at the beach… there had to have been close to 40 or more…it was
such a treat.
I often stop and listen to them as they fly across the sky.
It is so amazing to me that they can fly and honk and stay on course following one leader who occasionally will honk an encouragement sound to the ones following behind. Soon several will be lifting their sky sounds as if they are saying to one another ‘come on you can make it’.
I think we are not that different.
We head into new directions for ourselves and we encourage others to do the same. We cheer each other on as we say:
Be faithful. Be encouraged. Stay strong. Hang in there.
These are all words of encouragement to keep pressing forward in the right direction~ towards the goal~the right final ending place.
Whether that be a new job, a new hobby, a new weight loss, a new look or new attitude.
We encourage each other in the process when we say to one another…
‘I believe in you~you can do it~others have done it and you can too.’
Yesterday as we watched these geese on the beach
I was feeling both thankful and blessed that they found a resting place where we could enjoy them. Some were sleeping and some were walking around flapping their wings and stretching them out. I was just as excited to watch them as I was in watching our grand children playing. The geese were resting in the sun and surf and just hanging out as if they knew once back into flight they must focus and not become weary in the process.
May we do the same as we journey into the directions of our lives.
Each of us have a task, a focus and a destination that we are heading towards.
Help us to not grow weary in the process and realize a new day is coming as we encourage each other to press forward and not give up.
