Friday word prompt: Ready

by Sharon O | Sep 12, 2014 | Uncategorized

It brings about a sense of anticipation.
When someone says, “are you ready?”
Either we are going to go somewhere that is fun and exciting or
we are going to do something not so fun like the dentist or doctor.
The other choice is what my neighbor just did when she was ready for a new baby to be born.
Ready … it sounds like an action word.
Dictionary.com says it is to be willing, completely prepared for immediate action.
Prompt with a state of readiness.
When someone says it to me I get anxious.
Like I am expected to ‘do or say or perform or understand’.
It is anticipatory to action.
Are you ready?
It is a question of the heart on many levels.
It can be something very simple like, are you ready for school
or difficult like are you ready to understand and forgive.
It is alert, acute, sharp, prepared.
As in a race when the racers are bent low to gain speed when
the person calling out saying to them, “Ready, set, Go.”
We have all seen this kind of excitement.
I think every morning when we rise for a new day
we should get in the habit of choosing to say to ourselves.
Are you ready?
Then begin with a clean slate and a new anticipation of what is ahead of us.

Friday’s word ~ Whisper

by Sharon O | Sep 5, 2014 | Uncategorized

Joining Friday’s community.
Write for five minutes without editing.

I listen closely as the words were softly said to me.
It was a strain and a stretch my ears could not hear the hushed tones spoken from another.
Since I had the mumps a few years ago one of my ears does not hear as well as it is used to.
Often times words are missed.
Yet in this frustration the quiet and the hushed tones are a gift to me sometimes even without me knowing it.
Moving away from the loud voices surrounding our world the quiet is nice, refreshing…delightful at times.
It is very similar when one is walking outside among the rustling of the leaves in the wind or as I walk near the waves of the ocean on the sandy beach. 
They each have a whisper to them bringing life and hope.
I call it a voice of their own.
Hushed tones are often private.
Not meant for everyone to hear.
Whispers in secret even God did that to a few who followed closely.
Whisper ~ it is a gentle soft word.
Not loud. Not intrusive. Not invading one’s space like loud noises.
Shh ~~ there was the horse whisperer, the dog whisperer, a baby whisperer.
Shall we include a ‘Holy Spirit’ whisperer to the quiet places in our heart?
I listen closely to the soft words spoken to me and I lean in to listen.
Then I know what was missed the first time and I tune my ears to what is needed to hear.

Clothe yourselves

by Sharon O | Sep 5, 2014 | Uncategorized

“Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved,
clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
Colossians 3:12
A few years ago I was thinking about this verse and wrote a few thoughts about it.
The writer starts out with ‘therefore’.
Most pastors say, whenever this word is written, it means, now listen, pay attention, this is very important.
So we are not to miss the fact that we are God’s chosen people.
That is a wonderful promise and thought.
Not only did he choose us, he admonishes us to put on spiritual clothing so others can see Him through us.
Then the writer goes on to say,as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, you are to clothe yourselves.
For me that means we have a choice to present ourselves in a way for others to see, it is purposeful.
It is an action word such as putting on a sweater or zipping up a hoodie or throwing a blanket on yourself when you are feeling cold on the couch.
So what does this really mean for us?
It is about attributes that we represent and share.
Dictionary.com says: Attribute is quality or characteristic of something (something we believe in).
SO as we get up in the morning and get ready for our day.
We can ask ourselves.
Do I want to wear the red sweater and black pants,
or do I put on compassion.
Do I want to wear the denim shirt with the denim pants,
or do I put on kindness.
Do I want to wear the soft flannel shirt with flannel pants,
or do I put on humility.
Do I want to wear the frumpy pants with the frumpy shirt,
or do I put on gentleness.
Do I want to have a dress up day and wear something fancy,
or do I put on patience.
Just as we wrap the love of the Lord around us we also choose
to wrap around ourselves his attributes.
The characteristic and quality of who He is.
It is not often natural for us to be compassionate or kind, humble or gentle and it is not natural for us to be patient either.
It must be a choice for us.
Just as we get up in the morning and decide how we are going to look and dress for the day,
we also choose how we are going to present ourselves.
It is an heavy thought to know that what we choose is what others see and believe about us.
I think for today, it is ‘something to think about.’

(this is a revision of one written in 2010)

Vandalism ~ A new thought

by Sharon O | Sep 1, 2014 | Uncategorized

When you read this word, what image came into your mind?
Did you think of someone spray painting a wall or throwing a rock threw a window?
The real definition of vandalism is this:
willful destruction with malicious intent, to do harm or to destroy,
or willful or ignorant destruction of artistic or literary treasures.
I remember a few years ago our pastor was sharing on this topic.
It stirred me to think deeper. (imagine that)
The word vandalism brings up many negative thoughts and as I was thinking about those images it is true to say, we would never take a spray can and ruin some one else’s property.
We would say it is not good or considerate and even breaks a law.
Now in saying that I challenge us to think about this word in a different way.
When we talk bad about someone or spread a rumor that might not be true against them.
When we choose to believe the untruths without knowing full facts.
We are committing vandalism of the heart towards one another.
Fragmenting and hurting the heart and treasure of another.
Our Pastor said it is like homicide of the heart creating damage and death to a relationship.
When we place judgement on each other we injure the spirit of the person and the content of their story.
The willful destruction is when we choose to spread the rumor or believe the untruth.
The malicious intent is when we choose to say unkind words against another and then begin to believe them.
This intention does harm to us and does harm to the one we are speaking about.
It is unkind and it is non relational and leads to death of a relationship.
In this journey we call life.
We must take responsibility and choose to be kind.
“And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:2
God has given each of us the ability to choose wisely and to have and use discernment when making that choice.
We must take action to be cautious and careful to not harm the heart of another.
When we grasp the pure holiness of another we will refrain from intention to hurt.
When we learn the value of others as God intended them to be valued.
There will be no room for vandalism and intentional pain.
The challenge for us to examine our motives and the intention of our hearts.
Are we choosing words that hurt or heal?
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, Oh Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
(this is a revised reprint of a writing I did in 2010)
Let us use wise judgement and be encouraging towards each other.
 

Just a few words

by Sharon O | Aug 19, 2014 | Uncategorized

The last post I did was just for a bit of fun.
It seems like the world is crazy these days.
So much around us is changing and seems to be on a downward scale.
We do know for sure that God is in control of all and even though
we do not understand or like many of the changes or behaviors of some people.
He is IS in control and He does know the direction
of where it is all going.
What matters most to me is safety for those I love and care for.
Peace in the areas we all live.
Hope in the midst of suffering.
Freedom where it is risky to be free.
Trust in Our Almighty God’s wisdom and love for us.
He is a God who designed and made us in his own image.
I pray you all find yourselves safe and away from harm.
We are living in times that are shaking and changing
let us go into the house of Lord and pray.