A Place for All Women

Who Do You Want To Be?

August 12, 2011

          The question is raised almost as much as a single person is asked, “When are you going to get married?” or a married couple is asked, “Do you want to have children?”  My 13-year-old son is often asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  I love waiting for his answer and anticipating what he might say. 

          Right now he wants to be a lawyer.  But that follows a few years of wanting to be a preacher like his Papaw, a rock-n-roll star, an NBA basketball player  or a FBI agent.  I personally think if he doesn’t settle on just one, there could be an interesting combination at work.

          Lately, I’ve been spending time with people who are on their second, third and fourth careers.  It seems sort of exciting that you can re-make yourself that many times.  So I started thinking…

          Who do I want to be if I ever grow up? 🙂

          What I finally came up with is a bucket list of character traits… rather than just a list of vacation trips I still want to take:

  • I want to be the person who listens, instead of the one who always talks
  • To be like the woman who doesn’t just think something good about someone, but actually takes the time to stop and tell them
  • Someone who smiles instead of frowns, because it’s just as easy to do one as the other
  • I want to fully recover from, and never return to, my “control-a-holic.” ways…because, given a chance or any encouragement at all, I will take the bull by the horns and run with it.  When God is in control, things run so much smoother.
  • I want to always remember that some of the wisest people I know don’t have college degrees, resumes or impressive bios
  • Give people the benefit of the doubt, because we all have issues, we all have baggage, we all have histories and not everyone has dug up the roots of their past
  • Be someone you can call on, count on and know I will be there if I can
  • A wife who lifts her husband up instead of finding ways to cut him down
  • A mother who adores her children and grandchildren
  • A daughter willing to tenderly take as much time for my parents as they did for me.
  • I want to pray for the needs of others more than I pray for myself
  • I want to live, love and laugh with all I’ve got!
  • I always want to remember that God has never let me down.  And, as long as I’m here, He still has a plan.

                            So if you don’t mind me asking…who do you still want to be?

 

“What we are is God’s gift to us.  What we become is our gift to God.”

Eleanor Powell

 

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

 

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A Restless Evil

August 4, 2011

            The sounds of chicken frying and potatoes boiling, mixed in with the smell of biscuits baking, made for a most pleasant and secure feeling that night.  My mom was busy in the kitchen while I sat cross-legged on the counter watching her every move.

             Then the shrill sound of the old rotary wall phone changed it all in an instant.  I could tell by the worried look on my mother’s face and the irritated tone in her voice that this was not good.  She looked at me as she hung up the phone and said “Your Dad and I have been called to a Parent/Teacher Conference.” 

             My security slid right out the door and my appetite tanked.  My older sisters found great joy in the moment, dancing around the kitchen, singing in unison, “You’re in trouble, you’re in trouble.”  They were right.  I was in trouble with my parents, but not necessarily in trouble at school.

             I was in the 4th grade and my increasingly concerned teacher told my parents at their meeting that I didn’t get into trouble; I just laughed at those who did.  My husband jokes that it was a pre-requisite for my career as a news reporter.  But what was really happening was I had found my first excuse to talk about people.  They were in trouble.  They had done something wrong.  I not only thought it was funny that they were being judged for their actions, but I was anxious to tell other people what had happened.

     In some ways, it was a sport I had learned while watching grownups gossip at all sorts of gatherings.  In fact, I discovered it was not only okay to talk about people; it seemed to be an acceptable sin even at church.  I remember my mom getting to a point where she no longer wanted to get us all dressed up on Easter Sunday.  It made her feel uncomfortable how some people talked more about what others were wearing, and how much they were spending, than the word they were supposed to be hearing.

             I don’t know why it’s so hard to tame the tongue.  We are warned many times in the Bible about its destructive powers.  Although I know men who can slice and dice with a quick slash of their tongue, it’s usually women who get the worst rap when it comes to spreading gossip.

             The older I get the more I recognize the temptations of that old trap.  I’m far better than I was in the 4th grade, but still find that I have not yet mastered my mouth.

              It’s not as bad as it once was, back when my tongue might have gotten me all tangled in a web of my own making.  But I do get that little twinge of a spiritual reminder when I talk too much.  It’s that gut feeling that I should stop.  If I don’t, it either makes me feel really sick inside or I walk away feeling stressed and strangely justified, but sad and sorry all the same.

            I did it again today.  The conversation started innocently enough then one thing led to another and I quenched the voice of the Holy Spirit so I could have my say.  It felt just like I knew it would. 

“All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue.  It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”  

James 3:7-8  

            It’s true!  Sometimes we can’t stop it; and we certainly can’t tame it.  But it’s not really up to us.  God knows our weaknesses and he’s got us covered.

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26

          Tomorrow is a new day and our God of second chances will let us try again to walk away or remain silent.  A friend at work frequently uses the phrase, “Stay in your lane.” It’s good advice.  If we concentrate on what we’re supposed to be doing, the temptation to talk about others won’t be so tantalizing.  If you think about it, it’s ironic in a way, when we are talking about someone else we are the ones who are wrong.

Until we meet again, I pray we all keep our hands on the wheel and our judgemental and critical tongues tucked safety behind our teeth.  

          I don’t remember if I got a reprieve, was grounded or maybe even spanked after my parents found out what I was doing.  But I suspect my sisters have a few memories they might be willing to share.   

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

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Some Smelly Socks

July 24, 2011

          A silly little saying can sometimes stick in my head longer than the words of wisdom from a deep theological study. 

           When I was a teenager, my friends and I had a catchphrase we would use whenever we were embarrassed.

            “I’m just gonna go crawl into my socks… and peep out.”

            It helps if you imagine it being said with a bit of a Southern drawl. 

           I most often found the saying useful after I had offered up my opinion and unsolicited advice to someone, then later found myself in the very same situation, reacting exactly as they had.  My sisters and sister-in-law can certainly testify here for all the times I questioned or criticized their parenting skills before becoming a mom myself.  And I fully acknowledge after this confession that some of my current friends are about to raise their hands in agreement that I should go get my socks.

           As a full-time mom for the last 13 years, finding time to read my Bible, study, pray and spend quiet time with God, has been a breeze.  The more often I relaxed on the front porch swing, in the big mama chair or in total hammock heaven, the more I thought everyone should be doing the same thing.  My working friends would drop behind in group Bible studies and I would think they were just slacking… succumbing to the pressure of a paycheck and giving God less time than He deserved.  But now, here I am, operating most days on four hours of sleep, praying in the car on the way to work, grabbing a quick verse from my new daily devotional and looking longingly at the Beth Moore study collecting dust on the headboard of my bed. 

           While I miss the time I used to have with my family, I feel far more desperate for my quiet time with God.  But He did try to warn me.

           Before I walked reluctantly back into the working world, I kept seeing and hearing the word “sacrifice” in studies, on signs and in sermons.  Now that I can look back and sort of understand what was about to happen, the words “self righteous” are beginning to appear.  The words came to me again this morning while praying on my way to work.  The Spirit was pretty clear on how little I really comprehend the stress, struggles and tight schedules of other people’s lives.  I felt sad and sorry, though I still felt a little entitled.  That is one of the problems with our flesh… and a good God doesn’t want us to stay that way.

             So, it’s a Saturday and I’m at work.  But when I get home, I’m going to find a pair of socks and, if you look closely my friends, you will be able to see me peeping out.

 

“Do not judge so that you will not be judged.  For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.”

Matthew 7:1 

Yep I see that a bit more clearly now. 

“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.  Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4:15-16 

In addition to mercy and grace, what I need is more time to do that study.  But in honor of all working women  I’m going to try to keep quiet about that for a little while.

🙂

 

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

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Behind the Firewall

July 16, 2011

Job 29:24

“When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;

the light of my face was precious to them.” 

            When you pray for God’s provision, you can’t always predict how He might provide.  I am partial to those times when money just unexpectedly shows up in the mail.  But as soon as I start counting on that happening again, of course, it doesn’t.  If I am still able to muster up the smallest measure of faith, I eventually find that I am fascinated by God’s plan and so glad He didn’t follow mine.

            Thus, I recently found myself in a situation I had not expected.  Our city was just about to recover from historic flooding when tornadoes, straight-line winds and more flooding hit many of the surrounding areas.  It was one of the largest scale disasters ever recorded here and resulted in multitudes of rescue and recovery missions.  Federal and State disaster officials moved in and set up shop.  It wasn’t like setting up camp, but more like creating a major corporation.  It takes a massive machine to process the paperwork when thousands of people have lost everything they have ever owned. 

            But after several weeks of working it all out, the relief operation begins winding down, and that’s where this part of the story starts: 

            We needed money!  Not your normal bill-paying family financial infusion, but a big chunk of extra cash to pay for a new contractual commitment. 

            So I needed a job…or a check in the mail…and I got the job. 

            As the disaster workers began to wrap up the details in order to leave our area, a few locals were hired to come in and help out during the temporary transition.  What I expected to see inside the secure facility were a few hundred worn out and weary workers limping along until the last leg of their journey.  What I actually saw were some of the happiest people I have ever encountered. 

            “I think it comes from the top,” one employee suggested when asked for an explanation.  She must have been right because it wasn’t long before I witnessed the big boss walking around each room, calling every person by name and, not only allowing them to forgo all the official titles, but letting them use his nickname.  He was smiling, laughing and making sure everyone was having a little fun.

             It seems happiness is contagious and smiles apparently spread.  🙂 

            There is a passion in this place to help those who can’t help themselves.  And it comes with a sacrifice.  In order to assist survivors, the employees have left homes, husbands, wives, children and pets.  Most all of them are from out-of-state and have been on the clock for 12 hours a day… seven days a week… not just for a few weeks, but  for months.  

          They still smile big smiles; happy smiles…the kind where your eyes work into the equation and you can tell a genuine smile from a forced or fake one.   This secret society of public servants comes in all ages, races and religions, and I think they prove that with properly placed priorities there is provision.

            In the natural, their mind-set doesn’t seem to make sense.  How could they really be happy under these conditions?

               But, remember, they believe it comes from the top.

              They all take an oath of office to faithfully uphold the Constitution.  And, regardless of how quickly our country appears to be forgetting, they all still believe in serving “one nation under God.”

          In a world plagued with rising unemployment, they know their jobs are only temporary.  In fact, it is their mission, upon arriving at a disaster site, to work their way out of a job.  It’s how they help.   It’s how they measure success.  When the people no longer need them, they move on.  

          They can’t predict how God will provide for them the next time, but they trust He will have another assignment.  When they get the call, it will likely mean homes have been destroyed and lives have been shattered. They will drop everything they are doing and rush in to an area that everyone else is trying to escape.  

          When I took this job, I thought it was about money. We had prayed for provision and we believe God is answering our prayers.  But, now, I am far more intrigued  by God’s plan to provide a new perspective.

          I have learned that is it is not unusual for these people to be publicly criticized or ridiculed for what doesn’t happen in the recovery of a disaster zone rather than what does happen.  Hurting people sometimes lash out and hurt other people.  But these public servants seem to understand.  And, they keep going from one location… to another… always looking for the next person to help…still smiling…still happy… because it does come from the Top.  God has created us to find joy in giving, to find joy in serving, and to find joy in knowing we have made a difference. 

          At the end of the day, happiness is contagious and smiles spread.  When you pray for God’s provision, you can’t always know how He will provide. But you can always know that He will!   

Proverbs 15:15

“All the days of the oppressed are wretched,

but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.”           

Romans: 12:6-8

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.  If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage then give encouragement; if it is giving then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”   

 “The word joy is sprinkled all over the New Testament, not as something topping the cupcakes of worldly lusts or entertainment, but falling upon the hearts of men and women whose lives are caught up in who God is and what He is doing”  

~Kelly Minter, The Fitting Room

 

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

 

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Desperately Seeking Mary

July 6, 2011

STOP!  Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, please pause to participate in an impromptu and informal survey with me.  It won’t take long. 

Ask yourself… “Who am I most like…Mary or Martha?”

Our pastor asked the same question at a recent Sunday evening service.  In a sanctuary filled with lots of ladies, only two women raised their hands when asked if they identified their lives with Mary.  

Okay.  What about you? Is it Mary? Or Martha?      

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, Martha is our role model for a Type A overachiever.  She likes to be in charge and she likes to get things done.  She has a list and when she finally gets that last item checked off, she will collapse into exhausted satisfaction… temporarily.  Tomorrow she will draft another list and the mode that makes her “all Martha” will return for another refrain.  Sometimes she gets help with her projects.  Other times, not so much.  Flying solo can bring out the best in her as she is tight wired to excel.  It can also bring out her wounded martyr mentality, and she will passively aggressively guilt anyone not able to read her mind and volunteer to help.  She loves to tell anyone who will listen all about the number of things she has accomplished.  In her mind, no one ever seems to be as busy or as booked. 

 Then, there is Mary.

 Although some might describe her as the type to stop and smell the roses, she probably hasn’t taken the time to plant any.  She recognizes that life is short… that “getting it all done” only results in “it all needs to be done again.”  She puts God first and spends quality time with people she loves.  She looks you in the eye, she listens to what you have to say and she lets you know that you matter to her.  She is not immune from stress but ponders its source and takes control of every thought.  She’s aware of all the striving round her and doesn’t mind helping as long as it doesn’t interfere with her time alone with God.  She has found the Source…the Supplier of her peace…the Keeper of her time… the Fountain of her youth.  All other activities are a meaningless chasing after the wind.  Sure, she knows if you don’t work, you don’t eat.  It says so in 2nd Thessalonians 3:10.  But there will be plenty of time to work. Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there is a time for everything under heaven. 

While her sister Martha is on a mission to do many things… Mary knows there is really only one thing.  Her properly placed priority is the Prince of Peace.  He will bless her and reward her for choosing to seek Him first. 

Martha or Mary?

I wasn’t either of the two women who raised their hands at church signifying they most identified with Mary.  I threw my hand up in the air and proudly went with the majority, believing I am more often Martha than Mary.  In fact, most of the women I know claim allegiance with the over-achieving sister. 

Both have their rightful places in our society and there is a great need for go-to girls.  But the older I get and the more I see my accomplishments just need repeating… the more I am DESPERATELY SEEKING MARY! 

 “If God isn’t first, sooner or later He will simply be a nice embellishment to our lives. When we put God first, we are empowered to love each other better, even if our love is not at first understood. The trouble is that too often we ignore things that should be first in our lives and go after secondary things, thereby losing both.”

~Camille Fronk Olson 

Luke 10:38-42

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed-or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her” 

I did notice for the first time when reading this story again that this all happened at Martha’s house.  So for all of us who identify with Martha, but would like to be more like Mary,  I know this…it’s much easier to relax when the dinner party is at my sister’s house.

🙂  

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

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Age is just a Number!

June 29, 2011

          We have a saying around our house that “Pink is just a color.”  Our son spoke those words at age nine after discovering his 18-year-old sister’s pink kayak would navigate the river waters much smoother than the blue one he just “had” to have. 

            When I woke up last week as a 50-year-old woman, and laughed at the very thought of it, one of the first things that went through my mind was “Age is just a number.”  I flipped on the morning news and they were actually doing a segment called Minivan Mom turns 40.  I laughed again.  As I sat there staring at the television, I realized I was now ten years older than the woman being interviewed.   She had previously set a boundary for herself, based on what she was willing to do or not do, to stop the aging process.  But as the wrinkles worked their way around her face, she changed her mind, and was now  boasting that she would in fact bet on Botox.   

          Now, I’m a big fan of refusing to age gracefully and fighting it every step of the way.  But it seems we might need fewer miracle cures if we didn’t always worry and complain about how old we are, how bad we feel, what hurts, or all the things that are wrong with us.

            Words have power!

            Our son, who says “Pink is just a color,” also came to me one day and said, “You know Mom, ten people can say nice things to you.  But if one person says something mean or bad it’s all you really remember the rest of the day.”  So, so, true.

            Words have power!  

            But who speaks negative words over us more than we do?  I’m too skinny,  I’m too fat, my arms are flabby, I am such an idiot, I’m so forgetful, I’m getting old, I feel terrible, I have a headache, my back hurts, my knees ache…you know what I mean.  Don’t get me wrong, I have both feet in this boat too.  I do try to REMIND myself as OFTEN as possible that God spoke the world into existence.  His words have the Ultimate Power.  He didn’t just think “Let there be light,” He spoke it.  He didn’t just ponder in his heart, “Let us make man in Our image,” He said it.  All throughout the Bible, there are examples of healings by Jesus and the apostles where words were spoken over the people who were sick.  Jesus raised the dead with words.  In the Old Testament, a father’s spoken blessing carried so much weight that, once said, it couldn’t be recanted. 

            Words have power!  

            Now you may be wondering how a story about age ends up being about words.  I was sort of wondering that myself.  But a birthday has No Power over me.  It’s the words I say to myself that will determine if I’m a young, energetic, just getting started 50… or an almost ready for rocking chair retirement half-century. 

            Words have power!

            And I am here to testify, Age is just a number! 🙂

“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,

Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.”

Proverbs 16:24

**Despite a wonderful, “real surprise” party thrown by my husband, son, family and friends, my mind kept returning for days afterwards to the fact the house hadn’t been cleaned for guests nor the lawn mowed.  I spoke those words over and over until I began to feel burdened by what “didn’t happen” rather than joyful for “what did.”  I am trying to take those thoughts captive and further tame my tongue.  After all, I did ask God that very morning to help me with my control issues. **

🙂

Have a wonderful week.  Say something nice to yourself, lift someone up encourage those around you.

“From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things…”

Proverbs 12:14 

 

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

 

 

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A Crown of Beauty

June 22, 2011

            Her tiny little toes brushed the dry dusty dirt, side to side, as she erased the work she had just completed.  She took a brown, brittle stick in her hand and began to sketch again.  She drew from memory the pet calf her daddy had given her.  Each drawing had to be just the way she wanted it, or she would dust it away and start over. 

            Matilda Lotz sat for a moment and remembered the day the soldiers had come to her home.  They tore down much of what her father had built to use as supplies for their war. They killed the farm animals for food.  As the fighting began she saw her pet calf hit by a stray bullet.  Her mother tried to soothe her first broken heart while her father moved quickly to protect his entire family.

            The day after Matilda turned six, one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War raged right outside her home.  Her father hid his family in a neighbor’s basement, and there they huddled in the damp, cold darkness.  They couldn’t see what was happening, but they could hear it.  The sounds of soldiers dying all around them must have scared everyone.  But for a little girl with loving parents,  a fine home and her precious pets, it must have been horrifying. 

            After 19 long hours, when Matilda and her family finally stepped out of the darkness and into the light, they saw for the first time what they had survived.  It was almost impossible to walk without stepping on the body of a dead American soldier.  Witnesses said it was a sight they would never forget.

              Many of those who survived slipped into self-destructive drinking, unable to accept what they had seen.  If not for the mercy and grace of a good God, Matilda might not have been able to go on.  But she had a heart that was still beating for the innocent farm animals.  Even though they were gone, she realized that in her hands she held the power to keep them with her.  Her dirt drawings soon transitioned into paper sketches and, before long, she was painting on canvas. 

            A passion to pursue her artistic abilities propelled her away from the grim reminders of her childhood home. Matilda Lotz had a purpose far beyond the pit.  What Satan meant for her harm, God worked for good.  He gave her a fearless, free and independent spirit…eventually taking her to the far reaches of the world.  And before her death in 1923, that little girl who once drew in the dirt became a gold medal award-winning animal painter of international acclaim. 

Isaiah 61: 1-3

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
   because the LORD has anointed me
   to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
   to proclaim freedom for the captives
   and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
   and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
   instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
   instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
   instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
   a planting of the LORD
   for the display of his splendor. 

You can be a victim or a victor…live in a palace or a pit…fall for Satan’s traps or follow God to the promised land.  You can’t always control what happens to you, but by the grace of God, you can choose how you respond to it. 

“The enemy has no authority to hold us when we are ready to get out.”

               ~Beth Moore 

No matter what you are going through now or have walked through already, God has the power to help you overcome anything! 

Be who He created you to be. 

Out of His glorious riches, there are no limitations.

http://lotzhouse.com/

 

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

 

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The Measure of a Man

June 15, 2011

“Safe? Who said anything about safe?

‘Course He isn’t safe.   But He’s good.”   

               -C.S. Lewis 

            Religion and rules have never been a big part of my dad’s daily life.  He’s a good man, but not much of a church-going kind of guy.  He never cusses.  He seldom says anything bad about anyone, even if they deserve it.  And, though people have tried to judge him, he doesn’t reciprocate.

            While I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and learned a little about my chosen profession, my dad took his high school diploma and leaned how to do just about everything.      

            He set the bar really high, and each time I would struggle to get to the top, he would just raise it higher.  It was crazy frustrating and I spent a lot of wasted time trying to figure out why a father would want, need and demand that I always do my best. 

            What I didn’t realize then is that it was good training.  This man, who would rather mow his yard than hear more preaching from the pulpit, was an earthly example of a God who is good.  

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”  Colossians 3:23:24

            Now, don’t get me wrong, girls.  It wasn’t always Daddy/Daughter Day.  There were times when he toppled right off of that pedestal I had placed him on; and there was some serious silence between us during my most rebellious years.  He is a believer in free will and firm discipline, and, the more time I spend with my dad, the more I understand my God.  There’s nothing easy about being your best.  It’s hard work.  But God knows that, and must have told my dad.  The apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:14

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

            In this fallen world, Father’s Day isn’t always the happiest time if you have an absent dad, an abusive dad or a dad you’ve never known.  We all know making a baby doesn’t make you a dad…but, the God who made you is your Father.  It is never too late to depend on Him, count on Him, and call on Him.

            Is God safe?  No, not really.  He will push you, prune you, discipline and refine you.  He will test your faith and rock your world.  Still, He is always good!

            Just the other night, I was sitting on the front porch swing, distraught over the two mares God has given us.  It seems when I most want to spend time with them, they’re rebellious, withdrawn or simply turn and walk away.  The thought immediately went through my mind that sometimes I act the same way…moody, rebellious, and withdrawn.  When I told my dad about it he laughed and said, “It sounds like God is speaking to you.”  No sweeter words has he ever spoken.  Whether he knows it or not, without rules and religion, he has taught me how to listen.  In my mind, that is the measure of a man!        

Keziahcarrie has a growing list of subscribers; and we all have one thing in common.  We are women on a journey.  Tell us about your dad.  Good, bad and ugly.  Sharing our stories gives us strength.   

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

Proverbs 27:17

May you have a Happy Father’s Day with your Heavenly Father!

🙂

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Where were you?

June 8, 2011

            Where were you when Elvis died; or maybe more recently, Michael Jackson?  Do you remember what you were doing as the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded?  What was happening in your life the morning terrorists hit our largest city and our nation’s capital?  We probably all remember exactly where we were and what we were doing. 

            But where were you and what were you doing when some of your most persistent prayers were answered?  When a problem was finally solved?  When a question swirling around in your mind for days, months, maybe even years was finally answered?  Where were you the last time you just received a totally unexpected blessing?

            I don’t sing in the shower, but I do seem to find some of life’s solutions there.  It’s probably one of the few places where the non-stop noise of daily living is drowned out by the white noise of the water and I can think more clearly, listen more intently.

            A few years ago, faced with what looked like the potential destruction of our family, I cried out to God for His help.  His answer came almost immediately through the car radio.  Nope, didn’t hear His actual voice.  But as I drove across a ten-mile stretch of highway, a song started playing on a station I didn’t remember punching up on the dial.  The words took my mind back to a place we had visited seven years earlier and the people there knew what to do.   

            After months of praying, researching and striving to find the right place for our son to attend school the answer came at a spontaneous dinner gathering.  The kids were horsing around; dinner was on the stove and at least three conversations going on simultaneously, when a friend suggested a school we had never considered.  Casual conversation in our friend’s kitchen changed our direction and put us on the right path.

            Just a few weeks ago, 35 years of praying, hoping and waiting came crashing into our lives like a tidal wave of blessings.  We were just running an errand, returning a baby swing to another friend, and the cell phone rang.  A simple conversation was the first piece of a puzzle that slid snugly into place over the next five days and my dreams of owning one horse, became two.   

            In the shower, driving, talking with friends, taking a call…just doing what we do…and God is there…letting us know He has not forgotten us. He still answers prayers, and if we’re not listening for His still small voice, He may have someone call! 🙂

            It’s easy to remember where we were when the big things happened…when the bad things happened…but I also always want to remember where I was when God looked down (like He did in the Beginning) and saw that it was GOOD! 

Where were you the last time something really good happened…something really GREAT?  What were you doing the last time God answered your prayers or gave you the answer you needed? 

Our former pastor used to say, “Good things happen over time.  Great things happen all at once.”  It sure seems that way some days.  My husband accuses me of going from great thing to great thing and I am here to tell you,  I am GUILTY as charged! 🙂 

“The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise him.”

Psalm 28:7 

As Diane Lane sang in the Disney movie Secretariat, which I have now watched five, six… okay, maybe seven times…

He taught me how to watch and pray and live rejoicing every day

O Happy Day! 

Psalm 118:24

“This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

Philippians 4:4 

🙂 

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

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Dear Abby Dear Abby

June 1, 2011

            Remember Dear Abby? 

            Ask Ann Landers? 

            Questions on proper in-law etiquette, noisy neighbors and philandering spouses peppered news papers all across the country.  The twin sisters could turn out a response in a couple of paragraphs and their opinions carried weight around the world.  

            It would be statistically interesting to see how many marriages were saved, the number of divorces finalized and apologies accepted based solely on the advice of the sisters.  If you could wait a few weeks and risk the overwhelming odds of your letter being chosen, I guess it was a logical way to learn what you should do.  Better yet, if you could just find your problem mimicked in someone else’s life, then you could piggy-back off of their solicited solution.  If Abby and Ann weren’t accessible enough, family members and friends have usually been willing to offer up advice.  Unfortunately, “Going to the phone, before going to the Throne,” (thank you Joyce Meyer for that quote) can get you in trouble.  While we can usually count on family and friends for their opinions, they are often pre-programmed to tell us what we want to hear…or they offer advice slightly slanted by their own particular experiences.  I am sometimes guilty of purposely selecting whose advice I seek, knowing in advance they are likely to give me the answer I want. 

            There are all sorts of examples on seeking advice in the Bible…some turn out well and others not so much.  Proverbs 24:6 says, “Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisors.”  I like that one.  It’s always seemed like a good idea to me, to ask around before getting yourself into a tight situation, especially to find out if you have anyone on your side.  And if you already have some ideas and plans formulated in your mind, you might want to pull up Proverbs 16:3  “Commit to the Lord everything you do, then your plans will succeed.”  Of course you have to get that “commit” part first.  It doesn’t work after the fact.  Then, there is the foundational fool-proof piece of advice Jesus gives us in Matthew 6:33  “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”   I have tested and tried that verse many times and am living proof that it is true and effective.

            But just yesterday a friend asked my advice on a risky decision she was about to make.  It’s easy to say “Go for it” or “Just do it” when you’re NOT the one standing on the edge of a cliff, grabbing hold of an old rope and preparing to launch yourself out over a pile of jagged rocks to the icy river below.  When I saw her apprehension, I should have told her to stop and pray about it.  But I egged her on.  I wanted her to do it because I had done it, and well, the kids thirty and forty years younger than us had done it.  Her success would carry a set of bragging rights for the two of us while the other adults sat safely in their kayaks watching from the shallow water. 

            So she jumped.  It didn’t go well.  I immediately found myself praying she would be okay as I looked down into the water and we exchanged horrified facial expressions.  A  few bumps, a couple of bruises, some scratches, scrapes, cuts, a little wounded pride with lots of “I should have known betters” and we floated on down the river.

            I suspect she might think twice about trusting my advice again on such life and death situations.  But if there is a next time, I hope I won’t miss the opportunity to encourage her to overlook my opinion, and take her question straight to the Top!

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;

He will never let the righteous be shaken.”

Psalm 55:22

            Of course, even if she had asked Dear Abby or Ann Landers, I suspect the sisters would have sided with me and said:

 “You only live once.  Jump!”

Who do you count on to give you advice?

Who counts on you for answers? 

These may be questions worth contemplating. 🙂 

 

© Copyright 2011, KeziahCarrie.  All Rights Reserved

 

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