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Showing posts from October, 2023

Pay Attention

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A few years ago when online grocery pickup was just getting started, I made my first Kroger order. I wasn't familiar with their system and I was in a hurry to just get it done. I had been out of town and my to-do list had gotten pretty long. Being able to mark grocery shopping off was going to be a huge relief.  So, I hurriedly entered my items and clicked order. Later, I pulled into the spot and a young man stated my total and asked if he could put everything in the back. I thought it sounded kind of high but I did have a large order and groceries are expensive. He loaded the car and off I went.  It wasn't until I arrived at home when I realized I had a problem.  After all of the bags were out, I discovered that underneath was an entire box of bananas.  Somehow, instead of just a few, I had mistakenly ordered 45 lbs!  I got some groceries that day alright, but my order wasn't accurate because in my haste... I didn't pay attention.   Do we sometimes do...

Benefit of the Doubt - A Form of Grace

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  Have you ever read something that someone sent you and wondered how to interpret it? We’ve probably all been guilty of jumping to conclusions.     In this day and time where most communication is done through text or email, it’s hard to know someone’s true intentions when we read something. There’s no eye contact, tone of voice, or body movement to consider.     This makes it difficult to know someone’s meaning behind their words, unless we know their heart.     Someone once read a text to me that upset them. They said, “Listen to this…” and proceeded to read the message in a harsh tone.    I could fully understand how it upset them if it was sent in the manner that it was received.    I then asked if I could read the text back to them.    I read the same words, but intentionally read it with a gentle tone. This small adjustment changed the way the message was received. Neither of us knew exactly how the sender meant it....

Finding Joy to Choose It

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  Several months ago, we were preparing for Rusty’s last trip to MD Anderson Cancer Center to have more tests.    A friend who knew I was concerned about the potential results, gave me a card along with a key ring that says... Choose Joy.     A few months later, Rusty and I sat at another hospital waiting on another test to again screen for cancer.  As we were completing the registration paperwork for the MRI, I noticed a sign on the wall behind the receptionist that said... Choose Joy. I knew that it wasn’t a coincidence and that God used it to remind me not to lose my joy, no matter the outcome.   As I sat in the waiting room while he had his test, I began to think about the process of choosing joy and how before we can choose it, the first thing we must do is find it.   When making any purchase, before you settle on exactly which item you want to buy, you first have to find it.    So, how do we find joy so that we can c...

When the Waters Rise

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  Rusty’s family grew up on the banks of the Homochitto River in Southwest Mississippi. Most of the time, it resembles a big creek with vast sandbars and mostly shallow water, but after many days of heavy rain, it becomes much stronger than you could imagine. It has eroded away the banks year after year and bridges built to hold tons of vehicles have been washed away by raging waters in the past. I was surprised to see just how much of the land that once grew crops for his family had been taken away by the river the last time I was in that area. We know that we will face storms in life.    In  Psalm 107  we're told that God calms the storms and in  Matthew 8  we read where Jesus calmed a great storm for the disciples.   If  we put our faith and trust in our Lord, He will see us through any major storm that comes our way. But what if they aren’t major at all?  Sometimes life can throw a multitude of things at us all at once. It may n...

Overwhelming Compassion

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Have you ever taken a spiritual gifts survey? I've taken a few over the years and always seem to score high in the category of mercy/compassion.  Most of the time, I'm thankful God allows me to feel the pain and hurt of others. But sometimes it would be easier if I didn't.    One my closest friends had lost her son in a tragic accident. He was loved by everyone. He was respectful, outgoing, and had a contagious smile.    His unexpected death hit our church and our community hard.    Most of all, it devastated his family.   Our two families had spent a lot of time together and his loss affected Rusty, my children, and myself.    For me, seeing my friend grieve the loss of her son and not knowing how to help her hit extremely hard.    I cried every day for weeks.    Eventually, I found myself sitting in a Christian counselor’s office, a place I never thought I’d be but needing to find relief as not understandi...