Make a Vow

There's a Paul McCartney song that speaks to me:

"Too Much Rain"

Laugh, when your eyes are burning
Smile, when your heart is filled with pain

Sigh, as you brush away your sorrow
Make a vow, that's it's not going to happen again

It's not right, in one life
Too much rain

You, know the wheels keep turning
Why, do the tears run down your face

We, use to hide away our feelings
But for now, tell yourself it won't happen again

It's not right, in one life
Too much rain

It's too much for anyone, Too hard for anyone
Who wants a happy and peaceful life
You've gotta learn to laugh

 Smile, when your spinning round and round
Sigh, as you think about tomorrow
Make a vow, that your gonna be happy again

It's all right, in your life
No more rain

It's too much for anyone, Too hard for anyone
Who wants a happy and peaceful life

 

 

The reason this song speaks to me is because even when I was very small I made vows. Vows to heaven and earth. As I was treading water in an ocean of sadness, hurt, pain, rejection I vowed that I would not always live in it.

 

I vowed that one day, when I was an adult,  I would open the windows and let the air and light in.

 

I vowed that one day when I was able to escape that I would make joy and laughter the order of the day instead of sadness and criticism.

 

I knew from a small girl that I was made for sunny days, for happy days.

 

I was made to have a great story as Jack Nicholson's character in "Something's Got to Give" says:

 

"Some of us have great stories, pretty stories that take place at lakes with boats and friends and noodle salad. Just no one in this car. But, a lot of people, that's their story. Good times, noodle salad."

 

I was made for a great story, good times and noodle salad.

 

I'm living what I vowed and I'm not going to apologize for it or be embarrassed by it.



Love & Truth Quote

The Best Foods To Donate to a Food Bank

I just got home from doing a little grocery shopping and the people were out in force! I guess everyone is already Christmas shopping!

 

So, the Season of Giving is already upon us and so I asked myself:

 

What are the foods that food banks need the most?

 

 I did a little research and found that most places agree that the following items are needed the most:

Canned fish such as salmon, sardines, tuna

Canned chicken and beef

Grains such as brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal

Low sodium or no salt added canned vegetables

Canned fruits in natural juice or no sugar added

Dried or canned beans

Canned low sodium soups and stews

Pureed foods such as sweet potatoes, pumpkin and applesauce

Shelf stable milk

 

Spices and seasonings

Olive oil and Canola oil

Honey

Seeds and nuts

Peanut butter and jelly

Popcorn

Fruit juice

Herb tea

Granola bars

 

Holiday foods like canned chicken stock, stuffing mix, yams, etc.

 

Since many food banks serve lots of children, child-friendly sizes are a help.

 

Items for children are needed, too - diapers, wipes, formula, etc.

 

Also, pull-top lids on fruits and individual and lunch size containers are helpful.

 

So, basically, anything you would like to eat. So, don't donate those old cans of hominy - what is hominy anyway?

 

Remember, the people you are helping have stomachs and tastebuds. Think quality, not just quantity!

 

 

 

 



Throw Back Thursday: On Christian Pirates

 

 

I was reading back through some old Xanga posts from 2005 last night. I didn't realize that I had been blogging off and on for over 10 years!

 

One of the posts made me laugh out loud. It was from when my son Joel was in high school. In honor of "Throw Back Thursday" here it is:  

Have you ever heard something so funny that if you laughed hard enough to express how funny it is you'd break something? You just have to stop and say, "That is really funny" and then bust out laughing at inappropriate times throughout the day when you think about it. And when people say, "What's so funny?" you just have to wave them off and say, "nothing."

This probably won't be as funny to you as it was to me. But I've been able to laugh about it for a day or so and that's good. Thanks Clint and Joel for the laughter.

Clint said that he and Joel were talking about how they wish there were "Christian Pirates." Just that thought cracks me up. What would they do? They'd have to do just the opposite of real pirates because from what I've heard real pirates are definitely not sanctified and I really doubt they're saved at all because of all the pillaging and stealing and general wrecking of small seaside villages.

Would they commandeer ships and then witness to the crew as they bring food, water and other provisions on board instead of stealing it? Would they pass out Christian literature? Perhaps they'd bring aboard more modest clothing for the lady passengers? "Walking the plank" would probably mean a baptism. The parrot on the shoulder would probably say, "Amen" or "Preach it!" They'd probably gather for worship in some hidden cove of a Caribbean Island.

What was really funny was when Clint told me that Joel asked for prayer in class for "me crew." That IS how a pirate would give a prayer request. His praise report would probably sound like this, "Arrg! I'd like to tank me Heavenly Fadder for all his many blessin's. I got doubloons coming out me ears and me crew of me great ship, "The Pearl of Great Price" has been about witnessin' and we've taken many souls captive for our great Captain, Jesus Christ after we told those scurvy bilge rats to avast ye sinnin' ways!"

Thanks Clint and Joel for a laugh 10 years later!

Let's Put "It Is What It Is" To Rest, Shall We?

I'm getting pretty tired of the catch phrase, "It is what it is." It's really fatalistic and drains all the hope out of life.

It's a statement to end a conversation. It signals that there's no hope, it will always be this way, let's quit trying, leave and go home.

When the Christ follower uses that phrase we're declaring that God has no power to change the situation or the people involved.

Do we know the hearts and minds of the people involved and God's mind on the subject?

Do you really, Jonah?

"It is what it is" declares that WE'VE decided that there's no hope. But has God? Are we leaving room for Him to move? Or for people to change?

The Christ follower lives in hope! We believe that with God nothing is impossible!

In our history with God we know there are moments when God rescued, delivered, stopped the sun, parted the sea, tore down walls, opened blind eyes, raised the dead!

In a moment it all changed!

He did the impossible!

It wasn't what it was!

It was healed, it was mended, it was better, it was healthy, it was great, it was lovely, it was alive again.

Let's put that phrase to rest and quit thinking we know better than God.

Let's have a little hope.

Let's pray for change.

Let's have a little faith in an Almighty God.