Saturday, July 10, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Magic Eye is Magicical!!
I know it's been forever and a day since I've written. I've been a tad busy with life. Writing about my angst took a back seat to my fairytale romance. :) More on that another time.
While sitting in traffic today, I had a thought. Well, to be more precise, I had a strings of thoughts, but I want to write about one of them: Magic Eye. Do you guys remember these from the 80's? You'd stare at a 2D image for a while until your eyes adjusted and a 3D image would magically appear and leap off the page! Once I "find" the hidden treasure, I'm able to look all around the page and take everything in.
I Googled Magic Eye and found THE coolest site: 3D Stereogram where you can make your own Magic Eye Picture like this: Check it out! So cool, huh? Can you tell what it says?
You might be saying to yourself, 'This is neat, Mer, but what's the point?" My thoughts exactly. God gave me the analogy that my life right now is like a Magic Eye picture. Thanks, God, but what does that mean?
The other night at church, Pastor Steve Blair told us a story how he taught his girls how to ride bikes when they were little. When they first started out, he'd have a firm grip on the back of their t-shirts, that way, if they fell off, he could quickly pull them up and out of harm's way. As the girls progressed and got more independent, he could loosen his grip up a bit. The girls thought they were doing it on their own, but their daddy was still protecting them. Steve said that God does the same thing with us. Sometimes He's got a tight grip on us and we feel it; feel the protective love and safety. While other times, when it feels as though we're footloose and fancy free, He's still got a hold of us.
When we look at our life and everything seems all out of focus and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to anything, if we'll just focus on Jesus then everything else blurs away and HE becomes our focus.
On the surface, my life is peachy-keen, as my Grandfather used to say. Nothing is perceivable wrong, however, I've felt this restlessness for a few weeks now. I've been trying to figure out what God wants me to do next. What new project am I to take on for His glory? I, of course, would love to write another book, but the time isn't right. Jason and I have been praying that God will reveal to me the path I'm to take next. Jason found this verse, in John I think, where the Holy Spirit goes before us and leads us before we even think about a decision.
We sing this song at church that feels like my heart beat lately: Awakening by Chris Tomlin.
For You and You alone
Awake my soul, awake my soul and sing
For the world You love
Your will be done, let Your will be done in me
While sitting in traffic today, I had a thought. Well, to be more precise, I had a strings of thoughts, but I want to write about one of them: Magic Eye. Do you guys remember these from the 80's? You'd stare at a 2D image for a while until your eyes adjusted and a 3D image would magically appear and leap off the page! Once I "find" the hidden treasure, I'm able to look all around the page and take everything in.
I Googled Magic Eye and found THE coolest site: 3D Stereogram where you can make your own Magic Eye Picture like this: Check it out! So cool, huh? Can you tell what it says?
You might be saying to yourself, 'This is neat, Mer, but what's the point?" My thoughts exactly. God gave me the analogy that my life right now is like a Magic Eye picture. Thanks, God, but what does that mean?
The other night at church, Pastor Steve Blair told us a story how he taught his girls how to ride bikes when they were little. When they first started out, he'd have a firm grip on the back of their t-shirts, that way, if they fell off, he could quickly pull them up and out of harm's way. As the girls progressed and got more independent, he could loosen his grip up a bit. The girls thought they were doing it on their own, but their daddy was still protecting them. Steve said that God does the same thing with us. Sometimes He's got a tight grip on us and we feel it; feel the protective love and safety. While other times, when it feels as though we're footloose and fancy free, He's still got a hold of us.
When we look at our life and everything seems all out of focus and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to anything, if we'll just focus on Jesus then everything else blurs away and HE becomes our focus.
On the surface, my life is peachy-keen, as my Grandfather used to say. Nothing is perceivable wrong, however, I've felt this restlessness for a few weeks now. I've been trying to figure out what God wants me to do next. What new project am I to take on for His glory? I, of course, would love to write another book, but the time isn't right. Jason and I have been praying that God will reveal to me the path I'm to take next. Jason found this verse, in John I think, where the Holy Spirit goes before us and leads us before we even think about a decision.
We sing this song at church that feels like my heart beat lately: Awakening by Chris Tomlin.
For You and You alone
Awake my soul, awake my soul and sing
For the world You love
Your will be done, let Your will be done in me
It gets me every time as tears stream down my face as I worship. I believe God's been trying to bring forth an awakening in my own life. Far too long I've been going with the flow of life traffic; instead, shouldn't I be salmon? What could I be doing to change the destiny of someone? Will you pray with me as I try to discover my new God-Project? Thanks.
One last thing, completely unrelated to anything I've previously said, yet very cool and should inspire you nonetheless:
Monday, June 7, 2010
Love Learning?
If you love learning, you love the discipline that goes with it— how shortsighted to refuse correction!
A good person basks in the delight of God,
and he wants nothing to do with devious schemers.
You can't find firm footing in a swamp,
but life rooted in God stands firm.
Proverbs 12: 1-3 (The Message)
A good person basks in the delight of God,
and he wants nothing to do with devious schemers.
You can't find firm footing in a swamp,
but life rooted in God stands firm.
Proverbs 12: 1-3 (The Message)
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Who Sings This??
Anyone know who sings this? They are some of the lyrics from a song that came on "So You Think You Can Dance" the other night. I would love to have this song in my collection. Help?!
"...You are a lighthouse when I'm lost at sea and you are the language I'm trying to speak and you are a taste that keeps me thirsty in the air and on the ground it's rising"?
"...You are a lighthouse when I'm lost at sea and you are the language I'm trying to speak and you are a taste that keeps me thirsty in the air and on the ground it's rising"?
Friday, April 30, 2010
Not The Way You Planned It
Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods.
They were discussing their hopes and dreams when
The first tree said, 'Someday I hope to be a great
Treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver
And precious gems. I could be decorated with an
Intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty.'
Then the second tree said, 'Someday I will be a
Mighty ship. I will take Kings and queens across the
Waters and sail to the corners of the world. People
Will eel safe in me because of the strength of my
Hull .'
Finally the third tree said, 'I want to grow to be
The tallest and straightest Tree in the forest. People
Will see me on top of the hill, look up to my branches,
And think of the heavens and God and how close to
Them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all
Time and people will always remember me.'
After a few years of praying that their dreams would
Come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees.
When one came to the first tree he said, 'This looks
Like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the
Wood to a carpenter, and he began cutting it down. The
Tree was happy, because he knew the carpenter would
Make him into a treasure chest.
At the second tree the woodsman said, 'This looks like
A strong tree. I will be able to sell it to the shipyard.'
The second tree was happy Because he knew he was on
His way to becoming a mighty ship.
When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree
Was frightened because he knew that if they cut him
Down his dreams would not come true. One of the men
Said, 'I don't need anything special from my tree, I'll
Take this one,' and he cut it down.
When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was
Made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in
A barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he
Had prayed for.
The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing
Boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying
Kings had come to an end.
The third tree was cut into large pieces, and left alone
In the dark.
The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.
Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave
Birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box
That was made from the first tree. The man wished that he
Could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would
Have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event
And knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.
Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from
The second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep.
While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and
The tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men
Safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said
'Peace' and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew
That it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.
Finally, someone came and got the third tree.
It was carried through the streets as the
People mocked the man who was carrying it.
When they came to a stop, the man was nailed
To the tree and raised in the air to die at the top
Of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to
Realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top
Of the hill and be as close to God as was possible,
Because Jesus had been crucified on it.
The moral of this story is that when things don't seem
To be going your way, always know that God has a plan for
You. If you place your trust in Him, God will give you great gifts.
Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.
We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His Ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.
They were discussing their hopes and dreams when
The first tree said, 'Someday I hope to be a great
Treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver
And precious gems. I could be decorated with an
Intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty.'
Then the second tree said, 'Someday I will be a
Mighty ship. I will take Kings and queens across the
Waters and sail to the corners of the world. People
Will eel safe in me because of the strength of my
Hull .'
Finally the third tree said, 'I want to grow to be
The tallest and straightest Tree in the forest. People
Will see me on top of the hill, look up to my branches,
And think of the heavens and God and how close to
Them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all
Time and people will always remember me.'
After a few years of praying that their dreams would
Come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees.
When one came to the first tree he said, 'This looks
Like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the
Wood to a carpenter, and he began cutting it down. The
Tree was happy, because he knew the carpenter would
Make him into a treasure chest.
At the second tree the woodsman said, 'This looks like
A strong tree. I will be able to sell it to the shipyard.'
The second tree was happy Because he knew he was on
His way to becoming a mighty ship.
When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree
Was frightened because he knew that if they cut him
Down his dreams would not come true. One of the men
Said, 'I don't need anything special from my tree, I'll
Take this one,' and he cut it down.
When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was
Made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in
A barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he
Had prayed for.
The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing
Boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying
Kings had come to an end.
The third tree was cut into large pieces, and left alone
In the dark.
The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.
Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave
Birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box
That was made from the first tree. The man wished that he
Could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would
Have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event
And knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.
Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from
The second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep.
While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and
The tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men
Safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said
'Peace' and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew
That it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.
Finally, someone came and got the third tree.
It was carried through the streets as the
People mocked the man who was carrying it.
When they came to a stop, the man was nailed
To the tree and raised in the air to die at the top
Of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to
Realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top
Of the hill and be as close to God as was possible,
Because Jesus had been crucified on it.
The moral of this story is that when things don't seem
To be going your way, always know that God has a plan for
You. If you place your trust in Him, God will give you great gifts.
Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.
We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His Ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.
Monday, March 29, 2010
O My Soul
"O my soul, bless God. From head to toe,
I'll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless God,
don't forget a single blessing!
He forgives your sins—every one.
He heals your diseases—every one.
He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
He renews your youth—you're always young in his presence. "
Psalm 103:1-5
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Hello From My Backyard!
If you didn't already know, life with me is an adventure. Case is point, I'm locked out of my house in the backyard!! Earlier I thought, wow, what a pretty day, why don't I answer some emails and play my Facebook Scrabble turns outside. I obviously unlocked the doors to come outside. I was happy. Listening to music and playing on the computer, when I realized I was kinda cold. I came out here fresh from a shower, so my hair's wet and I have no shoes on. I said to myself, "Self, why don't you go in and get a jacket". I put the computer down and went to open the door and ran right into it! I jiggled the handle and realized the handle was locked!! "OH, NO!", I said. I jiggled it some more as if that would cause it to magically open. Nothing occurred. My cell phone is charging inside so the only contact I have with the outside world is friends with iPhones who get emails on their phone.
I quickly put out an SOS on Facebook and through email. Not knowing what else to do, I sat back and started to pray... and cry. I cry when I get really stressed out. So as tears are streaming down my face, I'm starting to envision what will happen if I can't get in touch with anyone. I'll be out here all night and freeze; which only made me cry harder. So I had to redirect my thinking into something more positive.
I thought, "How hard could it be to climb the fence (in my bare feet)?" I drag a chair over to the side and size up the situation. It wasn't going to be easy. I would get hurt, but I would be "free". But then I would be without a computer and hurt, probably bleeding without contact with anyone again. So I delayed that idea for a time. I sat back down and was trying really hard not to freak out. That's when I heard my neighbors voice from two houses down! Yes! Someones home! I dragged my chair over and yelled until he heard me. He came out of the house with a bewildered look and looked my direction. He was quite surprised to see me above my fence!
"I'm locked out of my house, will you please call my mom?" He said, "Why don't I bring you the phone and you can call her yourself?"
He lowered the phone and I immediately called my mom at home. Oh no, no answer! Hands shaking, I called her cell. When she picked up, I said, "Mom, where are you?" "Pulling out of the driveway. Amy called and said you were locked out of your house. I'm on my way." Was that the hallelujah chorus I hear??
My neighbor said, "Do you need anything?" "No, I don't think so. Thank you SO much!" But what I was thinking, a bathroom would be excellent. Mom lives 40ish minutes away... wonder if I can hold it? Hmm.
This is the second time THIS WEEK I've had a key emergency. And the 2nd time my Mom was able to rescue me! I have the greatest Mom EVER! No matter the situation, she's always been there for me. Thanks Mom!!
I think once I'm freed, I will go get copies of my key made. That is, after I go to the bathroom.
I quickly put out an SOS on Facebook and through email. Not knowing what else to do, I sat back and started to pray... and cry. I cry when I get really stressed out. So as tears are streaming down my face, I'm starting to envision what will happen if I can't get in touch with anyone. I'll be out here all night and freeze; which only made me cry harder. So I had to redirect my thinking into something more positive.
I thought, "How hard could it be to climb the fence (in my bare feet)?" I drag a chair over to the side and size up the situation. It wasn't going to be easy. I would get hurt, but I would be "free". But then I would be without a computer and hurt, probably bleeding without contact with anyone again. So I delayed that idea for a time. I sat back down and was trying really hard not to freak out. That's when I heard my neighbors voice from two houses down! Yes! Someones home! I dragged my chair over and yelled until he heard me. He came out of the house with a bewildered look and looked my direction. He was quite surprised to see me above my fence!
"I'm locked out of my house, will you please call my mom?" He said, "Why don't I bring you the phone and you can call her yourself?"
He lowered the phone and I immediately called my mom at home. Oh no, no answer! Hands shaking, I called her cell. When she picked up, I said, "Mom, where are you?" "Pulling out of the driveway. Amy called and said you were locked out of your house. I'm on my way." Was that the hallelujah chorus I hear??
My neighbor said, "Do you need anything?" "No, I don't think so. Thank you SO much!" But what I was thinking, a bathroom would be excellent. Mom lives 40ish minutes away... wonder if I can hold it? Hmm.
This is the second time THIS WEEK I've had a key emergency. And the 2nd time my Mom was able to rescue me! I have the greatest Mom EVER! No matter the situation, she's always been there for me. Thanks Mom!!
I think once I'm freed, I will go get copies of my key made. That is, after I go to the bathroom.
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