Lost... Are You Blindly Following?

I have to start this post with a disclaimer. I am really not as ditsy as the following is going to portray me to be, really I’m not. That being said…

As I turned the key in the lock I could hear the phone ringing. With a sense of embarrassment I went to answer. My friend didn’t even give me time to say hello. “What happened? I was so worried! In another ten minutes I was going to call the police!” My answer, truly I had no idea what had happened.

It was after 10:00p.m about two weeks before school reopened. Two friends and I had been decorating our classrooms. I live five minutes away from school in one direction and one of my friends lived less than ten minutes away from school in the other direction. She mentioned to us that she had some extra materials at how home that we could have and since she would not be coming out the next day we decided to go to her house and get it.

Three people, three cars, five minutes drive, simple huh? You’d certainly think so.

Instead of going to my friend’s house the way I’m familiar with I decided to follow her. Keep in mind that I am directionally challenged especially at night. The problem…? My friend went an unfamiliar route, she drove much faster than me and she had no idea I was following her.

If you’re picturing this in your mind you can probably guess what happened next.

She lost me.
I took a wrong turn.
I got totally lost… in.the.dark.

By the time I had driven around for about thirty minutes praying and anxiously darting in and out of corners, I came to the beginning of the street I usually took to her house. However, by that point I was so frazzled that every corner seemed dark and unfamiliar oh, and did I mention that I didn’t have my cell phone? Finally as I noticed the gas tank nearing E I said, “You know what Satan, you win this one. I’m going to the one place I’m sure I know how to find, MY HOUSE!”

Why this long story? Because I’ve also been there in my Christian walk, blindly following when I should have been paying attention and listening to His voice speaking to me. Those times I have ended up a bit hurt, a bit bruised but a whole lot wiser.

As I reflected on my experience of being lost 5 minutes from home I heard my heavenly father saying to me; “My daughter, I will always be home to you. When you stray, lose your way always know that I am your refuge, your hiding place.”

The View Outside

I visited a friend recently and I just had to take a photo of the gorgeous view she has outside her back door. You can sit by her doorway and feel the most beautiful breeze, (God’s own air conditioning). I’ve had many opportunities to enjoy the view as I visited with her.

When I stopped by last week I was reminded by her daughter of what I usually did when I visited… It’s so embarrassing, but even though I enjoyed the company, the beautiful breeze usually lulled me to sleep and I’d wake up maybe half an hour later to find myself alone on the couch.

Wouldn’t you agree that I’m the most undemanding guest and my friend and her family the nicest of hosts? :)









"Friendship, said Christopher Robin, is a very comforting thing to have."
-A.A. Milne

Bloggy Gifts

Thank you Denise for these lovely awards that brightened my day.






If you're reading this and you need your a little something to brighten your day, grab these awards. Don't have a blog... that's okay, print this out as a thank you from some of the people you've inspired along the way.

Bloggy Birthday

My friend Iris is celebrating her 3rd Bloggy Birthday and instead of receiving gifts she's giving them away. What a lovely twist on birthday giving. If you'd like to try your hand at winning one of her lovely gifts stop by her blog and wish her a Happy Bloggy Birthday. The deadline to enter the give away is March 30th with the winner to be announced on the 31st. Go on, you just might win.

Lovely Bloggy Gifts

Thank you Denise for these lovely Awards.

















I'd love to pass these on to anyone who's in need of a little cheering up and bloggy love.

You Lift Me Up Award

I was pleasantly surprised to meet this lovely little gift from Denise on my blog. Thank you Denise for making my day. Your blog is a daily source of inspiration to me, I actually feel as if I should be the one giving this to you. Your blog offers a ray of sunshine many times as you share your faith, struggles and successes with us.

I would like to pass this award to three other bloggers whose blogs blesses me greatly and lifts me up.

Iris @ Sting My Heart
Laurel @ Laurel Wreath
Lynn @ Spiritually Unequal Marriage
Ladies, thank you for sharing your lives and being an inspiration to me in more ways than you'll ever know.

God bless, and thank you again Denise for this lovely award.

The Beauty of Innocence... Forming Friendships

“This was the bestest day ever!

These spontaneous words came from my eight-year-old niece after I’d taken her and an eight-year-old cousin out for the day. The two of them had met briefly before but had never spent anytime together until that day. However by the end of the day they were fast friends.

I wondered what it was that cause children to form friendships so quickly. Then it came to me; it’s their innocence. When children meet each other they are not thinking, “Is she trustworthy? Does she talk a lot? Is she honest…? Or the many other thoughts that come to mind when we form friendships as teens and adults. They simply think, “you’re nice, fun etc. I like you, let’s be friends.

Children are also quick to forgive. I had to brake up a few little squabbles between my niece and cousin during the day but within five minutes they were friends again.

I have found some of the most beautiful expressions of innocence as I watch children develop friendships. Children in their innocence bring friendship down to the simplest form. Is it any wonder Jesus said in his word, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven? Matt 18:3 NIV

For more thoughts on this week's Carnival of Beauty topic visit Bethany at A Picturesque Life.
Visit Sallie at A Gracious Home

Teens and their Gadgets

By Jamere McIntosh age, 18

Picture this, a group scene with four friends. However instead of talking with each other one is on her cell phone, one is listening to music on her ipod, one is on his laptop and the other is sitting waiting for one of her friends to finish what they’re doing. This brings me to my question, are electronics making teens more introverted?

When we hear the word “introvert” (a person unmindful of the outside world) we may think that a mentally unstable, or even psychotic person is being described, so we would feel insulted for someone to use this word to describe us. But let’s take a moment to look at another way in which the word can be used to describe how teenagers have been affected by being exposed to the new technological gizmos and gadgets of today such as the famous cell phone and MP3 player (ipod) and the computer to an extent.

This might not apply to everyone, but speaking from personal experience, owning all of these has had somewhat of an affect on me. Over the past year, I have found that I can spend countless hours locked away in my room or in some secluded place surfing the net on my laptop, uploading and listening to music from my MP3 player, or using my cell phone. I believe that these gadgets have made many teenagers become more introverted.

The mere fact that no one else has to be around for these to entertain us, along with the unlikelihood that we would feel lonely if we happen to keep to ourselves while using our cell phones or ipods prove this. If you are a more outgoing or sociable person it may be hard to believe that you can become an introvert, but I believe that there is a way you can determine this. For example when I’m around my family and friends I try to enjoy their company and not get lost in the latest electronic gadgets. However, if you are finding that even when you’re around others you’re still interacting with your gadgets instead of those around you then maybe, just maybe you’re a little bit introverted. There’s no need to feel strange about enjoying the latest electronic devices, but how about coming up for air and enjoying the company of those physically present around you every now and again?

Talker or Listener?

Have you ever been in a conversation where the other person talked, talked, talked and you just listened? You waited patiently until they were finished hoping to be able to put in your five cents but when they were finished so was the conversation.

Sometimes when we have a captive audience it's easy to just talk about what's going on in our world without giving the other person an opportunity to contribute. But let's try to remember everyone has a story to tell and everyone wants to be heard. So I challenge you for the next week, if you're the talker encourage your friend to talk, you may be surprised at what she has to say. Also, if you're the listener take an active role in the conversation. Let your voice be heard.

A conversation is so much more sweeter when both parties participate, after all isn't that what friendship is a all about?

Thoughts on Friendship

Best Friends...

... do not have need of us as much as they have the capacity to enjoy us.

... wallk alongside on life's journey - do not run ahead or lag behind.

... are forgetful of what isn't perfect about us.

... grow and change with one another - learn from one another's experience.

... share both the important and insignificant pieces of thier lives with the same
degree of joy and openess.

... instinctively know when to talk and when to be silent... well, most of the time!

... praise with sincerity, criticize with humility, confront with compassion.

Do we have what it takes to be a best friend? Only intermittently and in varying degrees. We have to keep working at it -- it's not easy. But the rewards are extraordinary!

excerpt from the book Friends Through Thick & Thin
by Gloria Gaither, Peggy Benson, Sue Buchanan & Joy MacKenzie