The bank of values

Questions Questions... rolling around in my head today. I was wondering... What is the difference between a mentor and a friend? I was thinking about the cost of discipleship, mentorship and friendship finanically and time wise. I was wondering what does my life show I value in my banks investments?

What you value shines through in the amount of investment your willing to take on in it. What are you willing to give up? What are you willing to give? The time your willing to use and the cost of these things is a part of showing who you are and what you value.

There is no total money makeover for the cost of relationships. The cost of your time and financial just can not be cut to invest in the people in your lives. They are to important. The money and time your willing to spend comes from a bank of what you believe and value.

A good friend sent me an email with 37 odd questions to answer about myself and then forword it on to a few more friends. I really saw it as another one of those many silly emails I recieve forwarded on to people. I took the time though to stop and write in the answers to this fun email and forwarded on to a few others.

I had no idea the response I would get would show me something about people I never knew. It's funny how when you have established trust with someone and ask them what is really going on in their lives how they will tell you.

That's when you have the chance to invest from that bank of what you value and make the effort to be Jesus hands and feet. You get the chance to "live like your the only impression of Jesus they will ever see."

Fruit: Love

Song in my head: Brown eyed girl - Van Morrison

Verse: 1John 4:16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.

The treasure I seek

It's incredible how wise you can be when you start to actually follow your own advice. Getting focused creates such a clear vision for the future that sometimes it can become so bright that it's almost blinding to the things you need to accomplish. Taking it one step in front of the other not looking to far ahead seems to work best for that sun in your face.

I decided not to wander off to find a new trail to blaze off the beaten path like I love to do. God knows it's my adventuresome spirit that is always wanting to doddle off on that little unknown path. I am forever wanting to be exploring that little peak of light inbetween two trees where it looks like someone could have hiked and explored before me. Then I would walk it out to see if I could find a treasure at the end.

I love to dig in by nature and find hidden treasures in everything. I love a good mystery that you find out the secret at the end. Although it really can't take too long to find out the secret or I might give up after awhile.

Most of all I love people like that. I love to befriend someone and find their hidden treasure. I am convinced there is something for me to find in every person I meet. Everyone has that gem God gives to them that makes them a treasure.

There is something unique and special that takes them beyond a place of a complacent soul just trudging through life. There is a life inside them with a gift to give in a special place somewhere deep inside. Some people know it and use it and others give it away and others don't believe they have it.

I want to find it in people who don't know they have it and give them a glimpse of the glory of the gem inside. It's not really a secret. Sometimes you have to dig to find it when the package it comes in makes it hard to see. Lord be my vision to see.

Fruit: Patience

Song in my head: You Are My All in All - Point of Grace

Verse: Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out

Lessons from Oprahs shoes and a friends Jacket

Taking a deep breath as I opened my eyes this morning I was feeling all those little disappointments and stuggles I had from the day before. I tell myself that phrase my brother taught me as a girl when getting hurt while wanting to play with the boys "just grin and bear it". Sometimes I just try to stay tough believing I can make it on my own but really I know what I really need.

I thought of a song by Hillsong and took to heart the words "take me as you find me, all my fears and failures, fill my life again, I give my life to follow, everything I believe in, I surrender, I surrender" and another song by Josh Wilson "Savior, Please".

It was a tough day for my confidence yesterday in so many ways. I wasn't looking through Gods eyes and I let self doubt creep into the truth of who I am in Him. I was looking through my own glasses seeing all those imperfections and challenges I faced letting them get me down.

So this morning I decided I needed my savior and a hero. Awhile ago I watched an Oprah Winfrey show that touched me. It had a woman in it who had gone through many struggles and had overcome so many things.

The woman purchased Oprah's shoes from a charity auction for inspiration. She had bought the shoes even though they were 3 sizes to big for her and she really couldn't afford them. Afterwords she would stand in them whenever she was feeling defeated or needing confidence and feel confident again knowing she could accomplish great things like her hero.

This morning this story came to mind as I took out of my closet the jacket of a woman I admire and I put it on along with a spritz of my "China" Safari. The jacket was given to me by a strong unique woman of God who blessed me with it. I had admired it on her when she wore it and told her I liked how unique it was a long time ago. Last week she told me she wanted to give me a jacket of hers and then yesterday I was so excited to find out it was this one same unique jacket.

Some might say it's a bit of a busy jacket with it's intricate carpet bag pattern and bold unique design but I just love it. I got 3 compliments on it today. It shouts to me when I put it on that I'm a beautiful, confident, unique woman with a creative artsy flair.

I looked in the mirror and smiled this morning thinking "it works". Suddenly when wearing the jacket I found a sense of confidence that my friend portrays. I felt like I was in Oprahs shoes.

I admire my friend not only because she is a confident strong woman who loves God but also because of her heart for people too. It is the everday little things in watching her model to me her Godly character that makes her my pastor, mentor and friend.

I caught another glimpse of her heart last night when she bought some shoes for someone who needed them. A simple act of mercy and love that showed me exactly what Jesus would have done. I treasure friends who just shine who Jesus is in who they are.

So I wore her jacket today praying I can be confident and have those eyes to see the needs of others when wearing it. I want to be a gentle voice of hope to those customers who call in on the verge of tears hurting.

I decided to write down the names of the customers stories that touch me and pray specifically for them. I prayed for them to get a touch from that loving Savior behind the jacket.

Fruit: Love

Song in my head: Mighty to save - Hillsong

Verse: 2 Corinthians 3: 2You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. 3You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. 5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life

Are you a good melon?

Fruit is a funny thing. It's odd when you think about it. It's a food that's colorful and shaped in all kinds of odd combinations of colors and tastes. Sometimes it's so sweet and juicy that it's messy. Sometimes it's not quite ripe and its bitter.

Fruit can be messy when you consider it in people's lives too. The fruit of a soul in a person inside is evident in who they are growing and changing to be on the outside when you can see it in their lives. We are all living on a vine of sorts.

How do you tell if you have a good melon or not? I was reading online today and found it interesting how you tell if you have a good melon. The article said "There should be no stem present, because melons drop naturally from the vine when they ripen".

I wondered how ripe our presidental candidates where and considered their fruit as I was praying today for the election. A pastor up in Tacoma Washington said something Saturday night that made me think.

"I don't judge Obama's motives because that is for God to judge. I judge him by the fruit of who he is. I can't judge his motives because Gods word tells me that only God can do that."

It is really true of every situation and makes it more clear in every situation the standard to which you can judge people by. It takes out that grey area that says "what are they really meaning by what they are doing?". You just take that out of the equasion and take into effect the full truth of the fruit that grows from their lives.

I tried a new area of ministry the other day on Halloween at my churches harvest festival. I tried a ministry that is typically is a male dominated one. I was one of three women in a ministry team that had probably 20 men serving that night.

Serving as a woman on the parking ministry wasn't my first choice and I was feeling a bit out in the pasture to not be dealing directly with people which would be my first preference.
I really learned a lesson there in that dark chilly night though. I learned something about how God can use me anywhere people who need Him are.

I was working the Blue lot on the off site parking from our church. It's a block or so from our church and so we had shuttles running every 5 minutes or so to the church from it.
A car drove up to me with my orange vest and glow wand and asked "what's going on here?". They had no idea that it was church sponsored event. I told him it was a free event with a live animal show, candy, games and lots of fun. He said "are you sure it's free?".

I said "yes, it's a gift from Church of Living water". He said "I don't know if a church would let me in". I assured him that we would and he smiled, parked and I showed him where he could take the shuttle in.

I didn't see him return to hear of how his time went but meeting him showed me that God can really use us anywhere. It made me really think about the fruit of my attitude in serving in areas out of my perference. It made me realize I need to keep on my toes.

It challenges me to consider what fruit is growing from my life. It makes me want to be a good melon not clipping off the vine before I am ripe in an area of my life. I want to be a good melon. I like word pictures so I was thinking this is a good one.

A good melon needs lots of Son, water, and nutrients. The soil we grow in is where we get it. The foundation of soil in the word of God has all the nutrients we need and the water is the spirit of God quenching our thirst to grow. The Son is Jesus who shines on us to make us grow in the field.

Standing out in the field in the dark you can get to thinking. Okay I know this is pretty simple and been said before but it encourages me to think about so I hope it encourages you.
Praying today that our President would be a good melon and that our election process is a good one.

Fruit: Love

Song in my head: Give me your eyes - Brandon Heath

Verse: Isaiah 32: 16 Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field. 17 These: fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. 18 My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. 19 Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, 20 how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.

Cardboard Testimonies

My friend Kelly P. sent me an email today to a link for a awesome thing a church in Indiana did. It was truely beyond words. I know I could have some cardboard signs if our church did it. I love what she said about it.

"What an amazing way to introduce people to Gods character. Promises made and kept in the lives of real people who need him and admit their need. This is such an amazing testimony to the power of God in peoples lives, and what He is capable of."

Check it out.

http://www.yourchurch.com/cardboard-testimonies/

Fruit: Love
Song in my head: I wish - Point of Grace
Verse: Psalm 104: 30 When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. 31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works- 32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. 33 I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Blog this and Blog that

I have several blogs I regularly read and two of my favorites had some great things today. One made me laugh and the other ... well touched me. So here is a blog of this and a blog of that.

A smile from her




Beautiful music blogged by him




Fruit: Love
Song in my head: Shine - Salvador
Verse: Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

It's Coffee House Life

It's really amazing who you can meet when you go to a coffee house. There are so many types of coffee houses everywhere. There are so many different types of coffee drinkers. There is the perverbial Starbucks conasour who prefers the stylish savvy cookie cutter logo coffee on the go.

There is that person who is just looking for the free wi-fi sign in the window so they can pop off an email on their way someplace along with an ordinary cup of joe. There is also that coffee snob generation who insists on it being the finest of rare unique roasts in order for it to pass by their lips.

But my favorite are those that choose that hole in the wall funky little place that doesn't quite have the trend down but has that off-beat style of their own. They cater to those who really can't afford the fufu coffee we all pay to much for and most of the time arn't able to stay in business for long.

I miss my favorite place that used to be in downtown Olympia Washington called Artisians. It was a funny little place with exquiste coffee and balcony upstairs and free wi-fi to boot. It lasted for awhile but was never quite as busy as it needed to be. I remember some of the unique happenings I would run into when visiting there.

It had local bands come an play on occasion. On one occasion I remember walking in and finding it packed with deaf people signing. Several times I felt like I could visit there and it was a culture in that room where I was a bit like a foreigner visiting another country. I liked that feeling of being a bit out of my element.

For me it was the perfect fit of a unique coffee shop with free wi-fi and excellent coffee. The only exception for me was that the music they played was so off-beat that sometimes I had to reconcile my own preference to learn a bit about that unique culture.

Today my two favorite places are Batdrof & Bronson along with Cutters Point. They both have free wi-fi and most of the time excellent coffee. It's all good there except they both miss the music and unique flavor of the hole in the wall. Ahh life is such.

Fruit: Patience

Song in my Head: Dancing Queen - Abba

Verses: Pondering ... a few

Praying wishes come true

I am loving this new song by Point of Grace called "I wish". Here are the lyrics I finally found online today.

I wish I didn’t feel so helpless
I wish I didn’t act so selfish

I wish I didn’t wring my hands night and day

My hair was a little bit smoother

My jeans fit a little bit looser

And I always knew the right things to say

And I wish I wouldn’t hide what’s been going on inside

And I wish you wouldn’t get scared and run away

I wish I was doing better

With all the things that matter,

I guess I got some learning to do

I wish everyone had someone

To hold em and to love em

The way I’m always gonna love you

I wish wishes came true
I wish there was a cure for cancer

I wish somebody had an answer

And all God’s children, never got hurt

I wish Eve never bit that apple

You men never went to battle

And I didn’t get so mad at the world

I wish I was more like Jesus

And could pick up all the pieces

And make a better life for my baby girl

I wish I was doing better

With all the things that matter,

I guess I got some learning to do

I wish everyone had someone

To hold em and to love em

The way I’m always gonna love you

I wish wishes came true

For everything I am wishing

I know someone up there is listening

So, I say my prayers when I go to bed

Ahh, ahh, ahh Oh pray my wishes come true Oh

I wish I was doing better

With all the things that matter,

I guess I got some learning to do

I wish everyone had someone

To hold em and to love em

The way I’m always gonna love you

I wish wishes came true
I know wishes come true

I wish, I wish

Fruit: Patience
Song in my head: I wish - Point of Grace
Verses: John 15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.... 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

5 Incredible blessings

Have you ever just woke up tired? This week having taken it's tole on my body in my fathers passing and traveling to Texas and back, just hit this morning. I woke up and before my feet touched the floor I had prayed "God just help me to get through this day". My muscles ached and my heart was heavy needing release.

I got in the car and the new song by Point of Grace came on. "I wish" made me smile and sing along thinking of what I wished for now.

I decided it was definitely a "NEED a latte" morning so I stopped in @4:07 am @ the only Starbucks open on my way to work. I ordered a Venti Sugar-free cinnamon dulce and looked at the one car in front of me. It was a cute little red sports car.

Just as I was thinking this I got my first blessing of the day. I pulled forward and the Starbucks gal handed me my drink and said "the woman in the car in front of you paid for your drink". I was shocked at first and wondered "how did she know?"

How did she know my father died last week and this was my first day back to work? How did she know how much I hurt for the loss of the time I never had with him? How did she know that I just needed to cry but couldn't really before now. My eyes filled and I was just thankful.

It's something that I have done for people but never had it done for me like this before. It made me realize how important the little things are that we do for people. That stranger paying for my latte in the drive through at Starbucks was just what I needed in that moment of weakness needing a bit of hope, feeling a bit lost in how I would get through the day.

My second blessing came in my review from my supervisor. She looked in my eyes and said I was consistently excellent in all areas of my job and that I had won another award for last month. She encouraged me and told me how well I was doing giving me confidence.

My third blessing came when I decided to go for it and apply to a internal Expedia temporary positon. It would give me a new skill which could be a huge blessing for me and a challenge as well. It became an easy decision for me to apply after and I found the courage to step past my own self doubts to just go for it.

My fourth blessing came in a some emails and a special voice mail left for me from a good friend whose care and love came through in words of hugs for me. It made me feel loved and cared for.

My fifth blessing came in the disappearance of my ache in my body after working out. I was still tired and feeling achy on my way home and I decided to stop on my way home and just go for it at the gym. It is amazing how awesome you can feel when having been under stress to make yourself do a challenging work out. It was all so good and so this evening I am counting my blessings and thanking God for strangers, supervisors and friends.

Fruit: Joy

Song in my head: Point of Grace "I wish"

Verse: Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint

Everythings Bigger in Texas

It’s amazing to me how unique each state’s culture is within the United States. I remember living in Southern California and the style and station of life there with the sun and sun loving people. There was a certain air of confidence and code of speech with quick, witty, savvy LA people.

Visiting here in Texas this week for my fathers funeral it’s been a culture shock of sorts for my brothers and I. The rate of speech is slow and the culture has its southern draw with a charm all it’s own to boot.

The people of Texas seem slower pace than my fast paced brothers are used. With my .com job and their owning their own businesses we are used to go go go and so it’s challenged us to slow down a bit to match and listen closely.

It was a peaceful blessing of a plane ride here. I got my own row on a non-stop Alaska Airlines flight with some great cushy leather seats. For those of you who don’t know I fractured a bone in my ankle the week prior to my father’s passing and so I had a medical boot thing on to help keep my ankle stable while traveling.

Having my own row made it so I could put up my foot the whole way there. The stewardesses on Alaska where so awesome, attentive and friendly. I plan on sending a thank you note to Alaska. They have always been my favorite Airline.

There has been a mountain of things to do since arriving and it’s kept me a bit from taking it in. The reality of how people you love live in another state when you don’t see them can be a shock when it is so different from your lifestyle.

I have never planned a memorial before and we are making it really simple like my father was. I have loved getting to spend time with my brothers and learning more about what’s going on in their lives that I ever would have gotten from just visiting for an occasion. When three kids live in three different states it makes it tough to know each other’s lives well.

I guess you could say we all three have different cultures from each other. Sean has his business www.lagunaprecast.com in California and Mexico importing. Mark has his business of an alarm system company in Nevada and I work as at a .com as a Travel agent of sorts in Washington state. We really all came from though this Texas where Mark and I were born.

I have heard the phrase “everything is bigger in Texas” before and I kind of agree with it from the time I have spent here thus far. The airport at DFW was quite large with several terminals spread out a bit. The mall we stopped at went on for a mile it seemed. The lay of the land seem to be a treeless wonder of flat land that went on forever.

A lot of the houses are on plots of land with spread out communities in place. The sunsets have been beautiful huge displays of colors stretched across the entire horizon. Even the hotel rooms seemed huge here. I have also seen several churches here with huge windows and steeples with lots of land around them.

I heard a joke a while back about God being closer in Texas than any other state. The punch line went something like when making a phone call to God in Texas there wasn’t any long distance charges and so it wouldn’t cost you much because here in Texas it was a local call.

I can see God here in the beauty of it but certainly not in the Mosquitos. They are definetly bigger here in Texas. Those skeeters are quite hungry for my sweet tasty Washington white girl legs.

Well… I am praying a lot here with it being a “local” call and all. I have a silly Texas song in my head to that made me smile a bit today. My brothers can also be goofy at times so it really helps to keep us positive in a tough situation. Wonder if my prayers coming from Texas might just be bigger coming in the mailbox in Heaven. I think God answers my knee-mail either way. :)

Fruit: Peace
Song in my head: All my Ex’s live in Texas
Verse: Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; nor shall the flames scorch you