Talking things out really helps at times. Yesterday was one of those times when I was able to feel connected to someone that is important to Jeff and me, our ministry, and just our lives in general. But differences in personalities often lead to misunderstandings that can affect many facets of life. Even though there may have been other things I would have liked to ask or say, I walked away from that meeting with a much lighter heart in many ways. I do hope that the other person is thinking the same.
I, for one, am a person who has great need for communication in any form. Words of affirmation are important to me as is spending time with people I care about. While life is demanding and overwhelming at times, I know for myself that if someone will tell me that it's okay, will acknowledge parts of my life that have been profitable (or harmful -- I learn so much from those encounters, even though they are not as fun!), and will present the supposition that they are "involved" - even if not directly, it helps me so much.
For others that do not need affirmation or that believes that it is a spiritual defect in my character, I must beg to differ. While I struggle constantly with not doing or ministrying for glory received of man, it is more the fear of not being "understood" that haunts me! I do not care as much if a person agrees with me as much as I am that they have completely taken the time to hear me and attempt to understand.
Another issue I struggle with is my ministry of discernment. Sometimes I really wish that God would take it from me because it oftentimes bogs me down with stark awareness of things gone awry! But, at other times, it is a priceless tool in my counseling and times when people ask for advice or direction. When I see something that is not quite right and it is a situation or person that I care deeply about, I will bow under the weight of it. God has directed me over and over again to allow those times of insight to lead me directly into intercessory prayer -- and I'm working on that.
There's something freeing about being part of a solution or to be able to offer sound counsel to someone willing to receive it. I know distinctly that it is a large part of my calling to use this particular ministry (of discernment) for God's glory -- and use it wisely and biblically.
Talking out misunderstandings, not drawing to premature conclusions, and making the effort to involve myself in the healing or "solution" process are all innate desires of my heart (spiritual and emotional).
Remember: if you're bogged down with miscommunications and there is a rift in a relationship, "just a word could cure confusion". Talk it out with grace, sincerity, and humility!
17 March 2006
08 March 2006
Makeup Mania
Well, it has finally happened. Perhaps it has happened somewhere else before, but just this morning I was reading my "daily fix" from BBC World News and saw it.
First of all, how many of you ladies out there are guilty of this? (If you are a guy and guilty of this, I don't want to know) You're running late, you dash out of the house, get in your car, and head down the busy streets to wherever.... On the way, you glance in your rearview mirror -- not really to check traffic behind you (smile, you know it's true) -- and you are reminded of what you did not have time to finish in the house. You're following me, aren't you?
You fiddle in your purse or makeup kit, take out the mascara, bend the rearview mirror more to your liking, and you proceed to finish the fine tuning of your face. With quick, absent-minded glances to the road every once in a while, we work until we are satisfied that our face is what we want it to be (at least for now).
How many times have you seen it? Ladies whisking away at their eyebrows or eyelashes while their cars hover omniously on the white lines. Yes, I am guilty, too.
Well, in England, in a small town called "Mold" (I'm not kidding), Ms. Maddock was "busted" for doing just that. Did someone turn her in? Was there a cop sitting beside the street that saw her? No, it was a speed camera. It caught Ms. Maddock with BOTH hands off the wheel (while I have been guilty of driving handless, it's never been for makeup). What looks like a compact in one hand and mascara in the other. The camera follows her through traffic for as long as possible. She was fined 200 pounds for this offense and six points put on her record! Was her license suspended. No, not this time. That had been done just the week before for a DUI!
Check the story out at:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/north_west/4785686.stm
And safe driving, you makeup maniacs!! You never know when someone may be watching!
First of all, how many of you ladies out there are guilty of this? (If you are a guy and guilty of this, I don't want to know) You're running late, you dash out of the house, get in your car, and head down the busy streets to wherever.... On the way, you glance in your rearview mirror -- not really to check traffic behind you (smile, you know it's true) -- and you are reminded of what you did not have time to finish in the house. You're following me, aren't you?
You fiddle in your purse or makeup kit, take out the mascara, bend the rearview mirror more to your liking, and you proceed to finish the fine tuning of your face. With quick, absent-minded glances to the road every once in a while, we work until we are satisfied that our face is what we want it to be (at least for now).
How many times have you seen it? Ladies whisking away at their eyebrows or eyelashes while their cars hover omniously on the white lines. Yes, I am guilty, too.
Well, in England, in a small town called "Mold" (I'm not kidding), Ms. Maddock was "busted" for doing just that. Did someone turn her in? Was there a cop sitting beside the street that saw her? No, it was a speed camera. It caught Ms. Maddock with BOTH hands off the wheel (while I have been guilty of driving handless, it's never been for makeup). What looks like a compact in one hand and mascara in the other. The camera follows her through traffic for as long as possible. She was fined 200 pounds for this offense and six points put on her record! Was her license suspended. No, not this time. That had been done just the week before for a DUI!
Check the story out at:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/north_west/4785686.stm
And safe driving, you makeup maniacs!! You never know when someone may be watching!
07 March 2006
TV Trivials
Did I actually call television trivial? Well, yep, I did. No one...I repeat no one is going to die if they do not have one (even though the withdrawal pains would be something out of this world for most). Come to think of it, I wouldn't imagine that it would be a pretty sight to watch some people have to wean off their television addictions though. I'll even admit mine: one time a year, I stay constantly glued to the television. March Madness. The Big Dance. HOWEVER, this year my schedule has been ironically arranged so that during both of the big weekends of the NCAA playoffs, I'm either at a counseling conference or at a singles' retreat. Hmm.... what kind of tablet do I take for those withdrawals?
Let me update you on our tv situation. (Refer back to the blog entitled LSD and TVs) We actually lived without a television in our family room for 8 weeks -- and the last time I checked, no one had psychological fallout from it. (That does not mean there were no comments or pity parties, but those roll off my shoulders after raising 3 daughters!! Am I hard or what?)
Finally, after Jeff worked some hours with his dad's business to earn the money for the tv, we were ready to buy. A 34-inch widescreen would give the illusion of being large without paying the $3000 or so price tag. Being married to a thrifty, money-clinched-tightly-in-the-fist (a nicer way to say "tight wad"?) man, I had to do my homework and balance the budget and what would be practical for our large family room, and what was a solid buy. The 34-inch widescreen seemed to be the way to go.
So, we headed down to the closest H.H. Gregg store. Never did it dawn on us that it was six days before the Super Bowl -- and that this might not be the best time to expect them to give us a really good deal. I had been in the store the week before and met C- He was a personable fellow and was so much help with all the questions I had. The tv was on sale that previous week for a price that Jeff could handle without breaking out in hives. :) But, something came up that Saturday, so we didn't get to buy it.
That's how we ended up walking into the store on a Monday night. C- met us in the tv department and we started the negotiations. However, two things worked against us that night. 1) the Super Bowl was coming up and we did not know that there were NO negotiations planned that week for anyone. (*Did you know that most electronic stores charge a 30% restocking fee for televisions brought back within two weeks after the Super Bowl? That's how bad it has gotten with people buying big tvs in order to watch the big game in style and then try to return the tv.)
2) Harder-than-nails managers on duty that night. After an hour of C- going between our demands and the managers on duty (who had to ultimately approve the deal), we knew that it wasn't going to happen that night. C- was exhausted and frustrated, I could tell, but he kept up a good front. He was a great asset to H.H. Gregg that night. (and the reason we eventually went back there) Because, when we left the store, we were disillusioned with H.H. Gregg's platform that says they are willing to make a deal for anything sold in their store. It was only $100 that we were asking off the tv. Only $100. Mere change in the pockets of that company, but those managers that night stood by their Super Bowl vendetta.
Defeated, but still determined, we waited for two weeks. (Don't ask me if it was a patient wait, okay?) I kept looking for sales of this particular television at other stores, but none popped up. Finally, we decided to go back to H.H. Gregg and see if we could get anywhere. C- met us at the door and within 15 minutes, we were loading our new 34-inch widescreen tv in the back of Jeff's truck. The difference? Different managers that day were in charge of the deals and the Super Bowl had passed.
Timing is everything........
Let me update you on our tv situation. (Refer back to the blog entitled LSD and TVs) We actually lived without a television in our family room for 8 weeks -- and the last time I checked, no one had psychological fallout from it. (That does not mean there were no comments or pity parties, but those roll off my shoulders after raising 3 daughters!! Am I hard or what?)
Finally, after Jeff worked some hours with his dad's business to earn the money for the tv, we were ready to buy. A 34-inch widescreen would give the illusion of being large without paying the $3000 or so price tag. Being married to a thrifty, money-clinched-tightly-in-the-fist (a nicer way to say "tight wad"?) man, I had to do my homework and balance the budget and what would be practical for our large family room, and what was a solid buy. The 34-inch widescreen seemed to be the way to go.
So, we headed down to the closest H.H. Gregg store. Never did it dawn on us that it was six days before the Super Bowl -- and that this might not be the best time to expect them to give us a really good deal. I had been in the store the week before and met C- He was a personable fellow and was so much help with all the questions I had. The tv was on sale that previous week for a price that Jeff could handle without breaking out in hives. :) But, something came up that Saturday, so we didn't get to buy it.
That's how we ended up walking into the store on a Monday night. C- met us in the tv department and we started the negotiations. However, two things worked against us that night. 1) the Super Bowl was coming up and we did not know that there were NO negotiations planned that week for anyone. (*Did you know that most electronic stores charge a 30% restocking fee for televisions brought back within two weeks after the Super Bowl? That's how bad it has gotten with people buying big tvs in order to watch the big game in style and then try to return the tv.)
2) Harder-than-nails managers on duty that night. After an hour of C- going between our demands and the managers on duty (who had to ultimately approve the deal), we knew that it wasn't going to happen that night. C- was exhausted and frustrated, I could tell, but he kept up a good front. He was a great asset to H.H. Gregg that night. (and the reason we eventually went back there) Because, when we left the store, we were disillusioned with H.H. Gregg's platform that says they are willing to make a deal for anything sold in their store. It was only $100 that we were asking off the tv. Only $100. Mere change in the pockets of that company, but those managers that night stood by their Super Bowl vendetta.
Defeated, but still determined, we waited for two weeks. (Don't ask me if it was a patient wait, okay?) I kept looking for sales of this particular television at other stores, but none popped up. Finally, we decided to go back to H.H. Gregg and see if we could get anywhere. C- met us at the door and within 15 minutes, we were loading our new 34-inch widescreen tv in the back of Jeff's truck. The difference? Different managers that day were in charge of the deals and the Super Bowl had passed.
Timing is everything........
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