hafacenturyncounting

Turning Point

90 posts and average of 300 words, I ask the question can I write? Clearly in a physical sense I can, but is it worth reading. I do not know that yet. I have had some hits and some flattering comments but I am a “green pea” in this area.  The only thing I am sure of is the writing bug hit and it has stayed with me for almost 12 months. I  now have the drive to finish a project I have long thought about and played with. I have made an effort to test the water; it appears to be slightly cool and possibly deep, but I only have a couple tips of toes in.

I want a guarantee, but that is really not possible. Yet I feel ready. It is rather early on a cool, overcast Sunday morning the 5th day February 2012.  Republican Party Caucuses pending, Super Bowl XLVI results looming. I begin my journey and I will keep this piece as a starting point of my journey.

Church was amazing and I convicted myself to make some changes. I told no one about them. This was not a plan, but all seems to be falling in line. The timing feels so right, yet time is going to be a challenge and an obstacle that I must overcome. It truly feels like a turning point!

After that entry I ran into a brick wall. My writing became erratic and even stagnant.  Two weeks had gone by and I had not put anything down on paper of significance I did not know what to do. In the midst of a lonely and blue Monday morning, it came to me so I prayed. I did not realize it at the time, but when I started this piece I was troubled. I misread some things. Upon that realization I virtually dropped to my knees. The peace was astounding and calming. I knew this time I was on the right track, would this now be the turning point for me. Would the amazing changes I anticipated come to pass? I think they  already have.

You Are Forgiven

This is a subject that always hits home with me. I always battle with and I never really am able or willing at times to explore thoroughly and answer. How about you? I want to caution you to think before you answer.

The most important, happy seasons approaches. In the midst of honoring God and celebrating, there hovers the question(s). I usually dismiss the feeling, I am convinced I have done the right thing. I am quick to remember my significant lesson in forgiveness, because prior to that incident I would let it be known I was a follower of the “I may forgive you , but I won’t forget you”doctrine. I was forced to  re-evaluate and evolve. I proclaimed, “God I get it”. Yet seemingly this time of year the forgiveness sermons come and I am instructed, compelled, driven to take another look.

I know I am not alone. There are broken damaged relationships all around us. We all think we are handling them in a proper fashion. They may not be being handled in a good or right fashion, but in most instances we feel like we are doing what is necessary. Then there are those among us who know better.

Forgiveness in itself is difficult, but forgiving someone who does not think or admit they did something wrong… well that reaches whole new levels. Our pastor spoke of an incident that involved  himself personally, right off the top of my head I recall a portion of a point he was making and it went something like “We want forgiveness for others, but we want justice for ourselves”. That says a lot; it somehow is easier to take if we are able to see wrongdoing will carry consequence, and here is the reference point.

When it comes to forgiveness, I know I have not conquered it. I think I am much better than I was. I know there is still some work I need to do. This is where prayer comes in. I shake my head because as a flawed sinful human being, I really do not want to  offer anything positive to someone who I am not really happy with. I mean to possibly be instrumental in providing them with a doorway to God’s favor… I want that for myself. Yet it is in those times you have to realize that you already have God’s favor and so does that person you are battling with praying for.

Gifts From Above?

I don’t know anyone who does not like presents or gifts. I can remember some of the bests ones I have received, and the ones I felt like” You really shouldn’t have… Really.”

I always am wary when I write under this particular tag, hopefully I am careful enough to get my point across without too many errors. I am still learning, about myself and about my relationship with God.

Did you know here is a divine purpose for your life?There is a plan, God’s plan. Of course many of us let our plan interfere or supersede God’s. Is it ignorance, or is it arrogance? I know it is counter productive and even self-destructive when we go against what God is directing us toward. But it is so hard to read, so hard to know if God  is directing us. We cannot go with a gut feeling. This requires consultation and the only one to consult with is the Lord. You think, what if I am wrong, what if I don’t understand what God is saying to me. Only you can remedy that. Knowing God, understanding Him is only achieved through spending time with Him.

I was recommended to serve on a ministry team at my church. I wanted to help. I enjoy working with the people, the ones who I serve with and the ones we are trying to serve. I believed it was a good place for me to be, in order to work for the Lord in the best way I thought I could. Let me elaborate; I cannot sing in fact I do not possess any musical talent, so the choir/music department is not the place for me. There was the “greeting team” and “the ushers”, both areas I had considered, but was reluctant because of my feelings about the people I observed on these particular teams.  Incidentally, the “benevolence team” is where I landed.

We had a training class and I have to say I was enlightened. A situation that I thought would teach me about doing God’s work one way, turned out to be an entirely different experience. However isn’t that just like the Lord; always there, always the one you can count on, but oftentimes not what you expect. We cannot explain God, we only have to realize and know of His love and infinite wisdom.

Something simple, for I intended to write this piece another way, but instead I am following my heart. I wanted to address the way we need to appreciate what the Lord has given us; how each of us has a special gift to share and although they may not be packaged exactly the way you want it or think it should be, it is in itself a gift from above. We are so selfish and childish at times; we look at gifts as something for us, because that is what he world tells us a gift is, first and foremost by definition and practice. However, we believers KNOW otherwise. Therefore, enjoy the simple things as though they are monumental. Each day you are given here is special, because you are given another opportunity to make changes and to share your special gift with someone else.

And Yes Christians Do Get Mad At God

We are only human. We need someone to blame and who better to bare the burdens of our lives than God. However, when things go wrong this is a place where we cry out to God. We scream to the tops of our lungs  for His help, and then when things do not go our way we blame Him.

Where does this all come from?In our faith journeys lots of us misunderstand our positions as well as our relationship with God. Saying you are a Christian and actually doing something active that demonstrates it are two very distant and different things.

Think of  the happy, good times; there is joy in your life and all is well, you couldn’t ask for more. Yet during those times do you stop and thank God, do you look to do something unselfish for someone else? If you do is it in a passing thought, and with the feeling you will get around to that later.

Let’s switch reels here and go to the down, sad times. When you are in the place of need, when you cannot see any way out. Do you look for God? Of course you do.  If He does not answer right away or in the way YOU think He should, how do you feel? Probably disappointed, maybe abandoned, perhaps betrayed, and what about anger.

Whew, who are we to be angry with God? We don’t have the right, but I am guessing this very thing  may have happened to most of us at one time or another. I think a good place to find and examine this phenomenon is in our state of loss. It is a very sensitive and vulnerable place, but I have to ask you to go there. Think about the person and the time, recall all the emotion if you can. Did you realize that God was right there with you? Through the turmoil and anguish  did you realize that if it were not for the Lord you could not survive.

The good news is God is full of grace and forgiveness. He understands us and our flaws. He knows that during bad times our weakness will overtake what we know is right, but that is why He tells us that He is always there for us. Best of all He actually is. God’s comfort and presence are beyond compare. In those difficult times when you are looking for someone to blame for all of your pain; look to God, engage in serious prayer, you will find the understanding and peace you need instead.

When To Say When

Joe Louis comes to my mind, not because I remember his career or admire the sport of boxing. I think of him because my parents talked about the way he went out.

The Limelight has to be a fabulous, enchanted place. Countless celebrities and athletes cannot seem to  be out of it without a real fear of “turning to dust”. Nothing seems clear to them as the “light” begins to fade, not records, not history, not fame, fortune, or family can rate with that light.

I am a football fan and I fondly recall how Steve Young, Phil Sims, and a couple others of the era begged “to go back in” even after multiple concussions. CONCUSSIONS!!!!!!! Love of the game, lack of regard for life or just plain insanity. More recently we have seen this with Donovan McNabb and Brett Favre, the same type of desire to “go back in one more time”.

Dare I broach a favorite of so many as Michael Jackson? I dare, for Michael’s incessant need to be in the limelight, to be adored by thralls of people made him make and be subject to countless looks altering surgeries, odd lifestyles, relationship catastrophes, and medicinal addictions which ultimately would bring a too early end to his very life. A life  already filled with loving and adoring fans, successes of his industry that have and could continue to go on for years, still it was not enough.

I can liken this desire to that of a drug or alcohol abuser or to one that over-eats, the benefits of proper use quickly can turn disastrous when control is lost and one runs rampant. Obsession and /or addiction become your reality. You cannot take control when you have none to possess.

When one allows others and outside forces to be the sole  and/or significant guide to determine their success and self-worth, the danger of failure becomes inevitable and one puts oneself at the mercy of a source that is  flighty and uncertain.

I watched some of these same athletes raise their fists to the Lord, I have heard the interviews where the glory-seekers give God all of the glory, but yet their master is NOT our Heavenly Father. God gives you peace in times of turmoil, he provides you with warmth and safety if you let him in, and He will never leave you in good times or bad.

When I see these people running toward the limelight, I know they are not in touch with the Lord. If they were the light they would be running toward would be His; their life would be fulfilled beyond the full stadiums and auditoriums, adoring fans, crowds screams. The fulfillment would come from the inside to the out not the reverse. They don’t know when to stop, because they really do not know what they are chasing. How can they ever know when they have had enough?

While this piece began with the focus being on celebrity and fame, it does touch those of us who are just “Everyday-Joes”. If one does not know when to say when; if one does not know when it is time to stop or even go in a different direction, it is simply because they are searching for the answer in the wrong place.

Because It Makes Me Happy Too

By now we have had a few of the spoils of this life. We have bought the car we wanted , we purchased the house of our dreams, we have given our children a number of their heart’s desires. These things made us happy, they gave us a degree of joy and made us feel accomplished and fulfilled.

Times have changed so much though. I recall the classic occasions for giving, birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas. The running around, going from store to store, searching for just the right gift. Then it had to be wrapped and you had to have a card to express just how you felt about this person on this/their special day. Enter gift cards and gift bags, there are even specialized cards that boast they express “just how you feel”. AMAZING! The transformation that has taken place during our lives.

I did something nice for someone a couple of weeks ago, I did it because I wanted to.  My kind gesture, my attempt to demonstrate I did not like something I perceived as incorrect was rejected, because the person did not see things the way I did.  To be honest, I was taken aback. I tried to explain myself, but I do not really believe that I did a sufficient job. Although the gift was accepted, the fact that there was an air of confusion and unrest took away from what was actually being said with this gesture. I have been told by more than one individual “you think about things no one else does”. I had a mixed reaction to that statement; for I understood what was being said to me, but I wondered/questioned if what I was saying/doing was truly being understood.

Giving whether it is a gift, your time, your effort should be an unselfish act. There should be no expectation of reward from the receiver, but does that include gratitude and/or acceptance?  Think about why you are giving and not just who you are giving to. The act may seem simple and one-sided, but it is not.  Those gift cards and gift bags made things simpler, but did they really make things better. The easy way out isn’t always the way to go.

As we journey into this next phase we have to keep our “feelers” out there open to be receptive of things we may have bypassed even a decade ago. While we may be encompassed with what we have acquired and where we are in life, we have to stop and realize there is something more for us and we better try to pursue the intangibles.

Remember your baby’s reaction when you came home after a hard day at work, your child’s face on Christmas morning even before the first package was opened, the way you felt when your son/daughter walked across the stage to receive their high school diploma, the return of a son from the military, a daughter walking down the aisle to meet her groom. Your heart does something, that during the course of a normal day, it will not.

However, believe me when I tell you that the same special warm feeling will present itself to you if you do give of yourself for no particular reason. The act itself is paled in comparison to what you will get back.  Finally, do not let a poor reception deter you from giving again, for ultimately your intentions are clear to the one who counts. “God loves a cheerful giver”.

A Test Free Testimony

“A Test Free Testimony”, sounds interesting doesn’t it? The truth is there is no such thing.  Read James 1:2-4. One has to look at the nature of man to understand this fully. Man is arrogant and the only way to deal with arrogance is to take it down. I think we all can use being taken down a notch or two, because our memories are short. We need to know who is conducting the tests.

In the midst of doing the right thing, the test reared its head. The test seemingly knows your weakness and without further ado goes straight for the “Jugular”.  There is no hesitation except perhaps on your part. I cannot tell you that I have overcome my fear of the test, but my faith has given me additional strength. Strength that I did not know I had.

What do you do when the tests come calling? We must face these  challenges in order  to grow and I guess during these points the phrase “growing pains” takes on a very real meaning to us.

I have to get just a little personal here and tell you about one of my tests and the lesson I learned. I have a very good friend I worked with several years ago. I thought of myself as a good friend and I thought I cared about her. She told me of a family member that had gotten into trouble and while I gave off the impression I was listening intently, my mind was often millions of miles away, especially when it came to some adult getting into real trouble.  I had opinion and judgement for all to hear(although I kept it to myself). My attitude was like the penguins in Madgascar “just smile and wave boys, smile and wave”. The time came and she excitedly told me her loved one was coming to live with her after his stint with the justice system. I told her that was great and how lucky and blessed he was to have a person so wonderful in his life as she. Sounds good, but it possessed all the undertones of a judgmental jerk, ME. As I said those kind words I thought,” I don’t know why she is excited. What a burden and umph, umph, umph glad it’s not me”.

Little did I know that some time in the near future(approximately 3 years)  I would share those very feelings in regards to someone in my life. I would remember my friend and her excitement and joy. I would also remember my attitude. As noted in another piece I wrote, Crosses To Bare; One thing we can rely on is we do not get to determine what type of punishment or reward we receive. We have no say in when or where these rewards or punishments will take place.  I took note of those things in retrospect I believe this was my test on forgiveness. It was not an easy lesson, but it was effective.

I became involved in a ministry that helps people getting out of that bad experience to move forward. From finding a place to stay to just being a good listening ear, we try to help in any way we can. I am proud to say I am no longer that being who shook their head and pointed their finger in judgment. Now I am the one who looks at individuals and says, “They are just people and we all need a little something at some point in our lives”.

Would I be in this place had I not been tested? I do not think so, for I would have consciously avoided people and situations that I felt I had nothing in common with. Sadly, I would have missed an opportunity to perhaps make a difference in someones life and  in turn make a difference in my own. Here’s  hoping there will be someone for you when you are in need, and in turn you will be there to help meet someones needs.

Because It Is The Right Thing To Do

I just wanted to take time out to write you all in regards to the Free Day Of Dental Care. I have passed by your offices for several years now, for I have lived/worked in the Alpharetta Area for more than a decade. I have to tell you the first time I saw all the people lined up, I was surprised and a bit curious. I had heard about other health care providers and dental care providers doing similar things across the Metro Atlanta Area.  When I saw the signage and the lines the following year I was amazed that it was happening again, and remarked to my husband how nice and surprising to see this in Alpharetta no less. I said these must be some really decent caring people and/or they are getting some type of subsidy from the state or federal government, maybe a tax write off. This year I happily conceded and gave in, that no matter what the reason was, the act and you all deserve acknowledgement and praise.  I am a business owner and Free-Lance writer, now I have a “feel good” piece of material to write about. Thank you for taking the human factor into consideration. Blessing to you all. Sincerely, Eileen Russell

The preceding is a note that I was happily compelled to write to Jones Bridge Dental Care and its staff in Alpharetta, Georgia .

We have to go back a bit to give you some data that will help this make sense. First let’s talk about Alpharetta.  Alpharetta, Georgia is a medium to large sized suburb of Metro Atlanta approximately 58,000 residents. The population is characterized  by being financially stable, predominately white, well educated. Low crime rates, great shopping, nice restaurants.  A Shangri-La of sorts and if we are being honest, this is not a place where you would expect to find someone or some organization looking out for people in need. I do not want to take an undue poke at the city itself;  for in our society in general, when individuals arrive at certain places they tend to become insulated and insensitive. We are self-centered and self-absorbed. Thus, it is a pleasure to say something nice about a group of unlikely and extraordinary people.

Think about the last bad experience you had that involved customer service. Did you sit quietly by and let it go? Did you voice your complaint or write a letter? Better yet, do you remember the last time you had a good experience and bothered letting the person know it was positive and appreciated. A little encouragement goes a long way.

Dr. Leo Yelizarov resume boasts many achievements and awards, but that clearly isn’t all that there is to him. He is affectionately referred to as Dr. Leo by his patients, giving him the small town family doctor feel and appeal. This is not an advertisement for the good doctor and his practice, but it is an acknowledgement that individuals can and do make a difference.  People like Dr. Leo challenge us all to do  what we can, no matter what the scale, to help our fellow man.

So take off that protective covering, roll up your sleeves, and go do something nice for someone in need for no particular reason. Don’t do it for the recognition, but know in your heart it will NOT go unnoticed.