Some Thoughts on Some Things

Let’s just get straight to it:

1. The Personhood Amendment that the State of Mississippi votes on next week is totally ruining my Facebook time. Everybody has an opinion and feels like the internet is their personal platform, and the world is waiting to hear what they have to say about it. I will not talk about how I feel about the amendment, but I will say that calling people stupid because they don’t think like you do is immature. The comments I’ve read in the last twenty-four hours would border on bullying. Every person can and should make up their own mind. I no longer hope for world peace. I just would love some social media peace.

2. I heard a sermon that shook me up last night. The third point of the sermon (the other three points were great, but point three got to me) was about when God is silent. When you beg and beg and hope and pray for God to give you a ministry, or just show that He’s hearing and working, and you don’t hear anything…what do you do? If you’ve read this blog in the last week or so, I’ve had those questions. I’m contemplating writing a series on waiting. Waiting on an answered prayer is hard. Waiting when you know you’ve been called but hear nothing, is almost impossible. Only by the grace of God can you go each day with no answer, and still have hope.

3. October was a bad month. Pretty much every day stunk. It’s now November. My dad, Michael and Molly all have birthdays this month. Plus, I get to deliberately be thankful every day. I also get to cook my special cranberry sauce. Oh, and pumpkin spice cake and if Michael is nice to me, chocolate chip pecan pie. I’m really happy November is here.

4. I have about 6 loads of laundry piled on my bed, unfolded. It’s frightening. I’m about to go find a movie to watch and get to foldin’.

5. In the last week, I’ve heard about several people I know and love battling cancer. I’m watching my community grieve over the loss of three young men who were very well loved. I read about a precious little boy who was hit by a car, and the elderly man that now faces charges for hitting him. All of these things seem so big, and certainly worth more of a mention than being #5 on a list on a blog…but it’s on my mind and I need to talk about it. People are hurting. Pain and sickness and anger and hurt and loss is lying on our hearts like a wet blanket. More than ever, we have to be salt and light to a world that is suffering. We have to love our neighbors. We have to extend kindness and forgiveness. We have to treat others better than ourselves. We have to speak the gospel, so that we will have done everything we can to make sure we and everyone we love is ready when it’s time. We are not promised happiness and a long life on earth. We are promised hope, and peace and joy and a relationship with a perfect Father who will never leave us or forsake us. Knowing Christ is not about getting to go to heaven. It’s about giving up yourself and following Him and letting Him change you and make you like Him. If it was only about heaven, then we’d die the minute we were saved because the only way to know Him is to be with Him. But we don’t die, we are here on earth, and we must know Him by knowing who He is and what He wants us to do.

6. I have a tendency to go on and on when it’s something I care about.

7. I care a lot about people knowing Jesus.

8. My mom and I are working on a song to sing in church that is Ah-Maze-Ing. We’re fired up.

9. I feel better now that I’ve said what’s on my mind. I promise, I want to be lighthearted and funny, but I haven’t had much of that lately.

10. Except my kids. They’re funny all the time. I’ll leave you with a picture of my baby. We were passing the time in the dentist waiting room…

This is her excited face.

I have no idea what this face is.

Yes, we wear sequins to the dentist. You don’t?

And here are my two Princess Leias. One is wearing a pair of Chuck Taylors. They both are armed with Nerf guns. The white dresses were “borrowed” from the angel costume supply at church. (Don’t worry, church people. I’m washing them, and will have them back in the closet ASAP).

When you don’t make up your mind until 3pm on October 31, you take what you get.