Kay's back at the keyboard

Blogging friends, I have missed you. Life filled up for me and I truly had no time or strength to write a post. On the last post I shared with you that someone in my family was ill.

The good news is that the doctor got the tests back and was relieved his fears were not confirmed by the tests. A slight nutrition changes is all that's needed. Whee! Thank you for your prayers.

Then my new management job Assistant Manager for Quality Assurance cranked up and I have been in intense training out of town continually for weeks. I love this work in management with census and I have an extremely important job overseeing several hundred workers in 7 counties. I know there is no way I could be selected for the job with so many people needing work unless God's favor had been working in my life. I am focused to give this position all that it needs for me to do my job well.

I could have written a post on Thursday or Friday, but procrastination raised his head. As I write today I wonder why, but then it hits me. After so much time away I wanted to wow you and me. Ain't it just awful how that ole' performance monster comes in and messes with us?

Vanilla, plain and no drama.......but life is good. I've never needed my Lord more and appreciated Him and all who live with Him as Lord of their lives. Thriving as His daughter is still my passion. As I live this life I want to live it wide open in Christ. I have some challenges facing me in a few weeks with this assignment with the census that will only be accomplished as I lean into Him. May you begin this week with me: Knowing He is Enough...no matter what!!!

My Prayer is Moans & Groans; But Hears Me

A dear loved one received bad news from the doctor this week. Six huge vials of blood were drawn to be sure no horrific diseases are working in this person. For many I am viewed as the mighty never fail prayer warrior. After all we've been through in the last few years all I can do was moan. Thankfully the Bible tells me the Holy Spirit interprets my moans and groans and sends word to Heavenly Father God.

But I wantto pray....I've tried to pray. Finally I phoned a mighty man and woman of God who have been there for me for decades. These pastors are well known and I will not divulge their names, but we have prayed for one another and God has always been faithful.

When I heard his voice; I calmed down. When she came on the phone I felt we were in a group hug. Heaven came down and the one thought that had remained in my mind was what he spoke what He was believing God in doing in this matter. Whew!!

He will phone this person wrestling with the what-if's until we hear on Tuesday. Since my husband was a great physician we feel his loss the most when one of us is ill. He would spend whatever time needed talking us through all the possibilities, etc until we were calm. Now we're just patients and the great doctors give us reasonable time; not daddy/hubby doc time.

I sit here in peace today. With this couple on board all in my family are back at work. All of us are concerned, but not overwrought.

BE THERE for one another is so key to thriving christian living. I've been there for this couple and now they are there for me. Knitted together through the years we have a seamless relationship with prompt loving responses. Plural is a key word in thriving Christan living. It is tempting to pursue God as a solo might warrior, but it can't work. These times come in every one's lives. Tight loving relationships are God's plan and I believe they are what He uses to bless and protect us.

Locally I have a group who work in ministry with me. They are all praying and many others connected to my family. I feel like a Verizon commercial with one huge Heavenly component: through Jesus Christ all of Heaven is backing up this miracle.

I'll moan and groan with all that is in me. I'm just the backup singer to the main ones calling up to God and thanking Him for what He has already done!!! Wholeness, healing, and manifestation of His Glory is going on in this hurting place.

Starting is Easy...

Starting is Easy Finishing is hard.

I have this saying hanging over my desk. In my kitchen redo this could be my motto. Hoping all would be completed this week I began to get ready to enjoy my new kitchen. But the counter top man didn't complete his work and now everyone has to wait on him.

Finishing becomes harder when anyone on the team fails to deliver their part on time. I hope I hold the disgusted looks on the plumber, carpenters and appliance workers as we discovered the promised counter tops were not ready. Why do I want to hold onto those looks? If possible I never want to be the one who holds up the rest of team from completing tasks on time.

Finishing is hard, but it will come sooner and easier if we all work to best performance, on time.

Tiny Things Matter to Greatness

I'm tiling a bathroom floor and cutting tiny pieces to finish the design is critical to the overall look and use of the floor. As I tediously measure and cut I remind myself that sometimes I see myself as a tiny insignificant part of society, church and life. In American culture age is not an asset. I never want to be anything but American but I do look at Oriental cultures are turn a bit green. My white hair and wrinkles speak to the Orientals as wise and experienced. If I pay attention to the media I'd feel utterly over the hill.

But I as I carefully cut these last pieces I will treasure those times that I may only have a little to give in tithe in the offering plate. Perhaps my strength is limited in some offerings for jobs coming up in ministry. I don't exude youth and vitality in my appearance. But I matter as does every single person.

The tiling of this floor is getting to be more fun now that I identify with the tiny finishing pieces!!!

I have so much sweat and time in this bathroom I'm threatening to make it a toll only use bathroom!!!

Do You Know What You Want?

"She's easy to get along with," one of the electricians said to his buddy when I answered a question this morning in the kitchen redo.

"Oh, yeah because she knows what she wants. She's got a plan in writing that she is working from and she has already explored the possibilities before we arrived. Oh, if all our clients would do this for us and themselves," he declared.

He's right, on this kitchen, I've done my homework. I have a written sketched plan and when asked a question I'm quick to tell you what I want. But in other areas of my life I need to:

• Do my homework
• Explore with God my possibilities
• As the Bible exhorts me: Write the vision and make it plain...Habakkuk 2:2
• Destiny, ministry, life work and life investment....I need to know who I am, what I want and what I hear God wants

Good friend, do you know what you want?

Have you done your homework and put your vision in writing?

Can You Dance?

In the middle of my total kitchen renovation I'm finding I can still "dance." 'Every day the carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and others throw me a new surprise. This old house built in the sixties has a surprise at many turns.

Thank God, I can still "dance" and I'm not undone when the plan doesn't work. A few times I've tripped over my own feet, but I remove myself and take a breath and lift a prayer. I come back to the chaos and together the pros and I work out a new plan.

It hit me this morning that I need to hold onto this "dance" beyond my kitchen redo. Life in USA in 2009 is most unpredictable. I need to dance when the flu spreads and DHEC directs some changes in community life. FDIC is running out of money and there may be some bank "holidays" coming up to accommodate all bank closings. October 1st I start my new management job with 2010 and I need to be sure I'm wearing my "dancing shoes."

In the blog world it's not all about me. I throw the question to you: Can you dance?

Watch it! Do You Know Who You're Talking To?

Do you think much about your conversations with your self?

This morning I was reading my daily devotion from Rabbi Pliskin and I was impacted by these words:

Speak To Yourself Serenely

You are the person with whom you talk to most often. To become a serene person, consistently talk to yourself serenely.

Become aware of the tone of your voice when you speak to yourself. This often is so automatic that many people never consider it an issue. But it can be a major factor in whether or not you are usually serene.

(From Rabbi Pliskin's book, Serenity, p.37)

I am careful with my words to "me" and what I say out loud about me and mine. This was not always the case. But a few years ago I heard a message that changed my life. It seems our own voice may have more power over us than any other voice. Think about it. You've been hearing your voice all your life. Your brain picks up on the familiarity of your voice. When I truly want to recall a new teaching I read the material aloud to get it etched on my mind. That one exercise should direct me to only speak over me and mine what I hope will occur.

Not even in jest do I ever speak what I would not want in me and my loved ones.

What do you say?