I'M SORRY

One of the things I try not to do is thank people in public. It seems when I do that, I always forget at least one person. And it's always someone important to me. Not because they were less important than the other people I was thanking, but just because my memory has shrunk to one fourth it's capacity. Yesterday I had the opportunity to nominate fellow writers with the Prolific Blogger Award. While I was cutting and pasting blog addresses I was also trying to cook dinner. I answered a few phone calls about a huge fund raiser we are having and also checking on my husband. I'm not making excuses for myself, but I just want you to know I badly I feel today. I intended to nominate Karen Lange http://karenelange.blogspot.com/ and her blog, Write Now. Karen forgive me, please accept this award. You are a Prolific Blogger! I love your posts. Check out her blog and drop her a note. Tell her what a moron I am while you're at it! Hugs Karen-----

PROLIFIC BLOGGER AWARD

Joylene Nowell Butler shocked me once again! She nominated me for a Mr. Linky Award, the Prolific Blogger Award. I don't know what to say. I suppose anyone who knows me would think I'm lying (speechless--not me!) Joy, what a surprise. Thank you so much. You are the one who is always there for me! Somedays I don't know what I would do without you.

Here are the official award rules--do what you will with them (follow them to the letter, modify them, ignore them completely).

1. Pass this award to at least seven other deserving prolific bloggers. 2. Link to the blog from which you received the award. 3. Link back to this Prolific Blogger post, which explains the origins and motivation for the award. 4. Add your name to the Mr. Linky. (Will there ever be a "Ms. Linky"?!) The "Official Rules" instruct me to nominate seven people. I can think of many more than seven I think are deserving of this reward. I'll do my best. 1. Joylene Nowell Butler http://cluculzwriter.blogspot.com 2. Carol J. Garvin, http://careann.wordpress.com/ 3.Dave Elbright, http://jaxpop.blogspot.com/ 4.Carolyn Hayes, http://crittersister-crittersister.blogspot.com/ 5. Jodie Bailey, http://jodiebailey.blogspot.com/ 6. Debora Coty, http://gritfortheoyster-book.blogspot.com/ 7. Susan J. Reinhardt,http://susanjreinhardt.blogspot.com/ You are all so deserving of this award. Blessings to each of you. I love you, Katt

I'VE LOST MY MIND

Where did I park the car? With a full grocery cart, I started crossing the lanes knowing the car had to be close, didn't it? Maybe someone stole it? Nah. I've just forgotten where I left it. It was only seconds before I found it, right where I left it. Part of the problem, I was driving my husbands car and I was looking for mine. The day didn't start off like that. It was a beautiful morning. After being sick for a week, and then waking up realizing my husband was coming down with the same thing, I tried to do too much. Had too many things on my mind. I was ticking them off inside my head, and not paying attention. I dug the grocery list out of my suitcase/purse and headed down the first aisle. I remembered quickly I forgot to eat breakfast. I made oatmeal and a muffin for my husband, but since I can't eat either of those things I intended to fix my usual egg. While my husband was eating breakfast, I cleaned the kitchen and wrote out the list of things we needed. I washed a couple loads of laundry, answered a few emails and wrote an article for Associated Content. My husband was resting comfortably, so I headed out to the store. I checked off the items on the list and headed to the deli to pick out something for lunch. I knew if I called my husband he would tell me he didn't want anything because he was still full from breakfast, so I ordered what he normally gets anyway. I picked up a few more items and headed to the check out. All the lanes were full, I knew I would be waiting a few minutes. I flipped open my cell phone to call my husband to ask him what he would like for lunch. As soon as the phone started ringing, I remembered I had already picked up his lunch, just minutes before. When he answered the phone, I just said, "I was just thinking about you honey." He was so happy I called. I didn't have the heart to tell him I'm losing my mind!

HE'S WORTH IT

I woke early this morning with lots of "things" on my to-do list. For the past twenty-one days I have participated in the Daniel Fast. Since I couldn't give up food, because of my crazy allergies, I decided to give up "time". I dedicated three hours a day to reading the Bible. However, many of the twenty-one days I didn't follow the fast. My husband is a golfer and golfs everyday but Wednesday and Sunday. When I began each morning I knew there would be many distractions. Not only phone calls, people stopping buy, but every day things I would need to take care of. After the first morning, I dutifully read the Bible for three hours. The next day was different. I couldn't put it down. Many of the days when my DH left for the golf course, I settled into my favorite chair and opened THE Book. The first time my husband came home and said, "you're still reading?" I knew it was time to cook dinner, but didn't want to stop. Most of those twenty-one days I spent the entire day in the Word. Today, I'm feeling a little let down. The Daniel Fast ended yesterday. I had so much email to catch up on. Word counts to start focusing on. Blogs and web sites to update. Research to work on for my latest wip. Laundry and things here that needed to be taken care of. All day long, I missed the comfort of my quiet time with the Lord. Just the two of us alone, six or seven hours a day. I feel an emptiness that I've never known before. I'm telling myself I have to work it out. I have to figure out a way to get back in the Word. I probably won't be able to spend four or five days reading six or seven hours, but I've promised myself if I work hard I can take one day. When I finally realized how I would be able to work it our I started feeling much better. It means getting up an hour earlier, but HE's worth it!

My Sister in Haiti

There's nothing like the flu to make you appreciate good health. I don't deserve any sympathy though because my ill health was self-induced. I have food allergies. I am allergic to wheat, soy, rice and can't have any processed sugar. I absolutely love pizza, so the other night I talked my husband into ordering one. At first he drug his feet---he's the sensible one--- he finally gave in. It was so good. I think I would have been okay if I had stopped there, but there were several pieces left over. I stuck them in the fridge and had just one more piece of pizza for lunch the next day. My throat tightened and so did the pressure in my chest. At first I thought I must be having a heart attack, couldn't swallow or breathe. But then common sense came back to me and I knew what was happening. I tried to stay calm, knowing I would be okay in a while. However, when that happens my immune system is compromised and then I pick up whatever bug happens to be thriving. So many people have been praying for me. I know it, I can feel it. And I'm pretty sure now I'm going to live. My heart still aches for the people in Haiti. During my illness I had a warm bed to sleep in. A pillow to lay my head on and medicine, including my loving faithful husband to take care of me. Watching some of the rescue efforts brought tears to my eyes. I Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. In some way each of us can help. Some of us are able to physically go there to take part in the rescue and rebuilding of Haiti. Others of us are here, praying for our brothers and sisters healing and to be rejoined with their families.

WIDOW'S OIL

Sometimes I forget. Yes my memory isn't what it used to be, but I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about praying. Sometimes when I'm praying I tell the Lord what I want. I tell HIM what I need. When all along HE already knows what I need. So when I'm praying and asking for specific things, am I limiting Him? I love the story in 2Kings 4:1-7 Widow's Oil The widow goes to Elisha and tells him her husbands creditors are coming to take her two boys as slaves. God reminds us in Deutronomy 15:7-8 If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. In those days it was common practice to "sell" themselves or their children as slaves to pay off a debt. The widow cried out to Elisha that she had nothing but oil inside her house. Probably olive oil used for cooking, for lamps or heating. Elisha instructed the woman to gather jars from her neighbors, lots of jars, and fill them with the oil. The oil flowed to fill all the jars she had gathered. Elisha then instructed her to sell the oil to pay her debts and he told her to live on the rest. The jars she collected represented her faith. And God's provision was as large as their faith. My prayer is for God's will in my life. And reminding myself how great our God really is.

FAILURE

A newspaper editor once fired Walt Disney because he lacked imagination and he had no good ideas. He went bankrupt several times before Disneyland. Beethoven's teacher called him "hopeless as a composer." One of Albert Einsteins teachers described him as mentally slow, unsociable and adrift forever in foolish dreams." Dr. Seuss first book was rejected 21 times. I could go on. A few weeks ago I spoke to a group of teenagers about failure. A young man raised his hand and said proudly, "I've never failed at anything." I hesitated a moment. I smiled at him and asked him to share with us. "I'm really happy for you. Come and tell us some of the things you've accomplished." He shook his head and smiled his slow easy smile before continuing. "I've never really accomplished anything, but that's because my Mom told me I would never amount to anything anyway." Oh boy, did I have fodder. First of all, if you don't attempt anything you are a failure. You only fail when you don't try. Secondly you have to get off the "blame everyone else train." The one thing Walt Disney, Dr. Seuss, Albert Einstein and Beethoven all had in common was they didn't listen when someone thought they were a failure. They believed in themselves. And maybe the most important lesson we can learn from them is they never gave up. No matter what. Absolutely nothing stopped them. We don't often hear about some one's failures. We only hear about their success. I think it's pretty safe to say, just about every one famous failed at some point in their life. Don't give up. Believe in yourself.

GOD'S GRACE

Throughout my life I have heard many sermons about God's grace. As a child I thought the pastor was talking about the blessing, as in "saying grace." It wasn't until I was older God's Grace took on another meaning. Many times the word grace is mentioned in the Bible. My dictionary defines "grace" as liking or favor. My Bible defines "grace" as unmerited favor, unearned benefit, undeserved kindness. God's amazing gift of forgiveness of sins and power to live with dignity in the present and with hope for the future. God's amazing gift. So when people say to me "God's Grace is sufficient for me," what are they really saying? I'm not sure what they mean, but when I say God's Grace is sufficient for me, I mean, it's enough. I mean I am learning to count on God's Grace every day. My husband asked out Sunday school class what the worst day of their lives had been. They are teenagers, and I was surprised at some of their answers. He turned to me. I have tried to not think about bad days, but focus on good days. But one day that came to mind was one many years ago. I was working three jobs at the time. It was in the middle of the winter and I had worked all weekend, thirty-six hours. When I came home the furnace was off. Upon inspection I realized there was no more propane in the tank. I had twenty three dollars in my purse. The temperature inside the house was a cool 34 degrees. A guardian angel paid the six hundred dollars to have the tank filled in a few days, and I was warm again. Like the Israelites when Moses led them out of Egypt. They complained every step of the way. They didn't have meat to eat, not enough water. Didn't like their surroundings. There enemies were bigger than they. But through it all, God's Grace was sufficient. I try to remind myself every day. All the blessings I have. The joy in my heart. And yes, God's Grace is more than sufficient for me.