Are We Too Sleepy?

I’m an early morning riser. My built-in, wake-up clock is set for 5 am. It serves me well as I post my daily blog by 6 am so my followers can catch a positive word before their day gets into overdrive. I get dozy in the afternoon because my usual night's sleep of only five or six hours just isn’t enough to tide me over for the whole day. I was amused when my two grandsons came over yesterday to get something they left here. I never knew they were here because I was in my bedroom recliner, with earplugs in, sound asleep. Sweet rest!

Like I get sleepy during the day in the natural, I really believe there are those of us who are living life in a half asleep, groggy mindset. The enemy of our souls has drugged us with complacency. You know, the que sera sera, what-will-be-will-be mindset. We shut out the news (which isn’t a bad thing) because we don’t want to take in all the rancor. We shut off our phones because we don’t want to respond to a call. We close our ears and eyes to the pain and suffering around us. We’ve let ourselves go into a slumber by tuning out kindness and consideration for those who can’t sleep.

Some folks have become so lethargic that they have to intentionally shake their arms and legs just to get life flowing again. Others just roll over and go back to sleep. I sensed today from Heaven Central that I was supposed to sound a “wake-up” call for us. Isaiah 60:1-2 says: “Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.” How’s that for giving us a “high energy drink” that will arouse us from our slumber? The truth is – if we’re not arising and letting our little lights shine brighter than ever before, we know the enemy’s camp will make the darkness darker.

I know these words will resonate with Christ’s followers – just like when He spoke the words "Follow Me" to His disciples -- and they followed! We read very little about Jesus taking naps. He tried, but there were always those who needed Him. Jesus' call to follow Him is more than an invitation to pray a prayer. And we can sure be praying, but His call is a summons in this “deep darkness around us” to power-up, wake-up and rise-up to be the Lord’s light in this world.

In case you’re sensing that you needed this wake-up call today, you can join me in this prayer that I’m praying! “Thank You, Lord, for waking me up. Thank You for the strength and courage to be the light in the darkness of someone’s life – to be a refreshing drink of water to a thirsty soul – to be brothers and sisters to those who need love and kindness. Thank You for teaching us to truly LOVE like You. May we stand strong and shine brightly against the forces of darkness that are screaming into the ears of our generation, trying to confuse and bring conflict against You and Your Word. We know we are warring against principalities and powers of darkness that would love to snuff out Your Light and our light. Please give us a holy boldness to shine bright for You! In Jesus' name. Amen!

Lost…..and May Never Be Found

A friend’s Facebook post said: “There are five things that you cannot recover in life:
The Stone...........after it's thrown,
The Word...............after it's said,
The Occasion......after it's missed,
The Time.............after it's gone.
A person...............after they die
I realize this so much now. Life is too short. As I get older I just want to live in peace and harmony and have joy because it can all be gone in an instant. Give love and forgive each other. For you don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”


Such true words, and great reminder of “living with no regrets”. I don’t want to say “I wish I hadn’t”, “I wish I didn’t” “If only….” I said that to myself as I was trimming my trees and bushes (4 large trash bags full). I looked at my bushes afterwards, pleased that they’re ready for stringing my Christmas lights on them. WHAT? Christmas? Already? Where did this year go? And, like my friend’s post said -- we can’t get that time back!

I’m going to keep that “no regrets” mindset. I’m purposing to pray each day and live by this scripture: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O God!” (Psalm 19:14) In fact, I’ve declared it as my new life scripture. I add my words to that scripture: ”also acceptable to my family, my friends and everyone I encounter in this day.” Words too quickly spoken can be regret “stones”. Please, Lord, keep a gate on my mouth and mind.

I made sure I was seizing the moments yesterday at Children’s Hospital. Patients went on a scavenger hunt throughout the hospital. At my Radiology station, I stamped their scavenger hunt cards and gave them a goody bag. I embraced the glow on those kiddos faces! No regrets! A contest was given for the hospital staff's best costumes. I loved my Radiology's team's great idea -- a ride at Six Flags!

Then, I made way to my "stomping grounds" in Tulsa. First order of “no regret” was celebrating Mom’s 97th birthday. Bonus was my great grand niece, Anna, was there and getting to love on her. Then to top off my day was staying at my besties' and capturing Sheila reading to her little angel granddaughter, Penelope. Be still my heart!

Tomorrow, I’ll be driving my beloved mentor, Sister Marie Pierre to our last First Weekend of November, Fall Retreat at Cherokee Lodge on Fort Gibson Lake. Oh, the memories of God showing off there with so many precius women who sat at the feet of Sister Pierre over the years, gleaning from her wisdom of serving God in practical Christian living.

After the retreat, I’ll head to Austin with my grands for a week or so. Some of life's greatest lessons come from firsthand experience. And those experiences teach us "living with regrets" or "living with NO regrets". The latter on that statement is truly the way to go. Believe me, I've known both. Those times we "miss it" are surely those times we learn from the most. Life is so short and making the most of everything we can when the opportunities arise, not only produces sweet memories, but it makes for deepening our relationships with each other.

Are you seizing those moments, minutes, days of YOUR life? We are here at this place, and this moment of time, for a specific purpose that God gave for only us to fulfill. Let's be done with just going with the flow....and let's live ALL IN! Let's look for those moments in this day that are over-the-top outrageous, once-in-a-lifetime moments, so that tomorrow, we'll look back and say, "I lived with no regrets!"

Living With an All-You-Can-Eat Mindset

What happened to all those all-you-can-eat buffets like Furr's, Luby's, and Golden Corral where we could indulge in every variety and choice of meats, veggies, salads and desserts? Maybe it's the health conscious living that we have these days, but I loved the whole notion of paying a nominal price for any and everything that laid before us. The whole thing was ours for the taking, after paying a nominal price for all that food. We could go back as many times as we wanted – even if we only ate one bite of any one item.

An old gospel song I remember well goes: “Jesus has a table spread / Where the saints of God are fed / He invites his chosen people, come and dine.” Somehow, I think the “table spread” doesn’t mean a petite size portion. Since God’s storehouse is overflowing with abundance, why would we settle for a snack? GOD lays out in front of us a buffet line of blessings. He gives us unconditional love, amazing grace, everlasting peace. He is so creative, loving and generous. Imagine how many beautiful fruit trees must have been in the Garden of Eden! He said “No” to only one tree in the entire orchard. All the other trees were “Yes” options. Simple obedience is the nominal price for enjoying all the blessings we could ever hope for.

God has a Blessing Buffet just waiting for us to enjoy. He makes it so easy to love Him, draw close to Him and please Him. We forget that the very God who created this entire universe, Who holds the stars in place, and knows the exact number of hairs on our head, also knows our way. His favor rests on us as we seek after Him with our whole hearts. He holds the power to cause things to happen in just a moment that would take us years to do. He can line up our pathways to cross with others He wants us to meet. He can open doors that leave us surprised at how they open. He can close doors that He knows are not the best for us. He has a plan, in the good and every hard thing we face. And often the greatest blessings come after the greatest times of testing.

God will not allow any circumstance, or any person, to hold
us back from His blessing, favor, and purpose for our lives. We don't have to worry because we belong to Him. He is more than able to turn the toughest, darkest times, around for good. He will not waste our pain, but will use the difficulty of what we walk through for good and to bring blessing and freedom to others. His presence is with us and we can be assured in whatever we face, His plans for us are good. I'm taking all-I-can-get AND eat at this table spread with so many blessings! How about you?

I Stand Corrected and Humbled!

My friend commented on my “Mountain Top” blog yesterday: “I grew up around and raised our children in the mountains of Washington and Oregon. Winter, Spring or Summer, we would enjoy the beauty and majesty of God’s creations. It was not necessarily the scaling the mountain, as we did much of that, or skiing down, it was the incredible untouched beauty that God surrounded our lives. It never hesitated to overwhelm us and remind us of our blessings.” I recall her words AFTER my annual mammogram appointment.

I’m heading to my appointment and I’m NOT looking for the beauty and blessings around me. I am overindulged in the drama – the squeeze, twist, and press that awaits me. I’m not recognizing “the incredible untouched beauty that surrounds my life” as my friend put it so well. Besides that, I am remembering the nearly one hour wait three months ago because this clinic had a new system. I could wait no longer so I rescheduled. That negativity is also in my mind. Are you kidding me? This is Ms. Positivity and Optimism talking and I’m in a pathetic mindset!

I walk into the clinic and, blow me away, a kind woman welcomes me immediately to her desk. She updates my info online and within five minutes she is taking me back to the dressing room to put on the lovely, open-in-the-front gown. This photo is of the lockers for our carry-on paraphernalia. I don't choose the Mother Teresa or Helen Keller one, as you might think. I choose the Dolly Parton locker (how perfect for the mountain top, and in my case, this molehill, experience).

Right away, I notice a gal reading a People magazine, waiting for her name to be called. Two women, one in a gown and another in her street clothes, are in non-stop conversation. That chatting is annoying me because I can’t concentrate as I'm trying to read my daily Bible plan on my phone. (Oh me!) A technician calls the magazine-reading gal’s name, and subsequently, the gal with her buddy. She looks back at her friend and says: “Come, go with me” and the technician says “She can’t go with you to the mammography room.” Now, I’m sitting in a state of shame that I, the “Peace Zone” girl, have allowed myself to be lowered to the level of a cynical, selfish and ungrateful, Bible-toting Christian. I am mortified. I get past my angst, my little worries and concerns and get into who I am and Whose I am. It's not about me. It's about being an ambassador for Him.

I speak to the “buddy” sitting across from me: “I’m so glad that you are here for your friend.” She tells me that her friend and her doctor “found something of concern and today is going to be at least a two-hour appointment”. Not a "routine" appointment and immediately, I do what I do best when I am outside of me and become Him in “voice, hands and feet” mode. I speak in my more fluent language of compassion and God’s love and explain that in scripture we hear why “two are better than one”. Before long, her friend opens the door and signals her back and I see the “buddy system” in full “go” mode. I recalled editing a book last month by a now cancer-free young woman, and this scenario was the start of her two-year cancer journey. I say a little quiet prayer for the journey of this gal – that she will partner up with God as her travel companion as this young author did.

My name is called by a lovely technician. My nervous chatter starts: “Sooo, is it new technology and just a little picture taken today?” The tech, smiling and knowing what my skittish remark meant, responds: “A little more than a picture but less painful than since you had your last mammogram a year ago! There is a curve added….see!” She points to the mammogram x-ray machine. Within 5 minutes, the whole procedure is over and I hear birds singing and thunderous applause ensued. She was right! It was so much better than before. A sigh of great relief! I could breathe! Before I leave, I turn and see this quote printed on the wall behind me. “Enjoy the little things for one day you may look back and realize they were the BIG things!”

Indeed, it is the little things we must appreciate – in sunshine and rain – in calm and in storm. The little things of opting for gratitude instead of worry and concern. The little things God uses to give us another illustrated sermon that opens our eyes to others and when we can seize the opportunity to make a difference in their day. Each person I met this morning woke me up to God’s goodness and mercy that is there to follow us in every way. Yes, I need a do-over on the start of my day. Every day I realize that God is still working on me! How loving and patient He must be!

By the way, that new system that they were working on that “inconvenienced” me three months prior…..already sent me the results of my mammogram:
“Dear Donna, Thank you for your recent visit to our center on 4/3/2019. We are happy to report that the results of your screening mammogram are as follows: No evidence of breast cancer or other significant abnormality.”

Thank you, God, for your loving kindness. Thank you, for loving me enough to correct me and to help me be Your correctable servant. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)