The blog series, "My Odd Life" will continue next week....it may be time for me to share about how I met the wonderful Mr. Brintnall.....but TODAY.....

I am enjoying reading your posts on FaceBook about putting 2014 behind and having great expectations for 2015........

That's awesome.....but why is the turn of the page on a calendar so special? 

EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE can be JANUARY 1 for you..... if you begin every day with a fresh outlook, new hope, stronger determination to do more, be better, work smarter, be more productive, happier, and healthier.....follow the ways of God more fully, listen to His leading more clearly, and do His works more effectively....EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Tonight people will celebrate....some in Times Square....some in restaurants and clubs....some in churches.....What are they celebrating?

They are celebrating HOPE! They lived to see another year.....One of my life's sayings is, "As long as there's life, there's HOPE!"  
My acronym for HOPE is     Having
                                               Only
                                              Positive
                                             Expectations

EXPECT  SOMETHING POSITIVE EVERY DAY....

Think about it....EVERY DAY IS THE DAY IN WHICH EVERYTHING COULD CHANGE!

• That job you've been wanting....you could get the offer.....
• That relationship you've been looking for...could come your way....
• That opportunity you need to get financially set....could be right in front of you....TODAY!

You might be thinking to yourself, "Nothing good ever happens for me.  I've been praying and hoping and looking for an answer to this situation for a very long time.  It's not going to happen."

HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE?  

You don't know......what you don't know........ 

YOU DON'T KNOW IF

• That next phone call
• That next sales presentation
• That next connection.............................. will be the God-directed answer to your prayers....He DOES answer prayer.......but HE needs us to WALK by FAITH...not sit on our behinds and mope....

The majority of folks get all excited on December 31....but by January 10.....if their life hasn't completely turned around....if the job hasn't materialized, the finances and the jeans are still tight, and the relationship hasn't come around yet....they LOSE THEIR ENTHUSIASM......

Let's look at EVERY DAY AS NEW YEAR'S DAY....Let's not lose our enthusiasm, our drive, our determination, our joy!

How can that be done?????  Life is so.......so.....daily!

How can you keep your expectancy and your enthusiasm throughout the entire year?  
(This would be a great place for me to plug my mini-book, 21 Days to Seal Your Zeal.....but I shall refrain....)

1. Take time to talk to God every morning, and get wisdom from Him by reading the Bible.  If you don't know where to start, I suggest going to the Book of Proverbs and reading one chapter a day...they are short.....but filled with basic "how to succeed" instructions.......All highly successful people have discovered the value of morning meditation and prayer.

2.  Be still and listen.  God speaks to us from the inside.....if we're not quiet, we won't hear Him lead and direct us to those Divine connections.....
    
3. Be thankful. If all you can be thankful for is that you are breathing this morning, then be thankful for that!  Count your blessings....out loud....begin with breathing, then move on to being able to see, speak, walk, etc, etc, etc.....

4. Sing something....anything....but the blues!

5. Write a list of things you will do that day that will move you forward.  It may be as simple as doing the laundry, paying a bill, making a phone call, filling out an application, going out to meet someone new, doing research......

6.  Do the things you wrote on that list.....then cross them off....it is so gratifying and encouraging to cross things off a list!

7. What goes around comes around....or as the Bible says, "You reap what you sow"..... Do something good for someone else......then...Remind yourself of the good things you've done for others in the past....IT WILL COME BACK TO YOU.....but remember...the reaping is always after the sowing!

8.  NOW EXPECT....LOOK FOR IT....like someone who is waiting for guests to arrive at a dinner party.....the house is ready, the dinner is ready.....but you keep looking out the front window for your guests to arrive.....keep looking out the windows of your life......for

ANSWERS, BLESSINGS, NEW CONNECTIONS, NEW DIRECTIONS THAT ARE COMING YOUR WAY!

Not just tomorrow because it's January 1, 2015 on the calendar.....but every day...because EVERY DAY IS NEW YEAR'S DAY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HOPE!

"This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls....."  Hebrews 6:19

HAPPY NEW YEAR.....EVERY DAY!!!!!!!!

I'll blog ya next week...in the meantime....do something TODAY to fulfill your purpose!

Moving Christmas, Merry Christmas...My Odd Life Part 4

Merry Christmas!

Have you ever had to move during the Christmas season? I have a friend who is packing up now to relocate for her job.... right after Christmas....

I've done this.....3 times..... I think....(I've lost count....which is probably good!)

The first time I did it, my kids were young....I have to admit as a mom, I felt guilty about letting them unwrap gifts one day and the next day putting them in a moving box.....

If you think YOUR holidays are stressful......you shoulda been there for that one!!!!

Up to that point, I had always lived in the same city as my parents (whom I love) and most of my  siblings. We always had Christmas dinner together, we often had Karaoke parties....everyone sang and made fools of themselves.....isn't that what family is for?

I had close friends in the city from which I was moving...... who went Christmas Caroling with us at Nursing Homes, we exchanged gifts, we shared cookies.....and party food....like those little weenies in BBQ sauce.....

Suddenly, I was removed from all of the holiday traditions that I was so familiar with. Even if I could have afforded to buy enough plane tickets to get back to the extended family, the job wouldn't allow time off at Christmas!

SO.....the next Christmas, in the new city, I had to make a decision. Was I going to bemoan the fact that "We were all alone" for Christmas or was I going to find a way to celebrate.....ANYWAY?

I decided I needed to make MY OWN TRADITIONS.  One of them was to get my kids an ornament every year with their name on it....and when they moved out on their own, they would get those ornaments to decorate their own tree.....or houseplant....or cactus......

I still tried to Christmas Carol with a group of people in whatever city I found myself.... some years it worked, some years it didn't..... You've got to have a GROUP to Christmas Carol.....as loudly as I can sing....it just doesn't work alone!

The huge dinners with extended family were pretty much a "thing of the past." I changed my focus and made Christmas dinner a big deal for my kids, and I looked for another lonesome person or family that we could include in our festivities.  I reached out......

What goes around....comes around.... and there were a few years that my daughter and/or I were the "lonesome" persons that families in Texas welcomed as part of their own.....you know who you are....we love you forever!!!

Once again, this year, my husband and I are establishing fresh traditions in our  NEW city....Lafayette, LA!  Caroling anyone?  Still looking for a good gumbo recipe......

Which brings me to the topic of food....what's a holiday without food?  You may be eating tube steaks this Christmas instead of T-bone steaks, but you can make anything a party!  Put those hot dogs on your best plates, light some candles, and put on some Christmas music!


Life is TOO SHORT to bemoan what you DON'T HAVE or CAN'T DO!!!!!

If you will be away from your home town this Christmas, or if your budget is tighter than last year's..... find a way to celebrate....ANYWAY!!!!  Make your own traditions....and open yourself up to share with new friends......

One of my husband's favorite sayings he learned in the Marine Corps is,"Every day's a holiday and every meal's a feast."  

Regardless of where you are this Christmas, how much or how little you have......

Decide to have a merry heart, and you will have a merry Christmas!

He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast......  Proverbs 15:15

Merry Christmas!  I'll blog ya next week.  Until then, do something today to fulfill your purpose! 

My Very Own Child Called Me "Fake"!!!- My Odd Life- Part 3

Today......  I'm getting personal.....again.....

Just so you're aware.... I am a strong teacher of the Bible...you know....the Greek for this, the Hebrew for that....points 1,2,3,4....all nicely wrapped up at the end with 4 things to do....... (someone please say, "Amen!")....but up to this point, I haven't felt that was the purpose of this blog.....

The purpose of this blog, at least for now, is to share real life stuff....how God has directed, inspired and blessed the footsteps of this girl who has simply tried to live honestly before Him.

Living honestly.............That's a mouthful.....

One of my children (who shall remain nameless) accused me once of being "fake" with people because I would be so positive, friendly, and kind to them....
My own child!!!!  

That offspring of mine knew that I didn't always FEEL like being positive or friendly or kind....

I tried to live this way (positive, friendly, and kind) with my kids as well...but EVERY parent out there will admit there have been times the kids have seen you lose it....(don't look at me in that tone of voice!)

Let's face it...your kids know that you get cranky and tired and...ticked off!

I informed my child that we are expected to ACT the way GOD SAID to ACT whether WE FEEL LIKE IT OR NOT....it was a goal I was working towards...not a perfection I had attained...so cut me some slack, Jack!  :-)

God says, "Be kind."  "Rejoice always."  "Encourage one another with your words."  SO.....that's what I tried to do.....even when I felt like telling people----"Bug off."  "Leave me alone."  "Go away."

My parents' generation was the generation that "held it all in."  They suffered silently.  Stoic.  As a child, I never really knew if my father had a good day or a bad day....I know today, as an adult, that he had PLENTY of very bad days.....but he was always the same towards me.

I never knew about the battle that raged within my mother from the abusive treatment she received as a child.  She ACTED like a good mother....to her eight children...whether she felt like it or not.

Stable.  Strong.  Dependable. They did what they knew was right.  Whether it "felt" good to them or not.

The baby boomers, though....we were taught to "let it all hang out."  Classes at school, Student Government leadership training sessions, church prayer meetings, and even Bible studies became places to "share your feelings."  We were to say what we felt.  What do you "feel this scripture means to you?"  "How do you feel about what she said?"

If we didn't like something, we were told to "Speak up.  Say something about it." Point out when someone is wrong.  Show them the error of their ways.  Be honest about how you feel.

Acting one way, but feeling another was considered hypocritical....one of the worst adjectives that could be attached to an individual, according to my generation.

How many people don't go to church because the church is full of "hypocrites?"  What in the WORLD DOES THAT MEAN?

A hypocrite is one who wears a mask.....yea....so the church has people that wear masks, but your place of work doesn't?  The celebrities you follow...they don't wear masks?  The politicians you admire?  Puh-LEASE!

The church is full of people.....people who are trying to live a life according to God's standards.  When I want to cuss someone out, but God's standards require that I forgive, I have to put on a mask....because I have to ACT a way that I DON'T FEEL LIKE ACTING!!!!

Never in God's directions (AKA "the Bible")  have I read, "So, tell me how you feel about this.....Do you feel like you should love your neighbor?  Do you want to be generous to the poor?  Are you in the mood to rejoice?  Because if you feel like you want to pout and complain and be angry and stingy and mean to people......if THAT'S HOW YOU REALLY FEEL....BY ALL MEANS, GO RIGHT AHEAD.....  

That's not what God's directions say.......

God's Word says, "DO IT."  
Be kind. 
Be compassionate. 
Rejoice.
Speak words that build up and don't tear down. 

So.....
I act joyful when I am sad.
I choose hope when in despair.
I speak words of encouragement when people disappoint.
I give when I want to horde.
I choose to believe the best when it appears that someone has gone out of his/her way to speak ill of me...

I put on the mask of love, patience, joy, and faith, and pretty soon my feelings start to change;  my face begins to take the shape of the mask I was wearing.....

What does, "living honestly' mean?  It means that I am honest before God....I go to Him about my challenges with people and situations and even....my feelings....

And when I deal with people, I try very hard.....to honestly treat them the way God would have me treat them....whether I feel like it or not....but as I told my dear offspring, it's a goal I'm working towards, not a perfection I've attained so...... cut me some slack, Jack! :-)

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling, and slander, along with every from of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."  (Ephesians 4: 29-32; 5:1-2)

Would love to hear from you, dear reader........and.....

This week......Celebrate Christmas!  Celebrate Jesus!  Hang some mistletoe and eat a cookie or two.....or three...!!!

I'll blog ya next week.  In the meantime, do something today to fulfill your purpose.

My Odd Life Part 2- Hope

Today......

Are you listening to Christmas music yet?  What's your favorite carol?

My favorite is  Angels We Have Heard on High.......how can you not love a song that uses your first name as the entire chorus? (Glo---o--o--ri---a in excelis Deo....)  :-)

But today I'm thinking about a phrase in the french carol, O Holy Night....  Some of my Lafayette friends can probably sing it in its original french......but in English the phrase is, "A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices...."

HOPE is on my heart today.

Christmas can be a tough time for a lot of folks....

You might be struggling with being able to buy your kids gifts this year....my kids had their share of "Dollar Store" Christmases....

You may have had to relocate recently, and this will be your first Christmas without the extended family ......done that.....(just did it AGAIN!)

Maybe one of your loved ones is no longer with you to celebrate this year.....been there....

You may have had some rough Christmases in the past, and the season itself brings painful memories...

Some years ago...... I was given some news....BAD news....just a few days before Christmas......

It was so bad that when it was told to me,  I literally couldn't even sit on the chair....my breath was taken away....I actually slipped out of the chair and onto the floor.  

I can still see the Christmas tree beautifully decorated in the corner of the room, with piles of wrapped gifts underneath, the stockings were hung above the fireplace, Christmas lights lined the house... and in that Normal Rockwell styled scene..... I was on the floor.....

Some people scream, sob, and pound things with their fists..... I just couldn't breathe....or sit in the chair....for some reason....(yeah, I know I'm unique....)  

Maybe this is on my heart to write simply because I am reminded of that every year at this time....or maybe it's because you are going through a similar situation....and God wants you to have that "thrill of hope"so that your "weary soul" can rejoice !

Hope is positive expectation.....whatever bad thing you are facing today....EXPECT that things will get better!

You can choose to think that things will only get worse (be pessimistic)....
 or that they will eventually improve (the optimistic choice)
Choose to have  positive expectations!

You don't know which way this will end up.... so why not expect the best?  

I like to use this acronym for HOPE=    Having
                                                                Only
                                                                Positive
                                                                Expectations

You may ask, "What can I base my hope on?  This situation is hopeless."

True hope, the hope that got me through that dark Christmas, and the days following, was knowing that GOD LOVES ME.

If you know God and have a relationship with Him through Jesus, then your hope is in the fact that GOD LOVES YOU SO MUCH THAT HE SENT JESUS.......if He didn't hold Jesus back from the cross for you, then He will not hold back whatever it is that you need to move forward out this mess........

If you don't know God....I want to let you know that He is the source of true hope.

As the lyrics of O Holy Night describe, when God became incarnate, mankind finally had hope.

Without a relationship with God, you may have some good days.....and you may receive a bounce from some positive mental attitude, but you won't have that "thrill of hope."

Hope that comes from being in a relationship with God will get you through whatever it is you are facing, and whatever you may face in the future...

The need for hope is timeless, and the promise of hope in God is eternal.

Regardless of where you stand today in relationship to God, please take a moment and read this short essay by Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) on hope....please take a minute a read it...read it out loud if you can....you will be THRILLED with HOPE!


Why yield to gloomy anticipations? Who told thee that the night would never end in day? 

Who told thee that the sea of circumstances would ebb out till there should be nothing left 

but long leagues of the mud of horrible poverty? Who told thee that the winter of thy 

discontent would proceed from frost to frost, from snow, and ice, and hail, to deeper snow, 

and yet more heavy tempest of despair? Knowest thou not that day follows night, that 

flood comes after ebb, that spring and summer succeed winter? HOPE THOU THEN! 

HOPE THOU EVER! For God fails thee not.  Dost thou not know that thy God loves thee in 

the midst of all this?  Mountains, when in darkness hidden, are as real as in day, and God's 

love is as true to thee now as it was in thy brightest moments.  Thous shalt yet climb 

Jacob's ladder with the angels, and behold Him who sits at the top of it--thy covenant 

God.  Thou shalt yet, amidst the splendours of eternity, forget the trials of time, or only 

remember them to bless the God who led thee through them, and wrought thy lasting good 

by  them.  Come, sing in the midst of tribulation,  Rejoice even while passing through the 

furnace.  Make the wilderness to blossom like the rose!  Cause the desert to ring with thine 

exulting joys, for these light afflictions will soon be over, and then "forever with the Lord,"  

bliss shall never wane. - Charles Spurgeon



Back to O Holy Night........"The thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn"

The new morning is on its way!  Don't give up!!!!!!

If you want to know more about having a relationship with God that will bring this kind of hope to your life, message me....email me....facebook me....I'd love to talk to you!

I'll blog ya next week.....in the meantime...do something today to fulfill your purpose!

To quote another song....not quite as classical....

"Have a holly jolly Christmas!"