Wal-Mart Greeters

It occurred to me this morning as I headed out for my much-too-early morning prayer walk that I have my own personal Wal-Mart greeter. Her name is Aimee and consistently each morning she glides up to my leg and greets me with a cheery "meep". Not a full-fledged "meow" mind you, but nevertheless a happy-to-see-me sort of "meep" reminiscent of those greetings bestowed on customers as they enter Wal-Mart's shopping cart foyer/kingdom. Much like the love of Christ, Aimee doesn't have to worry about her approach. She simply strides up and welcomes me; no filters, no proper etiquette or PC worries, just an unconditional "Hello friend. Welcome to the Kingdom (Wal-Mart)!" Now if you're worried that I equate the Kingdom of God with Wal-Mart, YOU SHOULD BE! But isn't it so wonderful to know that Jesus is our Wal-Mart greeter!

Angry Swede Throws Down Medal, Quits

Wow, can I relate! This headline just jumped right out at me. How often and quickly I decide to throw a temper tantrum like a child and quit when life isn't going as I plan (there's that control freak again).

Ryan recently told me that he didn't think God listened to kids. Luckily that "still small voice" (1 Kings 19:12) promptly whispered my response to reassure Ryan that in fact it is the children that He wants to come to Him. There are countless number of times that the Bible mentions our approach to the Almighty should be like that of a child. So, okay, I think I've got the child-thing down. This sometimes angry Swede just needs to remember that a child-like approach doesn't mean throw down my medal and give up but instead surrender it over to God. Sounds like another control issue doesn't it? Thank goodness for God's mercy and grace!

Control Freak

Chris Tomlin recently wrote a song called "Let God Arise". I've always liked the song musically. It hums along at a good pace for my morning walk - one of those tunes that really get your feet to steppin' in a determined way. However, leave it to God to use a wonderful device like music to whisper a good message my way when I needed it most. My week was totally not going well. Joy was sick, Ryan was suffering from being cooped up all summer, Dave was very busy and my boss calls me up to inquire about my low production. But I'm in control of all this right? Like a gong, this song hit me over the head that I needed to LET God take over. Just submit. Admit that I'm not in control and that he has bigger plans going on. LET Him arise and show me his power. Okay. So, I decided to give it a try. I consciously decided to stop fighting life (or at least the circumstances of this week) and would you believe it actually worked? Joy got better. Ryan found new activities. Dave found time to spend with us tonight. And I made quota for two days in a row! Prayers are good to make, but I think the submission thing has to come too. May you remember to LET God show off his amazing-ness in your weekly crises!

Fork blessings...

My whisper of the day came while typing at my transcription this morning. There are so many opportunites throughout our day to bless others, especially in the mundane tasks (and believe me there's nothing more mundane than listening to these doctors rattle on and on and on...). As each of my patient jobs download, however, I have a rare opportunity to send a small prayer for each patient. I may not know each patient, but everyone deserves a prayer. I can type as many as 130 reports each day giving me 130 opportunities a day to bless someone. Who knew one person could touch so many lives? This takes the sting out of the mundane for me. Take a look around your life, what blessings can you offer out of the mundane? Maybe it's as simple as sending up a prayer for the next person who uses that fork you just took out of the dishwasher.

Humble beginning?

Yes, I am so full of myself that I had to go and create another blog for you to read! If you've been keeping up with my family's doing's at our blog, leapin'langlois.blogspot.com, you already know much about me and what gets me up everyday. What you may not know is my insatiable need to talk about myself without actually opening my mouth to do so. Hence my new blog. I aspire to be an accomplished writer someday and hope to use this blog as a spring-board to that end. My motivations are not entirely so self-centered, however. I do hope to spread Christ's love, hope, inspiration and peace to my readers through these posts. So re-visit often and comment every once in a while to let me know that I do have a fan!

Light, Love, Joy, and Peace to you!

P.S. I have felt God's presence most closely and at the most profound moments of my life when a butterfly has flown across my path - these are my "God moments" when God whispers just to me. When do you feel His whisper?