JettyBetty and the Pharisees

A couple weeks ago, most every lesson I heard and scripture I read was on forgiveness. The first time I heard it, I remember thinking "O, I am certain there are people in this crowd that really need this." After getting this repeat lesson about five times, I started questioning if there was some issue about forgiveness God was trying to make in my life, and yes, there was.

For the last few days it seems God has been saying to me "you take too many blessings for granted". It started when a friend at work told me about a college age young man in her neighborhood that was killed in a car accident. Then, a couple of the ladies I work with started telling about their health problems. I tried to be a much faster learner this time--and have been attempting to thank God for the many, many blessings he has so generously sent my way! There are just so many--and many I had just been taking for granted.

I am thankful for a God that is so patient that he will teach me lessons, even if it takes 5 times or 55 times!

This picture of the Pharisee I could so easily be, is just not pretty.

"The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself, 'God I thank you I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and tithe a tenth of all I get'".

Please, Father, let me be like this!

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven but beat his breast, and said. 'God have mercy on me, a sinner.'"
Luke 18:11-13

J and Meg at dinner Saturday night--2 of the many things I never want to take for granted!

Happy Fall, Harvest, Halloween

Circa 1993

I would like to formally apologize to my kids for my intense lack of creativity in their trick or treat costumes. One year, they wore their Halloween pajamas! In 1993, I took Meg/Mer to Walmart and they got a new sweat suit—and could call themselves whatever they liked. Meg was an apple (note the green ribbon in her hair) Mer was a critter (don’t remember what kind). S hit the jackpot that year. In a bag from the cousins there was an Indian outfit—put some construction paper feathers on his head, and he was an Indian.

Yesterday afternoon employee kids got to come around the office for treats. There were the cutest bugs, butterflies, elephants on and on. I just feel terrible what I did to my poor kids. Of course, how many snickers can those 4 month olds eat?

Happy fall whatever to you. Hope you get all the chocolate you want and no one smashes your pumpkin.

Birthday Season

October 22-November 2 is birthday season at our house. Four of the five of us have birthdays during this season, so we have reason to celebrate almost continuously.

Mer came in on Friday. She spent Friday evening and Saturday at a Let's Start Talking event where she and several hundred others were trained to be trainers for teams going out in 2005. There were five from Knoxville. Meg and the Knoxville team joined us for the assembly on Sunday morning. It was incredible!

Amy, Kelly, Justin, Mike, and Mer. Knoxville LST trainers.

For lunch on Sunday, J treated his birthday women to Abuelo's. We all discovered avocado enchiladas and they were yummy. It was a beautiful day and we got to eat outside!

Mer and I had some great time with Meg yesterday. Mer's on the way back to Tennessee now.

I love birthday season!

Mer, JettyBetty, Meg at lunch on Sunday

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." Ephesians 1:3

A Birthday Blog

Even though it has been reported on another popular blog that I am turning 28, I am really 50. Since this must be a monumental time, I decided to blog a very small portion of what I have learned in the last 50 years.

1. When you are 50, fifty is not old. 100 is old, well maybe even 90 is old, just not 50 or 60.

2. The very best part of being 50 is seeing God’s faithfulness. I have 50 years to look back and see how He worked out the details of my life. So, in those times when I don’t know where I am going, I am can trust Him for the best plan.

3. God is a God of miracles. Back when I taught children at BSF, we defined a miracle as anything only God can do. Taking a breath is a miracle, only God can provide the air. Watching a sunset, listening to the ocean, seeing a brand new baby—all are miracles. When I take time to see all the many miracles in my life each day, I am amazed again how he protects and provides for me. Our God is an awesome God!

4. Everyone has to do things in their own way. As the old Indians would say (and if they didn’t say I am certain they might have meant to) “I have not walked in their moccasins”. By nature, I am way too opinionated, so my 50 years has taught me to lay back and see God work through people in a whole bunch of ways that I would never expect.

5. I have an incredible husband. I think the time J touched me most of all, was about 23 years ago when M/M were just babies. I was a brand new stay at home mom, and he was working hard days as a young executive. So that I could sleep a 5 hour or so stretch every night, he would take his “turn” feeding, diapering and rocking during the night. When I told him how much I appreciated that, he told me I had the hard job, not him. He’s just gotten better in the last 23 years.

6. Children are GREAT!!! I was not born with this belief. God taught me this one through Meg, Mer and S. With them in the house, I was a quick learner. They continue to teach and fill me wonder.

7. I am now eligible to be an AARP member. I am going to send them my $12.50 to join, because jettybetty might need a great hotel rate sometime. I don’t think we are going to be able to actually retire anytime soon.

Age definitely has it benefits!!!

“Every detail works to your advantage and to God’s glory, more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise. Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.” II Corinthians 4: 15-16

Happy Birthday Seth!

Seth is 19!

They just keep getting better!

I just may have to change my favorite scripture to Ephesians 3:20.

S came in for the weekend, and Meg came down all three days. I really enjoy this young adult age. Of course, I have enjoyed each stage of our descendants lives, but I really think they just keep getting better and better! I truly could have never imagined the blessings that come through them!

I even watched most of a football game. And I had a really good time! A&M was playing and the 4 of us huddled around our small screen tv to see the Aggies play OSU. This could have been a family conflict since J and I both are OSU alums. However, I quickly turned traitor to cheer on A&M, but J figured out how to straddle the fence. Years (and years) ago OSU was Oklahoma A&M, thus Oklahoma Aggies, so he could just chant "go Aggies" and have it both ways!


Meg has it both ways (OSU gun and A&M gig 'em). S is an Aggie only!

"God can do anything you know, far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around, but by working within us, his Spririt deeply and gently within us." Ephesians 3:20

Blog Surfing

I will confess--mindless surfing is a past time of mine. I will also confess that travel boards have consumed a big part of that time I claim for "relaxation". I still get a thrill in figuring out how to plan a 3 day trip for Calgary for what most people spend for dinner and a movie.

However, the past few days I have found a new surf mode. It's so incredibly easy. Many people will post their favorite blogs on their blog. So, I go to a blog and just keep clicking through until I get 20 people or so past the original blog. It is utterly fascinating.

My blog surfing does not include a scientific sample of all blogs. I realize I am pretty much in a circle of friends when I use those links, or at the very least someone that person enjoys, thus by nature could be very similar in thought and ideology. I know I have not been reading a great cross section of people. That said, I have found this blog surfing very encouraging.

Most of those who blog are considerable younger than myself. I am impressed with the spiritual maturity of the blogs I have read. The blogs have given me the privilege to have insight into what people are thinking as they daily pursue God's will for their lives. I found no one that wrote they had that figured out, and that encourages me as I struggle to be who God has called me to be.

I love to read one blog from a young woman in Honduras. She traded in her brand new honors college degree over the summer for a mule and a pest infested home in a third world country. She working with children that don't even understand love, and she trying to share love personified in Jesus. Her stories make my cry and I am thankful I have new ways to pray for her.

Then, there's the young lady who went to Japan to teach english and may be the only Christian influence the students and teachers at her junior high meet on a daily basis. She understands that kind of challenge can only be met as God works through her many times in ways she doesn't even see or understand.

I really consider most all the blogs I read to be people who are in full time ministry. I define full time ministry as seeking God 24/7. Some of them paying ministry positions, some have other jobs and many are college students, but I see such a passion to share Jesus and to live like Jesus.

There are issues for the church today, I have enjoyed reading discussions on these. Most are on topics I still don't understand, but I seek God for answers. It's fun to read different sides of issues from those who proclaim their passion for the Kingdom through their blogs. I glad we don't have to agree to be brothers and sisters. I am thankful we have a sovereign God that knows all the answers.

"We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and the love you have for all the saints." Colossians 1:3,4

JettyBetty is not a Domestic Diva

I know there may be an opening for a Domestic Diva now that Martha is in the cupcake place, but I take myself out of competition.

I don't enjoy domestic things. I want to thank first my mom, who could be a Domestic Diva, as she is good with all things domestic. She never forced me to take home ec or any such thing in school. Perhaps she clued in early there wasn't much potential and accepted God gave me very little talent in this area.

I would also like to thank J. I remember telling him I would like to be a stay at home mom about 23 years ago. He then asked me what I would do, as it was obvious I didn't care for cooking and cleaning. I had that figured out, I just wanted to sing "Jesus Loves Me" with the babies! So, he let me do it, knowing there would be no real improvement in the cleanliness of his home, or the quality of food.

Today during my Bible study time (now I do enjoy that!) I was trying to allow God to encourage me, so I looked for the scripture that says "cleanliness is next to Godliness", but I couldn't find it. So someone please encourage me and tell me where that it. I promise I won't cut it out of my Bible or anything.

I have been home mostly for 3 days and it was obvious I really needed to clean, so I have been working on it. It's not that I hate to clean, it's mostly that I can almost always find something I would rather do. The place really does look better, but please don't bring any white gloves over.

I tried to make one of J's favorite recipes, but I still get baking soda and baking powder confused. What are those anyway?

I really am NOT a domestic diva.

"Martha, Martha," The Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:41

Reflections

The water was so breath taking!

Even I know that there is gambling in Nevada. However, I did not know it was everywhere. From the moment J and I walked into the airport in Reno, those goofy looking machines were just there. I'm sure the people that own those must love delayed planes. I can imagine the excuses for loosing the grocery money at the machines in the grocery store. The only place that didn't have machines were church and the Subway sandwich shop. I don't want to disappoint the fine people of Nevada, but I would come more likely to loose control at the Chocolate Nugget (candy factory) than the Golden Nugget.

We went to Nevada to enjoy the beauty of God's creation. We hiked to places where you could only smell fresh pine, with air so crisp we had to layer on clothes, and could only hear an occasional bird, the wind russle leaves and some of the time nothing at all--that's right complete quiet. We saw trees from bright yellow to bold red.

The thing that really blew me away was Lake Tahoe. I love lakes, I really love any body of water. They just refresh and relax me like nothing else. This lake had absolutely clear water. It was like a huge mirror! It reflected whatever was above it. If there was a cloud, it was white. If the sky was a beautiful blue, yep, it was blue. Early one morning it was pink and late at night, orange. I just couldn't get enough of it. We found all different places and ways to enjoy it--and had some time to reflect on some things, too.

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." II Corinthians 3:18

JettyBetty in the big silver praise machine

For a bit over 7 years now, I have driven the 20+ miles to my office, but I hardly ever went the same way. I was an avid listener to the KLTY traffic report and their steady stream of reporters and I knew how to zig and zag and miss all those traffic nightmares. For some reason, I consider this an anal compulsive part of my personality. I want to win even when I am driving to work with strangers.

Then, I got a supervisor that if I arrived one minute late, I had to stay 15 minutes late. My compulsion got even more intense. It now had a reason to be.

About 6 months ago, however, I got a new supervisor who probably would never notice if I am one minute late, and if she did notice, she wouldn't care. A little over a month ago, something else happened in my life. Meg gave me 3 new praise CD's in the same day. I love good praise CDs. These were all great CDs, but I just didn't have time to listen to them enough.

So, I started listening to them in the car to/from work and giving up the traffic reporters on a part time basis. I quickly learned the praise CDs were much better than the stupid radio, and by this week, I resolved to give up the radio and just chill. I decided to make the big silver car, a praise machine.

This was all going well, and I felt so good after45 minutes or so each direction of good music, I was resolved I was doing the correct thing. Then, I got my first test. Two wrecks on the way home. I stood my resolve and just enjoyed the extra time with my Father and the music. Then, yesterday afternoon, another test. I got stuck in the most awful traffic ever. I went about 4 miles in one hour. I am old, and I could have walked faster than this. The first 20 min or so, I was fine, but last few minutes, I kept my music, but I did go back to my old ways of trying to plot a detour out of the mess, even if it meant I would have to go through Dallas or something.

I stand resolved again. I am much more willing to be used by God after my praise time in the car in morning. Wrecks, construction, and just plain traffic snarls will no longer be my enemy. I am giving up my compulsion of figuring out the very fastest way to get there.

So, if you see a big silver praise machine on 820 or 183 any given morning, it just could be me. I promise to leave at least one hand on the steering wheel except when I am forced to use the highway as a parking spot temporarily. I still think I am a safer driver than those putting on their make-up during the commute. It's much healthier than a smoke. I just might be singing really loud tho!!!

"Blessings and honor,
glory and power,
give unto the Ancient of Days!"