CHANGE IS IN THE WIND

 When Hero and I headed out for our early morning walk this morning, the temperature was the high for the day.  That seldom happens.  As I sit here drinking my latte (I've become quite good at making those treats), the wind is howling.  I stepped out and immediately noticed a big drop in the temperature.  The wind is scheduled to blow almost all day--and the temperature will continue to drop.  There will be an over 20 degree fall as the day progresses and by our walk tomorrow AM--it will be almost 30 degrees cooler than this morning's walk.  The temperature is falling---winter is sticking its head out---ready or not--change is coming.  One thing you can absolutely count on is things are NOT going to remain the same.

At this point in life, I check every morning to make certain my heart is still ticking---my peer group is beginning to dwindle at an alarming rate.  That would be a BIG change if I discovered my ticker had stopped ticking.  My physical being is certainly changing---wrinkles, sags, white (Not Gray) hair have been a sign of my body changing.  LONG GONE are those days of the  intense exercise I once participated in.  How I spend my time has changed---no longer on the "work treadmill"---I have instead created a new job in taking care of my house and garden.  Once I had no leisure time---that has changed to too much leisure some days---I can become downright lazy when I pick up a good book.  If you think back over your life and consider all the changes, it seems we have rapidly morphed into who we are today because of on-going change.  The thing about change--is we do not actually know where that change is going to take us--until we have gone through the change and are standing on the other side.  It is a slow slide into the unknown of the future.

One thing never changes---God.  He never changes---He is immutable---He cannot change.  The description of Who God is contained in The Word---He will never change---no matter what the winds of time bring.  He will NEVER be less than He is now.

AMEN!

"I am the Lord,

I change not."

Malachi 3:6

WHY?

 It is no secret I live alone.  I am questioning why I decorate for Christmas.  This is not a new thought ---it happens every year about this time.  My Fort Worth grands are a busy lot and they may make it to my house and maybe not.  Part of the crew is headed north to the other side of their family  for the holiday.  The other part will be out of town for a few days before Christmas day, but when they get back they are always busy.  With 4 children ranging from 15 to soon 10, they are involved in tons of activities and all are very social.  I remember being those ages, and how much I loved being with my friends.   I understand their desire to be with their friends--they always have fun and do lots of activities together.  I get it!  SO, I can't count on them enjoying my decorated house.  My next door neighbor has 3 children ages 12 and down.  Their house is decorated top to bottom inside and out.  It is lovely and I enjoy seeing the lights, but do they really care if I decorate or not?  Everyone else on my end of the block does not have children at home.  SO--the question becomes WHY do I decorate?  I do it to enjoy the memories it envokes of those Christmas celebrations when I did have a house full.  The difference is---I am a minimalist decorator at this point.  I will put up a small tree, and put out a few treasured decorations which all have memories attached to them.  My decorating is for me----for the memory nudges they bring of sweet times which I thankfully still remember.   SO though I lack the abundance I once insisted upon, there is just enough to remind me of the long line of memories of Christmas past.  AND--I am thankful!

"You must be very careful

not to forget the things

you have seen

God do for you."

Deuteronomy 4:9 CEV

ALWAYS ON MY MIND.

One of my all time favorite songs is "Always on My Mind" which was written by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, and Mark James.  The first recording was by Brenda Lee in 1972, but the first commercially successful version of the song was Elvis Presley's recording (and also my personal favorite).   NOW, where in the world could I be going?  This blog actually began percolating when I was considering if you could think about more than one thing at a time.  I distinctly remember while working having the impression I could think about multiple things at once.  During the years I was raising a family, I had LOTS of things on my mind.  SO, I "Googled it" and found this information-

"THE HUMAN BRAIN  CANNOT TRULY 'THINK ABOUT TWO THINGS AT ONCE' IN THE SAME SENSE OF FULLY FOCUSING ON BOTH SIMULTANEOUSLY; INSTEAD, IT RAPIDLY SWITCHES BETWEEN THOUGHTS, CREATING THE ILLUSION OF THINKING ABOUT MULTIPLE THINGS AT THE SAME TIME."

As I began to consider this, it occurred to me the wiring of our brains is so closely connected that we can jump the track from subject to subject in a nano second- giving us the ability to switch from subject to subject seamlessly.  Unlike writing, where I create a new paragraph for each change in direction, our thoughts can be one long run-on sentence.  At times I write as I think---thus all of my run on sentences.  There are times I am working on something so intense---difficult---technical; I am able to fully concentrate only on that one subject.  BUT, all those thoughts of other things, can be quickly stimulated by some stimuli and I lose focus on the subject which requires my complete attention.  

So, once again, I am marveling at our Creator.  Our minds are a marvel---not only do they contain the wiring for our thoughts, but they also contain the data needed, the ability to process, and the added emotional input a computer cannot have.  It is a wonder!  So those days when I was deep in some accounting/tax problem---though I thought I was also thinking of my family---it really was bouncing back and forth from subject to subject---SO quickly -it gave the impression  I was thinking of both at the same time.  

I love the song noted above---but it would seem it is impossible to always have one thing on our mind--except we are able to always jump from subject to subject so quickly---it "feels" as if we are always thinking about something which is very dear--very important---something as important as our heart beat and have the distinct impression it is ALWAYS on my mind.  I leave you with one question---is God always on your mind---is He so important that you "feel" as if you are always thinking about Him no matter what you are doing?  Is God "Always on My Mind"?

"I have set the Lord always before me;

because He is at my right hand,

I shall not be shaken."

Psalm 16:8

GIFT GUIDE

Why do we give gifts?  I am not referring to the example of the Wise Men, but instead, why do you give gifts?  Is it an obligation, is it reciprocal, is it tradition, or is it a visible confirmation of love?  There can be many reasons why we want to give a gift.  

It is the time of year when the WWW is inundated with "THE PERFECT GIFT" suggestions.  Amazon may be the "King of WWW advertising".  It stands to reason they would use the WWW as their method of advertising heavily since this is the vehicle for buying from their site.  Occasionally  I will start to browse their offerings, but quickly grow bored and move on.  Yes, I do my fair share of Amazon buying.  Since I seldom go into a retail establishment these days, ordering on line and shipping or pick up are my go to.  Unlike many--I take no delight in shopping.  YES---there is a variable cornucopia of ideas and suggestions for gifts you might give.  At this stage of my life, I ask my children to NOT get my anything else to deal with or someday transfer ownership of.  I have given away houses full of stuff with all the moving I have done.  Truly--I am trying to keep it to a minimum now.

What I think is the secret of gift giving is something which we know the receiver will love.  I listen to those I give gifts to and try to give a gift I have heard them mention.  My children got together one year and bought me a coat they had heard me talk about.  I was too tight to spend the money myself and had a coat that would suffice, but they picked up on my "want" and made it happen.  I considered knowing they were actually listening to me part of the gift.  My daughter took me on a special trip for my 70th birthday.  I had always talked about going to New York, but had not made it happen.  She planned it all, and we saw LOTS of New York and 3 plays in 3 days.  I have enjoyed more birthday lunches than I can count.  The gift of time is HUGE in my book.  SO, when thinking about "what to give" this year---depending upon the person a trip, an event, time spent together over lunch or dinner is always a no fail option.  

When we look to Jesus for ideas of what to give---He definitely spent time with others.  He listened, He broke bread with them, and He shared His wisdom.  He gave us the ultimate gift of personal sacrifice so that we might be with Him eternally.  What an inspiration---one we could never equal---but we can think beyond the material and consider the gift of time---in any form or fashion.  What portrays love more?

"God's gift is eternal life

given by

Jesus Christ our Lord."

Romans 6:23

DO YOU KNOW A GOOD WRITER?

Obituary---a notice of someone's death; usually including a short biography.  Reading obituaries is a fascinating pass time for me.  NO I AM NOT MORBID!  BUT---it is so interesting what our family or we want others to remember us for.  There are those who write a lengthy dissertation with even the most trivial of facts and there are those who only put a notice of death---no extraneous details.  This is one more thing in our society which divides the well off from the very poor.  Since obituaries published in the newspaper (that is another subject since most papers are now sent out digitally) have to be paid for---there is the cost consideration.  Funerals are not cheap.  I am trying to leave this terrestrial ball as cheaply as possible.  There is no cheap in the world of funerals. only less expensive..  Here is a funeral fact you may not know.  If the body crosses state lines, another funeral home probably is going to be involved.  My step father died in Mississippi while on a trip to Florida.  His body was embalmed in Mississippi since you cannot cross state lines without being embalmed (if my memory serves me correctly).  The funeral was in Louisiana and a different funeral home took care of that.  He was buried in Texas and the local funeral home was in charge of the interment.  SORRY---back to the subject--I am rambling.

As I was thinking this over, it became apparent that the obituary depends upon the writer.  When Momma died after months of suffering, my brothers and I were emotionally drained.  My sister in law took the task of writing her obituary.  It contained what Momma would have wanted---the basic facts.  The laughing joke with my kids is when I am gone--place a notice on line since no one reads papers anymore (except my generation).  Short and sweet is exactly what I want.  I have made a decision which will impact this blog.  Those who might care are my family and close friends.  I have decided to write an auto-biography for my family.  This is a big writing project and will require lots of organization, planning, and writing.  My memory is not what it was and I will have to do some research to make certain I have my facts straight.  It will be a labor of love so my family can understand where we came from and what makes us who we are.  

SO---the blog will take a back seat while I am working on this.  I will probably have things which pop up that I feel need to be shared, but it will not be consistent 5 days a week.  This project will begin January 1---I will post the blog until the end of December.  After that we will see how things shape up.  With my blog ban on Facebook, except under a separate page from my individual page, readership has dropped.  All things have a life expectancy and perhaps the blog has lived its life.  That is to be determined.  SO without further ado---and with plenty of warning---I am explaining the direction I am headed.  I hope this endeavor will give my family further insight into not just me---but who we are collectively.  There will be no obituary, but there will be a privately shared remembrance for those I cherish and love deeply.  May God give me the wisdom to know what needs to be shared and what needs to be held close.  

"If you obey God,

you will have something

to leave your grandchildren."

Proverbs 13:22

FENCES AND BOUNDARIES

In case I have not expressed this yet, I love my neighbors on our end of the block in my new to me house.  I especially love my next door neighbors---they are simply the best.  On one side is a young couple--- newly weds of about a year---in their 20's.  On the other side is a young (everyone seems to be young when I look around these days) family with three children.  I knew them before moving in since one of their girls is a very good friend of my granddaughter.  They all brighten my days when I hear them outside playing or we are sharing news over the fence.  Everyone is busy--but not too busy for a kind word to the old lady next door.

Both of these families have pets.  The young couple have a golden retriever and a dachshund who are barkers.  The other neighbor has Miss Kitty, we have talked about before, who loves to taunt Hero and a small dog I seldom see.  If I let Hero out and any of the pets are also out---a ruckus ensues ALWAYS!  If Miss Kitty is perched on the fence between our houses---Hero is falling all over himself wanting to get to her.  If the dogs on the other side are out, they begin barking and Hero is throwing dirt around with his back feet and sniffing and spurting (no bark--remember?).  I usually bring him in to keep the uproar to a minimum, but the dogs' owners are very conscious of the barking and bring them in also.  Have you ever heard the expression ~

I really like my neighbors, but can you imagine the chaos with the pets if we did not have fences?  Animals are prone to wander and will infringe on their neighbor's space if left to their own devices.  One of us from the three adjacent houses would have to be out refereeing the melee every time one of the pets dared to cross the boundary.  I love my neighbors, but I do not want to be out running their pets off or tracking them down  when they escape 24/7.  Fences are boundaries to keep the cows in the pasture, chickens in the pen, horses in the paddock, and dogs in the yard.  We keep peace by having boundaries and staying within them.  AND, if by chance, the gate is left open, the fence has a break in it, or some escape artist manages to squeeze through a narrow opening---we help our neighbors corral their livestock---be it four legged or two.  We don't stand at the fence yelling our displeasure---we are good neighbors and help out those next door.

Recently I saw the neighbor's two dogs slip out the door, they went after a walking couple and began running in circles.  I stood back and laughed as the across the street, one  neighbor flew out her door, the walker's joined in the corralling efforts, and everyone from next door spilled out the door trying to catch those two dogs.  No one was mad---no one was flustered with each other and we all walked away after the beasts had been caught with a smile on our face.  If only we could all be good neighbors---establish our boundaries to keep the peace--but always be willing to step up when we see a need.  Keep your fences in repair, but always have a spot where you can talk over or through the fence.  This makes for good neighbors.

"Love your neighbor

as yourself."

Leviticus 19:18

BLACK FRIDAY

 Every Tom,  Dick & Harry (some of you probably do not understand why I use those 3 names---another idiom from my youth) now has their version of Black Friday.  Black Friday in the retail world began decades ago and was always celebrated? the Friday after Thanksgiving.  It was the official opening of the Christmas spending season.  I have friends---NOT ME---who are guilty of hitting the stores after midnight Thanksgiving day.  If they start giving away gold bars, I MIGHT participate--but probably not.  The bargains were the gimmicks to get you through the door.  In the world of marketing they call those "Loss Leaders".  The retail industry is willing to sell at cost--perhaps even a small loss to get you into their establishment.  As with many things---the pandemic and shut down hit retail industry in the nose.  We learned to buy any and everything on line.  I am GUILTY!  I am NOT a shopper and if I never crossed the threshold of another retail establishment it would be wonderful.  I do not even go into the grocery store unless I have a last minute emergency and for one or two items only.  I am not a fan of crowds, pushing and shoving, grabbing and throwing, standing in long lines, or being overwhelmed by too many choices.  It is a good thing I love my house---for I stay here a great deal.  My outings involve walks--lots of them and being the Grands' Uber.  Shopping on line is my way to go.

Fast forward to today and Black Friday is hugely "celebrated" on line.  It is no longer limited to the Friday after Thanksgiving.  I have been seeing ads for months about the "Latest" Black Friday.  Do you associate Black Friday with throwing your hard earned cash at the retailers?  It might surprise you to know---the original Black Friday was not a concept born out of retail sales.  The first Black Friday was September 24, 1869---a date of financial panic in the US sparked by gold speculators.  The true origin of the post- Thanksgiving Black Friday lies in the sense of black meaning "marked by disaster or misfortune."  "In the 1950's, factory managers first started referring to the Friday after Thanksgiving as Black Friday because so many of their workers  decided to falsely call in sick, thus extending their holiday weekend.   There is another story originating about 10 years later about Philadelphia traffic cops using the phrase to describe the day after Thanksgiving  when they worked 12 hour shifts in terrible traffic." 

As I reflected on Black Friday and what it has come to mean, as a Believer it has an entirely different meaning.  Friday--the day before the Jewish Sabbath, is the day when Jesus paid the price for all of our sins.  He suffered and died--so we could spend eternity with Him.  The Blackest of Fridays---and the price He paid --and all for us was unthinkable.  He suffered--died---was betrayed---was buried---and perhaps most unthinkable was separated from The Father.  There will never be a Black Friday to compare to that one.  So thankful---Sunday was coming.

"At noon the sky turned dark

and stayed that way until three o'clock."

Matthew 27:45