I'm Just Thinkin'

Friends... more than just a sitcom... often the central perk in our lives!

Friends are said to come into our lives for a season, reason or for a lifetime…

I wanted to share with you today a poem that I ran across about the people who we cross paths with… very cool…

Reason, Season, or Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty; to provide you with guidance and support; to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

— Author Unknown

This concept truly amazes me… we never know who will come and stay… or even go… and sometimes they come and go and we don’t really know why… but they surely all arrive and leave with a purpose.

We should cherish each and every person that we encounter and hold on to the good… memories, lessons, love and laughter that we share each step of the way… I’m thinkin’ I’ll make a sticky note reminder for that one… for this and every season!

Who is your best friend… and why?

Rachael and her lil' sis Allie

I’m writing today as a contributor to the Christian Writers Blog Chain. Our theme for this month is “Leap.” Christianwriters.com is an excellent place to network if you’re a Christian writer or author.

“If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.” Rachael , my daughter. Today is her 21st Happy Birthday… and seeing as she was a huge fan of frogs, it’s time to run with Leap-Frog

I’m going to hop on over to Rachael’s world…

If I were a frog… that thought must have run through Rachael’s mind a time or two…

If I were a frog… what would I do?

Oooo to be a frog…

living the frogs life…

… leap… obviously…

leap would be my mode of transportation…

I could play outside all day long!

I would also eat some bugs… having a tasty bug or two would help keep me nimble and quick… quick as a frog.

I would hang out with other frogs… toads… croakers…

Frogs like rainy days… or so it seems since they come out of hiding when it rains…

A “leap” to me is moving forward with positive momentum… with the assistance of like-minded frogs.

Learning leap-frog as a kid was fun and exciting…

Leap frog required that you:

• Believe in yourself. There are so many examples of taking a mighty leap when you’re a kid… learning to ride a bike with no training wheels… the first day of school… kissing an… eeeeks…. frog? … or was that actually Prince Charming?
• Believe in your friends. You can’t play leap-frog by yourself. It just doesn’t work. Rachael has done an outstanding job of surrounding herself with a good group of froggers. They’re frogtastic! We are one… one body… one faith… one amphibian. Like-minded frogs speak the same language… when we are one that speak is universal ribbit… there’s just no getting around it.

I admire Rachael… she identifies with the most important part of life… and boldly finds a way.

When was your bold moment of leap-frog growing up, when you took the leap of faith?

Christian Writers Blog Chain

Surprised By Laughter by Terry Lindvall, Ph.D., is subtitled “The comic world of C.S. Lewis.” As I am a huge fan of C.S. Lewis, so I thought this would be a great book to check out. I think it would be excellent for anyone who is a student of Lewis and would like to know a wealth of information about him. In that regard, this work is well done!

Lewis knew that not all laughter was good, and he knew how to focus in the right direction. Lindvall states, “We are created for our neighbors, to be in a loving and joyous community with one another. And here we discover that both good laughter and love have a tendency to be inclusive rather than exclusive. Jokes are shared and passed on. Laughter draws and gathers a sad world to its center. The sounds of laughter heard in another room will jerk the interest and curiosity of the hearer, and may, without any logic, draw the stranger in and elicit a sympathetic smile.”

This is a big book… 450 pages. It is well written and intellectual. I found the book to start off slow… and as I read on the work brought a deeper understand of and appreciation for C.S. Lewis and his humor. The book is divided into 6 parts: The Idea And The Legacy; Joy; Fun; The Joke Proper; Satire And Flippancy; and, Conclusion: The Laughter Of Love. All good stuff!!

Do you like C.S. Lewis? What books are you reading now?

Who is He? Another face in the crowd... or on the main stage?

One of my goals for this year is to learn more about the word “believe” …

“Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”

“But what about you,” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”  Luke 9:18-20

To me, “believing” in Jesus means that He is front and center on the main stage… that my life is focused on Him above all else. That, to me, says who Jesus is.

Who do you say Jesus is?

The Far Side. Credit: NASA

Newsflash from yesterday: “NASA Mission Returns First Video From Moon’s Far Side”

Ok, so we’ve seen the far side of the moon before but this was the first video… and the mission has other objectives… we’re going to find out more about the moon’s gravitational field, providing a better understanding of the moon’s composition, interior structure and evolution. Still, the far side of the moon seems shrouded in mystery…

Did you know that, from our perspective, there really is a far side of the moon? That’s correct, we always see the same side of the moon. So, were it not for NASA, we would have no clue what might be on the far side of the moon… Except for those few astronauts who have actually orbited the moon… or walked on the moon…

So I started thinkin’ yesterday… the far side of the moon…

Do you remember the comic strip The Far Side? Gary Larson’s surreal characters that we’re… well.. a little off center. I enjoyed his humor. In fact, the more I think about The Far Side, the more I realize it probably contributed to my off-center point of view. This was a major distraction to me yesterday afternoon… Go ahead, google it and read some of these…

The far side of the moon has also been referred to as the dark side of the moon… and, we all know about the dark side. Yes… it’s dark. But wait, there’s more… remember Yoda? Ahhh, yes, Yoda was deep… but not dark. I love Yoda quotes… “Twisted by the Dark Side young Skywalker has become.” – Yoda

The Far Side Of The Moon…

NASA is spending millions, maybe billions, in an attempt to tell us what the Bible clearly states…

We will be spending hours on Sunday watching the television, not for the sporting event we know as the Super Bowl… but for the commercials…

and Chris is writing yet another LITE post that just may one day end up in a book on your coffee table…

Should we BELIEVE what NASA is saying about the far side of the moon?

Stay tuned: Monday’s post is about my resolution to dive deeper into this word “believe”…

Until then…