Smile and Be Joyful

March 31, 2020 Life is so strange right now. Very few things are normal. But I know things are gonna get better. And more importantly, not just better from right now but better than they were BEFORE this all happened. For example, it will be great to be able to see our whole family together again. But the best part will be the APPRECIATION we will have for it. I’ve found myself imagining a giant FAMILY hug and our traditional circle for the prayer before the meal. How great that will feel! (I’m scheduling that for July 4th, btw.) Another example: I recently went about 9 months without eating a hamburger. When I decided to have one at a cookout I was not prepared for how good that would taste. (I’m scheduling that for July 4th too, btw.) So maybe all this “doing without” and staying at home will make everything better for all of us when normal life resumes. Maybe our new normal will be better. Maybe our new (improved) selves will appreciate everything more. I googled “appreciation” ...

March 30, 2020 My favorite commercial is the one where the guy (thinks he) is stranded on a deserted island and he toils and struggles to survive (like Tom Hanks in the movie “Castaway”) until one day he is rescued by someone in a helicopter. He asks “Are you from search and rescue?” and she replies “No, I’m from the resort!”As they fly upward he looks back over his shoulder and realizes that the whole time he thought he was “marooned on a deserted island” he was actually only a short walk through the jungle from the resort where he had been staying. His face as he says “whaaa?” makes me laugh every time. These circumstances we find ourselves in are rather isolating. Like this guy, we may not have all our usual luxuries (or necessities-hello, toilet paper and butter). And we may not know exactly "where we are".  But we are not alone. God has not deserted us. He wants a relationship with us. He wants us to call on Him. And we don’t have to walk through a jungle to get to...

March 29, 2020 If someone (credible) said, “I’ve got it! I can heal everyone and stop this virus!”, the entire world stop and listen and do whatever they said to do. If they said “ok, everyone go outside and jump up and down and shout “pickle juice” at high noon and this will all be over”, we’d do it. If they said “eat fried liver and onions”, we’d do it. (I would prefer the first option.). We all want this to be over. We all want our good old “normal “ back. There is no PERSON who can do that. But God can! And God will! (And maybe He will use a person or two to do it.) He has stopped the entire world with a microscopic organism. He has our attention. I believe that if we humble ourselves and pray as individuals, as families, churches, communities, as a nation and as humans the world over, God will hear us and bless us with an end to all of this. He will heal our land. Prayer is the answer. This last couple of weeks I’ve been praying for peace, understanding, strength, health and...

March 28, 2020 I woke up this morning thinking about time. I have so much of it now. I wish I could put the extra in a jar and save it. Maybe freeze it for way later. But if you think about it, I have the exact same amount of time I’ve always had (quantity wise). It’s just that I have more options on how to “spend it”. That’s a scary thought. I’ve rarely had extra time or money in my life. With so much uncertainty about time right now, it’s harder to decide what’s most important to do first. Decisions about money also seem unclear. I guess I’ll stick with what is normal for me. I often joke that the only 3 places I go are work, Walmart and my family’s houses. Now I’m teaching online (go me), ordering groceries online and standing on the porch of my parents’ house visiting with them through the glass door. The hardest thing, by far, are the “curbside only” visits with my grandson. At home I’m cleaning and spending time with the family. See! All (mostly) normal... But it sure doesn...

March 27, 2020 “It’s not what happens to you but how you react to it that matters.” -Epictetus (50-138 AD) “The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” -William Arthur Ward (1921-1994) “We cannot direct the wind , but we can adjust the sails.” -Dolly Parton (1946- ) All of these quotes seem to be saying the same thing. The first one, even though it’s 1900 years old, is the one I’ve heard and said the most, with a bit of a Texan twist of course. (“Its not what happens, it’s how ya handle it.”) So much easier to say than to do. Each morning as I sip my first cup of coffee and a bright new day stretches out before me, I have the best of intentions. (Work stuff...Household stuff...Be positive and patient ) I don’t actually write that last one down, although maybe I should. It’s a life goal for an impatient person. (in a small house with lots of people and dogs) Bolstered with prayer and caffeine and armed with my ...

March 26, 2020 We have a security system monitored by Brinks. (at least I hope they’re monitoring it...that’s what we pay them for) Sometimes we forget to “arm it”. Maybe there was nothing scary nearby on the news this evening or we thought someone else was going to do it. Bottom line:we forget to arm the system because we aren’t worried about anything. If we don’t activate the system Brinks can’t do their part. How silly would it be to leave the alarm off and then sit here all night worrying about an intruder? Comparing that to asking God to protect us there are similarities and differences. The first difference is that we don’t have to pay God for His protection. He offers us all the love and peace of mind we need for free. Also, He’s always watching over us even if we forget to ask. So, what’s the same? God is always there. But when we forget to pray for peace in our hearts we are ALLOWING worry and doubt to sneak in. Satan is always there, waiting for an opportunity to bring...

March 25, 2020 Because I’m a teacher I’ve lived my life on a school calendar since the age of 5. I feel very blessed to have done so. Even with my frequent breaks from work I still have the “is it Friday yet?” mentality. When I walk out of school/work on Friday afternoon I’m filled with anticipation and good intentions. Then suddenly it’s Sunday night and I’m staring at a pile of dirty laundry and a stack of ungraded papers. The girls have gone back to college and we never played that game or watched that movie. Where did the time go? I’ve had a similar thought at the end of Christmas break and summer as well although I’ve done better as I’ve grown older. My personal goal during this next few weeks of “forced” at home time is to NOT have that thought when this is all over. One of the funniest “tattoo fails” I’ve ever seen online is the one that says “NO REGERTS”. I laugh every time I think about it. The pure definition of irony right there on a person’s bicep. 😂 Gods plan for o...

March 24, 2020  I walked past my van on the way to check the mail and it looked sad. (Don’t you like me anymore?) Poor Vanna. (VAN-nah) She’s used to going going going. Now she’s just sitting there covered with pollen. I know how she feels. Being in one place for this long is very strange. In fact pretty much everything in life is not normal right now. A great sense of uncertainty dominates my thoughts and emotions. I find myself trying to figure out all kinds of things that I don’t usually have to think about. (Where to get toilet paper...How to teach 100 kids I can’t see...Do I have corona virus (every time I get a headache)...Where should we put the card table for working the puzzle?) Some things are important and some things are silly. So, I’m very thankful for this Bible verse: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 And this one: “I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”...

March 23, 2020 So much is happening in our world.  So much is not happening.  I heard this statement today in a sermon I listened to online. Our entire world absolutely looks different than it did two weeks ago. People have lost their jobs. We can’t readily buy things we once took for granted or go places we normally go. But for some people their whole world looks different because they’ve lost a person they love. All over the world people are grieving. But is this different than any other day? Or are we just more aware because we now all share this common fear of this one particular thing? While we all share this common fear is the perfect time to also share our faith with other people. I can’t imagine how scary it would be to try to make it through this time not holding God’s hand. Psalms 91:1-2 says this: “We live within the shadow of the Almighty, sheltered by the God who is above all gods. This I declare, that he alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God ...

March 22, 2020 The first few days of this extended (2nd week of) spring break I was a workhorse. Cleaning house, working in the yard, doing laundry, organizing “Youngmart” and shifting bedrooms for all my new tenants home from college to stay. Some of my intensity came from thinking “I’m going to make the most of this extra week”. But over the last couple of (rainy) days I have become a stationary blob. (Think: opposite of workhorse. Lol). Time looms before me full of uncertainty. I feel a little sad. I feel a little bad (hello,Hershey bar) and my mind is full of “what if’s and why nots”. So today I’m praying for resolve and self discipline. I’m praying for hope and stronger faith. No one is going to MAKE me clean,do laundry or stay on my healthy eating program. It’s all me. No. Wait. It’s not all me. It’s me and God. My strength and resolve must come from Him. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” Philippians 4:13. So today I’m going to get back on track and...

March 21, 2020 This is no time to panic. But, also, no time to let down our guard.  Let’s face it. We are easily bored. Things that alarm us wear off after a few days. We go from “Oh that’ll never happen “ to “Holy crap! This is real!” to “Ok. Let’s be done now.” This is no time to stop paying attention. Numbers don’t lie. (That’s why I love math.) Keep being careful. 2 doubled is 4. 4 doubled is 8. (No biggie). But 2 times itself 30 times (2 doubled 30 times) is 1,073,741,824. That’s why we have to flatten the curve. (Stop the doubling.). Being smart and cautious is our best and only defense. Keep the faith! Don’t let fear block the flow of God’s love and peace into your heart and mind. He is the author of our fate. He loves us. He will protect us. “Surely God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid.” Isaiah 12:2.

March 20, 2020 What does it mean to "exercise your faith"?  For me right now it means that when I start worrying about my elderly parents or my type 1 diabetic daughter or my son-in-law with asthma getting the Corona virus I have to stop (worrying) and pray. “God please please take care of and watch over these people that I love.” Then I have to get on with my day. When I’m stressed because I’m now “teaching Algebra online” and I have no idea how that looks or how to do it I have to stop and pray. “God please guide me and keep me calm. Please help me figure this out.” (And of course he already gave me a whole support team of daughters to help me with that.) So each time I stop and pray I am “exercising my faith”. When we exercise our bodies they get in better shape and work better and easier. Things that were hard (like walking and climbing stairs) gets easier. We get muscles! I’m looking forward to having way bigger faith muscles when this pandemic is over. So trusting...

March 18, 2020 Have you ever seen the movie “The Poseidon Adventure “? Our lives are like that right now. Everything is upside down and things we used to just reach out and put our hand on are a little harder to find. But eventually we’ll be ok. We will return to normal but hopefully we won’t forget what we’ve been through. When they cut open the bottom of the ship and we all climb out squinting in the sunlight it will be a bright new day. https://youtu.be/bcLazPauA1c

March 16, 2020 I’ve decided to call this “The Pause”. I think God knew we all (the world) needed to hit the pause button on all the things that are not the most important. If we use this time given to us wisely we will be well rested, closer to God and each other, and our houses will be clean and clutter free. We will also become more appreciative of things that we all take for granted. (Other people, Church, Sporting events, Concerts and even our jobs)