To Speak or Not To Speak

I just heard an interesting conversation on K-LOVE (Christian) radio station this morning.  It started with Adam Muema who left the NFL Combine because God told him to in a dream and that if he did he'd be drafted by Seattle.  Well, you know that peaked my interest!

The DJs then went on to compare the situation to Joseph.  Apparently Adam is catching a lot of flack for publicly speaking about his decision.  (Google him and read the comments - they do seem rather mean and intolerant of religion.)  But, a similar thing happened to Joseph of the Bible.  God told him he would be a ruler and when Joseph told his brothers, they got jealous and threw him into a well.  They were going to leave him for dead but instead they got greedy too and sold him into slavery.  Then they told their dad he had died.  As the story turns out though, Joseph did come to rule over them.

So the debate was on - if God tells you something, should you speak it out loud, or is it supposed to be between you and God?  And, perhaps more important, whether you talk about it or not is probably irrelevant because if God said it will happen, then it will happen - one way or another.

It has crossed my mind more than once since starting this blog, what if I faithfully make a weekly post for the next 3 years, 4 1/2 months and 7/12/17 comes along and nothing happens?  But, I think as humans, even back when Joseph was a human, if GOD talks to you - it's big.  It is in our nature to talk about it.  Heck, pick your favorite pop-star or actor.  If they spoke to you - wouldn't you tell everyone about it.  If Hugh Grant or Billy Joel or Sting called me up - I'd be telling everyone about it.  So how much more are we eager to tell people when GOD talks to us?  Because He is even bigger than anyone on earth!  (Whole other discussion about we are all children of God, all equal in His eyes so Hugh Grant is no more of a wow than the lady in the grocery story check out line talking to me.)

A Poem

I saw this poem in the San Antonio Express News on 1/26/14 and found it to be so true.

Not Yet!

Pains and aches
and all that rakes
you over the coals
at night.

You're getting' old,
Startin' to mold,
and death becomes
a fright.

I don't know why
I want to cry
at all I'll leave
behind.

I'm really pissed
at what I missed
and never did
quite find.

And so it goes,
no one knows
what will happen
next.

What will be
will be, you see.
It's anybody's
guess.

You could leave
and be bereaved
without a warning
shot.

So we prepare
with every care
and still yell
Not yet! Not!

And still yell
NOT YET!  NOT!

by Damon V. Tapp

Planning Ahead

I like couponing, not in an extreme way but I do have a small stockpile, a binder, and a database of all my coupons.  I've decided that in 2017 I will take a break from couponing.  Although I believe that couponing is good for the family budget, it does take time.  And for the first six and a half months of 2017 I'd rather spend that time making memories.  I realize the large part of my coupon collection will go out of date with that many months away from it so that if I survive I'll have to start collecting from almost zero.  What bothers me more is that, other than the knowledge and skill I've already passed on to my daughter, I won't be able to pass on the physical legacy to my daughter.  Maybe I'll just turn it over to her at the beginning of the year.

I will NOT give up my book club.  It's one evening a month and I strongly believe that it is important for a woman to have a circle of friends she can depend upon when tragedy strikes.  I came to this conclusion after my first husband died.  I had spent all my free time devoted to him and our children. So when he died I looked around and suddenly realized I had no friends - for grown up conversation, to have my back with raising children, or anything else.  Thank God a group of women from my church stepped up and quickly became my friends.  But I promised myself I'd never be in that friendless situation again.  It's not the only reason I go to book club but it is definitely a contributing factor.  And since I don't know what the life changing event will be I want to be prepared for a variety of possible outcomes.

Maybe I'll use some of the non-couponing time to scrapbook.  By that time I'll only be 10 years behind on the family albums if I don't get to them in the meantime.  It has definitely moved up my priority list a bit.  And all the yarn I've squirreled away to make blankets for future grandchildren.  I'd planned to get them made up early but that's not happening as much as I'd hoped either.

And for the last several years I've been meaning to update my outdated will.  That will definitely occur in early 2017.

But until then I'm operating business as usual until I receive more information.

Peace of Mind

I'm a glass half full type of person.  But this date looming in my future can be rather unsettling.  There are so many arguments on both sides of the knowing and not knowing.  A date like this is something some people might think they want to know, until you do - and then you can't unknow it and it messes with your head.

I think it is human nature, no matter how much one has accomplished, to think that there is more they want to do.  We forget that in the next world there will be no guilty feeling over what we left undone.

Sometimes, though, I can find comfort in knowing thus date.  Last week I didn't feel well one evening.  As I sat on the sofa and wondered if all my symptoms added up to anything I could relax a bit knowing that whatever I was feeling - it wasn't going to kill me.  At least not yet.  Or narrowly missing a traffic accident.  At least I know if I do get in a wreck it won't be fatal.  Not immediately anyway.  It may be the start of the journey I'm still waiting for - but it won't be the immediate end since I still need to be here on July 12, 2017.

At least I think I do.  Maybe I will have a fatal accident and that is the date my family will finally get justice by seeing the cause of the accident get sentenced.

See how it messes with your head!