What a Way to Start the Day

My friend Gloria's sweet husband had been sick for months. He died earlier this year. They had been married many years and had shared many happinesses and a few sadnesses. But they loved and served the Lord together and loved each other so much.

Last week, I got a message from Gloria:

"I decided that LIFE is for the living, and we start making choices every morning as soon as we open our eyes; do I get up or spend the day in bed? Do I smile or whine? Am I sad or happy? I AM SO BLESSED, how could I not thank God? So I do thank Him, over and over and over again."

If anyone had an excuse to spend the day in bed, whine and be sad, it would be Gloria. But no, she's made different choices and what an example she is to all of us.

High Def

My husband has been wanting a flat screen TV set for more than a year. I gave him a coupon for one at Christmas (not knowing how expensive these sets were)... and because our house was not selling, I asked him to wait... and wait... and wait.

The Christmas gift also became a Valentine's gift, an anniversary gift, and finally, for his birthday this month, the house sold, so he got to purchase the long-awaited present. He did find a bargain (phew). And he has been watching that set for more than a week every chance he gets. He delights in showing me and friends the difference in the picture between an analog signal and a high-definition signal.

The HD picture is amazing. You can see details in a football game that keep you from knowing the score, such as the label of a soft drink bottle.

It made me think about our spiritual lives. If all of a sudden our souls were broadcast in such detail, would we be more careful about how we love and serve? If our actions were seen in high def, would we be more thoughtful, kind and action-oriented?

Or would we be paying so much attention to little details that we would neglect to see the big picture?

Mark is calling... there's something he wants to show me on TV...

House

Way back in November, I wrote about the Saint Joseph statue and our effort to sell our house in Texas... well, God may have been testing us! The house sale finally closed last Friday. We are convinced the prayers of our friends and co-workers made the difference. We are relieved to have one less house payment, one less electric payment, one less insurance payment, etc. But as Texas natives, we are sad to cut the ties that made us official residents.

Once all our furniture was moved, the house wasn't so special anymore... just a shell. And it made me realize that a house is only a home when you are with those you love. My prayer is that wherever you live, you are with someone who shares your faith, your love and your joy.

Not the Real Thing

We often have very special guests on our morning talk show. But we don't often take pictures. Today, we did. This fellow was funny, inspirational and nice. I think he may have been better than the original, at least for me, because I would've been very nervous around the real "Dubya." John Morgan has a new book: My Life As A Bush...and My Heart for Imitating Jesus.

Isn't that a great title? The book is about how important it is to imitate the real leader of the Universe, Jesus. John has touching stories and he has hilarious ones, especially about the reactions from people who think he is really the president. It's uncanny how much John looks like George, but it's wonderful how John is using his gift of mimicry to reach out and engage people with his faith.

All is Right

I have to share good news... We have an offer on our house in Texas! God is good. And to top it off, Mom, Dad and my aunt Anne received minimal damage from Hurricane Dolly. Phew.

Here's icing on the cake, just a small detail God knew we would enjoy: Last Sunday, on our way to visit a church in suburban Atlanta, we had to slow down to let a beautiful doe cross the road.

Life is stressful. Enjoy the good news days.

Reach Out and Touch Someone

Blogs are cool and so are the social networking sites. My husband and I are having fun with Facebook. In our hectic world, it's a bit of a mental vacation to see a note that someone from your past wants to be your "friend." You can post information about your faith and connect with people from your high school!

Last week, we were in Texas fixing up our house to put it back on the market. And I walked into our old Post Office. Joe, a postal worker I'd made friends with on my many trips to the PO, got a big smile on his face, slapped a "Next Window Please" sign in front of his register and came to give me a big hug. That made me feel good, to have someone so happy to see me.

So whether it's connecting with an old friend on a website or in person, reach out. It's a foretaste of Heaven.

And if you're on Facebook, I'd love to be your friend!

God's Protection

This is a follow-up to the last entry about falling. My friend Craig emailed me and said, "You could have broken something. God was really watching out for you!"

And indeed He was. Not only was I not very sore the next day, the scrapes lasted about two days and were gone. And remember part of my job description these days: TV Co-host? What if I had broken my jaw, my nose or put out an eye?

And it gets better. The very next morning, on an early Sunday morning, I was jogging on a street that's usually quite quiet at that time. At the turnaround, I noticed a large truck stopped by the spot I had passed just three minutes earlier. An earth-moving machine had come loose from the truck's trailer and landed on the sidewalk. I'm talking a big, huge chain--broken in two. If that machine hit me... well, I'd probably be dead now.

It's not just me. God watches out for you, too. How many near-accidents, near-misses have you avoided on the jogging paths of life? We chalk it up to coincidence, being in the right place at the right time... but there's more to it. A lot more.