Losing my cool...

This post caught my eye, mind, and heart the Saturday morning I read it. I happen to very much agree with the post. I do believe there is a movement of coolness in church that is watering down the Gospel.

Hours later I had to go to Walmart wearing a t-shirt that happened to be a Chrisitan t-shirt...if I can remember...maybe even from my church. Not that what I was wearing was important, but I was branding myself with that t-shirt. Anyway, our small Mississippi town has it's very own "Rain Man". And I hope you know the Dustin Hoffman character to which I am referring. Our Rain Man's name is Michael. He is a mid 30's black man who loves children...and I mean LOVES children...never meets a stranger...and his special gift is that he can tell you the day of the week that you were born. Tell him your birthday by month, day, and year and he can tell you within seconds the day of the week you were born. It's quite amazing. And most every one in town I think knows Michael by now. So, Moose and I were in Walmart and out of nowhere there is Michael. He grabs Moose for a hug, and begins to start up a conversation...very loudly. I could feel every eye at the check out area on me, and I was wishing he'd really go away. It did not take me too long from leaving the store to realize I was too cool...or so I thought...to engage Michael without worrying about the others around me. And my heart sank at my shallowness. Had I not earlier just read about being too cool? Remember that when you obtain wisdom and knowledge that you are accountable for it. After reading and agreeing with that post, I was then accountable for it.



This is a R movie and I don't think this will have anything offensive in it as it's just the trailer for the movie. Dustin Hoffman's character just reminds me so much of Michael...I hope to see Michael again, soon. And next time, I hope I'm completely uncool.

The better part...

I had been thinking about her. She's growing so fast...probably only about 5 years now before she's leaving the nest. Five very short, blink of an eye years. I had been thinking about her and how so very much like me she is. Shy. Introverted. And unfortunately...moody. But then I thought about her spirit...tender, soft, moldable. She's so much more than I was at her age. If you took her tender age of almost 13, it took me another 10 years to my life to yield what the Holy Spirit is creating in her. And then I thought, "She's the better part of me." And then life happened and she argued with her brother and had a moody moment and the better part of me seemed to be not so much better.

Days later, she was exerting a bit of a pre-teen, growing pains kind of attitude, and it really got next to me. As her little body is already in puberty, and hormonal changes abound, I thought, "This is crazy. She has got to be close to getting her monthly visitor!" There were tears and a lot of them, but I knew I was right, and I would not be swayed by her pre-teen tantrum. I left her to herself to gather herself and regroup. I went a while later to check on her, and she opened her bedroom door with big eyes that were obviously still wet. I thought to myself, "You have got to be kidding me? Are we still not over this?" And I asked her, "Are you still crying?" And then that better part showed up. In a blubbering mess of her little self she said, "I am so sorry! I am so embarrassed by how ugly I've acted. That's why I've stayed in my room. I've been too embarrassed to come out because of how I acted." I scooped her up with a big hug and a kiss on the head and told her all was forgiven. She's definitely the better part. Definitely. So much more tender to the Holy Spirit, humility, and repentance than I ever thought about being at her age. I wasn't really taught those things though as I didn't grow up in a Christ centered home. But nevertheless, she's me, and she is the better part....

Be small...

Her words always touch me. Always move me. And I don't know if I read them in a post on her site or if it was off of my DaySpring dayminder taken from her book, One Thousand Gifts. And it doesn't really matter which it was. Only that I found them. And that I needed them. The words?


"Bend the knee...be small...and let God give what He wants to give..." ~ Ann Voskamp

I could not get them out of my head yesterday. Be small. Or today. Be small. When I want to complain and complain that my feelings are hurt....be small. When I want to justify my emotions and attitude...be small. When it's not fun or anything that you would look forward to, but it's the *right* thing to do.....be small. Maybe so many feelings would not be hurt, maybe such high expectations would not be put on friendships, and maybe I'd keep my attitude and heart in check if only I would be small. What keeps me from being small? Pride. Self. What keeps me from wanting to accept what God gives? For being thankful for what He gives? The same.

Today I'm small...and I will be thankful for what He gives.....

"He must increase, but I must decrease" ~ John 3:30