Praising IN The Storm

Today has not been the best.

I woke up late and missed my bus for church. Thankfully, my daughter Lauren then offered to drop me off.

As I was getting ready, I checked my bank account balance (pictured here.) Took a deep breath, and continued getting ready.

Soon thereafter, my phone rang. Received some unsettling news that shook me. At that point I was ready to just call it a day. It wasn't even 10 am yet.

But no...

I finished getting ready and let Lauren drop me off at church. At that point I simply fell apart and could not stop the tears from falling.

I need more help now than I have ever needed in my life, in a MAJOR way! Yet even with this knowledge, and my current situation, I knew that I still needed to give God the honor and praise that He so rightly deserves. Yes, even with $27.02 TO MY NAME...He is worthy to be praised.

You see...one thing I know, is that God's praise is not dependent upon MY circumstance.

As Psalm 34:1 states:

"I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." 

That doesn't say at SOME times, or when times are GOOD. No, it says at ALL times...which means that even now...with blow after blow that keeps coming my way...I must still praise Him.

And so...I did.

Tears POURED from my eyes, and I sang from my heart...to my God.

Just in case folks are thinking that a $27.02 bank balance is "no big deal," or would like to tell me to just "hold on" until payday...I don't HAVE a "payday" at this time. There is NOTHING coming in until I get a new job.

I have been on numerous interviews and nothing has happened yet. However...I believe that is about to change. It MUST!

I went on two interviews last Thursday. One was for a job that I am an excellent match for, and it is a match for me as well.

The other...not so much. They need someone who is far more skilled in Excel than I am. Sure, I can learn Excel and become more advanced, but they'd like someone with that knowledge "right out the gate."

So...back to the first interview.

The agency that sent me told me that they received highly positive feedback and that out of four candidates, I am in the "top two." Yes!

Sometime next week I will be asked to go into the office for half a day just to see "first hand" what the job entails. From there, the company will make their decision.

I am ready to go in there with bells on! Not only because I want this job, but because I  NEED this job. With it I will be able to:

a) KEEP MY HOME (23 more days til the rent is due again)
b) get a car
c) help others when they need it (once I am back on my "financial feet")

So yeah. Things aren't looking too hot right now, yet I am faithfully believing that they are about to turn around. They simply have to! I can not imagine, nor do I want to imagine any other outcome.

I'm sure that there are those who will read this and say, "Welp...sucks to be you. But you created this situation and now it's up to YOU to get yourself out." I get that. I don't need that negativity and/or criticism right now because it doesn't do anything to HELP my situation, but I certainly "get it."

To those folks all I can say is, I AM TRYING!!! I have done everything I know to do to get back to work. EVERYTHING. And that is why the job that I mentioned above simply MUST come through. It just HAS to.

At this point I normally say, Let the DIALOGUE begin. Today will be the first time in all of my 600+ posts where I'm just going to leave it closed-ended. Today's post simply needed to be one that allowed me to share where I'm at. I'm sure that my transparency makes many uncomfortable, but I don't have anything to hide. This is my "current situation." The reason why so many folks who need help never get it is because they live in shame and never tell others what they're going through.

At this point, 16 people have viewed this post. One reached out with a comment (which I appreciate), and the other 15...who knows? It's become so easy these days to listen to one's cry for help and turn a deaf ear to it. That's just the world we live in. Sad, but true.

Anyhoo...just needed to get that out. I may be suffering, but I don't have to suffer in silence. This blog is my voice.  

Til next time...

Wobblin'

This post'll be a short one.

I've been going through a lot lately...and I do mean a LOT.

My recent trials have brought to memory a childhood toy that I once played with...WEEBLES.

Their tagline was:

"Weebles wobble but they don't fall down."

That's how I've been feeling. I've been wobbling, yet I'm not down. I actually BELIEVE that I am on my way back UP, and the wobbling will soon cease.

Hoping that I'll be able to share some good news with you all in the coming days. In the meantime, please keep me in your prayers if you will...in the name of Jesus. All glory and honor, even while I am in the midst of my storm, go to Him.

Now, Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do you remember Weebles? Did you have them when you were a child?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Walking Pays Off

When I was a young girl I spent most weekends and summers with my grandparents. Didn't have to go too far. I lived in Carson and they lived in Inglewood, but it still felt like I was a world away. Those were my best times.

During my visits, my Grammy and I developed the habit of going for walks, especially after her heart surgery when she was working to rebuild her strength.

On the days we walked we would compete to see who could find the most change along the way. Trash Day was always my favorite day of the week to walk because that was the day that the most change was typically. Not sure why that was, but it was.

Now, all these years later, I still look for loose change when I'm out walking. Pennies are most common (I once found a ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL in the gutter), and a couple days ago I found this bunch of coins (pictured) huddled somewhat together.

First, I found the penny that's hangin' out over there by itself. I have this weird thing where I only pick up pennies that are facing UP, and then I mutter this little diddy:

 

"Find a penny, pick it up, and all the day you'll have good luck."

Corny, I know...but it's what I do.

So I picked up the penny and about thirty minutes later, in a separate location, I spotted the nickel...then the dime, then the penny, and finally...the quarter. I could tell by their rough feel that they'd been on the ground awhile, and had been run over a number of times. I scooped them all up, thanked God (as I do every time I find money), and gave them a new home in my pocket.

In addition to the health benefits that walking provides, every now and then...it gives a financial benefit as well. No amount is too small; I am thankful for it all.

How 'bout you?

Let the DIALOGUE begin: When was the last time you went for a walk? Did you find any money along the way?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Any Way You Slice It

A couple days ago while I was out, I decided to grab a slice of pizza.

As usual, I pretty scraped off the parts I wanted...the cheese and sauce...and was left with a bunch of barely eaten DOUGH.

I've never been much of a "Dough Gal."

When my son was little, he would hover around me and my plate, waiting for me to be finished so that he could have my "crust."

Years later, not only would I give him the "crust," but I'd probably end up handing him a "naked" SLICE of pizza with only remnants of what once topped it.

With so many different types of crust, you'd think there'd be at least ONE that I'd like.

Thick.
Thin.
Hand Tossed.
Stuffed.

I imagine that out of those four choices, THIN is the one I'd most go with.

To me, the crust is a secondary player and the TOPPINGS are the REAL STAR. I know that lots of folks out there would beg to differ though.

So here's YOUR shot.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Are YOU a "Dough Guy or Gal?" If so, what's your favorite type of crust? Oh...and aren't you hungry now, looking at this delicious pizza? I know I am!

Talk to me!

Til next time...

At My Fingertips

Raise your hand if you can remember being asked this question when you were in elementary school:

What do you want to be when you grow up?

The typical answers are, teacher, doctor, lawyer, astronaut, along with a host of others.

My answer as a child wasn't much different. I wanted to be a teacher. But who I wanted to teach was a bit more unique.

I wanted to teach "the blind." For some odd reason I was fascinated by Louis Braille. I even learned how to read Braille, and wrote to the Braille Institute several times. I would hand-write my letters and they would respond in Braille. It was so cool! I wish I still had them.

Unfortunately, my dreams took a different path as I got older and I never became the teacher that I had always longed to be. With the teaching dream went my ability to read Braille.

Then, a few weeks ago I was in my local Starbucks and saw that they had gift cards in Braille. I just HAD to get one. I didn't put any money on it...didn't even buy it with the intention of giving it away. I just asked the cashier if I could have one and off I went. Funny how something as simple as this little card brought back such a flood of memories, along with "what ifs."

What if I had stuck with my interest in Braille and had actually become the teacher that I'd dreamt of being as a young girl? How much different would my life have been?

Interestingly enough, for those who know me well and/or have followed The Dialogue Den since 2009, you know that I have "special eyes," and the ability to SEE each day is truly a GIFT that I never take for granted. I have to take special precautions with MY eyes that most folks don't give any thought to. Not many folks my age have ever seen a RETINA SPECIALIST. I have...more times than I care to admit.

I pray that these eyes will always be able to SEE what is before them, but just in case anything ever changes...thanks to Mr. Braille, I know that I will ALWAYS be able to READ.

Oh, and in case you were wondering...the letters on the card (of course) spell Starbucks. That first little dot by itself, way over to the left lets you know that the word is capitalized.

How 'bout you?

Let the DIALOGUE begin: What was YOUR answer to the 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' question when you were in elementary school? Did your dream/goal come true?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Going Where?

Here recently I've become a regular rider of public transportation as I no longer have a car.

For the most part it's been okay. Rainy days have been tough, and being out after dark isn't much fun (in another post I'll share with you my recent ride that I took from a stranger. CRAZY...I know!)

Aside from those two things though, I've gotten pretty good at getting where I need to go. Google Maps has become my new best friend. I don't leave home without it.

Where things get a bit tricky though are at the bus stops...like the one pictured here. Can somebody, ANYBODY tell me WHICH ROUTES stop here?!? I mean, yeah...I can clearly see that Long Beach Transit and the Metro stop here, but again, WHICH ROUTES?!? You don't have to be a regular bus rider to know that that information is kinda important. By the way, that 2407 at the bottom of the sign isn't the route number I'm referring to. Apparently it has something to do with the route, but that isn't the number that I'd be looking for on the actual bus.

Between signs like this, and bus stops that have NO sign AT ALL...the experience can be a bit frustrating at times.

For this reason, my favorite method of public transportation are the trains. You know...Blue Line, Red Line, Green Line, etc. They are SOOO easy! And since the trains have fewer, yet clearly marked stops, I can actually READ on the train and not worry about missing my stop. I rarely read on the bus unless I'm coming home. That's pretty much the only time I know exactly when my stop is coming up.

In my travels, I've learned that some buses announce EVERY upcoming stop. That is sooo helpful! Others, only announce the MAJOR stops that connect to other lines. On those buses I have to pay extremely close attention otherwise I look up and could be three or four blocks away from where I meant to get off. That's great for my Fitbit...not so great if I'm trying to get somewhere by a certain time.

Anywhoo...It's been almost a month and I miss my stops much less often than I did at the beginning. Little by little I'm becoming a pro. Me and my TAP card know how to get around.

How 'bout you? Let the DIALOGUE begin: Are you a regular public transportation rider, or are you like the majority of Californians enjoying the luxury of having a car?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

To Be Reviewed on January 1, 2018

On this day, January 1, 2017, we have been blessed to see the beginning of yet another NEW year.

As most people are doing on this day (or have been doing over the past few days), I have reflected on 2016, making note of those things that went well, along with those that went terribly wrong. In all of the reflection I have definitely identified areas that need IMMEDIATE improvement.

• The Dialogue Den didn't have as much success as I had hoped because I didn't write as often as I should have.

• My written BOOKS all went unfinished because I didn't write as often as I should have.

• My savings plans ended up at ZERO on December 31st because I failed to add to them as often as I should have.

• My weight loss (although I did lose 15 pounds over the past 3 months) was not as great as it could have been because I didn't eat well enough, nor exercise as often as I should have.

• My gratitude jar only ended up with about 40 slips of paper in it when it SHOULD have been OVERFLOWING.

• My job search efforts were not as successful as I needed them to be because "on paper" my work history appears to be "flaky" and no one has been willing to "take a chance" and allow me to PROVE that I really AM a stable, competent, hard-working employee. It's coming though. It HAS to.

• My One Year Bible has WEEKS that went unread, causing me to miss important instruction, and inspiration that I so desperately could have used.

The key component in the seven issues referenced above is LACK OF CONSISTENCY. Now that I have identified the problem, I can work toward resolving it. That resolution comes in the form of ONE word: CONSISTENCY

If I am CONSISTENT in:

• Blogging DAILY
• Working on my books DAILY
• Contributing to my savings plans DAILY
• Eating healthy and working out DAILY
• Adding at least ONE thing that I am thankful for to my gratitude jar DAILY
• Getting a job and sticking with it DAILY (regardless of what's going on in the rest of my life)
• Reading my One Year Bible DAILY...

Oh how much better of a position I will be this time next year. And that's what I want...BETTER. One year from today, January 1, 2018...I look forward to looking back on this post and comparing my life TODAY to what it will be THEN. I pray that it will be WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT with POSITIVE results based on the changes that will have been made.

But enough about me...what about you?

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Is there one word, or a phrase that you have chosen to guide you through 2017? If so, let's hear it.

Talk to me!

Til next time...