POOF!

Have you ever been in the middle of writing a paper, or just doing work in general on your computer and then the power goes out and you lose EVERYTHING?

Yeah, I've had that happen to me too. Not today though.

I'm not sure yet if what happened was better or worse than losing all of my work due to an unexpected power outage because I failed to "save" along the way.

No folks, today I lost YEARS worth of emails. I'm talking emails that went back to 2009. UGH!!!

I was going through my email folder, sorting through some things, looking for some other things, and before I knew it, I accidentally pressed the button that deleted ALL emails. Everything...GONE.

I immediately went to the "recover deleted email" option, but it didn't work.

So I had to go to the "trash" folder and try to fish through the emails to handpick the ones I wanted back. As you can imagine, that go frustrating and I came to the realization that I've simply gotta start from a "clean slate."

Who knows? Maybe it was a good thing. I mean really...who needs emails from 2009? I DO!!!

*sigh* Lesson learned.

Okay. Enough about me. How 'bout you? Let the DIALOGUE begin: Have you ever lost important docs or pics on your computer? If so, were you able to retrieve them or are they "gone for good?"

Talk to me (especially if you have suggestions for an easy way to get my emails back)!

Til next time...

Chowmein and Forks

Saturday night I was hungry and had a hankerin' for some Chinese food. I didn't want to leave the house so I decided to try one of the local restaurants that offer delivery.

Aside from pizza, I've never ordered any other food to be delivered.

I hopped on Yelp to find options and read reviews.

Found one that looked good and proceeded to order.

The food arrived and I immediately took it into the kitchen to serve up. I must admit...I was a bit disappointed to find the food packaged in a Styrofoam container (pictured). I guess after all these years, I've grown accustomed to the cardboard containers with the little wire handle.

And to add to my disappointment, there were NO fortune cookies. What's up with that?!?

As far as the food went, it was fresh, tasty, and plentiful. So I guess in the grand scheme of things, that's all that really matters...right?

How 'bout you? Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do you have a Chinese restaurant in your neighborhood that you use for delivery? If so, does the food arrive in the "traditional" containers, or in the stuff that mine arrived in?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

There's No Place Like HOME

Today was another Sunday for me to visit a different church.

I gotta tell ya...this experience was the most "interesting" of them all thus far.

As I have mentioned before, I have certain criteria that I look for in a church before I visit.

It MUST be a Bible believing, preaching, teaching church.

The church's beliefs about Christ must be the same as mine -- that He is God, He is the Son of God, He lived, was crucified, buried, rose again on the third day, and is coming back.

The church must believe that Jesus is Lord and that He is the ONLY way to salvation.

Those are all pretty standard as far as Christianity goes so in every church I've visited thus far, and even the one I visited today, the criteria has been met.

So...what made today's visit "interesting?"

1. There were no instruments. No piano. No organ. No drums. Nada.
2. There was no choir. There was a "song leader" who directed us to which songs in the hymnal, (yes HYMNAL) we would be singing.
3. Communion was served (today...4th Sunday).

Ok...so even though those things were "interesting," they didn't negate any of the criteria that I look for when visiting...so I was good with the service.

After service though, things became "more interesting."

One of the ministers spoke with me and asked what I though about the service. I pointed out that things were done a bit "different" that what I am accustomed to, but overall, I enjoyed service.

He then proceeded to ask me what was "different."

So I mentioned the fact that there were no instruments or choir. He didn't really address that, and then proceeded to ask me about anything else.

I told him that I wasn't used to having Communion on 4th Sunday. He then asked how often we have it at my church. I told him once a month, on 1st Sunday.

He asked me why.

I told him that that is just how often we do it, and told him that it didn't matter how often we did it as long as we did it in remembrance of Christ.

He then sat me down, opened his Bible and showed me that I was wrong.

We took a look at 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 which he explained to me just tells us WHAT Communion is and WHY we take it. He said that it does not state there WHEN or HOW OFTEN we are to take it.

In order to determine that, we went to Acts 20:7.

Based on that passage of Scripture, he told me that we are to take Communion EVERY "first day of the week," which is Sunday. So instead of just ONE Sunday a month, we are to be taking it EVERY Sunday.

He told me that there are five parts to WORSHIP:

• Praying
• Preaching
• Giving
• Singing

and

• Communion

Then he said, "If we only do 4 of the 5 each Sunday then WORSHIP is not complete."

Hmmm...

Then he moved on to the subject of baptism.

This got even "more interesting-er."

I noticed during service that the baptismal pool was ready, and that the ministers were ready to baptize anyone who came to receive Christ TODAY...as in before they left to go home, they could (and should be) baptized right then and there.

He proceeded to tell me that this is what they also believed (based on a Scripture that he pointed out, but I didn't get a chance to jot down.)

In a nutshell, he told me that believing, confessing Jesus as Lord, and repentance does not provide salvation. He said that unless one is baptized (after doing the above mentioned of course), only THEN are they saved.

So I asked, "So you're telling me that if someone believes, confesses Jesus as Lord, and repents of their sins, but does not get baptized...and dies...then they won't go to Heaven?"

He said that's correct.

Well that floored me.

As far as I understood (and still believe), baptism is simply an outward confession of an inward faith. If someone does everything I listed above (yet doesn't get baptized), they are still saved.

The minister told me that that was wrong because unless one "dies" (as in goes under the water), and is "resurrected" (as in comes back up out of the water) as Jesus did, then that person is not "like Him" and is not a new creature...therefore, NOT saved.

I don't really know what to say about all of that except that it has made me really want to dig deeper into God's word...to find out which is correct.

I am tempted to ask my pastor about it, but he doesn't think I should be "visiting" other churches for this very reason, because it may cause confusion.

Interestingly, I really thought that this church I visited today was one of the same belief as mine. Once I got there though and followed along with the service I realized that "denominationally speaking" it's a bit different. The PRIMARY principle (or doctrine) is the same, but other things are not. Had I known that, I may not have gone.

So...we'll have to see what my study and research uncovers...and most importantly, what God says about the issues of baptism, salvation, and Communion.

Normally I list the name of the church that I attended but today I'm gonna leave that out.

I will say this though...so that I could adhere to my "two visits per church" rule, I did go to their evening service today as well, so I won't be going back.

The message came from Deuteronomy 30:6-11 and was about making up one's mind to obey God.

I enjoyed the message, just as I enjoyed the one this morning. Both were "Scripturally sound."

It's just those parts about needing to be baptized (and I'm not talking about being "sprinkled"...I'm talking about "full immersion") as a REQUIREMENT, and Communion EVERY SUNDAY that I need to look further into.

Anywhoo...

Let the DIALOGUE begin: What's on YOUR mind today? Doesn't have to be church related. It can be ANYTHING.

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Thankful for Leftovers

Last Sunday morning I had intended to go to service at my regular church as that wasn't one of my "visiting" Sundays.

My plans got changed at the last minute and I didn't make it.

My church doesn't have an evening service but thankfully (based on my recent visits), I knew of one that does, so I went there.

The minister spoke from John 6:5-12...you know, the one about the five loaves and two fishes (yes, it says "fishes" in The Bible).

The title of his message was "My Life Is Not A Waste"

Well...that got my attention because mine has been feeling like one lately.

After reading the verses I understood that there were "leftovers" and that the fragments were to be collected so as not to go to waste. What I didn't understand was how those fragments were to tie into my life.

As I listened I wrote down a few points that jumped out at me.

The first was this, "FAITH has nothing to do with FACTS."

Boy, did I need to hear that. I mean...I already knew, but hearing it again just gave me reassurance. You see, if folks were to fully understand my "current situation," they'd tell me that I should be worrying and running around like a chicken with its head cut-off.

Yes, I agree that my "current situation" is not "ideal," and very few (if any) folks would want to be in my shoes right now. Yet my FAITH in Christ tells me not to worry. He already knows what I need before I even ask, and His track record is FLAWLESS. God has NEVER failed me before and I am 100% certain that He's not about to start.

He may not come through for me until I am down to my VERY LAST PENNY, but I know without a doubt that He WILL come through.

And for those who may be wondering...NO...I'm not just kickin' back eating bon-bons waiting for something to "magically" happen in the meantime. I am diligently taking steps to improve my situation. I have simply made a conscious decision to not worry about it.

The second thing that the minister said which caught my attention was that, "the pain in my life is not because God wants to BREAK me; it's because He wants to DISTRIBUTE me so that I can bless others I encounter."

That made my ears perk up because I have been in a number of situations that I felt I didn't belong in. What I later realized is that even though I didn't want to be there, others were blessed by the fact that I was.

So in my "current situation" I pray that I was a blessing to those in my past, and that I can be an even greater blessing (by being "distributed") to wherever God will send me next.

Then the minister tied the fragments into the message. He said that God wants to "get the fragments of my life and bring them all together. He is going to use EVERYTHING I'm going through to be a blessing to someone else."

Like I said before...I needed to hear that. It put things into perspective and left me with a more clear mind-set with regard to what I'm going through at this juncture in time.

As the benediction was given and we proceeded to head to our respective destinations, I knew that missing service at my church was no accident. It was divinely orchestrated and God meant for me to attend evening service where I did. He is an intentional God and makes NO mistakes.

I look forward to gathering up my fragments and sharing them with as many as I can.

Now Let the DIALOGUE begin: What do you do with leftovers? Do you eat them until there are no more left, or do you toss 'em right out?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Kintsukuroi

At this moment there are about 100 other things I need to be doing. But after the morning (and afternoon) I've had, the most IMPORTANT thing to do at this time is WRITE about how INSPIRED I have become.

This morning I attended a brunch featuring women who were willing to share their stories and knowledge with others (like myself) so that we too could get to the lives that God has purposed for us. The PowHERful Brunch was the exact name.

There were no gimmicks or "get rich quick" tips...there were simply testimonies of where these women have come from, how they got to where they are today, and again...how WE can get to where WE are desiring to go.

There were authors, entrepreneurs, a woman in the entertainment industry, all in a room FULL of ENCOURAGEMENT. These women were of various backgrounds but the one thing that they shared in common was that they LISTENED TO GOD. What He said DO, they DID...sometimes reluctantly because His direction didn't always make sense, but ultimately they were OBEDIENT, and as a result, He has BLESSED them and their endeavors.

I gotta tell ya...I wasn't sure what to expect when I paid a couple weeks ago to attend today's event. Wasn't sure if I could financially afford to go. Wasn't really sure what I was going to get out of it...wasn't really sure what I wanted to get out of it. But...God knew.

I arrived this morning EMPTY.

I had eaten breakfast, so I'm not speaking of a physical emptiness. I'm speaking however, in terms of an emotional, mental emptiness.

With the recent changes in my life (that only a small few even know about), I have struggled...mostly with DEPRESSION, but with a host of other feelings as well. SHAME ranks pretty high up there on the list. I know that there is LOTS for me to be doing, yet I have not had the WILL to do ANY of it.

It's been said that "you can't pour from an empty cup." Well, my cup has not only been EMPTY, but CRACKED...so even if anything went into the cup it would've leaked out. As a result, I've poured NOTHING in.

So yes...although I arrived with a smile on my face (the same fake smile I've been passing on to everyone for MONTHS), I wasn't smiling much on the inside.

Until...

The brunch began.

Now when I think of "brunch" I immediately think of FOOD. Yes, there was food (DELICIOUS food I might add), but along with the FOOD were the INCREDIBLY AMAZING panelists. And even before the panelists began to speak, a lovely young lady rendered Mariah Carey's "Through The Rain" to us in sign language. It was simply BEAUTIFUL.

The panelists began to speak, and as they did, not only did I hear God speak to me with regard to what I need to do...but He SHOWED me what I WILL do as I watched and listened to each of the women. What THEY were doing is what I will do.

He told me that I have a story, and that MY story is meant to INSPIRE others as the ones that I was hearing today were inspiring me. He assured me that there is ROOM for me and what I have to say, so I don't need to worry that so many others are already doing it. THEIR story is not MINE and MINE (just as theirs) NEEDS to be told...in a setting just like the one we were in today. A setting with women (and even men) who can be HELPED by what I have to say.

YES, I can ENCOURAGE.
YES, I can INSPIRE.
YES, I can MOTIVATE.

And...I WILL.

I read online that "when the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold. They believe that when something's suffered damage and has a history it becomes more beautiful."

That, I believe, is what God is doing to me. He is "filling my cracks" with gold. Interestingly, the cracks will still be visible, and that's okay. Every crack has its own story so I wouldn't want them to be made invisible. The visible cracks will be a constant reminder of where I have come from, and gone through, lest I forget. That's a BLESSING. And now...I can hold what's needed, instead of having it all leak out. NOW, I can pour into others from a FULL cup.

No, my "situation" has not magically changed from this morning until now. I still need help (LOTS of it), but I can say that I now have hope that I didn't have this morning. I've experienced a shift in my thinking and that, I believe, will bring about change in other areas of my life that so greatly need it.

Ok...enough about me.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: What goals are YOU pursuing? What's YOUR purpose? Are you functioning in that purpose yet, or still working your way there. If you haven't gotten there yet, keep pressing, stay encouraged, and allow me to cheer you on along the way.

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Thursday Night Service

So this was interesting.

Last Sunday I visited another new church...you know...one that I pulled from my bowl. I arrived a bit late so I missed Praise and Worship, but I was in time for the message so that was good. I told myself that this coming Sunday ('cause you know I always attend the "visiting" churches two Sundays in a row) I would be on time. That was definitely my intention.

While I attended service last Sunday I noticed that there was going to be a special musical guest tonight. That peaked my interest so I decided to go. I arrived on time, and ready for a night of "worship through song." Now...where that came from, I couldn't tell ya...but I had it in MY mind that that's what tonight was going to be. WRONG!

Yes, the special musical guest was there, but that's not what this night was about. Tonight was the regular Thursday night service. You know...CHURCH on a Thursday night. And the place was PACKED! That's a BLESSING!!

Once I realized that that was what this was, I grabbed my stuff to leave. PSYCHE!!! No I didn't!

I simply readjusted my expectation and prepared myself for whatever message God wanted me to hear this evening. Gotta tell ya...tonight's message wasn't one that left me with "warm fuzzies." Tonight's message was one of those "convicting" messages that really causes one (in this case I will say ME) to look within themselves and determine if he/she is truly living a life that is RIGHTEOUS as God has called Christ's followers to be.

Yep...there were a few "ouch moments" tonight, as there should be.

So...was it a mistake that I thought I was going for a night of musical praise and worship only to realize that tonight was an actual church service? Certainly NOT! God knew what tonight would be...I just didn't.

Interestingly, tonight counts as my 2nd visit, so I will share with you that I attended Calvary Chapel South Bay. The experience was different than what I'm used to. I didn't know a single song that was sung, and the membership was tremendously diverse. Both good things. Gives me a glimpse of what Heaven will be like.

As always, I am looking forward to where God will send me next. I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey thus far.

For now, Let the DIALOGUE begin: Have you ever gone to church on a Thursday night? I'm not talking Bible study, or a special worship service, but I'm talking actual church?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

When MY Time Comes

Today I attended a service to CELEBRATE the life of one of our church members who has gone HOME to be with the Lord. Yes, for believers in Christ, when one of our brothers or sisters leaves their life on earth, we CELEBRATE because we KNOW that they are now living ETERNAL LIFE in the presence of God and we WILL see them again one day. For THAT, we rejoice.

As with EVERY homegoing service I attend, I always leave wondering what folks will say about ME at MY service.

I would HOPE that they would say KIND things.
I would HOPE that MY life has in some way helped to make theirs BETTER.
I would HOPE that they were BLESSED to have known me than to not have known me at all.
I would HOPE that MY presence has brought LIGHT to some not-so-bright places.
I would HOPE that they would speak of how I have made them laugh.
I would HOPE that they would speak of how I have ENCOURAGED them somewhere along the way.
I would HOPE that, without a doubt, they would know how much I loved the Lord Jesus.

These are just a few things that I hope folks will remember ME by when I am no longer living life here on Earth.

Yes, EVERYTIME we bid farewell to one who has gone on before us, THESE are the things I think about. I am not perfect, nor do I profess to be. I simply hope that folks will remember me for more of the GOOD that I've done, than the bad.

Mind you...it would EXTREMELY NICE to hear some of those things while I am still here...while I can enjoy and appreciate them. As the song goes, "Give me my flowers while I yet live..." Kind words are wonderful after-the-fact, but every now and then...I sure could benefit from hearing them NOW. They would be the difference in making some "not-so-good-days" actually "GOOD days." Really, they would.

With that, Let the DIALOGUE begin: If no one has told YOU today, allow ME to tell you that you are IMPORTANT, SIGNIFICANT, and LOVED. YOU Matter...to ME! Now go tell somebody else!


Then...

Talk to me!

Til next time...