A New Look On Fruit

I stopped by a fellow bloggers page today and ran across this post by Dfly. Whoa, seriously you can't keep reading this post with going over and reading the other first...it won't take long so go ahead....really you need to or the rest of this post may not make any sense. :)

Alright, we ready. After reading what Dfly had to say, I began to chuckle a little bit and thought, "That was a really random, but true post". How many times have we all had the exact same thing happen to us? Then it began to make me think. How many times do we allow ourselves to BE the exact same thing? Just stay with me a moment.

Whether it be with friends, family, at church, at work; how many times in life do we really allow how we feel on the inside to reflect on the outside. Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying that if you feel like a mess that you need to walk around with your hair sticking in all directions and half your shirt not tucked in. I'm just asking a question: How many times in life do we feel that we can really let our guard down and let people know how we really feel?

Let me say it this way:
We can't reflect whats on the inside at work...because we need to be professional (and lets face it, we may not have our jobs long if we let that happen)
We can't reflect whats on the inside at church...because everyone expects you say "Fine" or "Great" every time they ask you how you are doing. (Even though that is the place to do it if any, but I have already mentioned this point in another post)
We can't reflect whats on the inside with friends...because lets face it, if you start to complain to much they are not going to want to be around you for very long.
We can't reflect what on the inside with family...because most family members can't handle hearing the truth, or just don't really want to hear it.

We all go through our hard times in life. Whether it is a situation that others feel is justifiable in getting you down (illness, financial, etc) or it is just "one of those days" (or weeks or months), we all have times in our lives that we are just like Dfly's nectarine. We walk around looking like we have it all together, but if someone tried to find out what was on the inside...they would find someone hurting.

I'm not sure myself, but I think that the point I am trying to make is this (and I am pointing just as many fingers at myself): Christ has called us together to be there for one another. Can we say that we are truly unified in Christ if we do not have patience and the understanding to give those that are hurting the opportunity to speak freely? (I know, there is also the responsibility of the one hurting to want to find and take advantage of the opportunity when given...but that is another post) If we do our part to change the atmosphere around us and make it one of understanding and patience, we might find that some of those that we thought would never "come out of their shell" begin to feel safe and begin to open up. Then, we just might find that the nectarine becomes fresh again, right before our eyes.

And besides, we might be the nectarine tomorrow.

God Bless and Keep Looking Up!

Hollywood Needs More Like This

Had to make a quick stop by the blog. During my lunch I found this piece about Kirk Cameron, you know that guy that I remember my sister and every other girl around our age batting their eyes about. (It really made me sick at the time, but that is another post)

Just wanted to get this out there. When his movie comes out, I will go to see it just to support this "Teenage Heart Throb" that has grown into a great man of God.

Blessings and Keep Looking Up!

Barn Raising

I have always said that one of the saddest things about the society that we live in today is that lack of "community". Now, I may be the only one that feels this way, but I have always desired a return to the values that came before us.

Long ago, if someone within a community needed a barn the people all around them would gather for a day or a weekend and have a good old fashion "barn raising" party. Some would grab tools to build a structure and others would grab tools to build a meal. They would come together and get the job done (many times faster that anyone could do it today).

What a sense of community that must have been. I was always jealous, because I thought that sense of "community" was dead and gone in most people.

Then a very strange thing happened for me and the community in which I reside. A little friend of ours named IKE came blowing through, and I found that the idea of "community" is not dead and gone. It still lives very strongly in the hearts of people today. All we have to do is open our eyes to see it.

You see, my family and I recently moved into a new house. It is literally just a mile down the road from our old one; it is just a little bigger so that my "herd" doesn't feel that we are living on top of each other. But, with the move came a new set of neighbors (I really like the ones in the old house) and the whole "it is going to take a while to build a relationship" thing. Well, it didn't take as long as I thought it would. The Friday before the storm came through, neighbors came over to help me board up my windows and prepare to ride out the storm. We then moved over to the next house and did the same. While drenched with sweat and hands on knees due to not just the work but the speed in which we did it, I could not help but have a smile on my face. I very clearly remember thinking, "We are having an old fashion barn raising." My longing for that sense of "community" was being fulfilled.

The help did not stop there. After the storm, families came together to cook on grills. Food was shared, stories told and "community" was becoming stronger. When someone needed help, others were there. Everyone literally began leaning on their neighbors and friends to make this very hard situation a little more bearable, and it was.

I know all of you that are not around the Galveston/Houston area may be hearing nothing but horror stories about the storm (if you are hearing anything at all). And don't get me wrong, the devastation was tremendous. But, I was able to see something very beautiful come from something so devastating. I was able to find a "community".

Thank you all for your support and prayers. And thank you to my new friends that live just a few doors down. :)

God Bless and Keep Looking Up!

We Made It!

Just now getting power, Internet, and all the little things of life back. Will try to get back to posting a few thoughts when I'm not cleaning up from the storm. Keep Looking Up!

P.S.

How 'bout those Cowboys! :)