Still cold. I’m sure it’s because I’m more in tune with it, and God has given me a heart to care more about it, but I am hearing more about what good people are doing to reach out to the homeless, especially in this bitter weather. Police, cab drivers, churches, as well as the volunteers serving at the agencies are all going out of their way into the cold spending their own money and time to take care of the homeless. Such a blessing to see God at work.

Today I led a morning and an evening session of Bible study at the Transitional House. We talked about the Ebenezer stone, a riff on Paster Tim’s sermon. To get there, I talked them through a high level overview of Bible history up to the time of Samuel. They were forthcoming in saying that they loved hearing the stories in the Bible, which is a very healthy thing to want that kind of study. I’m getting to know some of these ladies better. It’s another world than the one that I was privileged to be raised in. It’s a fallen world for sure, and a flat out miracle that these ladies have survived and now are so full of joy and gratitude. They are the blessing for me, and such evidence of God at work.

Arctic Blast

Jan6

Wore long underwear today. Took coats that a friend from church brought for the Mission. Let a man into the shelter to wait–wasn’t supposed to let him into that particular area, but I didn’t care. He needed to be inside, not outside, the shelter. We fed people stranded at the bus station–another good work that NRM does when needed. I’m finding out neat things all the time. Nashville Rescue Mission is on the news every night because our staff and volunteers go out and try to get people to come in off the park bench and doorway to get a warm bed and hot meal.

I meant to follow up with another friend whose son is in jail for a DUI, but forgot because I called Dad first, only to find that their furnace is going out–on a night when it’s supposed to drop to zero! I went over there, thinking that I would take them home with me, but Mom was already in bed and Dad had heaters going and was manually keeping the furnace going so it was actually in the mid-60’s. He didn’t want to move her. Then the next door neighbor came over to check on them which also made me feel better.

So I went home and worked on a Bible Study for tomorrow, using content from the sermon on Sunday. I also worked on my annual jig saw puzzle.

Ebenezer

Jan5

Fantastic service today. In fact, we had so many in Sunday School that Jim and I didn’t get to sit in our “assigned” seats, a great situation to find ourselves in. Then Pastor Tim blew it away with a sermon on “Rearview Mirror.” He interrupted the song, “Come thou fount of many blessings” when we got to the part about “here I raise my Ebenezer….” He asked if we knew what it meant, and when we all responded with blank looks, he told the worship team to sit because he had a sermon to preach. Needless to say he had our attention. Without restating the entire sermon, although I took copious notes, he related the events in 1 Samuel 7, and then exhorted us to revelation (a vision of God’s faithfulness and what can be), repentance (turning away from our old habits and making the changes we need to make, and remember as in remember the victories we have through God.

We have enjoyed the rest of the day, knowing that it’s the last day of Jim’s vacation, and also knowing that the temperature is going down from mid 40’s at church time to single digits. In fact, it’s already a winter wonderland as we get ready to dig into a bowl of chili.

Circle Christmas

Jan4

My Circle 5 Sisters and I celebrated Christmas today with a brunch, dirty Santa, and rousing game of Hollywood Dominoes at Kristine VanVondoren’s house. Marilyn, Renee, Teressa, Wilma, Debbie, Kristine, and me. We all brought food (and we are all good cooks!), Kristine served mimosas and pumpkin spice coffee. Yum!

We started at 9:30 am and reluctantly stopped around 2 pm. It was fun, refreshing, and blessed (I love any social event that starts with prayer.)

When I got home Jim was working on Hawaii reservations so we got it booked (yay!), then after not being able to decide what to do about dinner, I cooked and we had a very nice quiet evening. Watched Batman–Dark Knight Rises.

Waffle House

Jan3

Went in to work late today so that I could (1) recover from staying up too late and then consoling Audrey from 2:30 to 4:30 am and (2) accompany Jim, Lincoln, and Audrey to Waffle House.

Didn’t feel very productive today. I worked on a training presentation, scheduling–lot’s going on in January, and attended a memorial service for Sam Hollis in the Chapel. I’ve been thanked by other employees for attending Sam’s funeral and this service. That’s really nice, but I didn’t think I needed to be thanked. Getting thanked was surprising to me actually, and as I pondered that I realized that it’s really more that I appreciate the opportunity to have served along side these saints who are doing as good a work as anyone is in the world. We are serving 7-800 homeless, helpless, and hurting people every day, and there are so many at NRM who have done this work selflessly for years. What an honor to know them and have some small part in helping them do what they do.

On a sad note, when I called Mom and Dad to check in, Dad handed Mom the phone so she could talk to me and she didn’t know what to do with it.

Waffle House with Lincoln and Audrey

Goal Setting

Jan2

Back to work, and I must say that I have not yet improved upon my self-discipline. Maybe I have a good excuse since we had dinner at Wes and Molly’s and got home late, but I was tired, not prepared in the morning to get to the gym until late, quick workout, got to work about 8:20, and just tired all day. Workwise it was a good day. I finished a presentation, but had time for the several employees who stopped by with questions and concerns.

Great word from Rick Warren: Goal setting isn’t just a good idea for productivity. It’s a spiritual discipline, like prayer, fasting, giving, and reading your Bible. In fact, goal setting can be an act of stewardship as you attempt to make the most of all God has given you. You can waste your life. Plenty of people do it. To make the most of your life and invest it in a way that outlasts you, you’ll need goals. You’re either someone who makes things happen or watches things happen — or maybe you have no idea what’s happening! Those who make things happen are the people who change the world.

Even God sets goals. The Bible says, “[God] planned to bring all of history to its goal in Christ. Then Christ would be the head of everything in heaven and on earth.” Ephesians 1:10 (GWT). God didn’t sit around and let the history of the world unfold in a way he found appropriate. He planned history. God has goals for the Church. God has goals for every facet of the universe.

My goals are to love God more, to love my family more, to love my friends more, and to improve my health so as to be as good a steward of my abilities as possible.

Jim is still off this week, so he met up with the Wes Cline’s to get the kids so that Wes and Molly could have a date night. It is such a joy, not to be taken for granted, that Lincoln and Audrey have learned to want to stay with Nannie and Poppa. They love to come to our home, they like to play, they are fine to play on their own or to hang out with us–I think they are comfortable with us. They ate a good supper, the only problem is that they are so hard to get to sleep. We don’t have to lay down with them, but it requires several, no, many trips back to the bedroom to deliver drinks of water, dispel monsters, negotiate bedspace, scold one for touching/hitting/scratching the other, and offering general comfort before they finally give it up and go to sleep.

And oh how precious they are when they are asleep.

New Year’s Day

Jan1

Happy New Year! Beautiful January day. Temps in the 50’s. Clear skies. Last night Jim and I went to dinner at Brix (pizza) then went to a movie– Wolf of Wall Street. Well done but disturbing true story about a stock trader, Jordan Belfort, who made it big illegally, then went down. Lots of drugs and sex. If it glorified the life, it certainly did not glorify the downfall.

Slept late, then spent the remainder of the morning in Bible study, devotion and prayer. Worked outside in the afternoon–checked out the garden and my new room, planted garlic. Had to plant the garden in a pot, as the ground is frozen.

Cooked a big pot of blackeyed peas (my entire crop) and went to Wes and Molly’s for dinner with the kids and Granny. Perfect day!

October 4 (Shelter)

Oct4

I had a sheltered life growing up. There are actually many ways to describe my childhood. My parents were loving, strict. We never had much money, but I always knew my family was there for me, that I had a home and a bed; and breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which was always at 5:15 pm. I always knew where we would be on Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, and Wednesday nights. My parents looked out for me, kept me safe, provided stability. My complaint would be that they were overprotective, if anything. So you see, I had a sheltered life growing up.

Now, I would never complain about having sheltered life. I hope my children felt sheltered. I pray that my children will shelter their children.

Shelter: every child should have shelter. If I get this job, I’ll be able to work for an organization that provides shelter for children and adults, and that endeavors to improve the ability of its adult clients to obtain and sustain shelter for themselves. It is doing God’s work caring for widows and orphans, a cup of water for the least of these.

September 14 (Fall Garden)

Sep14

I have had a rare day with no appointments, no need to leave the house. It’s so sweet. After Bible study this morning, I walked around the pasture, following paths that Jim has mowed for the grandkids and for us to enjoy just messing around the pond and on the four-wheeler. I took some pictures of the pasture in its late summer-transitioning to early fall beauty. The prolific white Queen Anne’s lace and pink blackberry blooms have been replaced by a multitude of mostly yellow and purple flowers.

I have chosen to spend the remainder of the day in my perennial garden, the one that Wes built for me alongside the garage several years ago even before he married Molly. It faces east which is nice for morning sun, but because it backs up to the garage, it is sheltered not only from the harsher afternoon sun but also the rain so it stays pretty dry. It has taken me several years to get some really nice perennials established. In the meantime, I filled up all the empty spaces with iris and daylilies from my dad’s yard to prevent weeds and to mask the barren spots. The daylilies are not the common ditch lily variety. They are doubles and actually very pretty both in the garden and cut for arrangements. They are drought tolerant, spread easily, and the foliage stays green all summer unlike so many other flowers that grow from bulbs. (This will be my sales pitch when I try to get rid of the bulbs that I have dug up, but more on that later).

Now I have several other plants and seeds to make room for, so the daylilies have to go, and the iris have to be moved so that the placement of the new plants along with what is remaining will be beneficial and attractive. It’s hard work removing the daylilies. I have to be sure to get as much of what is under the surface as possible as well as all that is conspicuous. Even so, I know that I have missed some and will have to keep an eye out next spring for these hardy little plants that will still try to grow and spread to fill the space. Fortunately, I don’t have many weeds; they haven’t had room to grow. Weeds are not as much of a problem for me as just so much filler that just is now not the best use of the space.

Trying to get the daylilies out without disturbing the keeper plants is sometimes impossible. I have broken some stems and pulled up some good baby plants. Sometimes I have decided it’s better to cut off rather than disturb, and sometimes I can gently replant the sprig I accidentally pulled and the result might be even better.

The best approach is to just get started. Once I get one clump out, the next victim is in soil that is already loosened a bit from the previous action and might come out with a gentle tug. Sometimes I have to use some help like a shovel for leverage to get the roots loose, and sometimes I have to plant my feet and pull with all my might. Sometimes I have to approach from both sides and work toward the middle just to get it to release. I’m sweaty and dirty, but it’s really satisfying work and I’m finding that I am not grieving over the daylilies nearly as much as I thought I would. I like my new neat garden. I can more easily see what I have to mulch and fertilize.

Is it any wonder that Jesus so frequently used agricultural metaphors to teach? As I have been busy with my hands performing these mundane tasks my mind has been racing with the analogy to this stage of my life. In March, a huge time commitment was removed from my life: my job at Caterpillar. I have spent the past six months investing in my husband and my family, getting to spend more time with them. I have lost an uncle and aunt, but have had the time to spend with their families which is important. I have gotten more involved in church, continuing to teach 6^th grade girls on Sunday, serving as a table leader for Chronological Bible Study on Tuesday evenings, participating in a Beth Moore Bible study on Tuesday mornings (on my bucket list), and now leading a Bible study on Wednesday evenings. Jobs for Life with Christian Women’s Job Corp has just resumed so I have six women I am taking through this program on Monday evenings for the third year. I have reinvigorated my network and explored opportunities in nonprofits and consulting as well as in HR. I have continued to be active in Rotary, taken on a project for Second Harvest and Leadership Nashville, and gotten involved on the Cable Program Committee. I have slept more, worked in the garden, canned, and read. (I have not spent any more time cleaning my house, and it may not seem like it to anyone else, but that is actually an accomplishment.)
I have really tried to invest and enjoy life and not just feel like my life is on hold until I find my next opportunity. It’s been six months, and I hope I am closing in on what God has planned for me in terms of a new role; however, His will be done. If I land soon, I will have to reassess all these good activities, just like I have been digging up the daylilies. As Jesus says in John 15:2—“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit.”

Nothing is bad in and of itself, but all of this stuff cannot grow in the same garden. The filler will crowd out the important plants and nothing will grow and produce as it should. The soil itself will just wear out and become barren. My husband has been hinting at this. Others have also hinted at this with references to my busyness, my “filler”. It was clear to me that the daylilies had to go, and I will find a new home for them. Somebody will benefit from them. Or they might just go into the trash. Now I have to also determine what filler in my life will have to go so that I can continue to produce good healthy fruit for the kingdom, and then I will have to either pass it on to someone for whom it will be better suited, or just eliminate it.

It is not a once and done task, I will have to be continually alert to new sprouts and not let them get too big before I cut them back as well. Voltaire said that the “best is the enemy of the good”, however I think Jim Collins really had it right when he said that “Good is the enemy of great.” Continued assessment, continued pruning.

judycline

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