Picture it: My ears are hurting really bad. Really. Bad. My voice is hoarse and I feel horrible. I feel so bad that I actually dial the phone to make a doctor’s appointment.

A woman answers and I explain my circumstances. Before we can even discuss an appointment time, she has to confirm my insurance. Huh? I sound terrible and I feel even worse and all this woman is concerned with is what type of insurance I have! She says something, can’t remember what, and it makes me really mad. Really mad. I look at my phone and eyeball the hangup button.

(Before I go any further, you have to know something about my personality. I have lots of patience. Lots and lots of it. Unless. Unless I am talking with someone on the phone and they get rude on me. Then all I want to do is hang up on them).

But then the Holy Spirit gets in the way. Whispers: “She must be having a bad day”. So I put the phone back to my ear and ask her how her day is going while I search for my insurance card. We discuss the rain. It takes a few minutes but her tone softens and, when we hang up, I wish Tammy a good day.

And I have a good day, too.

Hmm. Compassion.

In the heat of the moment, when I considered hanging up on this lady, I felt anything but compassion. But God intervened. He stuck a little reminder in my head. At that point, I had a decision to make. Hang up and fume all day or truly be Christ extended in my actions.

When I think of compassion, the idea of walking in someone else’s shoes comes to mind. The night that Jesus was betrayed and ultimately killed, he still chose to heal. He chose to demonstrate compassion towards a person who was an instrument in his death. He knew the soldier was only following instructions and maybe just maybe would feel extreme remorse at the realization of his role in slaying the savior of the world.

I don’t always know what others are feeling but perhaps, like Christ, I can learn to extend grace. Another word for that might be understanding. Or forgiving the unforgivable because we just might make the same mistake tomorrow.

Compassion. I think this is something worth exploring more.

Dear Jesus.  Even on the road to death, you extended mercy and forgiveness to all. Help me to extend similar grace to those with whom I come in contact every day at work, at the store, in my neighborhood.  Amen.

So hence begins the journey towards clean teeth.

By the way, the dental hygienist reminded us of Mar’s dad. He was very friendly and set us both at ease immediately. Although having someone scrape at your teeth is never fun, I have to say I enjoyed, as much as one can, my teeth cleaning.

More to come when we  meet the dentist!!!

I have had it now for a week almost and have been busy getting caught up on articles for my writing course AND I’ve been watching movies on Hulu too.

What I am most excited about, however, is being able to write more with my blog. Maybe even use the resources on here to create my own website. That way I can make it a little more personal. We’ll see. In the meantime, I am loving my MAC!!!!

According to FedEx my computer is in Shanghai, China. And so the waiting begins for it’s arrival!

Embracing the Journey!!!

Patty

The leading character is Sierra Clanton Madrid. Married to her high school sweetheart, Alex, these past 10 years, life has been safe, comfortable and predictable. Then, she gets the phone call that her husband has accepted a job in California that will uproot their family of four taking them miles away from both her mother and his parents. Sierra is all but happy about the situation. Before she leaves her mother hands her the journal of young pioneer Mary Kathryn McMurray. Sierra begins to read her story.

As thebook progresses, Rivers brilliantly intertwines both stories showing how these two women who have centuries separating them have so very much in common.

Both women experience the joys and the sorrows of life and struggle with the presence of God.

This book is a beautiful illustration of how God uses all circumstances to bring us to him; often times in the situations where we feel he is furthest from us.

I absolutely loved this story and highly recommend it.

The Scarlet Thread

What does the title mean? I am so tempted to share but I’m afraid it would ruin the entire story so read it and find out!

I will do some sort of book report on all the books I complete and will be sure to indicate if there is any kind of spoiler included. This should be fun!

Embracing the Journey!

Patty

My Goal Poster

As most people are, I am always really excited about a new year. With a new year comes a fresh start with new goals…goals that everyone aspires to achieve. But how many of those goals are realized by December 31st of that same year? How many have been forgotten? Several years back, I read a magazine article about making a goal poster. The article concluded that most people who write their goals down never go back to them. Often they stumble upon them in a drawer some six months into the year and realize that they are no closer to their goals than when they wrote them down. BUT with a visual reminder , such as a goal poster, placed where it can be seen on a regular basis, these goals are definitely more attainable. I gave it a try and I can still see the different pictures in my mind’s eye that I used to represent all my goals. What’s even better is that I achieved  almost all of them!

This year I’m giving the goal poster another try. I have placed my goals in the front of a binder that I plan to use throughout the year for planning purposes. (More on that later).

So here goes. My goals for 2010 are:

• Run a half marathon
• Get to my goal weight and stay there (made it pretty close and THEN I got pregnant)
• Read 12 really good books
• Learn more about good nutrition and put that information into practice
• Become a better cook
• Learn how to make curtains
• Get professional pictures taken of Marshall and I
• Finish my writing course (I’m a little behind!)
• Blog more regularly (maybe even once a week!)
• Take care of all my dental work (I’ve had two cleanings this year and the dr says things look good!)
• Buy an Apple Computer (probably a laptop) acquired January 26th
• Develop my friendships
• Fall even more in love with my husband
• Start a family (Dominic Truth Parker is due January 6th, 2011)
• Keep dreaming!!

I hope to blog about each of these goals as I work on achieving them. Here’s to a new year full of success stories!

I was watching an episode of Bones tonight on HULU. If you’re familiar with the show, then you know who Daisy is. She kept correcting everyone about Christmas saying, “Christ was actually born in March.”

Funny. I don’t even know where to begin to figure out when Jesus was really born. Obviously, it wasn’t December 25^th. That’s just a symbol.

What I do know is that he was born. And shepherds were among the first to see him just like the angels said “wrapped in cloths” and sleeping in a feeding trough.

It must have been exciting to come face to face with the savior of the world! But…wait a minute. He’s. A. Baby?  Yep. A baby who ultimately lived to die for humankind.

I wonder if the shepherds ever had doubts about what they were seeing. I am sure they were in awe at finding a baby exactly where these angels told them to look. (The sign). But what about the minor detail that this savior of the world was a sleeping infant. How’s that gonna work?

The shepherds saw a baby but the angels proclaimed what he was going to be: the savior of the world

As a man he:

• multiplied fish and bread,
• brought dead people back to life,
• caused def people to hear
• caused crippled to walk again
• and died to bring salvation to all who will accept
• and then rose from the dead only to perform even more miracles!

Now that’s an exciting savior!!

A lot of times I like to keep Jesus in the manger. Nice and sweet. But that is not where he wants to stay. He wants to be involved in my life. In your life. He sees what we can become if we’ll let him get involved.

John 14:12 says, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these…”

The angels proclaimed that Christ would do remarkable things and now Christ is telling us that he can do even better through us if we’ll just let him into our lives!

God, help us to see our circumstances the way you do. Help us to see your involvement in our lives and how we can be used by you to change the world. Help us to see you as more than a sleeping baby.

- Matthew 2: 11, 12

I work at a pre-school. Just this week, the cute little ones were in a Christmas play. It was so much fun. There was a little boy who played the very important role of the  star; a little girl and little boy  took on the roles of Mary and Joseph. The wise men were accounted for. We even had sheep.

As we were preparing for this performance, I was helping one of the wise men into his costume. I was telling him how important his role was. The wise men were superheroes! They helped saved Jesus.  The whole story came out of my mouth (in preschool terms of course), but I don’t think I had realized until that moment how critical a role the wise men played.

I’m sure you are familiar with the story. On their way to find the king of kings, the wise men encountered king Herod. When this jealous king  heard that he going to be replaced, Herod wasn’t exactly excited about it. But he cooly requested that they let him know when the little guy had been located.  He wanted to ‘worship’  him, too.

In a dream the wise men were warned that Herod’s intentions were anything but pure. So they took another route home.

Wow. Had these wise men ignored the warning they received in a dream, the Christ child could have been killed!

But when they saw the essence of God in human form, they could do nothing less than bow down and worship. I imagine, in that moment, the gifts they had brought didn’t seem adequate. And yet they presented him with gold and fine fragrances.

What if we were to see Christ in the same way that the wise men did on that day so many years ago?

I read in Romans today: “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed are those whose sin the Lord will never count against them.” (Romans 4: 7,8)

That’s why this baby came.  I imagine the wise men couldn’t have possibly fully comprehended the purpose of the birth of Christ, yet they sensed there was something so wonderful and mighty and everlasting about this child.

I know the other side of the story and I still can’t grasp it all. This baby grew up to die for me.

Heavenly Father,

This Christmas season is so different to me. I am beginning to see you as more than a babe in a manger, more than a child presented with gifts. May I come into your presence with my heart bowed to offer you the gift of my worship and adoration.

While all this was happening, I started a job at a preschool. Twice a week I work with a fantastic co-teacher, Melanie Hill, working with 4 year olds. We have nine beautiful and bright children and I am convinced I have the best teaching partner available. Tomorrow will complete our second week. Although I never saw myself working with little ones in a preschool setting, I know this experience will be a great one. I have a feeling that I will get more from the children and my teaching partner  than I will give to them. That’s how it seems to be.

Fond moment: a 4 year old student says to me: Miss Patty, your ear rings are quite lovely.

See what I mean. This job will give more than it receives.

Well I am still going to the chiropractor. I am noticing a difference in my posture and in the way I walk but I think I still have a long healing journey ahead of me. I say this because after half a dozen adjustments I still am experiencing pain. As a result, my half marathon has been put on pause. I will get back to it but as for now I am restricted to only walking.

Life is beautiful!