Just read an amazing book:  LINCHPIN by Seth Godin.  The CEO where I work thought it'd be a good read for me, and boy was he right!  Here are a few great quotes.

...stand up and be remarkable.  Be human.  Contribute.  Interact.  Take the risk that you might make someone upset with your initiative, innovation, and insight - - it turns out that you'll probably delight them instead (29).

...art is the ability to change people with your work, to see things as they are and then create stories, images, and interactions that change the marketplace (91).

Don't let circumstances or habits rule your choices today.  Become a master of yourself and use your willpower to choose...Nothing about becoming indispensable is easy. The only thing that separates great artists from mediocre ones is their ability to push through the dip.  Some people decide that their art is important enough that they ought to overcome the resistance they face in doing their work.  Those people become linchpins (206-207).

.....

My most enjoyable read was the confirmation that doing things at work is a CHOICE.   I choose to be positive in the midst of frustrations, optimistic in the midst of challenges, and communicative in the midst of confusion. 

God has certainly put me in a few opportunistic positions to choose good things throughout my days and continue to purposefully fulfill His ministry through my life.

We're in a sermon series at church about Daniel and today's message really spoke to my heart.  Pastor Tom Moll explained it this way:  in the midst of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Daniel stayed faithful to God.  He was focused on God's leading (instead of impressing others), motivated with kindess to others (not for personal gain), faithful to God (instead of comparing himself to others), God-empowered (not self-empowered), and purposed to glorify God (instead of advancing self).  

Daniel was a servant in Nebuchadnezzar's courts, and yet he was placed in a high position, over the Babylonian people.  Tom Moll's question still rings in my ears:

What stage has God allowed you to be on?  Are you glorifying God?

...

God gave me [this stage] and I'm going to HONOR HIM every day.
My choice is to continue to choose God in all the responsibilities and opportunities He throws my way.

"baseball ready"

Ethan's first baseball game is on Saturday.  For weeks now, we have had practices on Tuesdays and Saturdays.  Each time, he has learned a new concept of baseball.

**as you'll note, my blogs are becoming more sport-friendly than before....apparently I'm learning something.  Either that, or I'm just pretending to learn something!  Yep....that's more like it**

Since the game is on Saturday, today's practice focused on how to play the actual game.  See, we've learned how to catch pop-ups, stop grounders, setting up at the plate, and even hit a couple times!  Running the bases has been hilarious to watch because they just keep running round & round! This practice, however, they started to understand what the heck they were doing out there:

Batter hit the ball (after multiple missed swings), infielders ran to get the ball (instead of waiting for the ball to reach them), outfielders caught the ball (fighting the sun in their eyes), and the batter ran to first base (and actually stopped). 

The head coach is a very patient man.  There's a reason he's the head coach.  VERY encouraging, always positive, and a great teacher.  His "assistant dads" are also very knowledgeable and helpful to the boys. 

They are always yelling "baseball ready."  The first couple weeks, obviously, I was lost. It took me a while to figure out what "baseball ready" meant. And it didn't mean that the baseball was literally ready.
Before the ball is thrown to the batter, the yell is loud&clear:  "baseball ready" -everybody preps for the pitch
Knees bent, gloved hands up, and awareness of the upcoming play.
It is the coaches' way of getting the boys' attention & it's the boys' way of preparing for what is coming next.

In the New Testament, John the Baptist was yelling similar instruction:  "Messiah ready"
I'm here to get your attention; you need to prepare for what is coming next.

Jesus says the same thing to me, sometimes in a yelling fashion:  "Heaven ready"
I came to get your attention; prepare for what is coming next.

Knees bent in prayer, hands up in praise, and awareness of the upcoming play....I will continue my journey.

Relaxing

Doing jigsaw puzzles is very relaxing to me.  I can sit for hours and work on a puzzle.  Not really thinking about anything, the time allows me to actually enjoy time.  Every so often, a "great idea" will come to mind and I'll stop to write it down.  For the most part, however, the time widdles away and I feel more relaxed than when I started.

I'm currently working on the Musical Notes puzzle.  It's got 1000 pieces and it's pretty difficult.  I've had it for at least 2 or 3 years and haven't mastered it yet.  As you can see, it's all in black and white and has bunches and bunches of musical notes.  It took me about 2 weeks to get the border together!  And now, I've gotten the middle staff done as well as the word notations together......now it's the hard part of actually filling in the spaces.  I expect I'll be working on this for a while.

What begins in the evening ends in the earliest of mornings!  It's almost 12am as I type this and I've just finished working on it for about 2 hours....and I think I've put 15 pieces in the right spots! 

Oh well...I'm enjoying time.   And the added benefit of relaxation.

how God works

Singing on the praise team for me is few and far between with my travel schedule.  but I really enjoy it.  and each time / every time / all the time, God works through the songs that have been chosen.

This past week was no exception.  Wednesday's night praise team practice and today's worship was amazing.....God's Word affecting my life, speaking to my heart in just the way I need to hear Him.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were very busy & ever-changing at work - - we have had quite a busy week at home with me getting back to routine, the house needing some attention, and just taking kids here & there while doing this & that. 

The set included: 
"How Awesome Is The Lord Most High"
"By His Wounds" - - by His wounds, we are healed
"Word of God Speak"
"All We Need Is You"
"I Will Stand On The Solid Rock"

May some of the words speak to your heart as well:

I will stand on the Solid Rock
I believe if I feel it or not
Word of God, come and fill my thoughts
I am Yours
Take control


Where You send us, God we will go
You're the Answer, we want the world to know
We will trust You, when You call our name
Where You lead us, we'll follow all the way

the lunch bag

This past Wednesday I decided to pack my lunch for work.  I don't normally pack a lunch, so this was kinda special.  Being in a cubicle all day stifles me, so I go off-site for lunch:  to get out of the cube, share a meal with co-workers, or just get outside of the building.  That's how I justify the expense anyway!

I had previously decided to pack on that Wednesday because a fellow co-worker was going to report on a trip he made to Africa.  I really wanted to see what impact it had on him so I said "yes, I'll be there" and put it on my calendar at work.  Thing is, I was at home creating my packed lunch - - and all I was remembering was that I was going to pack my lunch on Wednesday. 

When Wednesday came, I did my normal morning routine and headed to the kitchen, grabbed some food items that would last until lunchtime and had everything ready except for a container/bag to put it in.  Rifling through the pantry, I found some long-lost paper lunch bags the kids used to take when they were little.  I had hoped for the Spiderman ones; unfortunately for me, the only ones available were adorned with a big picture of Hello Kitty on the front. 

My first thought was "nah....I'll just use a plastic grocery bag".  But then it made sense to just use up the bags we had, for it's "just one day and it's just a bag for goodness sake - since I'll eat at my desk, it will be no big deal."  - - - [always go with your gut instinct.....]

Yep....logical reasoning took over, and I proceeded to pack my lunch in a brown paper bag with Hello Kitty plastered on the front.

Once I arrived to work, I got out of my car with lunchbag in hand and proceeded to the front door.  One of my close co-worker friends had arrived about the same time.  As we were walking in together, she mentioned my "nice" lunch bag......and I explained that it was too young for my kids to take to school now (oh the terror that would have been!) and that it was no big deal because I'd be at my.........oh crap.  Until right at that moment, I had forgotten the original reason for bringing my lunch!

Oh brother.

Well.....when I arrived to the room for my co-worker's presentation, I was envied by everyone in the room for having such a wonderfully unique lunch bag!  It was hilarious!