Wheeeee…Here We Go!

Well, dear readers…here we are at 16 days in with the new year… and what have we done? Have you put your priority plan in gear for 2021?

In the past I’ve made several attempts at the ‘read the Bible in one year’ plan. I am sorry to say, however, that I have never completed that quest. Oh, I do read plenty in the Bible. I have my favorite passages I refer to often and I’ve embarked on whole studies of certain books. But never have I accomplished the goal of reading the Bible all the way through from front to back in 12 months.

Friends, you know as well as I do there’s a world of difference between ‘want to’ and ‘DONE’!

This year my #1 goal is to read the Bible all the way from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 before midnight on December 31, 2021.

There, I’ve put it in writing. Now, I have to do it!

Putting it in this public forum will hold me accountable. So far, so good. I am in Genesis 43 and re-discovering with renewed interest all the history of our forefathers and our relationship to our Creator. Like us, they had wins and losses. Have you read what Joseph’s brothers did to him? It does have a good ending, I promise. Perhaps we all can apply Joseph’s handling of the matter to our own sibling relationships.

Anyway, check back here often to see my progress…..

…..which brings me to another priority for 2021:

I promise to write at least one blog post per month in 2021!

Stay tuned for further developments, and I’m cheering you on in your priorities for 2021!

Love, grace and peace,

Willie

Life Is Short, Bill Makes It Sweet

Today my beloved and I are celebrating 37 years of marriage……happy anniversary to my one and only!!!!! When God whispered your name (a great song by Keith Urban….by the way), he said, “Willie…..marry Billy”.

It’s been a wonderful walk with my husband of 37 years…..for richer or poorer…..in sickness and in health…..we’ve had a rich life together of awesome experiences, travels, adventures and opportunities. Our feet have rested high on the mountains and walked in some low valleys.

A toast to the two best things we have done….our son and daughter. I think it may have been Dr. James Dobson who said, “A good marriage and non-toxic children is the message you put out into the world.”

Love, grace and peace!!!!

Willie

The Flipside of ‘What If…?’

WHAT IF I CATCH THE CORONA VIRUS?!!! 😦

Lately, this thought seems to be front and center for EVERYONE and in  EVERYTHING we do. Then, not too far behind that, these thoughts follow:

What if I lose people I love?

What if I lose the lifestyle to which I am accustomed?

What if I lose my job?

What if I lose things I’ve worked to accumulate?

Then, the darkest fear that is the hard one…..what if I lose my very life?

Personally, I think it is good to face your fears and ask yourself those difficult questions and think about how you might hope to respond before you’re in the heat of the moment. Certainly, these thoughts are valid concerns in the face of the latest pandemic. I venture to guess we’ve had some, if not all, of these thoughts and others pertaining to our own specific situations.

I don’t negate the sorrow felt around the globe. I am sad for people…our country…our world. Nevertheless, whether it’s just my personality or that unquenchable resiliency modeled by my parents, I like to flip things–turn morosity over and try the flip side of ‘what if’ on for size.

I submit to you that we look beyond the ‘things’ we might lose and flip this virus worry on its ear. Consider what we all might GAIN from this experience.

1. We GAIN another chance to become one of those 1,000 points of light President Bush urged us to become after 9/11.
2. We GAIN chances to love our fellow man, which has lasting, eternal value.
3. We GAIN opportunities to look up and around, beyond our self-centered bubble to see how we can esteem others and improve their circumstances.
4. We GAIN by not playing the blame game. Did YOU see this coming? Neither did they.
5. We GAIN by not giving in to negativity, and not complaining. Take the high road.
6. We GAIN muscles–our patience muscle, our endurance muscle, our faith muscle, our hope muscle, etc.
7. Everyone GAINS when kindness is practiced.
8. We GAIN when we are thankful for everything we’ve already been enjoying all this time before this hit…..good health, abundance, freedom, etc.
9. Everyone GAINS when we laugh together. Our ‘kids’ were over for dinner Saturday night and we played “Catch Phrase”. We laughed ourselves silly! It  felt sooooooo good!

We GAIN time. What we may lose in money, we gain in time. Time to slow  down…be still…remember who God is. More time to connect with and love him…more time to love his people.

I hope, in some ways, life won’t return to what it was. I hope we may stay changed for the better after all we’ve gained, not lost, from this unprecedented experience.

Love, grace and peace,

Willie

 

 

 

 

Beautiful Words.

Received these beautiful words in a recent email…..no pictures needed.

“If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who won’t survive the week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 20 million people around the world.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death, you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world.

If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.

If your parents are still married and alive, you are very rare, especially in today’s culture.

If you can hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed beyond compare because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God’s healing touch.

If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read anything at all.

You are so blessed in ways you may never even know.”

Love, grace and much peace,

Willie

 

 

A Favorite Holiday

One year ago I blogged about the “National Day of Encouragement” (you can read it here) that falls every year on September 12th, made official by President George W. Bush. I enjoyed it so much last year, I’m inviting you all to join me again in the fun of dishing out boatloads of encouragement, in words and/or actions, this coming September 12th.

Truth … we all need to give, and receive, encouragement. We have the opportunity to be a “Barnabas” to someone. If you are not familiar with who Barnabas is, you can find out about him in Acts 4:36-37. Let me know in my “Comments” section what deeds of encouragement that you are planning, whether big or small. The “National Day of Encouragement” just might turn into one of your favorite holidays!

 

Life Is Like the Game of Golf

Do any of you out there play golf?

Maybe you do, or maybe some of you are more like me and make a valiant attempt to play the game.

On the flip side, my husband is passionate about chasing a small, dimpled ball around a lovely expanse of green turf. He’s quite good at it, too.

I’ve played (I use the term loosely) with him on occasion. Pictures like the ones below are reason enough for me to endure the humiliation of being a high scorer. (Sidenote: Having the highest score in golf is not a good thing!). But, these scenes make it all well worth it.

Recently, my husband singlehandedly invented a fundraiser for our local golf course. He challenged himself to play 500 continuous holes of golf without leaving the course until he was finished. He collected pledges for holes played.

I’m happy to say he achieved his goal in only five days, playing an average of 100 holes of golf per day! I’m whooped after only 9 … oh, the mental strain! Golf is a mental game, ya know.

Aside from missing hot showers and sleeping in his own bed, he said the golfing was the easy part.  He had supportive friends playing with him from sunrise….

…. to sunset.

Besides my husband’s goal of raising money for the local golf course, where our ties run deep, his biggest takeaway of the whole experience?

He summarized it like this: “Life is like the game of golf … when you get a double bogie on one hole, just pick up your clubs and keep going.” Kinda like life, eh? Keep swinging!!!

Love, grace and peace,

Willie

What Our World Needs Now

There’s a lot of hype before Valentine’s Day.

“Will he pop the question?”

“Does she like me as much as I like her?”

“Where should I take my significant other for a romantic date?”

“I wonder which she’d like better … chocolate-covered strawberries or red velvet cupcakes?”

Will you embarrass yourself and do the big-time Valentine Day fail, scaring her away by presenting a giant stuffed green frog with a fuzzy pink “Be Mine!” heart sewn to its chest?

Perhaps you’ve done a Valentine no-no like I did one year when I wrote on my husband’s truck window with white shoe polish: “Wild Thing … You Make My Heart Sing!” (My husband has a fantastic sense of humor, but it just didn’t kick in the way I thought it would that time!)

Let me ask you, though … what happens after Valentine’s Day?

What if we keep loving every day, not just on Valentine’s Day?

What would the world look like? What would it look like for the people in your sphere of influence? What if we commit to do loving things, say loving things, write loving things, buy loving things on a consistent, daily basis … more than once a year?

I don’t think we can overdo it in the love department, do you? Love is what the world needs now … and everyone in our world needs love more than ever.

So, this isn’t a belated “Happy Valentine’s Day!” post. It’s Valentine’s Day every day.

Love, grace and peace,

Willie

It Takes a Millennial

When I was a young mother to my son and daughter, I was very conscientious of their small eyes watching my actions. I thought I had to be a good example for them, so I tried to do the right thing. Sometimes I failed.

On some very bad mothering days, I failed miserably.

Then, my little boy and sweet daughter grew up.

I grew, too– into an older and wiser adult.

And now?

Now I know a few things. Wisdom is priceless. Getting older is not a bad thing at all when you learn some truths in the journey. One truth is this — sometimes it takes a millennial for us to see the light.

See this little card nested in my Christmas tree?

My daughter made this card months ago, but its meaning is so significant to me that I keep it in my kitchen where I can see it several times a day. And what does the message mean to me now in the Christmas season?

We made an intentional effort to simplify Christmas this year. Thanks to a  very wise millennial, I think it’s going to be a very good season, and a very good new year.

Love, grace and peace,

Willie

 

 

Embracing Simple Living

“Love people and use things because the opposite never works.”
Joshua Fields Milburn, The Minimalists  

I write this post on the heels of Black Friday and the upcoming holiday season.

Although the season is supposed to conjure up warm, fuzzy feelings, spending time with family and partaking in all things Christmas, it’s a time of stress for more people than you’d think.

We all want that picture-perfect Christmas. The holiday parties, the presents under the tree, the homemade food at Christmas dinner. But those holiday parties, those presents, that Christmas dinner? They kind of stress you out. They stress me out too.

You’re suckered into buying a cheap Dirty Santa gift that the recipient likely won’t even use. You’re spending hours in the kitchen baking holiday treats rather than spending time with family and friends. Or you’re stressing out at the store, attempting to find the perfect gift for someone…

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Encouragement for September 12th

Guess what today is? I’m sooooooooooo excited! Do you want to get on board and spread some sunshine in the world today? Yes? Awesome!

Did you know that September 12th is National Encouragement Day? Since 2007, every September 12th is celebrated as a special day to pour some encouragement into the lives of the people with whom you come into contact on National Encouragement Day. This could be friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, the mailman, store clerks, the trash pick-up service (what would we do without them?!), the babysitter, your bus driver, the bank teller, YOUR DENTIST!!!! Yeah…..don’t you ever wonder what it’s like to see sour faced patients come into your office for their bi-annual cleaning?

Here are some simple things to get you started thinking about how to encourage someone today.

1.)   Take your neighbor some baked treats.

2.)   Call your spouse in the middle of the day and say something nice.

3.)   Tell your adult children how wonderful you think they are.

4.)   Write an encouraging note to someone.

5.)   Take someone to lunch.

6.)   Pay for someone’s coffee or meal in line behind you.

7. )  Mail a card to someone who you know needs a “lift”.

8. )  Compliment someone on the long ride up in the elevator…or at least say “hi”.

9.)   Buy the receptionist in your building her favorite candy.

10.)  Take some flowers to an elderly person.

11.)  Before you are tempted to say something snide, rude, negative or discouraging to anyone, whatever the situation…..bite your tongue!

There…..isn’t this fun?  BE ENCOURAGED! And by the way….keep rowing your boat….you’re doing great!!!! Don’t give up….I know you can do it!

Love, grace and peace,

Willie