Thankful Thursday - 1/22

Joining my Circuit City Buddy, Sonya at Truth 4 the Journey for another edition of Thankful Thursday.

1. Thankful that my family is healthy. Lots of stomach bugs and even whooping cough is going around my community. So far, we're all fine.

2. Thankful that I only have 1 more devotional to write (deadline 1/31) to submit for payment!

3. Thankful for friends who pray for my needs, and that I can pray for my friends, any place, any time, any reason.

4. Thankful for exercise friends to keep me motivated to head to the gym at 8 a.m.!

5. Thankful for praise music that lifts my spirit. I love to shout to the Lord! (My singing does sound more like shouting than singing, but my God just loves my joyful noise!)

What are you thankful for this week? Join Sonya's meme by clicking the button below. Or just leave your thankful things in my comments. Thankful for you today, my readers!

Investing & Conventional Wisdom

Welcome to Circuit City, where service is state of the art. That little jingle belonged to my former employer, Circuity City. I began with Circuit City in 1994. I met my friend Sonya (Truth4theJourney) there, and that is where my Christian life (through Sonya's seed-planting) went from passive to active. But this isn't that story.

I joined the employee stock purchase plan as quickly as I could at full buy in. Stock was around $25 a share then. I moved a head in the company, and eventually transferred over to the up and coming subsidiary CarMax, where I joined that stock program. At one point Circuit City stock was up to $50 a share. But I didn't sell. Conventional wisdom said don't sell if you don't need the money.

Circuit City stock is currently at 10 cents a share, and is currently liquidating it's assets to go out of business. I still own all my shares. I've lost money believing conventional wisdom.

CarMax stock was up to $57 a share in the past year or so. Not wanted to relive my Circuit City experience I talked to my stock broker. "Don't sell if you don't need the money" conventional wisdom said. I couldn't stand it. I sold half, and put the profits in the bank. I still have the other half in stock. It's trading at $8.11. I've lost 72% of my stock value.

The money that was in the bank was only earning about 1% in a savings account. My husband and my stock broker were all over me to invest it. Conventional wisdom says you don't leave money in a savings account. So I invested 1/2 of it. That 1/2 has lost 20% of it's original value. The other half is still earning a meager 1%...but it's earning!

Conventional wisdom has a lot to say. But it isn't always right. This isn't a post about stock trading, and what ever you do, don't listen to my money advice! You'll end up broke. But that same "conventional wisdom" talks about man evolving from apes, and the Big Bang theory and scientific discovery. Conventional wisdom isn't always right. Sometimes you have to go with your gut.

My gut says there is a God of the Universe. His son, Jesus, died to pay the price of my sins so that I may spend eternity in their presence. All I have to do is have faith. Faith=eternal life. That is a pretty good return on my investment, don't you think?

Isaiah 42:17 -- But those who invested in the no-gods are bankrupt—dead broke. (The Message)

Psalm 37:8 -- Bridle your anger, trash your wrath, cool your pipes—it only makes things worse. Before long the crooks will be bankrupt; God-investors will soon own the store. (The Message)

Proverbs 8:17-19 -- I love those who love me; those who look for me find me. Wealth and Glory accompany me— also substantial Honor and a Good Name. My benefits are worth more than a big salary, even a very big salary; the returns on me exceed any imaginable bonus. (The Message)

Blue Light Special

As I drove down the street last Thursday, I noticed the police car pulling up closely behind me. Sure enough, the blue lights began to flash. I pulled over and produced my license and registration. I hadn't been speeding, but it turns out my car tags (license plates) had expired...in November. The policeman headed back to his vehicle to write my ticket.

Several minutes passed and he came back and handing me back my license and registration. "Your debt has been paid" he informed me. My husband had paid the tag renewal fee, but not updated the stickers on my plate. The officer could still give me a ticket for improper display, and I guess I deserved one, but he let me go. A quick trip to DMV and $1 replaced the lost tags to be stuck on my license plates.

At the end times, I'll see those "blue lights" in heaven. (You know folks always do talk about walking toward the light. They just don't mention they're blue.) I'll be told of my offense, and I'll know what I deserve. But then God will say "Your debt has been paid." Jesus has taken care of my offense. I won't receive what I deserve. I'll be set free from my past and live eternally in God's kingdom come, just because I know, love and serve Jesus.

Jesus is the light of the world. Because of him, we don't have to be blue. We can have the light of life!

John 8:12 -- When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

2 Corinthians 4:6 -- For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

1 Peter 2:9 -- But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Picture Tag

I've been tagged by The Patterson 5! The instructions were to go to your picture files, pick the fourth folder and the fourth picture in that folder and explain it!

This was in 2005 when hubby & I went on a cruise. This photo is looking down from the side of the ship before we left dock. I love the colors in the photo.

You've got the instructions. If you want to play, consider yourself tagged!

**Updated - it was a cruise to "nowhere." A 3-day trip, one and a half days out and back, no docking. A baby cruise for a first time cruiser. Plus we left our child at home (with ET, thanks ET!) and weren't ready for a longer cruise. And for Sue J, my link to my losing poem trying to win a cruise. And yes, there really was water....

Ahh, this is the life....

Just a drill....

In Perfect Step

My mom has a photo of me when I was about 6 or 7 years old, in ballet class. All the little girls have their feet together and their hands in front of them clapping, except me. I have my hands on my hips and one leg out tapping my heel. I was out of step.

Fast forward ahead 30+ years and that is me in the Body & Soul fitness class. I started this class on Tuesday and was the model student. I say model, as the teacher used me as an example. She said "If you can't get the arm motions with the legs, just do what Kelly is doing and leave your hands on your hips." I just can't do the "heel, knee, kick" with my legs and do "up, down, up" with my arms at the same time.

I've not taken fitness classes in the past because the number of steps involved, and the coordination of the feet & hand motions together seemed overwhelming. I didn't want to look stupid. But with maturity comes caring less of others opinions of you (not to mention a slower metabolism) so I decided to start the class with a friend. I tried hard not to compare myself to the others who seemed more coordinated. I kept my eyes on the teacher, so I could follow her every step. Thursday was second class and amazingly I was already able to add some of the hand motions in. Soon I think my feet will be able to follow the steps without so much thought, and then I'll add all the arms. Soon, I'll be getting stronger!

As Christians, we too can be overwhelmed. Just look at one area of Christianity, the fruit of the spirit. (Galatians 5:22, 23) Love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control seems like too much to achieve.

But if we start with one thing at a time, it's easier. Which one of the fruit do you have? Focus on the ones you do well. Don't compare your self with others! Then as you get one down, add another until you've gotten them all. Soon you'll be stronger! In time you can add more & more "steps" of Christianity. Keep your eyes closely on the Teacher (Jesus), like I did. Then you'll be spiritually fit, and in perfect step.

Galatians 5:25 -- Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Proverbs 4:12 -- When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.

1 Peter 2:21 -- To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

Just Be Nice

My kids argue. Oh how they can fuss & fight! "She's being mean to me!" "She touched me!" "She took my {insert item here}!" And I ask in a too loud voice "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE NICE TO EACH OTHER!??!?"

The funny thing is we are all children of God. 1 John 3:1 says "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

I wonder how our heavenly Father feels when he hears me complaining about what a bad driver "my brother" is when "He cut me off in traffic!" Or how "my sister" at the cash register is "going to slow and I'm in a hurry." How many times do I make a careless comment about one of God's children, my brothers and sisters in Christ?

Next time I yell at my kids for arguing (and it could be any second), I'll thank God for being a Father who never yells at me, even when I'm mean to my brothers & sisters in Christ. Then I'll try to practice what I preach, and "just be nice."

John 1:12, 13 -- Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

Romans 8:16, 17 -- The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

1 John 3:1 -- How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Thank You

"Mom, can I have..."
"Mom, I want..."
"Mom, may I please..."
"Mom, give me..."

As a mom, I often get exasperated by my kids' desires for "more." They are basically good kids, but are self-centered, as most kids are. I give them candy, and then they ask for gum. I let them watch a movie, and then they want to play on the computer. I let them have a friend over for the afternoon, but then they want to take them somewhere. I lament, "Just once I wish you'd just say thank you, and be grateful for what you have instead of asking for more!"

"Lord, help me to..."
"Lord, heal the..."
"Lord, I need..."
"Lord, save the..."

I feel the nudge of God saying, "Just once I wish you'd just say thank you, and be grateful for what you have...."

Lord, thank you so much! Thank you for my health, my healthy family, my church that I love, my great friends, my home, my car, my food, my wardrobe, my pets!! Lord, I am so abundantly blessed, I have so much...and yet my prayers are often childish. I, I, I. Lord, forgive me. May my prayers focus on you, not "I." May my prayers be thankful and grateful for what I have, and not focused on what I don't. Thank you Lord, for your gentle nudges to direct me the right way. In Jesus Name, Amen.

1 Chronicles 16:34 -- Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Romans 1:21 -- For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Ephesians 5:19, 20 -- Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.