Personally, I am anti-gravity!  So many times I’ve tried to defy it and failed!  The worst attempt would be when I was riding my bike (Doctor’s orders!), tried to avoid a speed bump in the road, and hit the curb with my front tire.  Gravity worked.  Suddenly I found myself airborne, my life in slow motion until my head, shoulder and left knee connected with the concrete surface of the neighbor’s driveway.  Not fun!  There was no turning back; no pause or reverse button as on my TV.  Beyond a concussion, monstrous black eye, bruised cheek, dislocated shoulder and permanently damaged left knee, I survived, a bit wiser, to ride another day.  Today I am a firm believer of the law of gravity! I do everything I can to remain upright, on my feet, at all times!  :-)

Honestly, I really didn’t think much about gravity until I did my major face plant on concrete.  The same was true about my knowledge of electricity when, as a child, I touched an electrified fence.  Instantly, I developed a genuine respect when I landed on my “keester” as a result.  With both the laws of electricity and the law of gravity,  one I knew about and one I didn’t, I learned first hand, very real eternal principles that produced painful results I could not ignore.

Makes me wonder, could similar laws of nature be true of the threat of Global Warming, or as it is currently labeled, Climate Change?  Are we failing to take Mother Nature’s warnings signs seriously? Hmm, are we waiting until the damage is done and there’s no turning back?  Are humans being presumptuous that God will intervene and protect us from our foolishness?  Or will we learn the hard way, like I did, and like the Children of Israel did so many times in God’s Word?  I don’t know.  I’m just wondering…

Right or wrong, everyone has an opinion on the subject, and that’s good.  Even scientists don’t agree. But please don’t trivialize my concern.   Instead, wonder with me for a moment, what does God mean when He says in Revelation 11:18 b, “I will destroy those who destroy the earth.”  Now that’s something about which to wonder!

An ad on TV once claimed, “If you want someone to hear you, whisper.”  A favorite C.S. Lewis quote of mine is, “God whispers to us in our pleasures;  He speaks to us in our conscience; He shouts at us through our pain.”  Tonight, I hear a lot of heavenly whispers and I feel so grateful.

Upon returning from visiting our daughter and her family, I felt sorry for myself, that Richard and I were missing so much of our grandsons’ lives.  When I gave the Enemy an inch of self-pity, he bombarded me with bombs of ingratitude.  For a moment, he made me believe God wasn’t coming through for me.  After trying so hard, I’ve failed to lose weight! I can’t sell enough e-books of FLEE THE TIGER to save for a down payment on a house near my grandkids.  I was stuck–4 hours away!

“Surely You know, Lord, that these issues are important to me,” I cried,  ”You say you want to give me the desire of my heart.  Why don’t You help me?”  Metaphorically, I stomped my feet, shook my curls and pouted.

I sank onto my sofa, curled into a fetal ball and buried my head in a pillow.  As the cozy comfort of my secure, little home engulf’ed me, I heard my husband returning from the grocery store;  I heard my younger daughter’s praising God over the radio; I played my elder daughter’s newest CD.  I wandered into my office and smiled at my grandsons’ precious framed art work and the post-it note heart that says, “I [heart] U, Grandma.”

I received a just-because phone call from my sister; an e-mail from a faithful friend; a word bouquet from a fan. And then, I recall how sick I was two years ago, how well I am today–whispers of blessings and voices of conscience.   And then the real blessings surface in my brain, my greatest desires already mine.  I recall the incredible sacrifice Jesus made for me; His continual grace and mercy lavished on me every single day of my life.  And in the quiet of the morning, I fall to my knees and weep, begging His forgiveness, which He grants willingly.  All He ever wants is for me to remember how much He loves me.  ”Thanks, Lord for, despite my attitude, You are still whispering through my pleasures; speaking to me in my conscience, and do not need to shout at me through my pain.”

“Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles… Give thank to the Lord for He is good.” I Chronicles 6:12, 34 NIV   Do you mind, Lord, if I shout my gratitude for all to hear?

As anyone eligible for senior discounts will tell you, “Getting old is the pits!”  Believe it or not, there are a few benefits to aging:  1.You don’ t have to try as hard to impress others, only yourself.  You have nothing to prove.  2. Age is a great excuse for not doing something you really didn’t want to do in the first place–like riding on a scary roller coaster with your elder grandson.  3. The race for wealth, fame and fortune no longer controls you.  You’ve learned to “smell the roses” along the way.

On the flip side (oops! That metaphor shows my age, huh?): When you decide you want to try something new, you surprise everyone, including yourself.  Richard and I recently made a u-tube trailer for my book REBECCA’S CROSSING.  We had so much fun doing it, we made another for our e-book on amazon.com, FLEE THE TIGER.  Who says you can’t teach an 0ld dog new tricks?

It was Jesus who said, “Neither do men pour new wine in old wineskins…” (Matthew 9:17 NIV)  Maybe the definition of  ”old” should be considered.  I remember when the youth were warned not to trust anyone over 30. And then the proponents of this philosophy passed thirty…   The age of an old man [woman] in Jesus’ day was 40.  Today, I see 70-80 year olds as “spring chickens.”  As for me, while I can’t twirl on the lawn with Patty, my childhood friend; and I don’t do cartwheels or dive off the high dive;  I am only as old as I allow myself to feel today.  Maybe an active, curious mind and a caring heart determine one’s age more than hardened arteries or lumbago.

Go ahead, try something new; go somewhere you’ve never been; taste something you’ve never tasted; take a dance class or a pottery class at your local community center; or watch a PBS or National Geographic program on your TV.  Don’t let some number control you.  Exercise those synapses in your brain today.  Or better yet, go to u-tube and watch the two trailers mentioned above Take my double-dare and embark on a new project that will force you out of your comfortable cubby into an entirely new and exciting world.

A few days ago I asked my friends to contribute ideas of how Richard and I could celebrate the 50th. anniversary of our first date.  So many of you responded with great possibilities.  But due to the shortage of time preparation and having to be out of town for the previous week we couldn’t try out most of the more adventurous ideas.  We did eat at a great restaurant that Siri found for us.  Here are a few ideas I am filing away to use for future birthdays, special events and just-because dates.  I especially liked:

a hot-air balloon ride; recreate the conditions to our first date; a zany photo shoot (using cell phones) and doing crazy things–around town or in the mall (Make it a challenge-pix of -hubby visiting Victoria’s Secret, of wife posing with tires in an auto shop);  plan and execute a creative date where spouse must drive about town picking up parts of a meal (that you left for them hours earlier) and end  in a romantic picnic spot complete with candles and a fancy table cloth;  borrow favorite old DVD’s from library and watch them in the dark while snuggling on the sofa and eating popcorn; purchase a take-out dinner to eat at home on china by candlelight–after dinner dance to your favorite love songs;  play a board or card game by candlelight, “modifying” the rules for the occasion; take a moonlight walk under the stars and recall your years together or enumerate the things you love about each another; for a romantic interlude, greet your spouse at the door wearing only thong socks; visit a nursing home and ask several clients to share their love stories;  collect fliers advertising fun vacation spots from AAA and plan a vacation together (Doesn’t cost anything to dream!); take a boat ride in the moonlight; read aloud to one another from the Song of Solomon.

Lest you think a Christian blog is not the place for such racy ideas, a Christian marriage counselor once said, “Making love is the grease that keeps the marriage machine running smoothly.” Another wise man wrote, “You have stolen my heart… with one glance from your eyes…How delightful is your love my sister, my bride. How much more pleasing is your love than wine.”  Song of Solomon 4:9-11

For those couples anticipating marriage, find creative ways to put spice in your relationship.   For those not married, God promises to be your spouse so think of ways some of the above suggestions might spice up your prayer life.

*If I failed to include your suggestion , I’m truly sorry.  I probably misplaced it on facebook.  I am technically challenged, remember?

I look outsized my office window and see the soft light of a new dawn.  Grades of grey and charcoal mute the vibrant pinks, green and yellows of the budding trees and the blossoming daffodils in my garden.  I don’t know what this day will bring, but I am confident that if I so choose, today’s challenges will make me stronger;  today’s mistakes will lead to greater wisdom; today’s set backs will create new possibilities;  today’s random events will work in my favor.  Every experience adds to the richness of my life.  It’s my choice to touch, taste, sniff, hear, and observe the subtle nuances of each day; to spontaneously weep, laugh and savor the flavor.  Happy people don’t have the best of everything, they simply make the most of everything that comes along.

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  Psalm 118:24 NIV

Our younger daughter Kelli flipped burgers one summer to save money to return to college for her sophomore year.  Come fall she’d not been able to save enough for her entrance fees.  (Richard and I were barely hanging on financially so she was on her own.) Throughout the summer whenever I warned her she might have to take off a semester to build up the necessary funds, she said nothing.

As our little sedan, stuffed to the rooftop with all her earthly possessions pulled out of our driveway, I was certain she’d be returning in the evening broken-hearted.  My heart was heavy as I wandered into her empty room.  Then I spied a note on her bulletin board dated the day she’d come home from school in the spring.  It read, “If God can part the Red Sea for His people, He can get me back into college.”  And you know what?  He did!  I don’t know how He did it, but He did.

When I read the Moses data in an e-mail from a friend, I remembered Kelli’s note and her unswerving faith in a God of miracles:

To feed 2 to 3 mil. people would take 1500 tons of food daily; or 2 full freight trains, each a mile long.  Firewood for cooking would require 4000 tons of wood one day.  And they were 40 years in transit.  Water to drink and wash a few dishes would take 11,000,000 gal. a day.  or a freight train with tank cars 1800 mi. long to transport the water to the desert.

To get across the Red Sea at night double file, the line would be 800 mi. long and require 35 days and nights.  The Red Sea is 3 miles wide, the people have had to walk 5000 abreast to cross in 1 night.  Each campground would need to be 2/3 the size of the state of Rhode Island or 750 sq. miles.  Moses didn’t calculate all this before leaving Egypt.  He trusted God and let God take care of the logistics.

“By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land…” Hebrews 11:29 NIV   If God successfully managed the logistics Moses faced;  if He could do the impossible for a young girl who trusted Him explicitly;  why would I ever doubt He can untangle the knotty, day-to-day problems in my life?

We took our grandsons out to eat a few nights ago to a place we believed they particularly enjoyed–a buffet restaurant.  Partly due to the unexpectedly high tab, the next evening we took them to Subway.  As Jarod wolfed down his 12 in. sub, he commented on how much more he enjoyed that meal compared to the previous night’s.  Surprised Richard said, “But I thought you and your family enjoyed ________Buffet.”

“No,” my grandson replied.  ”We only go there to eat when you’re with us since you like it so much.”  How ironic.  Richard and I chuckled aloud since neither of us enjoyed eating at that particular food chain.  In an effort to please one another, we’d all remained silent and endured a meal of too greasy, starchy food and over-cooked veggies, that the famous chef Julia Childs would have called, “Fodder.”

Jesus said, “Ye shall know the truth and the truth will make you free.” John 8:32 KIV. Sometimes the truth can be unpleasant; other times, a wise thing would be to reveal it, but it always will set you free.

As the wise man said, “There is a time for everything under the sun.”  A time to speak and a time to refrain from speaking.  Learning the difference is the work of a lifetime.

Fifty years ago Sunday, February 12, at AUC, Richard took a dare and asked me on a date, our first.   Every year since we’ve celebrated that evening, almost more than we’ve celebrated Valentine’s Day on the 14th.  We had a great time together and at the end of an evening at Machlan Auditorium, he walked me back to my dorm.  Snowbanks lined the ice-coated sidewalks. I don’t know what we were chatting about but, without warning, Richard shoved me into the nearest snowbank.  Before he could interpret my reaction, he found himself sitting in the opposite bank.  (Later he said he wanted to discover if I had spunk.)

The rest is history.  Sometimes in the fifty years hence I think he wishes I didn’t have quite so much spunk.  True love is like fine wine and quality chefs, both get better with age.  And yes, as one greeting card said, “Marriage is like a toilet seat, it has it’s ups and downs.”  For us, most of our years together have been “ups.”

When i think of Richard,  I think of Proverbs 5: 18,19 Message paraphrase:  “Enjoy the wife [husband] you married as a young man [woman]…  Never take her [his] love for granted.”

As we approach the 50th. anniversary of our first date, I am at a loss for something to do for him that I haven’t done so many years previously, a place to take him, a unique gift to give him, an experience to share… Any ideas loyal readers?  (Don’t suggest chocolate-coated strawberries–did that last year.  Yum! And forget about sky-diving, bungie jumping or zip lining.  He’d never agree to those adventures.)  Come on, friends, be creative!   Give me some fresh ideas.

I’ll make a deal with you.  If I choose your suggestion, I will not only write about our adventure in a blog but I will send you a copy of my newest book, REBECCA’S CROSSING as a thank you.  Feel free to contact me either by my blog, my website, my e-mail (kay@kayarizzo.com) , by twitter or on pinterest.  Look forward to hearing from you.

Incredible Joy!

k

Scurrilous slurs, outright lies, nasty rumors, slip-of-the-tongue innuendoes, wild-eyed tales of deceit and evil–decapitate your brother because you disagree with his point-of-view.  Yes, it’s that time again to wallow in the slime and noxious sludge with the propaganda pond feeders.  ”Sigh!  Sigh!”  Alas the e-mails of hate have already begun to clog my daily computer files.  Thank God for the “delete” button!

“But, shouldn’t we be involved in our government?  I care what Washington does or does not do,”  You may ask.  I do too.  That’s why I choose to faithfully cast my vote, regardless of the TV ads posted by faceless super-pacs who spend super bucks to buy super favors from the candidates.

Beyond my vote, I choose to follow Paul’s advice, not the opinions of a TV pundit who may or may not know as little or much about the situation as I do.   The Message paraphrase puts Philippians 4:9-13 this way.   “Don’t fret or worry.  Instead of worrying, pray.  Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns… Fill your minds with… the best and not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not to curse… Do that and God makes everything work together, will work you into His most excellent harmonies.”  Excellent harmonies–I like that.

You may say, “But I can’t keep quiet when I believe something’s wrong.  What if…”  (For the Christian, there’s a wide chasm between debating issues and maligning a character.)  So stop fretting about things you can’t change.  Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest, said, “All fret and worry comes from calculating without God.”  Ouch!  Would I really want to calculate anything in my life without God?  Do I discredit the name of a fellow Christian, howbeit a political candidate, in order to “make my point,” or to demonstrate my superior grasp on the issues of the day? Do I smear the reputation of my brother because I “think” I know better how to run the government?   Face it!  No one can govern America without God–no one.  Prayer, not fretting and worry, is the answer for you, for me, and currently, for President Obama.

I’d be happy if I could sing like Kelli Clarkson…  I ‘d be happy if I had an extra $100.00 wriggle room in my monthly budget…  I’d be happy if I lost 50 pounds… I’d be happy if I could take a cruise to Hawaii… I’d be happy if I were married… I’d be happy if I were single…  I’d be happy if my children obeyed me more…  I’d be happy if God healed me of ________  (fill in the blank).  _I’d be happy…”  and the list goes on.  What does it take to make you happy?

We all have our own criteria for happiness.  I think of happiness as a passing pleasure like a day at Disneyland with my loved ones, a drive to the beach,  an Almond Joy candy  bar, not a state of  being.  Perhaps that is why the founders of our country didn’t say we had a right to happiness, but to the pursue of happiness.  As one philosopher put it, “No one is in charge of your happiness but you.”

I find it interesting that joy, not happiness is included as part of the Fruit of the Spirit.  Joy is something deep inside me–my basic core being–whether or not my circumstances are pleasurable.  I can attend a funeral for a loved one where I certainly would not feel happy, but  still be filled with joy that he/she is at rest in Jesus until He returns.

There’s another reason joy, not happiness is Spirit-given.  Moods control one’s happiness; God controls one’s joy.  Nehemiah 8:10 KJV says, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.”  Man can’t give me joy and man can’t take it away!    With my heart overflowing with joy, I have the strength to face and overcome any situation, however painful.   God’s joy inthroned in my heart makes me stronger than any and all of Satan’s attacks.