"A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ
that a man should have to seek Him first to find her."
When I say.. "I am a Christian" I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin"
I'm whispering "I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven."
When I say... "I am a Christian" I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.
When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.
When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.
When I say... "I am a Christian" I still feel the sting of pain..
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.
When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!
Got this poem from a friend so I thought I would share it!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
I choose to be thankful.
It is that time of year again when the holidays come way to fast but memories are etched into our minds to carry us through until next year. Without the Midwest fall and winter weather to prep me for the holiday season, Thanksgiving has crept up on me way too fast. It is next Thursday already!!! This Thanksgiving I am spending it with my parents in California and with a special guest. As I write this, my parents are heading to San Francisco International Airport to pick up my paternal grandmother for the week. I was thinking about this Thanksgiving and decided to make a list of the things for which I am grateful. Since the day falls on the 22nd, I will think of twenty-two things. Let's start.
1. Life. I have been given a great gift of living this life and experiencing so much.
2. Salvation. I am no longer separated from God but can come directly into His presence.
3. Dreams. Without them, life would be boring but they spur me on to continue the journey.
4. Breath. I can breathe without troubles.
5. Eyes. I can see the beauty of the world around me.
6. Ears. I can hear my nephew call my name.
7. Family. They are so supportive of me and my dreams.
8. My nephew. Very few things can top the pure love of a child.
9. The girls. Their love and friendship is a joy to me, hundreds of miles away.
10. Friends. Each and every one throughout my life has left an indelible mark that has changed me.
11. Jobs. Although the jobs I have were not on my list, I am thankful that I am working.
12. Money. I have money to pay my bills, my tithes, my offerings and extra to help others.
13. Church. To be part of a family that embraces me and I can find throughout the world is amazing.
14. My mind. I am grateful that I have a curious mind that does not stop searching for truth.
15. Jesus Christ. For loving me so much that he took my place and today is my friend.
16. Risks. Without them, I do not know if I would know how courageous I could be.
17. Failures. WIthout them, I would not know how to change or grow. I would be stuck doing the same thing over and over again.
18. Jessica Z. She suffered hard losing both her parents at a young age but gets up each and every morning and breathes.
19. Encouragement. Without it, there would be days I would not take a step forward.
20. Prayer. I can talk to God, hear His heart, and get answers.
21. Traveling. I get to see so much beauty and history when I get to go different places.
22. Books. I just love to read and get lost in a good story.
I think I could go on, especially if I listed out each one of my friends. The list would be very long. As I learn to be thankful for what I have, it erases the envy and jealousy that can eat at me. Making a list like this helps me realize how much I truly have and how blessed I am. I am truly blessed.
1. Life. I have been given a great gift of living this life and experiencing so much.
2. Salvation. I am no longer separated from God but can come directly into His presence.
3. Dreams. Without them, life would be boring but they spur me on to continue the journey.
4. Breath. I can breathe without troubles.
5. Eyes. I can see the beauty of the world around me.
6. Ears. I can hear my nephew call my name.
7. Family. They are so supportive of me and my dreams.
8. My nephew. Very few things can top the pure love of a child.
9. The girls. Their love and friendship is a joy to me, hundreds of miles away.
10. Friends. Each and every one throughout my life has left an indelible mark that has changed me.
11. Jobs. Although the jobs I have were not on my list, I am thankful that I am working.
12. Money. I have money to pay my bills, my tithes, my offerings and extra to help others.
13. Church. To be part of a family that embraces me and I can find throughout the world is amazing.
14. My mind. I am grateful that I have a curious mind that does not stop searching for truth.
15. Jesus Christ. For loving me so much that he took my place and today is my friend.
16. Risks. Without them, I do not know if I would know how courageous I could be.
17. Failures. WIthout them, I would not know how to change or grow. I would be stuck doing the same thing over and over again.
18. Jessica Z. She suffered hard losing both her parents at a young age but gets up each and every morning and breathes.
19. Encouragement. Without it, there would be days I would not take a step forward.
20. Prayer. I can talk to God, hear His heart, and get answers.
21. Traveling. I get to see so much beauty and history when I get to go different places.
22. Books. I just love to read and get lost in a good story.
I think I could go on, especially if I listed out each one of my friends. The list would be very long. As I learn to be thankful for what I have, it erases the envy and jealousy that can eat at me. Making a list like this helps me realize how much I truly have and how blessed I am. I am truly blessed.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
The Ease of Days
I know that it has been a couple of weeks since I last wrote a blog. The days seem to slip on by before I realize how fast the days have move forward. Every day my thoughts are sent in a variety of direction, my new jobs, my new co-workers, God, friends in Iowa, family and my future. It is amazing how often my thoughts are going in all directions and the time is not enough. But I think of everyone regularly.
Just to give everyone an insight into my days, what the schedule is these days for me, just keep reading along. I do not work until 12 noon during the week. So I sleep in a few hours longer than before. I try to get up early enough so that I can get a work-out session, devotionals, and brunch. Then I head to the bank. I work there for five hours before I either head home for the night or head to the bookstore for different three hour shift. My weekends vary depending on my schedule at the store. I may work one of the days or both days.
Being in the bank/financial world is definitely different than my previous job. But so far I am doing great in this office. I work with another great group of people. The oddest thing about the bank job is that I am the newest member but the oldest. Even the branch manager is a year younger than me. There are times that I have to remember that I am the newest member and do not have the authority to make certain decisions when I was so used to being the one in charge. It is a good change of pace for me though. All the knowledge that goes with understanding bank policies, financial rules and laws is overwhelming at times. But I am understanding them slowly. Plus I have several great customers that come in regularly. They are so fun to talk to every week.
I have two funny stories about the bank. One, my first day on the teller line, I deposited a very large check. At first I did not think anything about it, but I have a check limit, whether it is cashed or deposited. But in my head, I kept thinking check-cashing limit. Anything over a certain amount I have to get manager approval. After I deposited the check, I gave it to my teller coordinator (TC) and it was over her limit. She had so much fun giving me a hard time. She took the deposit to my branch manager. He looked at me from across the room and just shook his head at me. He had a smile so I know it was all in good jest. Since the customer and the account were well known, the transaction become quite the joke in the office. But ever since that day, I have yet to make that mistake again.
Two, there is a twenty-something man that comes in to deposit his payroll check. I think the first time he came in, it was my third day on the line. Of course, I screwed up his transaction, tried to manage it on my own, did the whole thing the wrong way, but eventually put the money in the account he wanted. He came in again recently to deposit another check. So I have had a bit more experience on the line. He wanted to deposit his check. Easy, right? I screwed up his transaction again. The poor guy. He is so nice about it, but I was embarrased. Hopefully, if I help him again, I will get his transaction perfect! At least he is understanding about it all.
Then after the bank, some nights I head directly to the bookstore to work until 9:00 p.m. The bookstore is going well. I love being in the Christian store, helping people find Bibles, music, gifts for families, or encouraging books to read. The people I work with are great and fun. I get a smile from my boss each time I come in, hugs from supervisors, and laughter from co-workers. It is a great job for this time. I enjoy being busy there by cleaning shelves, putting books in order and talking with customers. Tonight is a great example as I talked with a mother about music options for her young teen-age son.
All in all, God has been so faithful in providing jobs for me. Why these two jobs, I am still waiting to see what God has purposed for me there. But for now, I am very grateful for each job and do my best to enjoy each day.
Just to give everyone an insight into my days, what the schedule is these days for me, just keep reading along. I do not work until 12 noon during the week. So I sleep in a few hours longer than before. I try to get up early enough so that I can get a work-out session, devotionals, and brunch. Then I head to the bank. I work there for five hours before I either head home for the night or head to the bookstore for different three hour shift. My weekends vary depending on my schedule at the store. I may work one of the days or both days.
Being in the bank/financial world is definitely different than my previous job. But so far I am doing great in this office. I work with another great group of people. The oddest thing about the bank job is that I am the newest member but the oldest. Even the branch manager is a year younger than me. There are times that I have to remember that I am the newest member and do not have the authority to make certain decisions when I was so used to being the one in charge. It is a good change of pace for me though. All the knowledge that goes with understanding bank policies, financial rules and laws is overwhelming at times. But I am understanding them slowly. Plus I have several great customers that come in regularly. They are so fun to talk to every week.
I have two funny stories about the bank. One, my first day on the teller line, I deposited a very large check. At first I did not think anything about it, but I have a check limit, whether it is cashed or deposited. But in my head, I kept thinking check-cashing limit. Anything over a certain amount I have to get manager approval. After I deposited the check, I gave it to my teller coordinator (TC) and it was over her limit. She had so much fun giving me a hard time. She took the deposit to my branch manager. He looked at me from across the room and just shook his head at me. He had a smile so I know it was all in good jest. Since the customer and the account were well known, the transaction become quite the joke in the office. But ever since that day, I have yet to make that mistake again.
Two, there is a twenty-something man that comes in to deposit his payroll check. I think the first time he came in, it was my third day on the line. Of course, I screwed up his transaction, tried to manage it on my own, did the whole thing the wrong way, but eventually put the money in the account he wanted. He came in again recently to deposit another check. So I have had a bit more experience on the line. He wanted to deposit his check. Easy, right? I screwed up his transaction again. The poor guy. He is so nice about it, but I was embarrased. Hopefully, if I help him again, I will get his transaction perfect! At least he is understanding about it all.
Then after the bank, some nights I head directly to the bookstore to work until 9:00 p.m. The bookstore is going well. I love being in the Christian store, helping people find Bibles, music, gifts for families, or encouraging books to read. The people I work with are great and fun. I get a smile from my boss each time I come in, hugs from supervisors, and laughter from co-workers. It is a great job for this time. I enjoy being busy there by cleaning shelves, putting books in order and talking with customers. Tonight is a great example as I talked with a mother about music options for her young teen-age son.
All in all, God has been so faithful in providing jobs for me. Why these two jobs, I am still waiting to see what God has purposed for me there. But for now, I am very grateful for each job and do my best to enjoy each day.
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