Calendars, Scheduling and Syncing…

I have previously confessed my fascination with calendars and schedules and my inherent desire to be “organized”. I must now confess that sometimes I feel this is an unobtainable, impossible, “pie in the sky” wish, goal and dream. Trying to reduce life into one hour blocks of time – and keeping track of it all – doesn’t seem realistic and do-able at times. And I am just a busy single woman – I don’t know how moms of active children do it. I read my friends’ blogs and Facebook comments about forgotten recitals, missed homework deadlines, scheduling conflicts between football games for their sons and dance classes for their daughters – and think, “Whew! And I thought my scheduling mishaps were frightening.”

I must not be the only one who faces this challenge. After all, there is a million dollar business out there to help us over-scheduled people try to keep track of what is going on (or should be going on) in our lives. You have paper calendars, you have online calendars, you have Outlook and Google calendars, DayTimers and appointment books and planners and random scraps of paper marked “to do” … the list goes on and on. And I think I have tried all of these methods – sometimes simultaneously – and still dropped the ball on a lunch date or a play or a deadline at church or work. Because what good is it to have a social engagement noted on your work calendar when you are at home? And vice versa. So, I am striving to have one main calendar that I can go to as my reference, my source, my guide.

Right now, my calendar of choice is my Google calendar. In theory, once I get all my other calendars linked up to this calendar: all of my appointments, social engagements, church duties, birthday reminders, financial deadlines – all the minutiae of my life – will be available in one place and accessible no matter where I am. See, Google will sync to my Outlook calendars at home and work. It will sync to my new Motorola Cliq phone. It will not sync with the big paper wall calendar at home, but theoretically, everything on the wall calendar is in one (or more) of my Outlook calendars anyway. That’s the theory – let’s see how it works…once I get it set up. Yeah, that’s the hard part.

It gets a little overwhelming – juggling work and home and church and a social life. Coordinating my appointments and the appointments of my mother. Carving out time to meet with family and friends and to grow my personal relationships. Finding time for devotion and study of God’s Word. And then there are the things that never (or rarely) make the calendar that still have to be done: grocery shopping, laundry, cooking, cleaning … the list goes on and on.

I wonder if God has a “master calendar”. Since He knows all things, I doubt that His is written down anywhere, but if He did, how big would His calendar have to be? And what would be on it? “Send a rainbow to Atlanta to remind My child of My promise”; “Set the sun and moon and stars in place”; “Respond to prayer requests”; “Go to the operating room and perform a miracle of healing”; “Go to the funeral home and pour out comfort and peace”; “Keep the planets moving in their rightful orbits in space”; “Prepare mansions for all My children”; and somewhere on the calendar, “Go and get My children and bring them home” …

You know, when I think about God’s calendar – mine doesn’t seem so hectic and overwhelming anymore. What about yours?

Be blessed.

“There’s an app for that…”

After YEARS of being a BlackBerry girl, I just switched over to an android based phone, the Motorola Cliq, and am learning my way around the touch screen and slide keyboard and all this other new technology now available at my fingertips. For my friends on the “dark side” (iPhone aficionados), I am one step closer to “crossing over”, but I am still resistant. I have a personal grudge against AT&T and right now, they are the only phone company supporting the iPhone, so … no iPhone for me in my near future. (And yes, I know Verizon is supposed to be next to support the iPhone, but I am a T-Mobile girl. I have my loyalties!)

The most fun part of my new phone is the app market….(cue background harps!) We've all seen the commercials: "Wanna know what the latest review of today's hit movie is - there's an app for that." Can I just say: what a joy it has been to go “shopping” on my phone! I mean, there is EVERYTHING you can imagine available in the app market: ringtones, movie quotes, clip art, games, movie showtimes, restaurant reviews, star gazer information, breaking news reports – you name it, and there is probably an app out there for it. And most apps are FREE!!! Yes, I said it, FREE. And even the ones that cost are usually only $1 or less. And there are “meaningful” apps as well – I downloaded the King James version of the Bible to my phone – haven’t checked it out for use-ability yet, but its there if I need it. And there is a Conflict of the Ages book series available as an app as well (and all my Adventist friends go…Oooo!) Gotta get that as well.

I was recently at a wedding reception where a table of friends were comparing, swapping and discussing the apps on their phones. (Hey! the wedding party was taking pictures and the buffet wasn't open yet - we had to do SOMETHING to pass the time!) It was funny to be a part of the conversation and to see what apps people have on their phones. Some people are very secretive about their apps, others more open and sharing. People were sharing apps (or at least sharing the news about their favorite apps) and I hear that you can even sync your phones in such a way that you can easily swap apps from one phone to another. And this love of apps impacts young and old. This past Sabbath, I handed over my phone to a young(er) friend of mine and he immediately started scrolling through my apps page to see what apps I had. Not that I have anything to hide, but for a second I was like, “uh…what are you doing?” “I’m just looking at your apps, Miss Kristina” Like I said, glad I didn’t have anything on there that he couldn’t see…well, maybe there is that one app that I’m glad he didn’t see…hahaha

Got me to thinking though: what if there was an app for salvation? Would we all be quick to download that to our phones? Would we spread the good news to our family and friends? Would we share the app with others? Would we sync our phones to ensure that our friends and loved ones had the app on their phones as well – because what would heaven be like without our friends and loved ones there? Why don’t we get as excited about sharing God’s love with our friends who may not know Him yet as we do about the latest new technological gadget or idea or app? I just wonder. God’s love is free and available to all of us – whether we have an iPhone or some other droid-software-based phone. All you need to do to connect with Him is think a thought, say a prayer, read your Bible – He is always there, always available, always free and there are never any downloading issues or problems. Just a thought.

Be blessed.

A Chance Encounter

We have all heard the saying, “You only have one chance to make a first impression” – sometimes, it is a good one. Some times, not so good. And if it is “less than”, some times you are giving the chance to rectify it – most times, you are not – because, once that opinion or impression is formed, it is hard to change it. Think about it: you go to a restaurant for the first time and the food is horrible, the wait staff is rude and the bill was more than you expected to pay – what are the chances that you will go back to that restaurant? Yeah, slim to none. (or maybe that is just me) The same can be true of our interactions with people – mess up the first time you meet someone, and you may spend a lifetime trying to rectify a bad opinion.

Once a month, on the first Sabbath, it is my job, duty and honor to serve as a hostess at my church. You know – the greeter – that person that you meet at the door as you enter the church. That person (in my opinion) sets the tone for your worship experience. I happen to work with a great group of people: shout outs to Anthony Roy, Sheryl Rogers and my mother. Each person who serves with me is a valuable team member and I enjoy serving with them each month. As a group, we strive to greet everyone coming through the door by name (if possible) and with a bulletin, a smile, a hug, and/or a warm greeting. For visitors to the church, wendirect them to the bathrooms, the mother’s room, or even the pastor’s study when necessary. We strive to control the level of conversation in the lobby (not always easy) and direct the flow of traffic into the sanctuary. We each have our “designated” stations and we work well together as a team. (My opinion, again)

It was during one of these Sabbaths on duty that a young mother and her two children visited the church for the first time. I was on duty in the lobby and I vaguely remember her stating to me that she was visiting for the first time. I saw that she had her hands a little full as she tried to rein in her kids (both under the age of 6, I’m guessing) and find out where the bathrooms were and where her children needed to be for Sabbath School. I vaguely remember directing her to the Cradle Roll and Kindergarten classrooms, and may have even walked her downstairs to escort her daughter to her Sabbath School class. I really don’t remember clearly. I was just doing my job for the day.

Today, I saw that same young mother and her two children in the Mothers Room and she said to me, “you know, you are the reason I keep coming back to Decatur for church.” “Huh? What are you talking about?” “You might not remember, but the first time I came to this church, I asked you a whole lot of questions and needed a lot of assistance, and you were so kind and patient with me and I really appreciated it and that is why I came back to this church.” WOW! I played it off and told her I was probably on duty that day and that she caught me on a “good day” – to which some of my friends in the room, hearing this, quickly agreed. I don’t know what THAT was about (rolling my eyes and shaking my head), but anyway…what a nice thing for someone to say.

There is another old saying, “You may be the only Bible someone ever reads”. You never know how your interaction with someone impacts them. As Christians, we are always to reflect Christ. Not always easy – everyone has a bad day every now and again. But as a rule, when people meet you, they should know there is “something” about you that is different – that you are kind, loving, patient, and caring. I am glad that an encounter I don’t remember in great detail was such a positive one for this young mother and her two children. I am glad that they have found a church home at my church. I pray that our friendship in Christ will grow as we await His soon return. And I pray that all the first impressions you (and I) make in the coming week will be positive ones.

Be blessed.

10 days straight...

I like to write. I like expressing my thoughts and opinions of a variety of subjects and that is primarily why I started writing a journal when I was a child, and why I write my blog. I have been told (several times) that I have a book inside of me and asked when am I going to write it. And you know, the thought percolates in my mind every once in a while. But writers have to write - most tell you they write every day - and the "pressure" of writing every day has always been a challenge for me. ALWAYS. Who has the time? And what can you POSSIBLY write about every single day?

Today marks the tenth day in a row that I have taken netbook in hand and typed something. As my cousin Kelly so eloquently pointed out to me ("That's all?"), it is not a major, overwhelming, give the girl a prize, number of days - but for me, it is significant because it is something that has never been done - or at least, hasn't been done in a LONG while. Life gets in the way of "meaningless" pursuits like writing. I mean, someone has to go to work, cook the meals, pay the bill, buy the shoes...ok, maybe not...but carving out time each day to write: that takes conscious effort and dedication.

So, I've changed my routine. In the morning, after I've had my devotion for the day, before I get out of bed, before I log on to Facebook, before I turn on the phone - I write. Sometimes, the idea of what to write about is there: right in the forefront, already fully developed; other times, I have a “theme” and I just go from there (those writings usually take twists and turns of their own – it’s fascinating); and then, there are mornings like today when I have absolutely NO IDEA what to write about – so I just pick a subject and run with it. It makes for an interesting hodgepodge of thoughts and ideas though and I, personally, love it.

It takes dedication to do this writing thing every day. There are mornings when I feel rushed – too many things on tap to do to stop and spend 20 minutes writing – and am tempted to put it off until later in the day. How many of you know that if I do that – the writing doesn’t get done? And if you miss one day, it is easy to miss the next and then another – and before you know it, a month has gone by and you get a call from your father saying, “I notice you haven’t written any blogs lately” – and then the guilt starts. (Sorry, maybe that only happens to me – hahaha)

And have you seen the competition? EVERYBODY has a blog these days. Or at least it seems that way. And with all the "noise" out there, what value does anything I might say have? I have several friends who write blogs - and I read their stuff and sometimes am "intimidated" by the wealth of talent out there. Some write very simple, short (yeah, I haven't mastered THAT yet), meaningful, walk away with something messages that stick with me throughout the day. Others, like me, write stories, mini-books, with a theme/thought for the day. All have a place. All have value.

I have found that dedication to the task and perseverance no matter what each have their reward. Sometimes my “written ramblings” touch a chord in someone else – the human experience is linked in fascinating ways – and they are blessed. And sometimes, they are moved to make a comment - sometimes positive, occasionally negative, but ALL feedback is good (my opinion). When someone writes and tells me their feelings about something I wrote, I am blessed by it - so keep the comments coming.

I’ma keep on writing. And the daily toll and count of blogs will (prayerfully) continue to grow. I'm only 10 submissions from blog #200!! That is amazing to me - and it challenges me to stay on track. However, if I miss a day, will you encourage (and not condemn) a sista to get back on track? Thanks in advance.

Be blessed – and have a great, fabulous, marvelous weekend.

Cloud formations…

I am a big fan of sunrises…and sunsets. On vacation, I have been known to get up EARLY in the morning, grab my camera and go find a spot to watch the sun come over the horizon. It is always remarkable to me to see the light change in the sky as the sun makes its appearance for the day – usually the colors of the sunrise are paler, more subtle and harder to capture on film. The subtle transformation from darkness to pale greys and pinks and blues – just beautiful to behold. And the world is usually quiet then – watching the sunrise tends to be a solitary event as most people are still snoozing, especially when you are on vacation.

Sunsets, on the other hand, are usually more vibrant in color. Bold reds, vibrant oranges and sometimes bright pinks dominate the sky at the end of the day. Nothing like being at a beach, looking over some water, as the sun slowly descends and kisses the horizon goodnight. (Did you know that there is an ancient saying that if you listen really really closely as the sun sets, you can hear a “click” as it hits the horizon? Yeah, I’ve never heard it, but I think that is fascinating.) While on vacation, you can usually get someone to stop for a moment and watch the sunset with you – but oftentimes, back at home, in the everyday hustle and bustle of life: sunsets are missed and/or ignored.

Unless they are just amazingly spectacular or different. I work on the 40th floor of a high rise building in a metropolitan city. The orientation of the windows of my office is westward, so every night (if I take the time), I can see the sun set. Now, with all the building clutter, I cannot see the sun hit the horizon, but I can see and appreciate the colorful display that God blesses us with each evening…if I take time to get up and look out the window. My desk does not have a window view, so unless I get up, I usually miss it. UNLESS one of my co-workers (who are blessed with windows) makes some noise about the sunset. That is what happened on yesterday. “Come see! You have GOT to see this sky tonight!”, my co-worker exclaimed. Dutifully, I got up to see what he was talking about and grabbed my camera. The attached picture is the result. (If you look really closely at the picture, you can see my camera reflected in the window)

When you see something like that – how can you NOT believe in the awesome and creative power of God? And that LITERALLY was my immediate reaction to seeing this cloud formation in the sky through my office window. God is amazing – He puts this in the sky for our enjoyment and I wondered how many people, driving home on I-75/85 last night, even took the time to look up and notice? How many were too busy concentrating on what their plans were for the evening, or yelling at their kids in the backseat, or being despondent over something that happened at work – to even notice? I know I have been guilty of not noticing. I wonder if it makes God sad that we take sunsets for granted?

We should really pay more attention to the sky. Take the time to stop and look up every once in a while. Bible tells me that there will be a day (soon, I hope) when everyone is gonna be looking up – whether they consciously want to or not. There is going to be a cloud formation that shows up in the eastern sky that is gonna be unlike any other cloud formation ever formed in the history of man. See, this cloud won’t be made up of water particles, but of angels – coming to take us home to live with the Lord. The Bible tells us that EVERY EYE is gonna see this cloud coming…EVERY person will stop and take notice. Some with great anticipation – some with fear and trembling. I’m praying to be a part of the first group. I’m praying you are too. Maybe stopping to look at sunrises and sunsets is one way to prepare for that event. Maybe.

Be blessed.

“We are the world…”

A girlfriend of mine told me last night that musical artists have come together to make a remake of the 1985 charity phenomenon WE ARE THE WORLD in order to raise money for the victims of the Haiti earthquake. I had a couple of reactions to the news: the first, “Man, I’m getting old! Was that song really released 25 years ago?”; the second, “are they bringing back all the ‘old’ musicians who sang in the original song or using the talents of the newer musicians of today?” and lastly, “Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J - a rap section? Really?” Hmm. The list of artists to participate in this project is … amazing and I look forward to the premiere of the song and video during the Winter Olympics.

I remember 25 years ago watching the video of this song play – and tearing up at the lyrics – looking at all the musicians who took the time out to record what became a historical, musical, phenomenon that raised money for hunger relief in Africa. The simple words “We Are the World” reminded everyone that we are all in this together. If we have been blessed with abundance, we have a duty to help our brothers and sisters who have less. And people stepped up to the plate. In 1985, the song was played constantly on the radio and made it to #1 on the charts – but the charity founded in support of the song raised over $30 million for the hunger relief effort. $30 million is a lot of money today – but it was a LOT of money a quarter of a decade ago.

But the lesson inherent in this type of “coming together for the common good of all people” is not a new thing. We should be doing it in our every day lives. Especially now when our neighbors and friends (and even some of us) are going through tough economic times and trials. Those of us blessed with jobs and/or financial security have a responsibility to those who may not be in the same position. I am not saying you have to give a handout to EVERYONE who asks, but we have to show compassion in all of our dealings with people. I recently received an email from a dear friend and his family where they just laid it on the line about their financial struggles and where their family is right now. And while they asked for prayers, they were also asking for tangible assistance. My heart was immediately moved to respond and after a telephone conversation with the wife, a plan was put in place to assist them.

There are simple things you can do to assist your friends who may be struggling right now. Things that can be done anonymously and/or without stepping on prideful toes (‘cause yes, it is hard to admit that you are in a position of need – been there, done that). Here are some simple suggestions: cook a meal and invite them over to eat. Once they come over, open up your pantry and refrigerator and invite them to “go shopping” in your house. When you are shopping, if something is on sale, pick up extra and then give the extras to the one in need. Send coupons in the mail of things you know they enjoy. Gift cards (gas, prepaid, grocery) make excellent gifts that can be slipped into a “thinking of you” card – or can be sent anonymously. And include fun stuff too: just because you are going through a rough time doesn’t mean you don’t like to still do fun stuff: send movie ticket passes or information about free events going on around the city or host a game night at your house.

Most importantly, once you do these things: keep it to yourself. You don’t have to go around bragging about what you did and how you helped out and how so-and-so would have surely perished without your assistance and contribution to their life. The Bible admonishes us that we shouldn’t always let our right hand know what our left is doing. And encourages us that what we do in private, God sees and honors. When … if He feels you need public recognition for your actions, He will make that come to pass. Until then, do it from your heart and believe me, as you bless others, you will be blessed. I’m a witness to that.

We are the world. It starts with you. It starts with me. I encourage you to be blessed…and then, be a blessing.

A special “shout out” to my paternal parental unit (my father) as he celebrates his 68th birthday today. There is a lot I could say about my father and my relationship with him, but he is a lot more “private” than I am and out of respect, I won’t tell his story, even as it overlaps mine. I will say this: I am his first born and only daughter. He likes to add the caveat “that I know about” and it is a running joke that if there is another daughter out there somewhere, she should have showed by now because I have staked my claim as “first and only”. We don’t have the typical “father/daughter” relationship – at times, it is downright strained and awkward, but I think we both act on Biblical principles in our dealings with each other: I strive to “honor” him in all things (Ex. 20:12) and he strives to not “provoke his (daughter) to anger” (Ephesians 6:4). Both of us have been successful – and unsuccessful – at that over the years.

Regardless of the state of our relationship at any time, I am ever reminded that I AM my father’s child – half of my chromosomal makeup is from him and impacts every area of my life: I get my phenomenal work ethic from him – “do it right the first time and you won’t have to do it again.” and “if your name is going to be on something, it should be a good representation of who you are” were caveats drilled into me as a little little girl that stay with me even today. I used to look like him, but now I am looking more and more like my mother. I get my ability to look at things rationally (and sometimes seemingly without emotion) from him. My obsession with being everywhere on time (and even early) comes from him and his statement, “if you show up on time, you are already late.” I get my stubborn, dig my heels in when I think I’m right attitude from my father as well. My methodical way of looking at things – yeah, that is a trait from my father as well. And I get my love of God and desire to know Him better from my father as well.

Like I said, my relationship with my earthly father has not always been “peaches and cream”. It is difficult at times for two people who are so much alike to exist peaceably. In fairness, over the years, I have caused my fair share of conflict and strife in our relationship. Sometimes totally innocently and other times, maybe without such innocence. Misunderstandings born out of miscommunication and/or silence on one or both of our parts have resulted in wasted time, never to be regained. But the past is the past and cannot be changed – eventually, you have to move on. (Or as one of my good Facebook friends recently posted: The past should be a springboard, not a hammock.)

Being my earthly father’s child has made me draw closer to my Heavenly Father. See, I am HIS child as well. Our relationship hasn’t always been “peaches and cream” either. With patient loving kindness, long-suffering, patience, mercy, patience, grace, and did I mention: patience? – my Heavenly Father daily shows His love for me. When my relationship with my earthly father was at its lowest ebb, I wondered how could I have a relationship with my Heavenly Father Who I could not see when I couldn’t even have a relationship with my earthly father who it was possible for me to see? It makes it a little difficult – or it did for me. Until I realized that God, in love and mercy, had put other tangible examples of fatherly love in my path to show me Who He was/is/can be in my life and since then, my relationship with Him – and with my earthly father – changed.

My father is not perfect, our relationship is not perfect. But I believe – I have to believe – that he is the “perfect” father for me or God would not have made me the fruit of his loins. The lessons I have learned (and continue to learn) from my relationship with my father draw me closer to the Lord – and that is where I want and need to be.

Happy 68th birthday to Rudolph Arnett Lorenzo Smith. May God richly bless your day and your life with His love. May all your wishes, dreams and aspirations come true. And when Jesus returns to take His children home to live with Him, may both of us have lived our lives in such a way that He will say to us: "Well done, good and faithful servants, enter into the joy of thy Lord" (Matt. 25:21). Love you, mean it.

Be blessed.