Joseph’s love

When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant he was disappointed. That’s an obvious response – incredibly legitimate even. Who wouldn’t be devastated by a cheating fiancé?

Something extraordinary caught my eye today, as I reread this passage in Matthew. After finding out Mary was pregnant Joseph’s goal was to end things while maintaining her honor. He didn’t know the miracle of her pregnancy, and could only assume she had been unfaithful.

Yet he desired to maintain her honor. He was faithful to those who appeared unfaithful. God then corrected his perception in order to fulfill the intended narrative, but Joseph didn’t seek to simply abandon her and to punnish her. He was a man who sought to love the unlovable.

Am I that kind of a man? When cut through my heart can I still act in love toward the one who cut me? Do I stay close enough to Jesus that His heart beats that powerfully in me?

Test Drive Drama

Ok, so it was a bit of a crazy day. Today was our grand “go test drive cars” day. Since the Bonneville has turned out to be a money pit, we’ve decided to unload it and get something new.

We’ve been looking online at the Kia Soul, Kia Rio5, Kia Rondo, Hyundai Elantra Touring, and Nissan Versa Hatchback. Today we got to test drive a Soul, and found that it was a lot of fun.

The drama ended up happening when we went to test drive the Versa. Jonathan at Nissan North was great about giving us a tour of the vehicle and promoting it from a car we were test driving only for comparison to a real contender. On the test drive, though, things got a little “interesting”.

Denise drove first and enjoyed it, then we pulled into a parking lot so I could drive some and take it back to the dealership. As I turned from a side road onto the highway that the dealership is on, a cop car pulled in behind me and flipped on its lights. Being the good driver I attempt to be, I pulled over.

And yes.

The cop pulled over behind me.

You read that right, I got pulled over on a test drive.

So I’m sitting there in the car with Denise beside me in the passenger seat. Jonathan was in the back seat. As the officer comes up to the car, I roll down the windows to chat with him. The officer collects my license, as well as the license and insurance card of Jonathan (the dealer guy).

We wait patiently for the officer to return. When he does he lets us know that apparently the dealer plate had either not gotten put on the car or somehow had fallen off. Fortunately he let us off with a warning and no ticket.

So yea, if anyone ever asks you if you know someone who’s been pulled over test driving a car, you do now.

Writing

I’m working on improving my writing skills. I’ve got a lot left to do, but I’m realizing that repetition is the only way to really improve.

When I write, I usually feel like I’m writing out into a vacuum. There’s no one out there reading. Yea, I know that sounds totally “woe is me”, but it’s my feeling.

When it comes to a blog, my spiritual life, etc. I feel like I need to increase the amount of my output. To simply sit on my rump and be a consumer is so selfish.

Recently I was listening to a message from Mosaic where Erwin McManus was talking about creativity. One of his primary thoughts on creativity is that it is a selfless act. While it may seem to be about the creator, it’s really about the audience. The artist chooses to suffer and put in the effort to create that the audience may enjoy and be enriched. It’s a particularly interesting analogy when you think about God’s work as Creator of this world.

Ok, I’ve written. I’m lazy. I’m going to make a frozen pizza.

what is means to love

Right now I’m listening to the Mothers’ Day message from NewSpring Church (http://www.newspring.cc). They are showing what it truly means to love.

For the past three years, they have gone above and beyond to show off God’s extravagant love to people. This year they topped themselves again. Two single mothers were given houses. Their transportation needs were taken care of. Debt was repaid. Expenses were taken care of.

What did these women do to deserve this? Nothing. They were quality women who were seeking to live lives that honor God and NewSpring chose to honor them. They decided to show love in a very real way.

That is what love is: caring with action.

7%

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

“To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.
It is the most-requested column I’ve ever written.”

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, and then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’

27. Forgive everyone everything.

28. What other people think of you is none of your business.

29. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

31. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

32. Believe in miracles.

33. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

34. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

35. Your children get only one childhood.

36. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

37. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

38. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

39. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

40. The best is yet to come.

41. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

42. Yield.

43. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”

Its estimated 93% won’t repost this. If you are one of the 7% who will, forward this with the title ‘7%’.

I’m in the 7%.

Must Read Article on GTD

I highly recommend this article from GTD Times about 10 ways to get into GTD. Over the past two years, I’ve been diving into this system of productivity. I find that while I may slip from time to time, I am a much more productive and less stressed person than when I began.

10 Ways to Get Started with GTD

2 Chronicles 7.14

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Source: BibleGateway.com

Exhaustion

So I’m realizing that after this past year with the intensity of Parker’s birth, I’m exhausted. It’s not just that my body is tired, but it’s that my soul is tired. Denise & I have been without a vacation for 14 months at this point. It will be another month until we go on vacation with my parents.

In light of that reality, I’m taking a break from guilt. I have decided that it’s ok to be tired and to not post or be consistent in my social media. So, for now. I’m relaxing.

Opportunity to win a Drobo

The Managing Your Digital Life blog is offering an opportunity to win a free Drobo. If you’ve never heard of Drobo, check out the Data Robotics website. In a nutshell, it’s a simple, safe storage drive with built-in backup.

March for Babies

I just wanted to let you know about my upcoming participation in the March for Babies. It is an event designed to raise funds for the March of Dimes. March of Dimes is an organization that many of us have known about for years. This past year, though, with the premature birth of my son, Parker, I’ve become newly aware of the need for this organizations work.

March of Dimes works hard to fund and battle the challenges of premature birth and other forms of “non-healthy” birth. There are children born daily who face such challenges. I march in honor of my son and to support the other families that will face prematurity.

Being the parent of a premature baby myself, I can’t imagine how I would be handling it without the support network that was wrapped around my family as Parker arrived 11 weeks early in a very sudden manner. The nurses, social workers, doctors, friends, and family were essential in our ability to dive into parenting Parker. He’s an amazing little man, and I want to see other families have the same experience of love and support.

There is still time to make a contribution, whether financial, by marching yourself, or with encouragement. My personal site for the March for Babies is here.