Panel of judges

I had an idea while driving back from Nashville on Sunday.  Or maybe it was driving to Nashville on Friday.  Doesn’t matter.  Anyway…

 

I had this idea to create a panel of judges to test products.  It’s this thing that I like to do anyway, find the best that’s out there and then never go back to other options.  I mean, why buy something that’s not the best?  If it’s too expensive that’s one thing, but if the prices are comparable, why go for less?  Well, then you have the “experts”.  Who are these people?  I don’t know them.  And who knows if they really have good taste.  I mean, I know people that tell me that a certain restaurant is out of this world.  I go there.  It’s awful.  Now I know not to trust their opinion on food.  It’s not that good. 

 

So…I’m putting together a panel of judges that I know have a great taste in food and we’re going to test products/restaurants/recipes.  I don’t know how often we’re going to do this yet.  I’m still figuring out the details.  But I’m excited!  It will be fun for me and fun for them and hopefully interesting for all of you! 

 

Now, I would like to ask the question to all of you out there who are reading this…What products/restaurant food/recipes would you like me to compare?  Anyone have any ideas?  We will be judging primarily on taste, but if it’s a restaurant, also on service and price.  You know, the basic judging on things that apply.  I’m super excited!  Maybe my calling! ;)

 

The fast is almost over!

So…remember the whole “No ice cream for the month of September?”  It’s almost the end of September!  But I must confess I had ice cream twice this month.  And please allow me to explain.

 

A couple of weeks ago my stomach was hurting awfully bad.  For some reason ice cream usually helps it feel better.  I had had the stomach issues for three days and I just couldn’t handle it any longer.  So, with the permission of my fasting buddy, I had some ice cream.  But it was strictly  medicinal!  The second time was last Monday night.  I went to a friend’s house for dinner.  They served blackberry cobbler for dessert.  It’s rude to refuse food when offered it at someone’s house.  So I HAD to eat it!  But, and everyone knows this, you cannot eat cobbler without ice cream.  So, again, with the permission of my fasting buddy, I had ice cream.  But those were the only two times.

 

There have been so many other times where I’ve wanted nothing but ice cream and I’ve thought to myself “Hmmm…I can stop by DQ on the way home from work and get me a little somethin’ and Julia will never know!”  But, alas, I did not.  Good job Kathryn.

 

Anyway, Thursday marks the first day of October and Julia and I are celebrating with some ice cream!  We are not purchasing any that will stay in our freezer, but rather, we are going out.  So…hopefully some self-control can be attained as we embark upon a new season of eating ice cream!!!!

Dunkin' Donuts

Have you had their coffee?  You should! It’s better than Starbucks!  Made a special trip to Dunkin’ Donuts this morning just to get a cup.  And it is everything I hoped it would be! J  And better yet, the people who work at the one by my house are the nicest people!  They’re always chipper and friendly and never rude! We have conversations at the window.  I think we could be friends here shortly. J

 

Publix

Had a most enjoyable experience at Publix grocery store this afternoon. I walked in with coupons in hand, ready to conquer the sales! What should have taken 15 minutes took me about 30 minutes! Mainly because I love the grocery store! Anyway, I go to check out line and get behind a woman that everyone is clearly trying to avoid. Then I see why. The cashier has messed something up and they're trying to figure it out and go and get the right thing and what not. I hop in line. I don't mind the wait. Where do I have to be?

I'm waiting...waiting...waiting. The lady checks out and leaves.

The manager of the store comes up to me and apologizes. "No problem" I tell him. But I take the opportunity to ask him about the sale he has going on Cheerios. Because the sign is not clear I ask, "Is it just on plain Cheerios or on all Cheerios." Sadly enough, just plain. But he's going to make me happy and let me get my Whole Grain Cheerios for the sale price and I can even use my coupon! Therefore, one large box of Cheerios-$1! And because I had to wait they gave me the senior discount! I think it's like 1% off or something, but I'll take whatever I can get!

You can also request that they order something if they don't normally carry it. I would like Bittersweet Baking Chocolate please! Done! It's on order! :)

Oh and did you know that at Publix you will get your item for free if the store messes up your transaction or doesn't give you the sale price when it's actually on sale? Pay attention to your receipts people!

And...Publix takes manufacturer coupons, Publix coupons and competitors coupons all at the same time on any item, even if the coupon says that you can only use one coupon at a time. Just FYI.

Hmm...

I was reading through some status updates on Facebook last night and came across a friend who was talking about dreams. They, themselves, were talking about a conversation that they had had with someone else, asking them that popular question, “If you could accomplish anything for God without risk of failure, what would it be?” In fact, I have posed this question to others before myself.



I think it warrants bringing up again and asking myself…and you. In fact, it’s probably a good question to ask every now and again. Keeps me on my toes you know. Sometimes I get so caught up in my “routine” of life that I can get a bit sidetracked from the dream.



So today, as I sit here at my computer, I’m asking myself what I would attempt for God if there were no risk of failure. What would it be? I think there are a few. But which one is the BIG one? Which one is the one to go after? That’s the question now.



Do you feel, as I do, that there are just too many things, people, opportunities out in the world to help with, to help change, to make a difference in, to work towards? And just now, typing this, as I was going to go into what those things are that I want to change and make a difference in, etc, the idea struck me that there is one thing to work towards: holiness; there is one thing to devote my life towards: God.



Maybe I’m too focused on the details, if you will. Maybe, just maybe, the focus could be on Holiness in Christ, love of God, worship of Him, love for Him, devotion to Him. I think maybe the rest will fall into place. I’m thinking right now that maybe the one dream that I could go after would be to be “all in” for God! And the great thing about that is, there is no risk of failure!



“Seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you”

Sojourn

Found a song in my iTunes the other day. Yes, I downloaded it, but I don’t remember when or how, being that I’ve never heard of this artist. But nevertheless, there it was. I happened upon it by mistake and now I just can’t stop listening to it. The song is called “Before the Throne of God Above” by Sojourn. And I cannot express just how much it is grabbing my heart. Here’s the last verse. Take a listen sometime when you get a chance.



Because the sinless savior died,

My sinful soul is counted free

For God, the judge, is satisfied

To look on him and pardon me

To look on him and pardon me

My column

So I’m sitting here at work doing, well, nothing really. So…what am I doing since I have nothing to do? I’m listening to a new playlist I made on my iPod called “Hymns”, which I love and I’m reading “Christianity Today” online. I usually read www.foxnews.com and catch up on what’s happening in the US and around the world. Which, I must say, makes my mouth drop open most of the time. I digress…



I was reading an article pertaining to the Lutheran church and how they’ve walked away from the “classic” Biblical teachings they’ve adhered to over the last centuries (or however long they’ve been around. Not a church scholar here.) and have headed into the more liberal direction, now accepting homosexuality as a practice and as acceptable for their clergy.



Note: As I sit here typing this I am thinking off all the lessons/ideas that God is teaching me and pouring into me right now in my life and I smile because looking at them separately you would think how different they all are. But I can see and understand as I sit here that in actuality they can all come together and can affect the thinking on another. Is our God not truly magnificent? I think so.



Back to my little column. J



The author said something in this article that shook me to my core. He said, and I quote [this in regards to how the Lutheran church and some other denominations are viewing the Truth of the Bible] “The Truth of the Bible has been reduced to sincerely-held opinion.” Does this not just make you shudder?



Truth:

-honesty; integrity; truthfulness

-a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle or the like

-accuracy

-ideal or fundamental reality apart from and transcending perceived experience



Yes, it has been reduced. Today’s society is trying and, might I add, is appearing successful in making the Bible a matter of opinion and one that can be chopped up and chewed up and spit out to make it look like whatever they want it to look like. Although I believe God’s power to be bigger and greater than any little schemes we can come up with in our minds. For I know His purpose will prevail on this earth.



I’m currently reading Keith Green’s life story, “No Compromise” by Melody Green (his wife). For those of you out there who have not read this book or don’t really know anything about Keith Green (and I didn’t before reading this book, other than he wrote worship music and well, he was dead), the title of the book is PERFECT in describing Keith Green’s life and devotion to Christ. Be careful in picking up this book. God’s going to do something in your life and if you’re not ready for that, don’t read it.



Anyway, here is a man who read the Bible; took what he read and then lived it out. Simple as that. There was no compromising in the world. For goodness sake, Christians are supposed to look different than non-Christians. So why is the church (generality here, obviously does not apply across the board completely) trying so hard to fit in with the world? I have done it. I have made excuses why I do certain things, or say certain things or wear certain things because I’m using it as ministry to reach these people. I’m living among them and like them so that they’ll accept me and I can share Christ with them. Enough! I make myself sick thinking about it. In fact, the truth of the matter is that by doing that, I am downplaying the power of the Gospel and downplaying the power of my God. I am not being light in the darkness. I am adding to the darkness. I appear no different from the people I’m trying to love on, while telling them that my life is different. How? They’re confused. I’m confused. What to do?



At the risk of being misunderstood here, I’m going to be transparent and share what God has been convicting me of in my life and how I can be that light in the darkness rather than adding to the darkness.



How is God calling me to be “different”; to be light in the darkness? To not ignore the men and women each day who clean our cubicles, acting like they aren’t there. To keep my mouth shut when those around me are talking poorly about a co-worker. To share whatever I have (meaning anything), realizing that they just may need it more than me; and it’s not really mine anyway. To speak Truth when given the opportunity and to speak up when Truth is being degraded or slandered. To keep myself modestly dressed to protect the minds and hearts of brothers in Christ. To look for ways to physically help and serve the people around me. There are so many others. What are yours?



With every “Truth” that I speak to someone, it is being weighed by other factors. The whole time this person is listening to me they are making judgments about me. They are remembering past experiences with me. They are comparing me with their other friends. They are looking for a reason to call me a hypocrite. They’re also looking for these things that I’m telling them to be true in my life. And how can I speak of a life that’s different and wonderful; a life in God, when I don’t show them that it’s any different.



I’m encouraged by, again, Keith Green’s life story. Reading about what he and Melody did in their lives shortly after becoming believers. They took the scripture for what it said. Take care of the widows and orphans. What did they do? Made room for them in their own home and let those women and children live with them, free of charge. And when they had 14 people living in their 3-bedroom house and ran out of room for more, what did they do? They got another house. That’s being different!



Sincerely-held opinion. Everyone has opinions. Some are good; some are bad. Personally, there’s only one opinion I want to hear and that’s God’s. Other people can deliberate over their opinions all they want. I’m not listening.

Name Above All Names

In church this morning we sang a song that had a verse, or maybe it was the chorus, that said "Your name is above all names". As I was singing this out loud and at the top of my lungs (those poor, poor people in front of me), I thought to myself "What does it really mean that Jesus' name is above all names?

Meaning, what does it mean to me? What does it mean in my life? What does that look like? Should my my life look different if I am to be saying, shouting rather, that Jesus name is above all names? How can I reflect this?

Thinking on this one...

The Shack

Okay, real quick-I went out with the guy in the Blue Corvette, Mike. Great guy. Super nice, good looking and a perfect gentleman, but not perfect for me. So friends, maybe. Anything more? Nope.

Onto the title of the post.

Have you read the book, "The Shack"? I read it about 3.5 months ago. I really enjoyed it. So much, in fact, that I read it in four days. There seems to be a bit of controversy about it, but I liked it. I thought it was a very creative way to write about God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit. Made me think.

Anyway, I went to the hair dresser yesterday afternoon. And yes, I feel like a new woman! You ladies out there know exactly what I'm talking about. :) And can I just say that that was the least amount of time I've ever spent in a salon getting my hair cut and colored. This girl was a genius!

Back to the hairdresser, Janelle. She initiated the conversation by asking if I had read "The Shack". I told her I had and then asked what she thought about the book. This led into a conversation about how interesting the analogies were and then somehow onto China and what I was doing there. Why did I build relationships with people? What did that look like? What happened when there was trust built? She was very interested in all of that.

In that moment I saw opportunity standing in front me. And looking back I see God standing there handing it to me. Did I share the Good News with Janelle yesterday? No I didn't. But she knows what I'm about and what my life represents and she still wants to talk to me and ask questions. That's progress. And I truly believe that (1) God has been working in her heart to put a desire in her to know more about Him and (2) that there was a believer or believers who had gone before me and paved the way.

Looking forward to my next hair appointment and now for another reason other than the glow of highlights that follow! :)

Down the road

So...something that only seems to happen in movies happened to me this evening on my way home.

There I am driving down the road on my way home from James Island and a blue corvette is riding my tail. (This is where I come in, not acting completely sane or appropriate, but just go with the story!) I started tapping my breaks to get him off of my tail. He's waving his arms in the air at me. I wave mine back. He then pulls up next to me at the light. I think, "Oh gosh! What in the world?! He's going to chew me out or something." He goes on to ask me if I'm seriously getting upset at him for riding my tail when I'm the one who (he says) is driving crazy. Oh, and I have a tail light out. Whoops! One thing leads to another and we start a conversation. I know!

So driving down Hwy. 176 we're chatting side by side while we hold up traffic behind us. With horns honking and people screaming he and I are sharing about what we do for a living and why we moved here. He then tells me that he would like to take me to dinner.

"Are you asking me out while we drive down the road?!" Yes he is.

So...in a completely non-Kathryn fashion, I gave him my phone number.

See, I told you. This would only happen in a movie. And yet it happened to me, tonight!