Serenity Now

Anyone familiar with FlyLady.Net is aware that it is a website to help you organize your life. Primarily, FlyLady helps you tackle the chaos in your home, day by day, taking "baby steps" to make a long-term difference in your quality of life.

I signed up for daily emails from this website. Not that I follow all the advice, but I do run across helpful hints from time to time. Like yesterday.

Each day there is a "Morning Musing". This one was titled The Final Frontier, and it dealt with the issue of UFOs in your car. To clarify, UFOs in this case are Un-tethered Flying Objects.

FlyLady went on to address the problems of a cluttered car. A bottle can roll out from under your front seat and get under your feet or the brake. Sometimes in the event of a sudden stop, things can actually fly through the air and hit you.

It reminded me of this picture a friend sent me recently. You probably never want to drive with a can of paint on your backseat, or this could happen.



So, confession time. I can definitely use a little improvement in this area of my life. Things tend to accumulate in my little Scion. Books, shoes, cans of Pringles, books, empty soft drink cans, yoga mats, books, audio tapes, sunglasses, and more books.

When Steve and I were dating 25 years ago I lived in a one bedroom apartment. Not much storage space. When December rolled around I put up my Christmas decorations (undoubtedly retrieved from my parents house - I really don't remember). After I decorated, I somehow had a small tree left over and no place to put it. No problem. I figured that was why God invented the backseats of cars.

Years later Steve commented on how astonished he had been to see me driving around for a month with the top of a Christmas tree bobbing around my back window. Had I known it bothered him, I could have stuck a star on top, claimed I was honoring the birth of Christ, and asked if he had a problem with that.

So...skip ahead 25 years. I don't usually store things long-term in my car these days, but on a day to day basis, stuff does accumulate. Even before the FlyLady thing, my car chaos was nudging at my serenity. Yes, I like to feel serene in my car. Goodness knows I spend enough time there.

So I decided to buy a cute box or something to put on the front seat with me and contain the clutter. Not clutter...treasure. I meant to say treasure.

Unwisely, I shopped for this item while hanging out with my 19 year old son. Being a typical male, he was full of helpful advice, such as, "Don't spend $19 on a pink basket. Go to Goodwill, buy a basket for $1 and spray paint it pink." He had a point, but still...

I ended up buying a darling black and white container that even Andy deemed worth the price. Now my front seat looks like this.

This is an improvement. Trust me.

My favorite thing from FlyLady's Morning Musing was her idea of "blessing your car." She suggested having a set day of the week for this. Fill it up, Clean it out and Shine it up!

I don't know if I'll actually do this on a regular basis, but I did it today! Well, sortof. I went to Mr. Sparkle and drove through the $3 car wash.

Once, when I was there, the hydraulic system broke down. I had to drive my car out manually and the people there washed it by hand, refusing to charge me. I gave them the $3 anyway and asked them to put it in their tip jar. It was still a great bargain.

Today nothing broke down, so I got the normal, machine kind of sudsing. It still looks good tho.

As a final grand gesture, I brought an airfreshner (in a nice spice fragrance for fall). Then I drove my nice clean, good smelling car to the gas station and filled it up.

I'm thinking that next week I might buy a zen garden for the floorboard.

ARRRRRR!

Tomorrow (Monday, September 19) is International "Talk Like A Pirate" Day. Now, really, how often do you get a chance to say "Ahoy, Mate!" instead of "Good morning!" to your co-workers?

So are we going to celebrate? You bet we ARRRRRRRR!

In honor of the occasion, here a few pirate jokes for a Monday chuckle.

Have you heard about the new pirate movie?
It's rated AARRRRRR! Why? Because of all the booty!

Why does it take pirates so long to learn the alphabet?
Because they can spend years at C

A pirate walks into a bar wearing a paper towel on his head. The bartender asks, "Why are you wearing a paper towel?"
"Arrrrr..." says the pirate. "I've got a bounty on me head!"

What does a Dyslexic Pirate Say?
RRAAAAAAAAAAA!

And last, but not least...

Where did the one legged pirate go for breakfast?
IHOP

Ready or not, here it comes

Fall came to my house this week. Steve got my decorations down from the attic and I scattered them around.

Around my mantle.

Around my mother-in-law's tea service.

Around my angel. She is part of a Christmas nativity set, but I keep her out all year.


To be honest, I'm having a little trouble getting in the mood this year. and I don't know why. There is no question that autumn in Kentucky is spectacular. Especially if you take the time to get out in the country a bit where there are farms and open spaces. Cooler weather, gorgeous trees, campfires, apple cider and football games.

But for some reason, I'm just not ready to say goodbye to summer. I'll miss the air when you first step out in the morning. The birds are singing and the humidity hasn't yet hit. And the late, late night air when it feels like silk on your skin. I'm not a fan of goosebumps.

I like my gauzy dresses and flip flops. I like no sweater weather. I like the little hummingbird that has finally found our feeder. I like my flower garden and will miss its offerings.

This year, for the first time, I found myself sometimes squinting in the sun, unwilling to put on sunglasses; like I needed to soak up all that green.

But, ready or not, here comes autumn. And that's fine. I just need to get on board.


So last weekend I rearranged my closet so that my warmer clothes were more accessible. I even purchased some pumpkin pie scented oil from Walmart to get me in the mood.

Then I put orange lights on my fake fig tree. That made me smile.

And, of course, I brought Mr. Pumpkin home. It's hard to hold a grudge against something so cute.

I think what I need is a big piece of pumpkin pie (see, that scented oil is getting me in the spirit of things already). Then maybe I'll buy Bella an orange bandanna to wear. And make some chili! There's nothing like a big pot of chili when the weather cools off.

I think I'm feeling better already.

Backyard Babies

These little guys were hatched in our backyard this summer and have since been released into the wild.

Their tiny, perfect shells amaze me every time.

Bella is shabby chic

One of the absolute best uses I have found for vintage hankies.

It makes me happy to think that this handkerchief, which belonged to a woman I will never know, is now being used to dress up my little lady dog.

I like to think it would make her happy, too.

What would Jesus like?

I like to check in frequently with ThinkChristian.net and in fact, it is an app on my IGoogle homepage. It's not that I agree with all of the comments, but they almost always give me food for thought.

I'm also a fan of technology (well, most of the time). I enjoy having the world at my fingertips.

So, I read the following post with interest. If Jesus were on Facebook, what would He like?

What would Jesus like?

Posted September 8th, 2011 @ 8:03 am by Kristy Quist

Facebook has become a bigger part of my life than I ever would have imagined before I signed up. It’s allowed me to learn a bit more about some people who I only know casually and to keep in contact with people far away. One thing that fascinates me is what people I know seem to “like.” Walmart. Laughing. Star Trek. Coffee. You name it, they like it, and they want to tell the world.

Close to 3 million people on Facebook like Jesus Christ, according to the Jesus Christ public figure page that someone set up. Interestingly, when I went to check it out, it turns out that Jesus Christ and I have five mutual friends. I would’ve thought there’d be more, but I guess you never know.

I’ve often wondered what the profile would be like if Jesus actually did have a Facebook page. Under “Activities and Interests,” for instance, perhaps he’d write “Carpentry, hanging out with good friends, teaching, fishing (for both fish and people).” His family listing would be pretty amazing, including God, Mary, Joseph, John the Baptist. And he’d definitely be a vaguebooker; his status updates would be some of the most enigmatic around.

And then there would be the “likes.” What would Jesus like on Facebook? A few spring instantly to mind: sheep, water, bread, wine. Public figures: Moses (only around 4,600 people like him) and Isaiah (only 2,300 – no one ever likes the prophets). Maybe Billy Graham or Bishop Desmond Tutu, perhaps Shane Claiborne or Sara Miles. Children’s sermons. Storytelling. The Apostles Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. Maybe not Martha Stewart – she’s way too Martha. Maybe a couple of books: the Bible, for sure, maybe Marilynne Robinson’s “Gilead” or C.S. Lewis’s “Mere Christianity.” Maybe some movies, like “Babette’s Feast” or “Lars and the Real Girl.”

There are some things I can’t imagine him like-ing, such as Costco, since buying in bulk means storing unnecessary excess (see bigger barns in Luke 12). I mean, he only brought out five loaves and two fish for 5,000 people. He’s probably more of a raw food guy, and I’m pretty sure he’d like gleaning. Food pantries might be high on his list.

I’m afraid Lady Gaga might be out of the picture, since she’s obviously chosen Judas. Maybe TobyMac or Kirk Franklin instead. Dare I suggest Mumford and Sons? Even if they use obscene words in their music? But then, there’s the rub. What does it mean when you like something on Facebook? Does it mean that you appreciate something? Or does it mean that you accept and condone everything that comes with it? This is, after all, one of the more difficult aspects of living as a Christian within a culture. Jesus can come at this a bit differently; with pure and holy motives he can love completely even when the cracks and fissures of the broken are on display for all to see.

When I list what I think Jesus would like, I realize that it often has more to do with what I like. For instance, it seems obvious to me that Jesus is pro-life, against both abortion and the death penalty, because I am. He’d like Sojourners magazine and Bruce Springsteen because of their interest in the overlooked and oppressed. But what if he didn’t? What if he likes something you or I don’t?

What if he likes gay couples or right-wing conservatives, Pilates instructors or drug dealers, Wall Street executives or IRS auditors, Jehovah’s Witnesses or the in-laws you just can’t get along with? The fact is, he does. He likes them all. He doesn’t just like them, he loves them. And so it is not up to us to decide who and what we like (and by omission, those we don’t). We are here to love them all. Jesus would probably wear out the like button. Or maybe he’d just skip Facebook and find some people so they could reason together, face to face.




Kristy Quist is the media review editor for The Banner, which you and all your friends can like on Facebook.

....Open the door and see all the people.

"Church isn’t where you meet.


Church isn’t a building.


Church is what you do.



Church is who you are.


Church is the human outworking of the person of Jesus Christ.



Let’s not go to Church, let’s be the Church.” Bridget Willard.



Having said that, these are a few pictures I took recently of my church and grounds.

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My son used to sit in this window when he was small.

Many happy days and joyful memories here. I'm so thankful for my church.