Love Sweet Love

Oh sugar, your lips are so divine.
I cannot aspartame why you are mine.
From the moment you held me sweet n low
It was splenda in the grass.

Nita Cantrell 091708

An Ache in My Heart

There's an ache in my heart now
where thoughts of you have been...
Your ways, your laugh, your love
Come to my mind so often

I didn't want you to go,
You know.
But a higher wisdom than mine
Had say so.

When I introduce myself, and say,
"I have four brothers..."
It pains.
Tears fill my eyes,
It rains.

I know I'm not alone
In these aches and pains.
I pray for all...
He sustains.

A poem I wrote in memory of my oldest brother, Nelson Thompson, who passed in November, 2001. This was originally posted on January 16, 2002.

The Multiplier

I don't know about you, but I play a computer game here and there.
(And yes, sometimes I get a bit addicted.) One of the things that
makes a great computer game is a multiplier. A multiplier is
something that when you crunch it up or travel over it, it ups your
strength or makes you invincible for a certain length of time.
Sometimes it means the points you get during this special time
period are increased times 100 or 1000 or even more.

A game with a good multiplier is fun to play. However, I think a
multiplier is a spiritual concept. Really!

Matthew 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth
as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them
of my Father which is in heaven.
20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there
am I in the midst of them.

Pay particular attention to verse 19. If two of you shall agree on
earth...when your prayers are multiplied on earth(and you are God's
children and ask according to His will), then it shall be done.

God takes our pitiful, powerless prayers and transforms them into
strong, invincible, effective actions. He makes them happen,
according to His word.

This part of God's word is way better than a computer game. I'm so
glad God exponentially increases my strength and answers prayer in
ways that would never be humanly possible.

Don't you just love the way God does things? I sure do.

Reprinted from a devotional I wrote for our family Yahoo group, SRThompsonFamily on May 24, 2005.

Nothing Says I Love You Like...Toilet Paper

We are truly blessed to have 2...yes 2...bathrooms in our house. Having spent most of my life in a one bathroom abode, I do not take this for granted. One bathroom is in the master suite and the other is across from our daughter's room. We call it "hers" except for when company comes and we try to have it clean and presentable for those occasions.

Often, dear daughter will be sitting at the computer and my hubby will be doing something else while I walk through the living room to take toilet paper to the "guest" bathroom. I always say to her as I walk by, "Nothing says I love you like having enough toilet paper."

Recently, my husband said to me, "Toilet paper is not what says I love you to me." So I decided to follow his lead. "Well, what does say I love you to you?"

"Having the back door unlocked when I come home from work with my arms full," he said. So I said "Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

The toilet paper love idea really started with my mother you know...she is so practical that over the course of my life I've come to accept that I will certainly receive some article of underclothing for a Christmas present and I should just be gracious and low key and get on with gift opening. Private gratitude should be expressed afterward in a quiet corner. "Nothing says I love you like new underwear," according to my mother. She also sends me toilet paper in the back of my husband's car occasionally.

I don't know what says "I love you" to you. However, I highly recommend you notice what others are doing in your life when they try to say I love you. There are other ways I try to show love: cooking meals, keeping the pantry stocked, paying bills, washing, drying, folding and putting away laundry...You get the picture.

My husband says "I love you" by going to a job that he doesn't love for 5 days of the week. He provides a way for me to say "I love you" by doing the things I do. It's an endless cycle.

All I know is this...if I give you toilet paper you should know that I care very deeply about you and your welfare. Wink, wink..

Reprinted from an original post of mine on Myspace dated May 1, 2008.

Iron Will

I love the movie "Iron Will." It pictures the Christian life to me with its struggles and victories.

I particularly love the ending scenes where Will and the dogs approach the finish line. They're so exhausted they can hardly stand up much less move ahead. And then the crowd starts to whistle and cheer them on. It makes me cry every time.

Can you not imagine the great crowd of witnesses who will be there as we approach the finish line of our lives? And they're cheering us on...waiting to welcome us to our great reward with hugs and dancing and great rejoicing. And then there's Jesus standing there. The One who paid it all for our entry fee. The One at whose feet we will fall in worship.

Sometimes people seem to worry about getting bored with an eternity stretching before them in heaven. Not me. I don't worry about that at all. Can't you just see us sitting around discussing the things we've come through with God's help? And then one will break out in praise and then we'll all just naturally follow.

And I think the One who created the universe will have no trouble matching us up with our dream jobs. Who knows better than He what our abilities are? After all, He is the Author and Creator of our faith and of us.

What a day that will be...Hallelujah! Amen!

Let Me Fix That for You

When friends and family come to me with a problem my natural tendency is to want to fix things for them. It has taken me many years to accept that my action is not the first best thing I can do for them.

The first best thing I can do for you and your problems is pray for you. God works in ways I cannot. He knows all about you and your problems...and me and mine. He has the best plans. They were crafted out of His love for you and His plan for your life. They really are designed to bring about good in your life, no matter how awful and painful they seem at the time.

This is not to say He sends BAD things your way. Sometimes bad things happen in the natural world and He puts His loving spin on it afterwards. Many times the things that go wrong in my life happen because I was being willful and not paying attention to His directions.

I Thessalonians 5: 16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

The World Looks Different from the Back Door

We have five cats. They almost have the rank and status of people in our household. Almost. They are part of the reason I don't go to the gym. They ARE my exercise program.

Veterinary types argue that you should make all of your cats indoor cats. Funny thing - they're never around when it comes time to clean the litter boxes. Besides, I live in a very rural setting and my cats do not go far from the house very often.

This week there has been rain. Which under normal circumstances is a blessing. The cats, however, do not like to go outside in the rain. Some of them will and some of them will test the very limits of their bladders or go to the litter box rather than go out in the rain. Without fail there is something we do when it rains that makes me laugh.

We go to the front door. We peruse the weather and landscape. It disappoints. We shut and lock the storm door. The cat heads for the back door in hopes that things will be different when we get there. The human follows in tow.

We arrive at the back door. We open it and peruse the weather and landscape. It is STILL, shock upon shock, raining. We cannot believe our terrible luck and we turn away from the back door in dismay to sit and think before we give in to visit the litter box(which gets scooped and changed pretty often I might add).

The world does look different from the back door BUT it is still raining.

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix it

I guess as a hint, this should be subtitled, "Change."

Change as a word and an action is static. It doesn't have a flavor or a leaning until you put it up against the status quo. I'm not against change but I'm not necessarily for it either.

The change button didn't sway me in the last election. It doesn't sway me now. You see many things I hold sacred and don't feel need changing are now being mutilated by the president and the incumbent political party. They're doing it to make some people they like happier. They think the pendulum needs to swing the other way for awhile.

While I didn't agree with everything George Bush did. I didn't disagree with everything he did either and I never hated the man. Just because I disagree with someone does not make me a hater. The last 4 years he was in office he acted like some Democrat had invaded his body. (It would have made a good movie title, "Invasion of the Democratic Body Snatchers.") But that's a tangent...

To me the acts of the current administration are like the proverbial bull in a china shop. They are justified by the words and/or thoughts, "Well, at least I'm doing something to change things and make them better." That remains to be seen...and for me I'm of the opinion that some things that have been trampled by the bull were precious to me and I hate to see them destroyed.

Bulls belong in the pasture, not the china shop. And change should be well thought out before it takes place. That spoken I think I'm going to work on making some change happen myself. If only you could see the set of my jaw.

I Have Control Issues

I hate to admit it but I do. I spent much of my early life trying to please people. I'd say it nearly killed me. I still like to please the people I love and care about but there is a limit.

I have learned I cannot make everyone happy. Sometimes I cannot make anyone happy...not even myself. Sometimes things go south and there's no saving it. That's when I'm grateful that tomorrow is another day. God's mercies are new every morning.

If I had my way, things would go perfect for everyone. But wait, that's not possible. One person's perfect does not necessarily make for another person's perfect. It wouldn't be long before everything was in shambles if I were in control.

This has been a rough week. I have had some very bad news this week and I wish things were different. I will have to go the distance no matter how painful and difficult that may be. Thank God there will be blessings and joys along the way. Thank God, tomorrow is another day...and Thank God, His mercies are new every morning.

Troubleshooting

I'm pretty good at troubleshooting a lot of things...cars, computers, situations, other people's problems. Sometimes though I can't troubleshoot for myself. This seems to be one of those times. I'm gloomy. I find it hard to concentrate. I feel like crying but I don't. I've been sick and things are somewhat tough. I have several friends with really bad problems but that's nothing more than I usually deal with. So what gives self? I say, like David, in Psalm 42, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?" He asks this question several times. I will do as David. Put my trust in God and keep on keeping on.

Psalm 42 NIV
For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?

3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"

4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.

5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and 6 my God.
My [c] soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.

8 By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"

10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"

11 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

Why Apples_of_Gold?

A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
~Proverbs 25:11

Just thought I'd let you know where the idea came from.