Whatever you do, do it with Passion!

Can you handle this??? Two serious posts in a row! Completely out of character for me, I know...but oh, well. The new year is all about changes, right?

Well, since I brought THAT up, here is my goal for 2006:

I want to have a deeper passion about everything I do this year.

A friend of mine got me to thinking about passion a few weeks ago, and I haven't stopped. You know, passion belongs in every area of our lives, not just our love life(s). (just kidding about the "lifes") ha ha. But seriously, I found this definition for passion--"boundless enthusiasm". Shouldn't we as Christians have boundless enthusiasm in all that we do?

It's one thing to just go through life, and do what you're supposed to do. It's another thing to go through life LOVING what you do; being enthusiastic about it; having a burning desire for it.

Here's some areas I'd like to develop more passion in:

• Pleasing God instead of others
• Making progress in musical efforts
• Prayer and Bible reading
• Loving others
• Working with my group of bus kids
• Writing
• The lost
• Watching/letting God work in my life
• Applying myself at my job
• Friendships
• Encouraging/helping others
• Regular gym attendance (I have really been slackin' lately)
• Driving safely =)~

Just had to throw the last one in there to see if you were still paying attention!!

I hope God gives you all a great and passionate 2006!

Hope and Contentment

Lately, I have recognized a problem in my way of thinking. What it boils down to is that I have lost hope. (Well, if you know me at all, or have read much here, you can probably guess what hope that is!!!) I started feeling that it was disillusional of me to really believe that there is a great guy out there who loves the Lord, who wants to serve Him, who would love me, who would get along with my family, who would pass my pastor's approval, I mean, this is all a bit much to ask and expect, right? Shouldn't I just settle for what I can get? Superman is already taken, right? God wouldn't want me to wait around in some fantasy world, hoping for this dream man to come my way, would He?

I noticed with this loss of hope, also came a loss of contentment. Nothing was going right. There was something wrong with everything and everyone. Life was just a pain-filled existence while waiting to go to Heaven.

Well, last night, what would I come across, other than some notes I had taken from Dr. Jim Schettler in college? And what were these notes? Two definitions:

Hope--stedfast confidence in God's sovereign care for my future

Contentment--the faith that God owns, controls, and provides everything in my life by His love.

These definitions are packed full of truth. And they are exactly the things that I need to put back into my life. God IS going to provide His absolute best for me, because He loves me. The same is true for all of God's children. Just have faith and let Him work and do what He wills in your life. Don't lose hope. Why should we? God hasn't lost His sovereign care for us. He hasn't stopped loving us.

And the best thing about it is He WANTS to listen to us. We can pour out our heart to God, and He is there to give us just what we need. He won't condemn us for being weak in faith like other Christians do sometimes. He won't point out all our faults and failures, and make us feel unforgiven or unfit to serve. Here is the verse He gave me last night:

Psalm 62:8 "Trust in Him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us."

True Stories of Hope and Healing

You've got to check out this book.

And this one:

And one more:

Test Results

A lot of you have been asking and wondering how my tests came out. I had my EEG yesterday and got the results from both the MRI and EEG. The doctor said I was experiencing what is called Post-Concussion Syndrome. It is not serious; he sees it all the time; and the symptoms should be completely gone in the next week or so. No permanent or long-lasting damage should occur. =) Praise the Lord, and thanks for all your concern and prayers!

Today is my last day at work until Wednesday afternoon, so I probably won't be around the "blogosphere" very much. Everyone have a safe and happy Christmas!

What Is Up with This???

What is going on? As if living through the drama of my own wreck wasn't enough, in the past four days I have heard of 6 terrible wrecks, and seen 3 of them right before my own eyes.

Friday night, on the way to go shopping, the car in front of us suddenly veers off into the median at high speed, crashed through several yards of a fence, hit an oncoming car, and swerved back into the median, steering recklessly in every direction before finally coming to a smoky stop.

On the way home that same night, we passed where a car had just totally smashed into a tree off the road. The only thing left of the car was the trunk.

Sunday in church, a teacher from Lexington High School asked prayer for their assistant principal's family who lost both children in an accident Friday night.

Then my good friend Paul, who is a youth pastor up in Maryland, lost one of the college students from his church in an accident on the way home from college.

Sunday night, on my way home from a friend's house, I was going through the same intersection where my wreck happened a few weeks ago. I was going through on a green light once again, and this COMPLETE MORONIC IDIOT pulls out and turns right in front of me! Thankfully, I have become a little more cautious while going through intersections, so I was able to hit the brakes and avoid another wreck.

This morning, on my way to work, a Pepsi Semi overturned right before my eyes on the other side of the highway. It came smashing through several lanes of traffic, and overturned on the barracades in the middle, pinning a car up between the two. A couple cars in front of me actually had debris land on them from the Pepsi truck.

Okay, I know wrecks happen all the time. Yes, I pass wrecks every day. But they don't usually happen right in front of me like this. And I don't usually come away with a strong feeling of horror in the pit of my stomach.

I don't know what's going on, but it terrifies me just getting in my car to go anywhere these days. Have people just totally blown through the roof on the "Idiotic Driving Scale" or what?

Anyways, I sure hope this ends soon--and not for my sake, but for the sake of all drivers and children out there.

Please be safe through the holidays and always!!

_____________
This message brought to you by just another driver who gets fed up with MORONS on the road!!!

This is For You

The Paper Rose

The Paper Rose


This paper rose I hold in my hand—

A silly, yet charming gesture,
Made me smile and brought me pleasure.
Seven months later, still holding on to this token,
But like it, now my heart is broken.

So, I’m letting go of this paper rose—

And a single releasing motion
Frees my heart of divided devotion;
Lets go of trying to work things out
Which brought only pain, disappointment, and doubt.

I’ve learned a lesson from this paper rose—

Don’t hold on when God is taking away.
Let go of the dreams of yesterday.
New hopes blossom each new morning;
Have faith, trust God, and heed the warning

Of the little white paper rose.

It's Worth the Wait

How come we have to wait for all good things? Just something I've been thinking about lately...

Nobody likes to wait. Yet, everyone has to in certain situations. We all have to wait in traffic, wait in line, wait for others, wait for the right timing, wait for a good sale, wait in the "waiting room" =) wait, wait, wait.

I planned a division luncheon yesterday at a really good steakhouse--even reserved a table and everything, but we still had to sit and wait for 45 minutes to be seated, and then about 45 more before we got our food. But the food was delicious, let me just tell you!!

Now we could've gone to any "choke-n-puke" we wanted, and not had to wait at all, but the food wouldn't be near as good.

I think waiting for things helps us to appreciate them better.

You wait and wait for the "right person" in your life, and when they come along, you appreciate them more than a person you didn't wait for.

We wait and wait for that parking spot, and next time when there's an open one, we appreciate it more.

We wait for Christmas to come around once a year, and we are appreciative when it does.

My point today simply put is that there are things in life that are worth waiting for.

So, don't complain about waiting; try to find the brighter side. (Okay, I know that sounded really cheesy coming from me, but get over it!)

The angels still sing

Many people are facing the upcoming holidays without the person they love. Maybe they haven't found this person yet, maybe they are separated for a while, or maybe one has gone on to heaven. For whatever reason, although the true meaning of Christmas is ever-present and gives eternal joy, the longing in the heart to share the holidays with that person will never go away. This poem is dedicated to those people. May God bless your Christmas and surround you with love, joy, and peace.

The angels still sing “Gloria”


One more Christmas without your bliss;
New Year’s Eve without your kiss.
But let’s not dwell on things I’ll miss;
For the angels still sing “Gloria.”

The fire doesn’t seem as warm to me;
The lights, a little dim on the tree.
Carols are sung with not quite so much glee,
But the angels still sing “Gloria.”

The mistletoe stays in the box this year;
But I hung the bells without a tear.
My love for the season is still there,
And the angels still sing “Gloria.”

What was so romantic about the snow?
I’ll bake the cookies, but without the glow.
Yet in my heart, there is joy, for I know
That the angels still sing “Gloria.”

By candlelight later, I’ll say a prayer
That things may be different by next year.
If not, it won’t be too much to bear,
For the angels will still sing “Gloria.”

"And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men!"

Shwoooo!

I got pulled over for speeding out of state 2 weeks ago....yes, surprise, surprise....I know. (No harrasment please!) I thought the ticket would be really high, because I was (it painse me to even write this) almost 30 mph over the speed limit.

Yeah, it had just turned from 70 to 65 to 55 all within a really short distance, and I hadn't slowed down yet when he got me. So, I'm thinking like, $300 or close to it. He didn't give me the amount on the spot--I had to wait to weeks and then call "Criminal Court." (Yeah, that'll make a person feel real good about themselves.)

So, I called today, and it was $100 less than I expected....Yea!

(Let me just insert something real quick. I know after reading this, you guys are thinking, "Wow. She deserved to be in that wreck then, the little speed-demon." Not quite. Just get that out of your head. The two are totally unrelated. I was NOT speeding when I got in the wreck. Just had to clear that up!) =)~

So, now, I won't be speeding. I'll be hesitant to go through an intersection EVEN when I have a green arrow. People behind will be frustrated, but that's okay. I'm just gonna drive like a great-grandma. (I had to throw the GREAT-grandma in there, because my Gramma reads this, and I don't want her to be offended!!)

And now, I have $100 to buy Christmas presents with, that I wasn't expecting to have! Woo-hoo. Things are looking better by the minute.

Pics of my car

My banged up car!! =( ...yes, it was totalled.

This shows how badly the alignment was messed up.

They cleaned up in here before I took this picture. There was white powder everywhere.

Update

I apologize for not being around much lately!! I have been car shopping, and dealing with the insurance company, and going back to the doctor for more tests, etc., etc., etc. I will be glad when this is all over with. I have taken pictures of my wrecked car, but unfortunately, I cannot post them until I get to work on Monday, because they are taking forever to upload from here at home. I cried like a baby when I pulled up to get my stuff out of my car yesterday. I don't know why....I saw it at the accident, and it's just a car... I mean, c'mon! Anyways, I have to get an EEG done on my head and see a neurologist because I'm having concentration and memory problems, so pray no long-term damage was done, please!!!

I promise I will post more frequently and respond better to everyone's wonderful comments, and go leave comments at your places when I catch up with my life!!

Have a blessed weekend, and enjoy the spirit of Christmas!

Just Like a Woman

This is how I feel today:

Real Short

I was spoiled. I admit it. I really miss my "bun warmers" in my Maxima!!

Things are really hectic at work. I will post more when I get a minute!

Thanks for all the prayers, calls, and notes of concern!

Kristi =)~

Saturday Night

Rumbles of thunder outside seem to add to the overall forboding feelings of the night. The house is deathly quite. As I reach back to rub my aching neck, and adjust the pillows for my back, scenes from last night flash through my mind again for what seems the hundredth time…

____________________________

It was about 6:30 p.m. Darkness had settled over about 45 minutes previously. The on and off rain of the day had settled into a light drizzle. I had been running around all day, and still had several things left to do before I could call it a day.

Early that morning, I went to hand out Christmas greetings with others from my church at the big, downtown Columbia parade. I then had to replace a taillight in my car, and set up a time to get my front brake pads replaced. Next, I went to visit and spend time with my Sunday School kids, and make sure they were going to get up the next morning and ride the bus. I was late to go vacuum the church sanctuary, and then went directly to another parade to hand out more Christmas greetings. I was leaving the church to go meet my friend Dahlia and get a bite to eat before I met this guy to fix my breaks.

“What is all this traffic from?” I wondered. “Oh, yeah, that living Christmas story at the Methodist Church….I wish they would think of a way to avoid all this congestion of cars. I’ve got places to go. I need to get down to the light so I don’t have to turn left at that dangerous intersection without a light…. Oh, good, I can cross here and go down to the light.”

Meanwhile, there was a driver behind me going through the same predicament. However, she did not see the opening to get down to the light, so she continued straight and would chance the dangerous intersection.

“Okay, great, green light, I’m good to go.”

“CRASH!!!” ‘AAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!” “I’m spinning in a circle. I have no control. My eyes are burning. It stinks in here. Oh, no, somebody’s gonna hit me from behind, and it’s over. I’m so dead.” I braced myself, waiting for the impact from behind, but thank the Lord, it never came.

“Okay, Kristi, pull it together. Where’s your phone? Call somebody. Can you get out of your car? Why won’t the horn quit honking? Where did that car come from? I’m SSOOOO MAD! I don’t want to go through this again. Not another car totaled!! Calm down. Get out of the car. Good. Okay, see if the other girl is okay. See if the police are on their way. Call Dahlia. Guess I won’t be needing that brake job!!”

Everyone was okay. We filled out the police report. The other driver was at fault. It was the driver that had been following me previously, but didn’t see how to get down to the traffic light. She never saw me coming.

I shed a few tears as my car was being towed away.

The adrenaline was starting to wear off, and I was really starting to hurt, but insisted I was fine and did not need to go to the hospital. I’m finally getting something to eat. My phone rings again. My head is starting to feel a little groggy…
“Hey, Kristi. Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“When did the accident happen?”

“Sometime last year…” What did I just say?

“Kristi, it couldn’t have happened last year… Are you SURE you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking, hon.” Wait a minute. Hon??? What AM I thinking. I don’t ever call people hon. Especially a man from my church…

“Kristi, I think you should go to the doctor.”

“Yeah, okay. I’m fine really. I gotta go.”

Dahlia takes me home, insisting the whole time I should go get checked out. But I’m pretty stubborn. “What’s the doctor gonna do, Say, “yeah, you’re hurting. It’ll be that way for a few days, then you’ll be better’?”

I’m at home, trying to explain what happened when I start talking about the airbag…or tried to, at least. Instead of saying “my airbag”, I say “my facemask”. What? Where did that come from? I think my mind is just in shock or something. Things are just not coming out right. And what is that awful pain in my mouth and that burning feeling on my leg?

Well, my mom gives me no choice but to go to the doctor, so I’m back out the door.

The doc takes some x-rays, says I have bruised muscles in my back and a slight head injury. He gave me a pain pill prescription, and general instructions that I’d be feeling bad for a few days.

After I got home again, I realized that the burning feeling on my leg was an actual burn from the friction created by the airbag.

I woke up this morning feeling like a train wreck, (well, at least a car wreck! Ha ha). My neck was sore from whiplash, and my back just plain hurt. I also discovered what the pain was in my mouth as I went to brush my teeth. During the impact, I had apparently taken a chunk out of my tongue. No lie. You can see clearly where it’s missing, and there’s a little piece hanging down. GROSS! Yeah, I know. No wonder it hurts so bad!

_______________________

I stayed home all day from church wondering if my Sunday School kids missed me. I hope so. I missed them.

When I go to get all of my “stuff” out of my car, I’ll try to take a few pictures for you all. It’s pretty banged up.

Count your blessings this season. We are truly blessed just to have each other around!

I can't stop rambling this week!!!

This is the first Friday I have worked in two months!! Whew!!! I've been going all over the country, and friends have been coming by constantly, but now, looks like things are settling down.

You guys remember my Wedding Song? Well, Steve was kind enough to put music to it. He did a great job. I love it! Here it is


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I was finally eligible for an upgrade on my cell phone, and I have been wanting the new Motorola RAZR in black for a while, so.... I ordered it today! It's going to be my Christmas present from my mom. (Hope she's okay with that! ha ha ha)




I have car problems. You know, I think the worst thing about being a single female is having to take care of my car. I really, really dislke it. I don't like getting gas, getting the oil changed, putting air in the tires, or even walking into an auto shop. I feel all these men's eyes looking at me like, "What is SHE doing here?" And then, that devious grin comes across their lips with the thought of "Oh, great, here's my change to rip off this ignorant, unsuspecting girl." Ugghh! It drives me nuts! Anyways, my brakes started squeaking, and I'm dreading taking my car somewhere to have it fixed, but the squeaking is driving me crazy as well. So, I guess it's a lose-lose. If I had a guy who all he did was maintain my car, I think I would be happy! =)

Well, I hope everyone has a great weekend! Go out there and face the crazy Christmas traffic, and crowds, and lines, and frenzy with a smile!! =) (Yeah, that line was totally for me!!)

Lonely?

Alone


Only one set of footprints along the edge of the sea.
One lawn chair in the sand, but no need for a frisbee.

One warm seat by the fire beside a cold, empty chair.
Only one stocking hung by the chimney with care.

One hand clutching a casket, but no one to hold the other.
One smile fades quickly, not returned by another.

Only one rising early for a brisk morning walk,
One lays downs at night after checking the lock.

Only one meal, “Yes, that will be To Go”;
One lovely drive home, but no one to show.

One figure lost midst the others bustling through the mall,
Only one tear, but wiped away, unnoticed by all.

Only one shadow passing through the doors of the church,
One heart is touched; it’s the end of his search--

One ragged, beaten man trudges up a hill
Only one rejected, yet crying, “Lord, not my will.”

One man dies in darkness between two thieves,
Only one while in death, sinners receives.

One Man rose again, offers life through His death only,
So that others, though alone, have no reason to be lonely.

By Kristi Reese