Gifts

He said that when he was a teenager, he remembers being in awe of the discovery and development of dental implants. I thought "if I even heard of a new discovery about anything dental, I would try not to give it any thought". In fact, I try not to allow any of my brain space to be taken up by anything relating to dentistry.
That may make the difference in our gifts.
He is one of the best dentists I have ever had work done by - and that is saying a lot because I have had a lot of dental work over the years. To think that it interested him, as a teenager, was a precursor, from God, I think, that his gifts are in dentistry.
So, where are my gifts?
I remember the first time I took a psychology course. I thought that teacher in high school was brilliant! Just brilliant. I wanted to understand all he knew.
So, I spend time trying to figure out the mind - how and why people do what they do. That is fun for me. Then, there is math. When Mr. Widicus, in sophomore year of high school taught Algebra, my finest hour was finding a solution different than the textbook. I loved putting it on the board and having him say "that will work", even though it was different than his answer. Gifts are fun.
I am grateful when I find someone gifted in something that blesses me. Like dentistry. After sitting in the chair for an hour today, I am exhausted. It is tiring for me to have someone hanging over my mouth, explaining everything, yet needing access to my open mouth with drills, water and, the Lord only knows what else, while I try to breath and pretend I am comfortable. And, to cap it off, on the way out, I had to make another appointment for two weeks away. Just think - in just two more weeks, I get to sit longer than an hour in the chair!
As I thank God for our gifts, I thank Him for yours and mine - all different, yet complimenting, and even necessary, for our work on earth.
May you enjoy your gifts and bless others through them today. :)

Chopped Liver

She watched, rather irritated, as one person after another walked in front of her and onto the plane. She kept watching, not moving a muscle. I ventured over to her, sensing she wasn't enjoying this boarding procedure.
She looked at another couple push right passed her as I approached. I guessed her to be around 75 years old and traveling alone.
"What am I, chopped liver?" she asked me.
"Well, what does your boarding pass say?" I replied.
"What do you mean?" she quipped.
I showed her the number on the right side of her boarding pass.
"This airline "groups" people to board. They have only called groups 1 and 2 and you are in group 4." I gently informed her.
"Oh", she said rather embarrassed. Her frail body calming down.
I waited until group 4 boarded and smiled as I saw her board. She smiled back.
Chopped liver. Isn't it easy to feel like the world is passing us by? Isn't it easy to think no one notices us and we don't matter?
Take the time to notice someone. Whether a smile or a nod - just recognition that they exist and are in your vision is enough sometimes.
Enough to take away a feeling of being chopped liver.
We all matter to Our Loving God - let's matter to each other.

Balance

It started with a suggestion that a gluten-free diet may bless some people. The next day, a friend suggested a "blood type" diet and, on the third day, a candida diet came to my attention. Now, I don't know what symptoms anyone else has - and, half the time, I don't know what my body has that could be "symptoms", but I am always interested in a cure.
Then I heard that if you go on a gluten-free diet and accidentally have gluten, you get sick. And, the blood type diet suggests, for my blood type, that I eat a lot of meat. I don't remember the last time I ate meat (turkey burgers, chicken and fish have been my staples for years). And, as far as a candida diet - well, I think I was supposed to take out all fruits (I am pretty sure it was eliminating sugars). Fruits have been a large staple since I gave up processed sugar as much as possible.
So, I have decided balance is the key. Maybe a little less gluten will help my system (I was told gluten is like "glue" and holds things in your system), maybe adding a little meat once in a while and maybe not having an extreme amount of fruit.
So, I am enjoying a hamburger tonight on wheat bread, but with gluten free cookies and cranberry juice I have watered down.
Do you think my system will appreciate my new diet??
We will see.
Have a blessed evening!

Climbing for fun

He is three years old and had begun to climb a plastic mountain that would give him access to a number of slides (and a lot of fun). As he ascended, his eyes caught the site of another young boy, standing at the top of the mountain, in a still position, with a squirt gun pointing outward.
Trace, slowly continued his climb, keeping his eyes on the young boy, making sure his steps were on solid footing, and waiting for eye contact. Without missing a step in his ascent, and while finally fixated eye-to-eye, Trace spoke directly at the young carrier of the squirt gun.
"Don't even think about it." he stated emphatically.
Two more steps upward and he repeated his words.
"Don't even think about it."
He finished his ascent.
The young man took a step back, lowered the pistol to his side and Trace, giggling, ran for the slide.
Next time I am "climbing" upward and something looks like it may be a deterrent, I plan on learning from a three year old.
I plan on keeping my thoughts on the steps needed for the climb and the fun - and, when necessary, stating the obvious.
Let's not give any person the power to stop us from enjoying life :)
This is the day the Lord has made - we will rejoice and be glad in it!

Bunnies with Glasses?

We were having a sleepover when Macy mentioned her eye had an itch. Could it be the sand from the park or did the wind dry it out? Sometimes we don't get to know how something happened, we just need to deal with it. We lay there - with eye pads on our eyes - eye pads I had purchased at a salon a long time ago (do they have an expiration date?) and the woman at the salon had promised they would refresh my eyes and I would no longer have dark circles. Really?
I tried several attempts to keep them on - tried and tried to see a difference in my eyes, but the dark circles still appeared the next morning. They were nice eye pads, though, and my eyes liked the refreshing feeling even with dark circles remaining.
So, as I reached for them to refresh Macy's eyes from an itch, I read the ingredients - tea leaves. Hmmmm. My mom used to use wet tea bags whenever we had any kind of eye problem.
So, in our pajamas, her brother already asleep, Macy and I turned off the lights and put eye pads on both of our eyes and lay there - waiting. Within a few minutes, she asked all kinds of questions about these pads that I didn't have answers for - and then, that old joke from my childhood popped up.
"Macy, do you know why we know carrots are good for our eyes?" I asked.
"No, why, Grandma?" she asked.
"Because bunnies eat carrots and you never see a bunny with glasses." I quipped.
She giggled, and then we giggled together, for a couple of minutes - a wonderful couple of minutes before bedtime.
It's an old joke, just like tea bags on our eyes is an old remedy, but sometimes the old ones still work.
Here's to your next giggle - or if your eye itches - here's to your next tea bag :)

Really? An onion?

The ball game was cancelled due to bad weather, and driving home, we were running into Jewel. An ominous cloud covering was heading our way. I told El a story about the time I was in a Jewel with Macy and weather was bad. We waited out a tornado warning in the candy aisle - enjoying a box of nerds.
El headed toward produce and I headed toward the first aid aisle. Within minutes, an announcement asked all customers to head to the back of the store, as a tornado warning had been issued. I grabbed bite-x and joined the other customers amid the boxes, freezers and cement in the back room. El soon joined me with her future purchases. We were a group of around 15 waiting there - and as I showed El my bite-x, a white coat approached. "Are you questioning the product?" she asked. She was a pharmacist. I showed her the welt on my left arm.
Earlier today, while shoveling some rocks, something did not like me disturbing its home. "It doesn't itch, and this product takes away itching," I answered her.
"Do take some benadryl orally, for an allergic reaction," she said. "And, cut an onion in half and hold it on the welt to draw out anything that may be in there." "Onion?" I questioned. "Yes, any type," she said. I thanked her.
We made our purchases, including a new addition to my list - an onion. As we headed out, we both noticed a woman, sitting on a bench with her groceries bagged, whose body began to shake. The shaking increased as El and I walked toward her. With El on one side and me on the other, we held her up as a seizure took over her body. We called for help from the employees. Two came running and said this woman had a seizure earlier, and her friend had gone to get the car. El ran outside in the rain, found the friend and updated her on her friend's latest seizure.
We walked to our car, thinking of all that took place in a simple stop at Jewel.
When I got home, as I took the pharmacist's advice and removed the onion from sitting on my welt, the red welt was now flesh colored and the swelling was down 90%.
Really?
An onion?

Joy

We were walking down the street, 2 year old Maddy and I, when we heard small children playing in their back yard. We turned toward their yard to watch, said hello, and there it was. Joy - in the form of children giggling as they jumped in a small wading pool. Maddy, without hesitation (or a swimsuit), immediately jumped in. Splashing and giggling, she shrieked with joy.
Such a small amount of water, not wearing the correct apparel and not aware of anything other than one thing - enjoying life.
Could it really be that easy? Could we stop thinking about what others think or what clothes we are wearing?
Maddy did.
I think she searches for fun. I think it is natural in her.
Did it used to be natural in us and we "grew up"?
I picture God, watching us each day, like I was watching Maddy - and I think He enjoys watching us enjoy life. It sure did brighten my day to watch her have so much fun.
Can we just jump in and giggle once in a while -
Maybe even search for fun?
And, in doing so, bring a smile to Our Father's face?
I can learn from a 2 year old.
Here's to finding joy today!