Batty

You've heard of bats in the belfry, but have you ever heard of bats in the bedroom? According to my friend, most of the homes in her quaint and charming, center-city neighborhood, are infested with bats. These bats live in the attics, and they normally don't bother anyone. However, when the temperature soars to 100 and above, the bats, in my friend's house, slither down into her bedroom, via "the bat (attic) door", and hang around.....yeah, hang around in her bedroom.
She has learned to deal with the issue, by sealing "the bat door" with masking tape, preventing the bats from entering the bedroom. She says the bat invasion is quite common, so she and her neighbors have just learned to cope with the annoyance.
Believe me, it would only happen to me once. Not much scares me these days, but OMGolly, bats, spiders and snakes are my monsters. Bats in my bedroom. I would be scared spitless. Call the exterminator or the moving van.

Gracious Lord; We all have our fears. Help us to put them aside and seek your protection.Your wisdom, guidance and providing spirit is with us at all times.
No mattter how dark and scary our lives seem to be, You are our Shepherd and Savior.

On the Road Again........

I've been traveling for both work and pleasure. Being absent from my usual haunts and practices, for more than a week, has brought about the following thoughts and concerns.
Time passes and life does continue to go on as usual, when we are not around. I think that could be why it's so hard for us to readjust to our usual at home and work routine. We have to play catch up, when we come back home. We have to, and this may be a strange analogy, insert a couple of missed time clogs into our life wheel.
You'll remember that when a kindergartener arrives home, there is always a, "I'm back....time for life to start again" mentality. A little one never imagines that anything happened while he/she was gone!
But as we age, we know that is not true. And, it's hard for us to get back into the swing of things.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the Scooter Store Ads continued to arrive, the trash didn't get put out, the milk spoiled and the grass grew.
Getting away is a blessing, but the reality is, home is our anchor.

Gracious God. Creator of the Universe. No matter what we do or where we go, your grace and mercy surround us. Allow us to realize that You aren't going anywhere. You are with us through the ages.

Go Ahead and Toot Your Own Horn

My two-year old granddaughter has a new skill. She's very proud of what she has just learned to do and loudly proclaims to everyone she meets..."I did it!" The joy she emits, because of her accomplishment, is delightful and totally un-selfconscious.
My adult daughter called last night.She just happened to mention, very matter of factly, that she was attending a meeting at the White House, next week. The White House! I wanted her to shout...."I did it!"
Seriously. Why can't we adults rejoice like children? It's okay to be proud of what we do. A wise man once told me "Children are often very mature. As we age we often grow out of that maturity".  An even wiser man said, "...unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven".
Somewhere along our life journey, we learn that being proud of what we do, is bragging. And, bragging is not good. But, being proud of what we accomplish, is just fine. Go on and don't be afraid to tell everyone, "I did it!" Those who truly love you, will rejoice in your happiness.

Dear Lord: You've told us that being child-like is a good thing. Teach us to be truthful, kind, honest and joyful.  Help us to concentrate on the blessings that you have given us and allow us to rejoice in the beauty of this world. Thank you for hanging around with your children.