Stressed Out

A lot of us use the term "stressed out" when we feel pressure to do something out of our comfort zone. It's probably not possible to live one day without dealing with our own or hearing about another person's "stress". But, did you know that the word "stress", used as a syndrome or symptom of behavior didn't come about until the 1930's.
A man named Selye coined the the use of the word. He lectured about distress (bad stress) and eustress (good stress), for the rest of his life. Most scientists, at the time, thought his theories weren't soundly researched. There was, they said, no way to scientifically measure "stress". Poor Selye. He must have felt a whole lot of "stress"!
If I were going to define modern stress, I would use one word.....worry. Stress, I firmly believe, occurs when we worry about the future or worry about the past. It's there when we worry about our health, our children, our finances, our spouses and our retirement funds. We get stressed when we look back and worry about we have said or done, days or even years ago. We find it vewry hard to live in the present. We cannot predict the future or change the past. When we live in the present, we eliminate a whole bunch of stress, and our lives seem so much better.
When I get to worrying too much, I refer to two resources.... my mother and the Bible. Mom always said, "Nancy, quit being such a worrier. Whatever you are worried about won't make any difference 100 years from now!"
And the Bible says, in Philippians 4:6-7, to stop worrying and start praying. All things are possible with prayer. 

Oh Lord. Why do we worry? Where is our Faith? You have promised us everlasting life. What else is there? Help us to make wise decisions and to live life abundantly, praising your Name forever.

Ring-around-the Rampsies

I took my longest route to work the other day and shaved 10 minutes off my commute time. No, it wasn't a national holiday, but a regular, everybody-goes-to-work Thursday. Feeling very lucky, I dared to reverse my morning trip and made it home in record time that evening.
What miracle occurred, you might ask?  Well, I stepped out of my comfort zone or actually drove out of my comfort zone. Truth is, I was in a road routine rut. You see, we have lived in the same neighborhood for over 30 years and we have faithfully accessed a near-by highway by the same entrance and exit ramps, for that exact period of time. This route takes us through a small business area and is, I now know, a time consuming stretch.
A while ago, maybe a couple of years now, there was some construction between our house and the previously mentioned ramps. We knew they were building one of those traffic roundabouts (a double one, no less) but, we didn't even notice that they also built new off and on ramps, to the highway.
Lo and behold, the new ramps allow us to by-pass the shops and offices, and get right on and off the highway. Voila! A shorter commute.
Will wonders never cease?

Good God: We are so thankful that you allow us to learn new things everyday. Keep showing us that just because "We've always done it that way", routine can sometimes hurt us and keep us from growing both emotionally and spiritually. Change can be a very good thing. Open our eyes, that we might see the visions you have for us. We are ever blessed by your faithfulness.

"...when you're perfect in every way."

I wear an nice brown apron at my new job. To some of you that might not be such a big deal, but believe me, I find it very humbling. Certainly not humiliating. Just humbling.
For years, I have been ANTI-APRON. Often, I have volunteered
with groups who have sought to designate their members by some type of uniform. Matching bandannas, tee shirts, hats, collars, pins,  etc. And, every once in a while, someone would suggest wearing aprons. At that point, I would always voice my opinion and declare aprons as sexist, cutesy and way too demeaning. After all, women have important work to do, in and out of the kitchen. Aprons just smacked of cooking and dirty dishes. I refused to wear an apron, at any event, under any circumstances.
Now, I'm wearing a cobbler's apron, every day at the store. It is very possible that God is trying to get my attention.

Wise and loving Lord: You always know what is best for us. Keep us ever mindful of our limitations and show us the best ways to do your work. We give you thanks for the lessons that you teach us. Humble us. Bless us as we go about our daily lives.

Photo Op

My attention and interest has been inexplicably drawn to photographs, lately. Maybe I am getting bored by the printed word or I could be just slipping into another phase of aging. There really could be a stage, as yet unresearched, where seniors just start ignoring the printed word (a post-reading syndrome, perhaps) and just look at the pictures. Perhaps this phenomena is the beginning of my intellectual reversal.
While perusing the pix, several questions have popped into my head.
Why are the faces in most publicity photos of boy bands, rock groups and rap artists so serious? Not a smile from any of these folks. I thought making music was considered a joyful pursuit. It's not as if any of these musicians are being photographed in a salt mine doing forced labor! And, I think they are all making above minimum wage.
And likewise, why do all 20-30 something women now pose with their hands on their hips? Who started that? Was is Madonna or Lady GaGa? Honestly,
attendance at a local charity event, dressed in a Jaquelyn Smith ensemble, doesn't require the same pose as a red carpet celebrity wearing Prada.
And, finally. When did baseball caps get so big? Have they always rested on the ears of the players? Today's fielders resemble children wearing the uniforms of their fathers and uncles.The obvious comment would be about brain size, but I'm not going there.
So, maybe I am a bit crabby this morning. But, what is this world coming to?


Good and Gracious God: It really takes all kinds of folks to make up your marvelous world. We are truly thankful for our differences and our similarities. We honor your
creativity. We are thankful for our many blessings. Be with us today as we work toward your Glory.
 

Surprise! Surprise!

A few of my previous posts have dealt with happenings on my daily commute to work. Today, it is a bit more of the same.
Sometimes in the course of human events, an incident or perhaps an accident will cause me to veer off my usual route. Due to lane closures on the downtown freeway loop, I've found myself on unfamilar roads twice this week.
My first experence led me down one sparsely traveled trafficway through the center of an industrial district. As I approached an intersection, I looked up and saw a 1940's era DC-3 airliner, attached to a bunch of steel girders, and posed or maybe I should write poised for take-off. I'm not describing a model airplane. This thing is the real deal. It's huge and acts, I later read, as advertising for a local coffee company. Well, it certainly is eye catching.
The next afternoon, I decided to angle my way across downtown, to avoid the loop and some equally annoying congestion around the entertainment district. This route led me past the red and white TWA Mooliner Rocket Ship. (TWA stands for Trans World Airlines, for any readers that I might have under the age of 60.) This decorative (TWA did not actually have flights to the moon.) piece of 1960's memorabilia sits atop an office building, as if it is ready to blast off into space.
Life is full of great surprises and we can experience them if we are able to persuade ourselves to make a few changes in our daily routines.
It's the road less traveled.

Heavenly Spirit. You created the wonders and glories of this planet. Show us how to enjoy all that You offer us. There are many branches on Your trees and many stars in Your heavens. Help us learn to focus on what we have and not so much on what we don't have. We honor You.

The Me Generation

In the past month, I have been fortunate enough to secure suitable part-time employment. The work is enjoyable and the environment is safe, clean, comfortable, and empowering. My fellow workers are especially nice. This new job, my first adventure into retail sales, is proving to be fun and rewarding. It's a pleasure to get up and go to work.
Because of what we sell, nearly all of our clients are senior citizens. One day last week, every one of my customers was well over the age of 90. It appears that when folks become nonagenarians, they WANT to tell you their age.
Many of our elderly clients are accompanied by their adult children, and these care-givers, most of them senior citizens themselves, are amazing. They open doors, adjust walkers, provide stability and gently offer advice to their parents. They are kind and caring. They are beyond generous, often paying for their parents' purchases. I have not heard one harsh or impatient comment from any of them.
Gee whiz. Wasn't our generation supposed to be the most selfish and "me" directed group of folks ever produced? We weren't going to look out for anyone but ourselves. Well, I'm not seeing it.
What I am seeing is heatwarming. I am truly blessed.

Oh Lord, giver of all that is good, thank you for the opportunity to serve. Bless all of those who honor their parents. Continue to guide and direct them.
Life throws us all kinds of challenges, and we know, with certainty, that You are there to help us.
We glorify Your name.

..after all.

The world appears to reduce in size every day. With our pads, pods, notebooks and other electronic devices we have the ability to connect with our friends and family in an instant. We can tweet, skype and chat with anyone at anytime. We can talk, listen and view the entire planet, with the touch of a finger.
Odd as it may seem, however, the folks at this house still read a daily newspaper. There is just something about holding the printed version of the news and reading it at one's leisure that continues to appeal to us.
Yesterday, we noticed something new about our morning journal. My husband opened up the paper for a quick scan of yesterday's sports scores and it fell out of his hands. Then, I leaned over to grab the local news section from the coffee table and promptly dropped the front page.
The entire newspaper was smaller than usual. Our paper had shrunk! Overnight, the publisher of our local paper reduced the size of the newsprint by about 1.5 inches, on all sides.
Now, before you retort with a disgusted "so what", think about it. Besides causing old folks to bend over, what will this change do to people who use the newspaper to line their bird cages? What about when someone needs an makeshift umbrella, a paper sailboat or a "yankee doodle hat"? What am I going to use to protect the floor, the next time I start a painting project? Size does make a difference.
Walt was right. It really is a small, small world.

Holy Lord: The more the world changes, the more it stays the same. Help us adapt and embrace everything that comes our way. Be with us as we meet the challenges of our lives. We thank you for your steadfast love and presence.

*Oh, and I think the print is getting smaller by the day, too!