I can do some things through Christ who strengthens me.

Sharing scars

Plop Plop Fizz Fizz

Many of you probably remember what comes after the “pop pop fizz fizz”. It’s

The Lord Helps Those Who Help Themselves — NOT!

Love Is Patient

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul tells us agape love is patient and kind.

Patience is a by-product of tribulation; it’s not granted, it’s earned. Don’t ask God for patience. He will remind you that you earn a degree of patience as you plow through each trial in life.

We have lived with mental illness (our trial) in our family for years. If I hadn’t earned a mega dose of patience along the way I would have had my own psychotic break by now.

Granted, you can’t earn patience driving in Interstate traffic. Or when the snack machine eats your money. But you can learn to change your responses when impatience triggers occur.

Speaking from experience, things go much better for me in life if I do two things when impatience triggers occur. 1) Stop, take a deep breath and count to ten; and 2) say the Serenity Prayer to myself.

Zip-a-dee-do-dah

One Reader’s Thougthful Comments

God Never Allows More Than We Can Bear. Oh, Yes, He Does!

Plop Plop, Fizz Fizz

Many folks probably remember what comes after the “fizz fizz”. It’s “Oh, what a relief it is” from the iconic Alka Seltzer commercials.Ol’ Speedy has been hawking his antacid since 1951,

Reading Any Self-Help Books? What For?

Self help is an oxymoron.

A popular quote from folks who don’t know any better says, “God helps those who help themselves.”

No He doesn’t.

Chinks! — Part II

In Chinks–Part I we talked about a chink in my driveway that caused us major problems, disrupted our cable TV, phone and Internet service, and tore up our driveway and front yard for weeks. Let’s look at some things in our lives that cause chinks.

Chinks! — Part I

Chinks — Part I — How it all starts

I was backing down my driveway on my way to work one day and noticed the expansion joint nearest the street was damp in one small spot. When I got home from work the entire expansion joint (Expansion joints are those driveway dividers that allow the concrete to expand without tearing up the driveway. I had to look it up) was wet. The next morning the whole section of our driveway was wet and we saw this two-inch spout of water bubbling up where the driveway met the street.

Long story short–a county road crew tore up my driveway and half my yard. They had to replace a 15-foot section of pipe about ten feet below ground.  When they got to the pipe I saw the chink that caused all the trouble. It looked like a hairline fracture in a broken arm x-ray.  From ground level the crack was about the size of a magic marker meandering along the top of the pipe. That tiny chink seeped water for days and saturated the ground above it all the way to the lawn. The force of the water leaking from that chink had nowhere else to go. It finally found my driveway.

Aren’t we like that sometimes?

Lawyers Say The Darndest Things

Lawyer jokes are almost as popular in America as blond jokes. A friend sent me these actual questions and responses from courtroom witness stands. They’re a hoot.  The funnies are excerpts from a book called Disorder in the Court**

Enjoy!