Monthly Archives: October 2010

Oct 17 2010

Timing Is Everything

Many of us have heard this saying and I was reminded of it this weekend. We took a trip to see our friends who, according to our GPS, live 3 1/2 hours north of us. But whenever we visit, no matter what time of day or day of the week we leave, it ends up being a 5 hour trip. The way back, fine. But when we’re going, anxious to see our friends, 5 hours. Every. Single. Time. Whether traffic, bad weather, I have to use the bathroom every hour (yes, I’m worse than the kids), Dan can’t wait to eat (he’s also worse than the kids), Ashley or Kaylee getting car sick, etc . . .

There’s many other areas of my life where the “timing is everything” principle applies.

We bought our house in 2005, and now it’s valued at $165,000 less than what we paid.   

When teaching, I must gage the atmosphere of my class as to when to teach what. Yes, I have lesson plans for each day, but sometimes the kids need me to mix things up a bit.

Also in parenting, when to discipline. If we’re really frustrated, it’s better for me to send the girls to their rooms for 5-10 minutes so they can cool down and I can cool down before I start yelling and they think their feelings aren’t being respected.

In medicine. We caught Ashley’s Vitiligo fairly quickly, so hopefully the medicines she apples to her skin daily will work to contain the disease.

This is also a Biblical principle. Jesus spoke a lot about timing, but my favorite verse about this is from Esther 4:14, when Mordecai tells her, “And who knows but that you have come to this position for such a time as this?”

“Timing is everything” certainly seems to be the theme song of my life for the past year as I try to become a published author. There have been times when I pray about my story and felt God lead, and then its lead to another rejection. So I go, “Ok, was that just me? Or did I hear him right but it’s just not meant to be yet?” And then God reminded me it took 4 years of college to become a teacher. I believe God is using this time to expand and deepen the abilities he already put in me. I think we must learn to listen for his voice as to the timing of our lives (through prayer and reading of his word). Many times I don’t understand what he wants me to do with my story, so I wait faithfully. That’s the hard part for me. Just ask my husband.

But I also believe in another saying, “When God closes one door, he opens another.” I watch with eagerness, so I’ll be willing to step out in faith when the time is right. B/c usually when God is leading, the opportunity is scary, but so much more exciting!

What about you? What are the “timing is everything” areas of your life???

Oct 10 2010

Born 2 Fly

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” Nice quote from Dale Carnegie.

Have you ever faced a hopeless situation? Maybe a divorce, abuse, your child rebelling, a fatal disease, unemployment, a death of someone you held dear??? The list goes on and on. But one hopeless situation you may have never thought or heard about is child trafficking. Today I’m blogging about a friend who is one of those rare people making a dent in seemingly hopeless situations. Her name is Diana Scimone, a lovely lady I met through Chi Alpha Campus Ministry at UCF twelve years ago. She is a children’s author as well as director of The Born 2 Fly project, committed to stopping child trafficking around the world. Today on 10.10.10, her organization is hoping for 10,000 people to give $10.

Fact: Each year one million kids are trafficked for sex around the world where they’re raped for profit 30-40 times per night. I think most of us would give an arm and/or a leg to stop something like this from happening before our very eyes . . . so will you care enough to give $10 today to reach these kids before the traffickers do? (BTW, if you think this doesn’t happen in America, you’re wrong). In Diana’s own words, “Traffickers think kids are commodities, let’s tell kids they’re priceless.” The link to give is below. Thanks for letting me preach today:):):)

Donate $10: Just click the orange ChipIn button here to donate via PayPal or credit card.

http://dianascimone.typepad.com/diana_scimone/

Oct 3 2010

AWKWARD!!!

The other day I was driving with this guy right on my bumper but there was nowhere to get out of his way. When the car in front of me finally did change lanes, we were approaching a red light so I wasn’t gonna race to the red light just to appease this jerk behind me. But of course he changes lanes in a huff and stares at me the whole red light and I just kept thinking, “That’s AWKWARD!”

 I started contemplating other awkward situations, like at school when I’m the only one walking down the hall and it’s empty but then someone waaaaaaaaaaaay down the hall appears on the same side as me and I think, Ok, do I wave now and move to the other side, wait until we’re closer to do it and smile and say hi? Do I just keep my head down?  Does anyone else worry about such things or are these just the mad rantings going on in my head alone?

And of course the mother of all mother awkward situations is when 1.) You get asked if you’re pregnant, and you’re not! or/and 2.) YOU ask someone if they’re pregnant, and they’re not!  I must admit both happened to me twice. Once, when I visited a church for the first time and during the meet and greet someone asked me when I was due, to which I said, “Oh no, I just had a baby!” (Trying to play it off) but then she asks, “Oh, how old is your baby?” And I had to admit that Ashley was in fact already 3 mo. old and I still wore maternity clothes (I should note I gained 60 pds w/ her and was very surprised when I didn’t have a 60 pd baby and had to lose all that weight). Another time I was asked if I was prego was at school, but I won’t embarrass the culprit;)

But like I said, I can’t waggle my finger at anyone because as much as I hate to admit it, I’ve done the same thing (shrugs). Once to one of our acquaintances from high school whom we hadn’t seen in a while but when we saw them 4 mo earlier, I could’ve SWORN she said she was pregnant and they were painting the nursery but demonstrating my ADHD once again (SQUIRREL!) it was actually that she told me there were taking the nursery down b/c their son was turning 2 and he was getting a big boy room. So when I asked, “When are you due?” And she said, “Oh, I’m just fat.” Talk about mortification!

The other time was to a complete stranger- the cashier at the Disney store and yes, I know the cardinal rule that you never ask anyone this under any circumstance unless you’re absolutely, positively 100% sure . . . but I’m telling you, even a 9-month pregnant woman could not have a more prego belly than this girl. I’m still convinced she was messin’ w/ me;)

Soooooooo, what are your “That’s so awkward!” moments? Do share!!!