Hey, Tess and Aron! I don't really have much to say about leading you on this wild goose chase, except that I love you with all my heart! And that I'm feeling a little free and silly lately. I guess getting canned (I still love saying that!) for the first time in my life just has that effect.
So did you respond to the survey?
By the way, if you could somehow join us for church on Easter, that would be awesome. Also we'll be cooking an incredible meal later on. No strings attached, though. The rosemary leg of lamb, mint sauce, vegan garlic mashed potatoes and gravy, and ambrosia salad will all miss you.
We'll at least save the chocolate bunny heads for you, though. Otherwise, the little varmints are all ours from the neck down!
Love you forever, Ma
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
It's "Servolution" time!
Did I spell it right? Sure hope so. I have great admiration for those who are able to come up with unique words like that. And I pray (join me now) that "servolution" becomes a concept that gets us (NLCC) SO fired up, it starts a ripple effect that goes on and on, and ON! And that because of it, the word "servolution" will actually be in a semi-normal dictionary no more than 10 years from now.
Hey, God's BIG... It could happen!!!!
Our culture already knows the concept, of course. We hear phrases like "puttin' your money where your mouth is" and "walkin' the talk." Unfortunately, we also hear things like, "Hell no, I'm not going to church! Those church people are all hypocrites! They want ME to obey a bunch of rules that THEY don't even follow!" And how sad that sometimes that assessment is truer than we'd like to admit.
So what I'm saying is, let's take church (God's doings) outside of the church (an inanimate building). Let's change the stereotype some people have of "church." While we're at it, let's change THE WORLD. Jesus did. And we are His agents of change today.
"Change you can believe in"? We already have a Messiah, thanks very much. His name is Jesus. Know Him.
Pray, pray, PRAY! Get ready for SERVOLUTION! Get ready for God's move!
Hey, God's BIG... It could happen!!!!
Our culture already knows the concept, of course. We hear phrases like "puttin' your money where your mouth is" and "walkin' the talk." Unfortunately, we also hear things like, "Hell no, I'm not going to church! Those church people are all hypocrites! They want ME to obey a bunch of rules that THEY don't even follow!" And how sad that sometimes that assessment is truer than we'd like to admit.
So what I'm saying is, let's take church (God's doings) outside of the church (an inanimate building). Let's change the stereotype some people have of "church." While we're at it, let's change THE WORLD. Jesus did. And we are His agents of change today.
"Change you can believe in"? We already have a Messiah, thanks very much. His name is Jesus. Know Him.
Pray, pray, PRAY! Get ready for SERVOLUTION! Get ready for God's move!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Doing My Work Heartily...
I haven't had anything interesting to say since losing my job... not that I ever did! And I STILL don't! I've worked more and harder since being let go than I have in a long time. I'll explain: For at least the short-term I got picked up by the company that Emanuel is outsourcing to, primarily to work on the Radiology module which isn't "going over" to the new company for reasons I don't know enough "computer geek" to explain or even understand myself. So I'm still at my old workstation doing Radiology, while not having to answer phones or do any of the other troubleshooting I used to help with, since I DON'T REALLY WORK THERE! In the meantime I'm trying to learn their main systems, which so far don't strike me as very user-friendly, but it's probably too soon to tell. Since being "canned" (I love using that word! It sounds so dramatic!) I have worked every single day except last Sunday. And I'll be working today, as well. I think they may have underestimated the volume of work that'd be coming from Emanuel.
This morning I feel like I've been run over by a truck; the fibromyalgia is screaming at me, with my dirty house chiming in. So why would I want to do this to myself, while seemingly helping out an employer who maybe didn't show a lot of loyalty to me (and others)? For the very simple reason that I felt like the Lord asked me to. With several Bible verses to reinforce the idea. Didn't tell me... He asked me, very lovingly and graciously. He's my very life... How could I refuse Him?
No one asked about the dentist, but I'll tell you anyway. I have a big phobia about going to the dentist. I needed two fillings redone on opposite sides of my mouth. In a seemingly nonsensical move I decided to have them both done at the same time just to get the whole thing out of the way. Guess when I got that done? You guessed it... on the very last day of my dental coverage. Go figure... "more than coincidence"!
Still no word on the COBRA insurance, but Elizabeth is finally improving now on steroids.
Thanks for all the prayers, and for all the words of encouragement. The Family of God rocks!!!
This morning I feel like I've been run over by a truck; the fibromyalgia is screaming at me, with my dirty house chiming in. So why would I want to do this to myself, while seemingly helping out an employer who maybe didn't show a lot of loyalty to me (and others)? For the very simple reason that I felt like the Lord asked me to. With several Bible verses to reinforce the idea. Didn't tell me... He asked me, very lovingly and graciously. He's my very life... How could I refuse Him?
No one asked about the dentist, but I'll tell you anyway. I have a big phobia about going to the dentist. I needed two fillings redone on opposite sides of my mouth. In a seemingly nonsensical move I decided to have them both done at the same time just to get the whole thing out of the way. Guess when I got that done? You guessed it... on the very last day of my dental coverage. Go figure... "more than coincidence"!
Still no word on the COBRA insurance, but Elizabeth is finally improving now on steroids.
Thanks for all the prayers, and for all the words of encouragement. The Family of God rocks!!!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Down But Not Out (And Not Really That Down)
Many thanks to those who have expressed their concern about the news on my last post. I'm serious, I really am having fun, in a way. Serious about having fun. I have no idea what I'll be doing or whom I'll be working for a year from now, but in the meantime, it's an interesting ride. Knowing the Lord makes such a difference! (No duh!)
One somewhat urgent prayer request I would make is that our health insurance situation would be cleared up quickly. I'm anxiously awaiting paperwork to sign up for COBRA. Anxious because my stepdaughter Elizabeth, who is in her first year of college, has (as far as can be determined) no other insurance coverage to fall back on, and she has been so sick lately.
And remind me to tell you about the dentist!
One somewhat urgent prayer request I would make is that our health insurance situation would be cleared up quickly. I'm anxiously awaiting paperwork to sign up for COBRA. Anxious because my stepdaughter Elizabeth, who is in her first year of college, has (as far as can be determined) no other insurance coverage to fall back on, and she has been so sick lately.
And remind me to tell you about the dentist!
Friday, February 29, 2008
A Sabbath Rest
After 17 years as an employee of Emanuel Medical Center, I was let go yesterday as a cost-cutting measure. Not just me, but all the "in-house" transcriptionists. Effective immediately, Emanuel is now outsourcing all medical transcription.
It's an interesting time. I find myself genuinely excited about what the Lord has in store for me.
You can ask my Mike if this is true: Several weeks ago seemingly out of the clear blue sky I told him, "for some reason I just feel like I'm not going to be working at Emanuel much longer."
So it was kind of cool to realize firsthand that (1) yes, the Lord DOES speak to His children today, and (2) I guess I really really AM one of His children.
Forgiveness is really very freeing. I highly recommend it! If you are reading this and are harboring any unforgiveness in your heart, I say for your own sake, offload that emotion as quickly as you are able. The Lord WILL avenge, if any vengeance is called for. His Word says that is in His hand... so leave it there and rest!
I do ask for prayer for Emanuel: That those who make these kinds of decisions would always seek the Lord and trust in His ways. May they never dishonor that holy Name: God with us!
Meanwhile, I say that life can be hard, and we need to rest in Him. Count on nothing but the Lord. He is our everything, a Romans 8:28 kind of God. He is for us, so who can be against us? No one I'm going to worry about! I belong to Him... Hope you do, too!
It's an interesting time. I find myself genuinely excited about what the Lord has in store for me.
You can ask my Mike if this is true: Several weeks ago seemingly out of the clear blue sky I told him, "for some reason I just feel like I'm not going to be working at Emanuel much longer."
So it was kind of cool to realize firsthand that (1) yes, the Lord DOES speak to His children today, and (2) I guess I really really AM one of His children.
Forgiveness is really very freeing. I highly recommend it! If you are reading this and are harboring any unforgiveness in your heart, I say for your own sake, offload that emotion as quickly as you are able. The Lord WILL avenge, if any vengeance is called for. His Word says that is in His hand... so leave it there and rest!
I do ask for prayer for Emanuel: That those who make these kinds of decisions would always seek the Lord and trust in His ways. May they never dishonor that holy Name: God with us!
Meanwhile, I say that life can be hard, and we need to rest in Him. Count on nothing but the Lord. He is our everything, a Romans 8:28 kind of God. He is for us, so who can be against us? No one I'm going to worry about! I belong to Him... Hope you do, too!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Peace of my Mind
Yesterday (Saturday) as I was getting ready for work I was thinking about the new contact lenses I was waiting for and badly needed. I'd called to order them two weeks before and they'd never taken so long. People weren't returning my calls as to why and I was starting to suspect they'd lost my order or something. I was getting more and more ticked, to be honest.
Then I started fantasizing about going in and giving them a piece of my mind. I mean just really laying it on the line, Big Girl style! Yes, I find myself thinking that way sometimes, though not as much as I used to. But this was different, because as I pictured myself doing it, I realized I could really do it! No so long ago if something like this ever got beyond the imagining stage, I'd either lose it and cry, or just sound stupid and whiny. But I realized: NO, I could really pull this off.
Then the Holy Spirit spoke up. Actually I think He'd been speaking up but I'd kind of not been listening. He said, "What are you thinking??" or words to that effect. And I realized I couldn't do it. Not because I couldn't, but because I shouldn't. I just find it ironic that now that I can pull off something like that, I can't!
My point is that it's little road signs like this that show me that I am changing... even though the change never seems big enough or fast enough, it's happening.
Like not that long ago I couldn't imagine myself getting up in front of church at the end of a service and praying with people. And now I do. "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
And can NOT do. When not doing is good.
Then I started fantasizing about going in and giving them a piece of my mind. I mean just really laying it on the line, Big Girl style! Yes, I find myself thinking that way sometimes, though not as much as I used to. But this was different, because as I pictured myself doing it, I realized I could really do it! No so long ago if something like this ever got beyond the imagining stage, I'd either lose it and cry, or just sound stupid and whiny. But I realized: NO, I could really pull this off.
Then the Holy Spirit spoke up. Actually I think He'd been speaking up but I'd kind of not been listening. He said, "What are you thinking??" or words to that effect. And I realized I couldn't do it. Not because I couldn't, but because I shouldn't. I just find it ironic that now that I can pull off something like that, I can't!
My point is that it's little road signs like this that show me that I am changing... even though the change never seems big enough or fast enough, it's happening.
Like not that long ago I couldn't imagine myself getting up in front of church at the end of a service and praying with people. And now I do. "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
And can NOT do. When not doing is good.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Bla Bla Blog!
As people always seem to say on their new blogs, "everyone else is doing it, so I am, too!" or words to that effect. Sometimes just for fun I hit the "next blog" button on my blog (with parental controls in place) just to go to random blogs, and it seems like everyone IS doing it! I'm fascinated by how smart, beautiful, funny, talented, unique, and (sometimes) "not from around here" people are.
("Not from around here" is a euphemism my friend and coworker Beverly and I put into use. Whenever we'd get a new doctor at the hospital we'd ask, "how's his [or her] dictation?" If a thick accent was involved we'd simply say, "Well, he's not from around here.")
I know God knows and loves every single person on Blogger. And beyond. (I love the line from one of my favorite movies, "Galaxy Quest": "To infinity, and beyond!") It's kind of staggering to consider.
Like prayer. The question, "How can God hear everyone's prayer at once?" used to be a real stumper for me. I can remember making the choice not to pray many times because I didn't want to "bother" God with yet one more prayer. I think that may still be an issue for some, and another example of how we limit an infinite God with our finite thinking.
Philip Yancey says, "A God unbound by our rules of time has the ability to invest in every person on earth. God has, quite literally, all the time in the world for each one of us. The psalmist exclaimed that 'a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by,' and the reverse also applies: to God, one day is like a thousand years. The common question, 'How can God listen to millions of prayers at once?' betrays an inability to think outside time. I cannot imagine a being who can hear billions of prayers in thousands of languages because I am stunted by my humanity. Trapped in time, I cannot conceive of infinity. The distance between God and humanity -- a distance that no one can grasp -- is, ironically, what allows intimacy."
I so love that. All the time in the world. For me. For you!
("Not from around here" is a euphemism my friend and coworker Beverly and I put into use. Whenever we'd get a new doctor at the hospital we'd ask, "how's his [or her] dictation?" If a thick accent was involved we'd simply say, "Well, he's not from around here.")
I know God knows and loves every single person on Blogger. And beyond. (I love the line from one of my favorite movies, "Galaxy Quest": "To infinity, and beyond!") It's kind of staggering to consider.
Like prayer. The question, "How can God hear everyone's prayer at once?" used to be a real stumper for me. I can remember making the choice not to pray many times because I didn't want to "bother" God with yet one more prayer. I think that may still be an issue for some, and another example of how we limit an infinite God with our finite thinking.
Philip Yancey says, "A God unbound by our rules of time has the ability to invest in every person on earth. God has, quite literally, all the time in the world for each one of us. The psalmist exclaimed that 'a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by,' and the reverse also applies: to God, one day is like a thousand years. The common question, 'How can God listen to millions of prayers at once?' betrays an inability to think outside time. I cannot imagine a being who can hear billions of prayers in thousands of languages because I am stunted by my humanity. Trapped in time, I cannot conceive of infinity. The distance between God and humanity -- a distance that no one can grasp -- is, ironically, what allows intimacy."
I so love that. All the time in the world. For me. For you!
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