Outside My Window

Outside my window... it’s beautiful and warm here in sunny South Carolina… feels like Springtime. :)

I am thinking... about the future.

I am wondering... what I can do to help.

I am thankful for... sunshine and the time for a long walk this morning.

In the learning rooms... I’ve been challenged this last week by Beth Moore in “A Heart Like His” as she looks at David’s fall into sin.

In the kitchen... I just finished cleaning and putting everything away… ahhh… :)

I am wearing... Track pants, tech shirt and jacket – and my favorite pink hat.

I am creating... not a whole lot these days – too busy. But I do hope to get back to sorting out things in my attic when I get home!

I am going... to Winterfest at the end of the week and really looking forward to it!

I am reading... a book called ‘Switch’ that’s making me rethink a lot of ways that I approach solving problems and change.

I am hoping... that my time here will be helpful.

I am hearing... Shelby’s footsteps up in her room – wonder what she’s doing up there?

Around the house... pretty sunflowers in a vase across the room, a puzzle waiting to be put together, too much Valentine’s candy. :)

I am praying... for my sister and and for friends who are hurting.

One of my favorite things... was spending this past weekend with Mackenzie up at Lipscomb and all the excitement that comes with that.

A picture to share... ‘Presidential Scholars Dinner’ at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Simply *Un*organized

OK, so this is my sister Lisa - master organizer extraordinare... :) Check her out at www.simplyorganizedsc.com. She actually makes money turning other peoples' disorganized messes into places of order, serenity and joy. :)

That's her business logo - cute, huh? :)

And then there's me... the great procrastinator extraordinare. ;-) I don't have a logo and I don't make any money with this 'talent' .... ha. So I'm turning myself in. I need some accountability. I'm posting a picture here of boxes and boxes of pictures and video tapes that I pulled out of my attic today. There may be more, I'm not sure - I *think* I got them all. But, hmmm, I only looked in ONE of the attics - there is another one. Oh dear...

ANYWAYS... here's the picture - my guest room is about to become a war zone... haha. There is no telling what all I will find - but it's close to 30 years worth of pictures. Anna's hope is that I will find more baby pictures in here somewhere - poor second child...

So if you are reading this and you see me, please ask me how this 'project' is going - I plan to start in full force on it on Monday... hopefully you'll see updates as I go along. If you don't, please feel free to call me on it and shame me into getting this done!! ;-)

Regrets

Sigh of relief. I'm glad January is done. I usually like it's approach -- the thought of a new year and a fresh start and resolutions and all that. But it packs a punch, too, like...
Regret

...over one too many deserts over the holidays
...the sluggishness and extra pounds from completely falling off the wagon on any kind of exercise plan you once had (and finding way too many excuses not to start again)
...the credit card bill telling you that you spent too much money on Christmas presents
...resolutions that you are already behind on.

Regret - I've been thinking about that recently. It's something I'm told I need to let go of, move on from. That spending too much time with regret is not helpful. God tells me that 'repentance leads to salvation that leaves NO regret.' (II Cor 7) But when I looked a little further into the subject of regret in the bible, I found out that even God had regrets. Really? Is that possible? How does God have regrets when He's never done anything wrong? Well, His regret was over our evil hearts (Gen 6) and rebellious ways (I Sam 15). It's sad that not even 6 chapters into the bible, God was already regretting that He had made us... wow. But it's interesting to me, too, that God, who has nothing to be sorry for and no need to change, seems to have 'changed' in response to His regret. After destroying all of mankind except Noah and starting over, He STILL knows that our hearts are evil, but this time chooses to make a covenant with Noah never to punish mankind by a flood again. And after Saul's disobedience and failure as king, He raises up David, who would not LOOK like a king, but would have the HEART of a king. That was a change, too.

So I saw this quote:
“I have no regrets in my life. I think that everything happens to you for a reason. The hard times that you go through build character, making you a much stronger person.” -- Rita Mero

I do agree that things happen for a reason and perhaps the hard times do build character, but no regrets? I wonder if this person ever had regrets over hurting someone? I'd admit that maybe it's cavalier to pull yourself up and proclaim that you have no regrets if the only person you've ever hurt is yourself with your potentially regrettable choices in life -- but when you've hurt others, and you say you have no regrets, it gives this quote a rather callous tone.

Here's another one:
“Regret is an odd emotion because it comes only upon reflection. Regret lacks immediacy, and so its power seldom influences events when it could do some good.” --William O'Rourke

This one speaks a bit more truth to me. Maybe if the regret could somehow play itself out before our eyes and heart BEFORE we jumped into the messes we find ourselves in, perhaps we would be able to avoid some costly mistakes. But then again, we are still human, so maybe not. I'd at least like to THINK that it would help...

That brings me to this last one:
“If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world.” -- Mercedes Lackey

Hmmm... I think I agree. I have quite a few 'if only' times in my life. Times I'd like to get back and do differently. Some have cost me dearly -- but what I regret most is those that have cost the people I love dearly. That's the stuff I find hard to let go of.

When I was little, my mom used to have one of those sayings that moms like to say. :) You know the one... "Two wrongs don't make a right!" Well, if you turn that around a bit, I think you often find that no amount of 'rights' can make up for a 'wrong.' At least it seems that way to me. And I hate that, because I want so badly to undo or make up for the wrongs and hurts I've done to others.

I guess this is the point where a lesson on fogiveness and grace should start, but for now I'm just going to say that I'm so thankful for both, from God and in my relationships. What possible hope would I have otherwise?

If you, LORD, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits,
and in His word I put my hope.

Ps 130:3-5