It's been a while since I've posted anything. Life has changed 180 degrees. It's amazing how much we as humans can withstand. As I've been dealing with personal struggles, I've also begun to see a horrible trend in the United States.

There is a lack of respect for authority.

**"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.  Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.  For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.  For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."

Let's look at public officials. From President Washington to President Trump we see the same thing. There are naysayers and there are devoted fans. Whether we are for or against, the respect given the office should still be there. There are ways to get your point made without publishing only bad press. Respect should be given THE OFFICE if you can't respect the man or woman.  

Law enforcement is particularly under siege. It's a sign of the times though. Each generation has lost a little of the awe of authority. Now we have laws that are enforced that require lawbreakers to have more rights than the ones who hold firm to the law. We see the lack of seriousness in taking another person's life. There's no accountability for the one who abides by the law or the lawbreaker. Every one points fingers at any and everyone but themselves.  We see the lack of respect for life in general. There is a moment in history that defines this. When Cain killed his brother Abel, because Abel's gift to God was honored more than his own. Cain became the law in his own eyes. This is what we see in today's justice system.

We see people believing they are above the enforcement of rules and regulations and make their own as they see fit. If law enforcement disagrees, then kill them. And the one who kills never gives thought that they took the last breath of life from someone's family member, friend, confidant AND mentor. 

To even further simplify this, I see people disobeying rules and regulations because they truly believe they are above reproach. The person who parks in the fire lane at a store and "runs" in for something. They truly feel they should not be cited for breaking the rules of authority. The persons who don't turn an assignment in on time yet expects the teacher to 'forgive' them because they are above the rules the teacher set before them.  The persons who are always late and expect others to abide by their lateness--after-all, they are above reproach. I could go on an on about the lack of respect for authority. Simply stated, laws were given for us to obey. The majority of these laws are there to protect us. Respect authority. 

Lastly, we see the lack of authority for our pastors. The majority of pastors have been called by God to assist us as we learn to trust God and not trust man. Conversely there are those who have called themselves into the roll of pastor. One must have great discernment to know the difference. It is so easy to get caught up in the feel good feeling of a great talker. 

There used to be a reverence toward "a man or woman of God" because of the calling. It is unfortunate that a few impostors have compromised the nature and reality of a true man or woman of God. 

I think the former sentence is the reason there is a lack of respect of those in authority. We as a people have grown accustomed to fake public officials, fake law enforcement and fake religious personnel for so long we are totally desensitized to the truth.

It is our responsibility to weigh the truth from a lie. It is our responsibility not to publicize a lie just because it lines up with our own credo. It is our responsibility to bring back the respectfulness of the position, by being a person of respect. We cannot wait for someone else. We need to begin today to bring back truth...justice...and love. (You thought I was going to say the American Way didn't you?) 

**Romans 13:1-7

Over a Year

I can't believe it's been over a year since I've penned a little about my thoughts. Today I'm feeling melancholy. It's my personality type, so I guess it's rightfully so. Nevertheless, I believe my heart is on my sleeve today.

I am so in love with my children. When they hurt, I hurt. When they are disappointed, I am disappointed. When they are happy, I'm happy for them. Through this year my oldest son tried his hardest to step up the ladder at work. Jumped through all the hoops, had to part with his family for the better of three months. Then the rug was pulled out from under him and he faced a disappointment I could feel 700 miles away. He's a fighter and will try again, but when one is faced with a major disappointment, what do you do? I try to be an encouragement to him, if it's only praying for him daily.
My daughter got married. She was surprised by this man who just dropped into her life. He took her off guard and swept her off her feet. They've been married almost five months now. I'm so happy for her. I want to hear her dreams for the future, her desires of her heart, and used to be that one. Happily I've been replaced, but I feel that empty nest syndrome again. I try to be an encouragement to her, if it's only praying for her daily.
My youngest son is going through a battle that is rarely heard about. His wife has amnesia. She doesn't know him. She doesn't know where she is and hasn't a clue who this man is that says he's her husband. When I talked to him this morning, my heart cried out. I didn't want to startle him with my emotions, but I tried to be an encouragement to him, if it was only a silent prayer for him and his wife.
My sweet friend Kerma lost her mother last November, and in the same week lost her 24 year old cat, Calli. Yesterday her father died suddenly. She's in New Hampshire, he's in Missouri. I tried to be an encouragement to her by praying over the phone with her.

Today as I talked with one of the ministers I work with, he stopped us in the middle of our meeting and prayed for these people.
As I walked down the hallway at work this morning, a sweet woman said "Ouida, we just got out of prayer group and I prayed for you out loud."
I am blessed to be a part of a praying church and am blessed that even at this moment, someone is praying for my sons, my daughter, my friend. It is humbling to know that our Father hears us.
You are an encouragement to me...mostly when you're praying for me. Thank you for lifting me up over this year. I feel like I've been in the eye of a hurricane, and now passing through the other side.
It's going to get rough, but God, my Husband is by my side. He is bigger than the wind, bigger than the storm and he is the gentle whisper in my soul.

Stuggling

Just pray.

Challenge

We had staff meeting this morning. It's always an inspirational time for me when our pastor gives us a challenge. As I try to incorporate the challenge today, I wanted to put it in writing, so I won't forget and others can strive toward it!

This should be a leader's prayer. (Taken from a book by Bill Hybels--forgot to write down the title!)

God, make me like:
David--- an optimist
Jonathan--loving people on and off duty
Daniel -- help me to have integrity and personal holiness
Joshua -- be decisive, be certain of what God wants to do without apologizing. Pray confidently. Instead of praying the "just" prayer (Lord just do this)
Solomon -- help me to have godly wisdom on a daily basis. When someone asks how they can pray for me, this should be my answer. Please pray that I have godly wisdom.
Jeremiah--emotionally authentic
Nehemiah -- celebrate even through the hard times
Peter -- take initiative
Barnabas -- be an encourager
and Paul -- be flat out intense.

And that's what I want to do. Please join me and pray for me as I work toward a goal that God has set ahead!

No surprises here!

I was invited to take this personality test. I have always liked taking these and spiritual gifts tests, because I like to see how God continues to mold me. In spiritual gifts, FAITH and DISCERNMENT have always been my strong suits, the others jump up and down. In personality tests, I'm the melancholy ... or the retriever. In this particular test I am called "GUARDIAN" which makes me smile. Because that's exactly who I am. You can take your free personality test at:
http://www.keirsey.com/

Here is me:
Guardians® (SJs) are the cornerstone of society, for they are the temperament given to serving and preserving our most important social institutions. Guardians have natural talent in managing goods and services--from supervision to maintenance and supply -- and they use all their skills to keep things running smoothly in their families, communities, schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses.

All Guardians share the following core characteristics:

•Guardians pride themselves on being dependable, helpful, and hard-working.
•Guardians make loyal mates, responsible parents, and stabilizing leaders.
•Guardians tend to be dutiful, cautious, humble, and focused on credentials and traditions.
•Guardians are concerned citizens who trust authority, join groups, seek security, prize gratitude, and dream of meting out justice.

Guardians can have a lot of fun with their friends, but they are quite serious about their duties and responsibilities. Guardians take pride in being dependable and trustworthy; if there's a job to be done, they can be counted on to put their shoulder to the wheel. Guardians also believe in law and order, and sometimes worry that respect for authority, even a fundamental sense of right and wrong, is being lost. Perhaps this is why Guardians honor customs and traditions so strongly -- they are familiar patterns that help bring stability to our modern, fast-paced world.

Practical and down-to-earth, Guardians believe in following the rules and cooperating with others. They are not very comfortable winging it or blazing new trails; working steadily within the system is the Guardian way, for in the long run loyalty, discipline, and teamwork get the job done right. Guardians are meticulous about schedules and have a sharp eye for proper procedures. They are cautious about change, even though they know that change can be healthy for an institution. Better to go slowly, they say, and look before you leap.

Guardians make up as much as 40 to 45 percent of the population, and a good thing, because they usually end up doing all the indispensable but thankless jobs the rest of the population takes for granted.

There are 4 types of guardians: Supervisor, Inspector, provider, protector. I have to pay to see which one I am, but I know me. And I believe I am provider/protector. Some famous guardians are:

Art & Entertainment/Sports/Journalism/Literature

•Louis B. Mayer (Provider)
•Jimmy Stewart (Protector)
•Andrea Mitchell (Protector)
•James Herriot (Protector)
•Fred McMurray
•Ed Sullivan (Provider)
•Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Protector)
•Barbara Walters (Provider)
•Larry King (Provider)
•Dan Rather (Supervisor)
•Mike Wallace (Supervisor)
•Vince Lombardi (Supervisor)
•Judith Scheindlin (Supervisor)
•Laura Schlessinger (Supervisor)
•Jack Webb (Supervisor)
•Thomas Hardy
•Andy Rooney
•Oscar Levant (Provider)
Politics/Government/Military
•President George Washington (Supervisor)
•President James K. Polk (Inspector)
•President William Howard Taft (Provider)
•President Harry S. Truman (Inspector)
•President Richard Nixon (Supervisor)
•President Gerald Ford (Provider)
•President Jimmy Carter (Supervisor)
•President George HW Bush (Protector)
•President Leonid Brezhnev (Provider)
•Queen Elizabeth I (Supervisor)
•Queen Elizabeth II (Inspector)
•Queen Victoria (Inspector)
•King George VI (Protector)
•Tsar Nicholas II (Protector)
•Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (Supervisor)
•Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes
•Justice Thurgood Marshall (Inspector)
•General Omar Bradley
•General Bernard Montgomery (Supervisor)
Business/Industry/Finance
•Warren Buffet (Inspector)
•Sam Walton (Provider)
•Ray Kroc (Provider)
•John D. Rockefeller (Inspector)
•Roy Disney (Inspector)
•Armand Hammer
•J C Penny
•F W Woolworth
•William K Kellogg
•Charles Post
•Andrew Mellon
Science/Education/Humanities/Philosophy/Religion
•Brigham Young (Supervisor)
•Thomas Hobbes (Supervisor)
•Rose Kennedy (Supervisor)
•Mother Teresa (Protector)
•Rosa Partks (Protector)
•Clara Barton (Protector)

My favorite quote from a Guardian is:
"Take responsibility for your life. If you're a victim, it's your fault. Stop being a victim. Get a grip!'
Judge Judith Sheindlin (Supervisor)

What's it like?

I smile as I look at the pictures of this friend's new hair-do, and this one's weight loss, and this one's new clothes. The confidence they show makes me happy for them and for me! I'm so glad I'm their friend!

I often wonder though, what's it like to be pretty. So pretty that you don't mind pictures being taken of you. So pretty that you don't take bad pictures...and when you do, everyone says it's awesome. "You've never taken an ugly picture" I say... and that's the truth.

I look at my pictures and all I see is my lazy eye, my double chin, my scraggly hair and the lack of confidence that oozes out of every pore.

I clap for my friends as they show their latest artwork. It is awesome. So absolutely breath-taking... looks like a photograph...looks real. Then I look at mine. It looks like a painting.

I pray for my friends as they go through perils of life. They ask me to pray and I do. I can do that.

I go to the throne room and bow before the King.

He tells me before I can pray for them, I must deal with my own junk. Daughter, beloved daughter, you are made in My image. You are perfect. I don't see what you see... I see the inside.

I smile.

I ask for forgiveness and start to pray. I'm stopped again. I'm reminded that each of us are given talents...some show, some do not. But we all have something we excel at. I feel His smile all over and I can't help but smile too.

I smile again.

Now?

Now He says. I pray for my friends, and He smiles.

And He smiles again.

sometimes you just have to put them on and get over it.