Life is a Buffet Speaking Event

  Hey ladies, I will be speaking at the Girlfriends Unlimited Christmas Party located at Hickory Ridge Community Church (HRCC) on December 10th, 2010. The event is from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. HRCC is located at 3320 S. Battlefield Blvd., Chesapeake, Va. Please contact the church for more information.

If you are in the area, please join us for good food, fellowship and lots of laughs.

Life is a Buffet Books, T-shirts and other items will be for sale so drop by and get your Christmas shopping done early.

Stewed at a Party

This is one of my favorite stories from "Life is a Buffet So Save Room for Dessert." Enjoy it!

Some years back, Robbie Lee and I lived across the street from an elderly couple with whom we had become great friends. Their names were Ann and Larry, and they were the sweetest couple you could hope to meet. Well, Ann and Larry were celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary, and they were nice enough to invite us.

I’m not a party kind of person, but this was such a special occasion that I made an exception and decided to attend. Robbie Lee made up her mind immediately to attend because the party was to include a full buffet, and she never passes up the chance to socialize over hot food or, for that matter, cold food.

“You know, I haven’t a thing to wear to this gala affair,” I said, looking through my closet. “None of these clothes are befitting such a party as this.”

“I’m going to wear something that stretches,” said Robbie Lee, closing her eyes and dreaming of the spread that would be on the table.

“That figures. Well, I’m going shopping to buy me just the right outfit for the party.”

With that, I headed out the door for the mall while Robbie Lee popped another Famous Amos chocolate chip cookie in her mouth. When I returned, I was so pleased to show off my new purchases.

“I found this great cream sweater and this blue skirt. I’m going to wear this along with my pink silk blouse under the sweater. I also bought this great necklace to top it all off. Don’t you just love it?” I held it up in front of the mirror, striking different poses, admiring the sweater and the long necklace together.

“Yeah, boy it’s beautiful, but I still think it’s best to be more practical and go with something that can adapt to a full buffet,” replied Robbie Lee.

On the day of the party, I could hardly wait to wear my new outfit. I showered, did my hair and makeup, and sprayed on my favorite perfume. I slipped the creamy sweater over my pretty pink silk blouse and pulled on my blue skirt. Finally, I draped the long necklace around my neck. I was a vision.

“We best get going. We don’t want to be late!” I yelled.

“I’m ready,” called Robbie Lee from her room. She was wearing her black pants with the elastic waist and a baggy blouse.

“This is going to be a good party,” she said as she stood in front of the mirror pulling the elastic on her pants to see how far it would stretch.

When we arrived at the church hall where the celebration was taking place, there were lots of people already there.

“I hope they haven’t started eating yet,” Robbie Lee said, quickening her pace into the building.

 I chose to stroll into the church hall smiling and waving at some of the people, giving them ample time to see my new clothes, even though I didn’t actually know who they were.

Ann and Larry looked so sweet, holding hands and greeting everyone as they came inside. They had been married fifty years, and they still looked as though they adored one another.

 When I got inside, Robbie Lee and I chatted politely with a few folks until the announcement was made that the buffet was now open.

“Now control yourself, Robbie Lee. Don’t make a pig of yourself. Just get a little of each thing on your plate,” I warned her.

But it was too late. Robbie Lee was already in the buffet line filling up her plate. I just shook my head in disgust, picked up a plate, and waited my turn in line. I politely dipped up a little of each dish, smiling and chatting as I went.

After filling my plate, I decided to go and speak to some of my friends and neighbors seated around the room and show off my new outfit to those who might have missed my grand entrance. I immediately noticed that everyone seemed to be admiring the new clothes. They were talking about my new creamy sweater and especially noticed the necklace. I have such great taste, I thought.

After going around and greeting everyone, I joined Robbie Lee, who was standing in the center of the room, eating her little heart out. As I approached her, Robbie Lee burst into laughter, with her mouth wide open, revealing sweet potatoes and fried chicken. It was a disgusting sight, to say the least.

“May I ask what is so funny? And would you mind not laughing with your mouth full of food. It’s starting to make me ill, for heaven’s sake.”

But Robbie Lee didn’t seem able to control herself. She bent over, screaming with laughter, while trying to balance her food on her plate.

“What is it? Tell me so I can laugh too. Did you hear a good joke?” 

By now I could see everyone was beginning to stare at us. But Robbie Lee couldn’t answer. She could only point to my creamy sweater and howl.

As I looked down to see what was causing all of the hysterics, I couldn’t believe my eyes. My new long necklace had strings of stewed tomatoes hanging from it, and the new creamy sweater was covered in tomato sauce from the necklace swinging back and forth around my neck. Apparently, while reaching across the buffet for a piece of fried chicken, I had dipped my lovely necklace into the stewed tomatoes, which were now hanging in strings around my neck. 

My face began to burn. I went all the way around the room and spoke to folks, I thought. Robbie Lee laughed louder. There were tomatoes hanging from my necklace all the way around the room, and nobody said a word.

Robbie Lee was almost on the floor now. I could feel everyone’s eyes on us as we stood in the center of the room, precariously trying to look normal, with the stewed tomatoes displayed proudly on the front of my brand-new creamy sweater.

Suddenly, as if enough had not already gone wrong, a button popped off from the sleeve of my pretty, pink silk blouse, leaving it dangling wide open. Robbie Lee gasped for air as she watched my perfectly coordinated outfit seemingly fall apart before her eyes.

For a moment we stared at one another, wondering what would happen next, but then we began to howl like hyenas in the center of the room. Tears rolled down our faces as food flew from our mouths.

An elderly lady walked over to us and whispered, “You two seem to be the only ones really enjoying this party. What’s your secret?”

We paused and just looked at each other, then continued to howl. 

This went on for a spell until we both decided it would be best if we just left and returned home. We waved good-bye to Ann and Larry and ran off to the car. 

Driving home, we laughed until we cried. Robbie Lee paused long enough to ask, “Are you going to eat those stewed tomatoes around your neck?” I’m surprised she didn’t rip them off of my neck and start to suck on them.

It was awhile before I could bring myself to attend any more parties. As a matter of fact, it was awhile before I was invited to any more parties. Ann and Larry never mentioned what happened, but I’ve heard that every time Ann sees stewed tomatoes, it reminds her of a story she repeats to her friends and even strangers to this day. At least I learned a valuable lesson about what not to wear to a buffet party. 

LUKE 8:17

“For There Is Nothing Hidden That Will Not Be Disclosed, And Nothing Concealed That Will Not Be Known Or Brought Out In The Open.”

Sometimes no matter how much we plan and no matter how hard we try, things fall apart and the worst side of us is exposed. We tend to let God manage only part of our lives, and we let Him know that we are perfectly capable of handling the other parts ourselves. But sooner or later, our sheltered area begins to fall apart and only then do we offer it up to Christ for his guidance and wisdom. We want God to help us find a new job, but we want to handle who we should marry. We want God to heal our illness, but we want to take care of our addiction to gossip, lying, overspending, etc.

You may think you have things well in hand. You’ve calculated. You’ve scrutinized. You’ve talked to your friends. You’ve listened to your heart. But you haven’t sought out God’s will for this area of your life. Maybe you’re afraid of the answer He’ll give, or maybe you think you shouldn’t burden God with every area of your life. Besides, there are some things you already have figured out and you know what you want. Why should you bother God with them? Because He loves you and wants your whole life and your whole heart, that’s why. He wants us to run everything by Him. What better counselor could you ask for than your Creator? He knows the number of hairs on your head. Why shouldn’t He care about who you marry? Who you date? Your finances? Believe me, He does.

Make it a habit to run all of your decisions by Him. Learn to listen for His voice. Learn to wait on Him. Be patient. Don’t wait until the things you’ve left hidden are exposed. Don’t make your own decisions and then ask God to bless them. Check with Him first. It’s easier than having your buttons pop open in public.

Excerpt from "Life is a Buffet So Save Room for Dessert." Copyright © 2005 By Polly Boyette All Rights Reserved.

Meet Barbara Budeme

Leading the way in Watoto's development and sustainability projects is Watoto's very own Barbara Budeme. Yet another success story, this bright 26-year-old is currently running the entire Goat Farm at Suubi Children's Village.

Commenting on the initiative Barbara says, "My desire is to see that Watoto has enough food from its own projects to cater for the children. By doing this, we reduce the operating costs and enable more vulnerable children to be rescued and raised through Watoto."

But Barbara's life was not always so full of promise. When Barbara was just an infant, her father sadly passed away. In the wake of his death, her mother and brother were thrown out of the family home and left to fend for themselves. It was around this time that Watoto had begun recruiting for the first batch of mothers. Barbara and her brother were among the first children to join Watoto with their mother, Mary. Soon, six other special children came under the loving care of housemother Mary.

In 1996, Barbara was privileged to travel with the Watoto Children's Choir, an experience she will always cherish. Keeping in line with her sustainability mantra, Barbara now empowers and prepares the future Watoto choirs for their overseas experiences. One of her favorite things to assist in is ensuring their hair is done beautifully.

After successfully completing high school, she enrolled for a Food Science and Technology degree at Makerere University, Kampala. Her major is in Nutrition and she is currently working on her final project with graduation just around the corner at the end of 2010.

Today, Barbara is an energetic young girl with a heart for Jesus and a desire to serve Him with her skills and talent. With a solid degree, strong family life and a promising career ahead, Barbara's future is incredibly bright.

By partnering with Watoto Child Care Ministries, you can give people like Barbara the opportunity to excel.

Find out how you can change a life by sponsoring a Watoto child today by visiting the Watoto website at www.Watoto.com.

Excerpt from the Fall 2010 Watoto Newsletter

The Green-Eyed Monster

One of my favorite places to go is Disney World.  Yes, I’m still a big kid at heart.  I am thoroughly entertained when I’m there.  I love the shows, the rides, and the food, just everything about it.  There’s also a lot of sentimental value attached to Disney World for me and my sister, Robbie Lee.  We’ve been going there since we were kids.  On our first visit there was just the Magic Kingdom and I was overwhelmed then.  Now there’s Epcot, Animal Kingdom and MGM Studios.  It’s mind boggling, but I do it all.  

On one trip when Robbie and I were much younger, we stayed in Fort Wilderness, a Disney campground.  We stayed in a fully furnished trailer that was more like a small apartment.  We thought we were big shots.  It was great.  We’d go out to the parks and stay all day and all night and come home dragging our behinds to our home away from home. We’d stop at the camp store on the grounds and get snacks, drinks and whole dinners.  They had everything.  

One night we came home rather late to the trailer, exhausted from our daily adventures of riding Space Mountain and chasing Mickey around for photographs.  We stopped and got some chicken, baked beans, cole slaw and ice tea and carried it all back to our trailer.  We were tired and had our arms filled with bags as we struggled to unlock the trailer door.  Luckily we had left the outside light on so we could see how to get in.  Suddenly, Robbie tapped me on the shoulder and pointed up near the outside light.  “What in the world is that?” she whispered, looking like she’d seen a monster.  I stopped fiddling with the lock long enough to look up and I nearly dropped everything right there.  It was the ugliest, biggest, scariest looking green bug I had ever seen.  I’d never seen anything like it.  “We have to make sure we get inside quickly and slam the door behind us so that green-eyed monster doesn’t get inside our trailer,” I say decisively.  “Uh-huh,” said Robbie Lee, never taking her eyes off the hideous bug. 

I finally got the door unlocked.  “Now when I count to three, I’ll throw open the door and we’ll run inside as fast as we can.  You slam the door as soon as you get inside,” I instructed Robbie.  “Uh-huh,” said Robbie Lee.  “One, two, THREE!”  I flung open the door and we jumped inside, with both of us screaming and pushing each other through the door.  Slam!  Robbie Lee pushed the door closed behind us.  “Looks like we made it safely inside,” I said, checking all around to make sure there was no bug monster in sight.  “Uh-huh,” said Robbie Lee, her eyes searching the room.  “Come on, we’ve got lots of good food.  Let’s make a spread and eat.  I’m starving,” I said, laying out the chicken and beans.  

Robbie Lee finally came away from the door and we switched our focus to eating.  “I know,” Robbie Lee suggested, “let’s pull out the sofa bed and put in a good movie and eat our food there.  It’ll be like a picnic, only inside.”  Robbie Lee seemed proud of this suggestion and so I agreed.  We pulled out the sofa bed, threw blankets all over it and put in a movie.  We grabbed our plates of chicken, beans, slaw and sodas and crawled onto the bed like it was a big blanket spread out in a park.  We were really enjoying ourselves, eating, watching the movie and talking about all we had done that day.  Just then, I happened to look up above me and I could not believe my eyes.  It was the green-eyed monster bug just above my head.  He had gotten in after all and had been watching us all along.  Suddenly, he swooped down toward us and what happened next was unbelievable.  We threw our plates of chicken, slaw and beans up in the air and started screaming for our lives.  We were throwing pillows, cans, bottles, food and anything we could get our hands on to kill the bug monster.  He just kept diving at us like he had planned to torture us all along.  We grabbed pots and put them over our heads to protect ourselves from this creature from hell.  Finally, Robbie Lee got mad and grabbed a broom and started sweeping him toward the door, screaming with every swing.  I flung open the front door and she pushed him outside.  We slammed the door shut and collapsed on the floor.  What a nightmare.  

After we regained our composure we started to look around the room.  “Oh my!” I sighed.  “Look at this mess.”  There was chicken everywhere.  There was slaw and beans stuck to everything in sight, even on the ceiling.  The bed sheets were covered with beans and soda.  It was something like I’d never seen before.  We spent the rest of the night picking up food and scrubbing down the walls, not the night we were hoping for.  We both slept with our eyes open all night, just in case the bug monster figured out how to open the front door.  

Sometimes there are things in our past that we think we’ve dealt with, but we haven’t, like unforgiveness.  Somewhere along the way someone did or said something that we haven’t been able to forgive, even though we say we have.  Only when someone brings it up do we realize we  haven’t forgiven them at all.  Instead, we’ve allowed it to grow into a monster that pursues us throughout our life until we finally have to have a show down.  We have to decide to get rid of it once and for all or to let it attack us over and over again until it destroys us.  We just can’t seem to let go of it.  We enjoy carrying it around.  We defend ourselves and point out that it’s the other person’s fault that we are the way we are.  I’m not saying forgiveness is easy.  Sometimes the things we have to forgive are terrible trespasses.  Yet the pain of carrying around the bitterness is even worst.  The person you can’t forgive is probably walking around happy and living their lives.  You’re the one that’s miserable and suffering painful attacks every time someone mentions their name.  

This was really brought home to me recently by a group of young men and women, as well as children, from Uganda, Africa. Each of them had formerly been abducted and forced to serve as  child soldiers and slaves for the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) and made to perform unspeakable crimes. Here they stood on the stage in my church, performing in a musical drama called “Restore Tour, A Child Soldier No More) a play about their terrible experiences back in Uganda. However, after their reenactment of this horrible nightmare, each one stepped up to the microphone and proclaimed their forgiveness for the men of the LRA who had been their abductors and tormentors. They claimed Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior over their lives and then danced in joy and celebration as they worshipped our God. I was moved to tears as I stood on my feet and lifted my hands to worship with them. How amazing is forgiveness and how liberating to let go of those things that were meant to destroy us. After watching these young people perform and give their testimonies, I felt ashamed of the times I’ve let petty things in my past control my future by holding them close instead of pushing them out of my life. If they could forgive these horrible events in their young lives and reach out to forgiveness, how much more should I be able to get past the comparably small issues in my own past and get on with my life. 

Colossians 3:13 tells us to forgive as the Father forgave you.  Think of one thing you need to forgive.  It may be small or it may be something that looms large over your daily life. Speak it to yourself.  Ask God to help you forgive that person(s).  Then lay it at the feet of Jesus.  Let it go.  Don’t let it pursue you in life any longer.  Then celebrate. Dance, sing or maybe even go to Disney World. Slam the door shut on that green-eyed monster and get on with your walk with Christ.

Take the Wheel God

A couple of years ago I did a book signing for my first book, Life is a Buffet So Save Room for Dessert.  It was at the Discover Life Bookstore and Café in Norfolk, VA, a really nice bookstore with café lattes and nice comfortable chairs.  I was kind of nervous because being in the public eye is something God is using to stretch me like a rubber band.  Sometimes I feel like I’m going to snap, but I don’t.  God just keeps on stretching and I always manage to survive the thing I dread all day the day before.  

The book signing was not your typical two or three hour event.  This one was from 9:00am to 3:00pm, six hours.  The store wanted me there to accommodate all of their Sunday services, which started at 7:00am.  Yes, I said 7:00am.  These are serious Christians.  I would be snoring underneath my seat if I attended church at 7:00am.  God would be saying, “What in the world is that noise?  Let me reach down there and slap her up side her head and wake her up.”  That’s why I don’t attend church at 7:00am.  It’s best for my Christian walk if I attend a later service.
  

Anyway, I got up early and put on my Sunday best.  I made my sister, Robbie Lee go with me since she’s the one that arranged the six hour book signing telethon event.  We jumped in the car and headed down the road.  I was driving along when I suddenly realized that we didn’t pray about the success of the book signing the night before.  So I suggested that Robbie Lee pray while we were driving there.  Robbie Lee gave me a look because I think she was planning on sleeping during the drive to the store and I had rudely interrupted this plan with my request for prayer.  Robbie Lee agreed, however, and bowed her head and closed her eyes.  Out of habit, I did the same thing.  Fortunately, God gave me a kind reminder that He appreciated my faith, but He wasn’t up to driving the car that morning and that I should keep my eyes open and on the road ahead.  I quickly opened my eyes and lifted my head.  It was true, I was driving the car.  Right in the middle of Robbie Lee’s sincere praying I busted out laughing.

“What in the world are you laughing at?” asked Robbie Lee, with an angry look on her face.  “Can’t you see I’m trying to pray?  What happened?”  It took me a moment to stop laughing.  “I bowed my head and closed my eyes to pray along with you and God reminded me that I have this whole driving thing going on over here,” I said.  “You closed your eyes and bowed your head while you were driving the car?” asked Robbie Lee in disbelief.  “Yeah, isn’t that a scream?” I replied.  Robbie Lee looked worried.  “Why don’t we both pray with our eyes open?  That way I can watch you while you watch the road,” suggested Robbie Lee.  “Can I help it if I’m a real woman of faith?” I asked proudly.  Robbie Lee stared at me, trying to figure out if we were truly related.  Perhaps I was an alien from another planet.  I just smiled and continued to drive, with my eyes open of course.  

After the prayer we stopped at a fast-food restaurant to get something to eat.  We went through the drive-through and ordered a sausage biscuit for Robbie and a cinnamon raisin biscuit for me.  We ate the biscuits as we were driving to the bookstore.  Then the thing happened that I had feared.  Icing from my cinnamon raisin biscuit fell into my lap and got all over my  pants.  I was trying to wipe and drive at the same time.  (I know you’re thinking you don’t want to be around this woman if she’s anywhere on the road.)  The more I wiped, the worst it got.  I had icing and biscuit crumbs all over me.  When we pulled into the parking lot I tried again to get the icing stains out of my clothes, but they just smeared everywhere.  I wanted to cry, but we laughed instead.  “Can’t take you anywhere,” mumbled Robbie Lee, laughing behind my back as we walked into the store.  

Once inside, we were greeted by the store manager and we smiled and acted very professional.  They had no idea what had gone on before we arrived and God must have heard our prayer through all the laughter because the book signing went very well.  Fortunately, my jacket was long enough that it hid some of the icing stains on my pants.  I managed to sneak into the bathroom and scrub at them with wet paper towels for a while, but you know how wet paper towels just leave bits and pieces behind on your clothes.  Finally, I just gave up and made sure I stayed seated for most of the book signing. 

I couldn’t help but think about how much I had dreaded the day and yet, I ended up laughing through most of it.  I remembered what Joyce Meyer said in her daily devotions book, Start Your Day Right.  She says, “Dread is a close relative of fear.  When dread enters, joy leaves.  Dread sets you up for misery, because by choosing to dread you decide that you cannot enjoy what you must do today.”  It made me realize that I had wasted too much time dreading things that I ended up enjoying afterwards.  God thumped me on the head on the way over to the store and said, “Lighten up, you need to laugh.”  

New experiences can be scary, but they can also be fun and make our lives more interesting, especially when we let God take the wheel. We can trust Him to lead us through anything that comes our way, good or bad.  Don’t dread the opportunities God puts into your life.  Enjoy them.  He promises to equip us and to carry us through those things we fear and He always keeps His promise.  Just remember to keep your eyes open if you’re prone to praying while driving the car.

Peaceful Night

Have you ever watched somebody sleeping?  Perhaps you’ve slipped into your child’s room late at night while they’re sound asleep.  You stand over him, but they don’t even know you’re there.  Sitting down beside him, you begin to stroke his hair and touch the back of your hand to his cheek.  No matter what’s happened that day, good or bad, there’s that special moment of peace hanging over him at that moment.  You want to cradle him in your arms, but you’re afraid you’ll wake him.  

As you sit quietly, contemplating how much he’s grown, you can’t help but wonder what the future holds for him, especially in this day and age.  What will he be when he grows up?  How tall will he grow?  Will he heed most of your warnings, using caution in his decisions or will he just throw caution to the wind when you’re not there to look over his shoulder?  A million thoughts run through your mind.  Tears fill your eyes and you brush them away with the t-shirt that he tossed across the chair next to the bed.  You have such great dreams for him, such great hopes.  If only you could hold his hand all the way, but you know that’s not possible.  Sooner or later you have to let go.  Will he still love you and want to come around to see you once he’s   outgrown the nest?  So many things you want to tell him, but the clocks is ticking away and the hours are flying by.  Some things he will have to learn for himself.  You hope he will rely on the lessons you’ve so carefully taught him on a daily basis, but you’ll just have to wait and see.  

He turns in his bed and you take your hand away from his brow.  You don’t want to disturb his peaceful slumber.  You take in a deep breath and wonder if you’ve done all the right things.  Your eyes study his face and you fondly recall his eyes looking up at you when he was just an infant.  He took his first step downstairs in your living room.  When he stumbled you instantly reached for him to give him balance and to encourage him to try again.  Now he’s riding a bike and he wants a motorized scooter.  You swallow hard.  Where has the time gone?  

Just before you leave the room, you pull the covers up over his shoulders and tuck him in.  You touch his face once more.  His hand brushes yours but he has no idea you’re standing over him, watching him sleep.  Your eyes are heavy and you walk to the door, turning to look once more before you leave the room.  It’s so quiet.  The morning will bring a new day and lots of activity, but for now it’s quiet.  You lean your head against the door and whisper a prayer and then tiptoe out of the room, leaving the door ajar behind you, just in case he needs you.  

Every moment of every day, God is standing over us.  When we think He is distant and out of reach, He’s right there beside us, watching.  If we could see with supernatural eyes, we would see His fingerprints on every area of our life.  “The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”  Psalm 121:5-8. 

Sleep peacefully knowing He’s standing watch over you, desiring for you to fulfill the plans He has for your life.  With His Word He encourages you, motivates you to trust Him.  He watches you grow and make decisions.  He hears your every cry and knows the desires of your heart.  You are His child and the apple of His eye.  He never slumbers so you can.               

Just Say "Yes."

God has called us to live large, not small insignificant lives. When I think of how often we say “No” to most things, especially if it is something new that we’ve never tried before, it’s really sad. We create our own small lives. We stay in our nice, comfy zone where we control everything, never allowing ourselves to grow or to widen our horizons and opportunities. God never intended a small life for any of us. 

I can remember saying “Yes” to going on a missions trip to Russia. I was terrified and nervous. It was something I had never done before. I had barely even traveled outside the U.S. before that time. Suddenly, I was on a plane and flying to Moscow. The experience was life changing and it opened my eyes to just how big God really is. It showed me that He not only loved me, but a whole other culture I had never known. I made great friends from that trip, both Americans and Russian. I fell in love with the Russian orphans we went over to help. They were beautiful and had the same aspirations as the children right in my own neighborhood. They just had unfortunate and sad circumstances. But God used us to bring them hope beyond their circumstances and to show them how much He loved them. All of this just from saying, “Yes” to something new and different. 

Another time I said “Yes” was to writing. I decided to take a chance on writing some books with stories that are dear to my heart. I wasn’t even sure if I could write or if my stories would be any good, but saying “Yes” has opened up doors I never dreamed of walking through. As a result, I am traveling and speaking and meeting new people who have been impacted by the words and stories God has given me. If I had said “No” I would have been safe and sound back home, just dreaming of doing something new. 

God didn’t shove me out there on my own. He asked me to trust Him to go with me, but He did ask me to take the first step. When I did, He stepped right along side of me. I learned to trust God on a whole different level. Too often we stand frozen, afraid to take the first step into a new experience. This is where you learn to trust Him beyond your own understanding. You can’t do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. When you step out, your faith is activated.

Recently I said “Yes” to another missions trip. We went with a team to Kampala, Uganda in Africa. We visited babies who had lost their parents to the Aids disease and we met mothers who had been abandoned and left to die on their own. We worked with Watoto Child Care Ministries while we were there and actually physically helped to build a new home in which four families would live. My life was enlarged and enriched all over again. I will never be the same since that experience. My God is so big and has a heart for the whole world, not just my small little world.

I’m not saying you have to write books or take missions trips around the world. I’m sure your world is busy enough. But perhaps you could say “Yes” to some new things instead of just being busy all the time. God always wants to do a “new thing” in our lives and He will if we only say “Yes.” Trust Him to go with you and help you with your new experience. I promise you will see God in a whole different light. He has a plan for each of our lives, but sometimes we just say “No” to things that could open up a whole new avenue of experiences. We just want to stay where we are comfortable and cozy. 

Let God do a new thing in your life soon. Say “Yes” to a new experience and watch the doors of opportunity and experience fly open for you. Don’t worry. God will go with you every step of the way. Your trust in His ability and His character will only grow stronger. Your impact on the world around you will be greater than you thought possible.

The Dream

I dreamed a dream not too long ago.

My brain made it up. Why I do not know.

It was while the house was very quiet and still,

My brain started working, showing me reel after reel.

A strange and wild movie was playing in my head, 

About things that I like and things that I dread.

I was shopping for groceries wearing pajamas and slippers.

People pointed and stared, and some even snickered.

I bought lots of spinach, which I really despise.

But they were coated with chocolate, what a nice surprise.

I bought carrots and okra and Brussels Sprouts too.

But they had sprinkles of sugar that stuck just like glue.

There was Castor Oil, pills and even Milk of Magnesia, 

But with a flavor that tasted very much Polynesian.

From aisle to aisle I pulled things from the shelf. 

I got something for everyone, especially myself.

But when I wheeled my cart to the cashier named Kay,

My pajamas had no pockets and no money to pay.  

I looked to my left and I looked to my right, 

People were staring at my embarrassing sight. 

But out of the blue, right out of the night, 

A man beside me said, “That’s alright.”

He handed Kay money and then tipped his hat and bowed,

“I can’t let you do that,” I pleaded, it can’t be allowed.

“Oh, but I insist,” said the man.  “It brings me great pleasure.”

“For it’s where my heart is and there is my treasure.”

I scratched my head, I had nothing to say. 

I just stepped aside and let the gentleman pay.

After everything was bagged, I turned to say thanks.

But the man in the hat was so full of grace, 

He picked up my bags and without saying a thing,

Escorted me out to a stretch limousine, 

And with everyone watching, he opened the door

Then helped me inside where a drink had been poured,

“Enjoy your dream,” he said, smiling his best. 

“God can do anything – you can’t imagine or guess”.

In your wildest dreams you will find Him, the God of all Nations,

It was He after all who gave you imagination.

So sleep without worry, just close your weary eyes.

No need to panic, no alarm, no surprise

God gives you dreams to entertain you at night.

Even while you’re sleeping you are His delight. 

Copyright © 2008 by Polly D. Boyette, All Rights Reserved

Do-It-Yourself Project

I’m one of those people who likes to see if I can fix something myself before I call on a professional to do it. Sometimes I’m successful and sometimes I’m not, but I give it my best shot before I give in and admit I’m in over my head. My friend, Jan, and I have done quite a few do-it-yourself projects in the past. It’s a wonder I’m still alive to tell about it. We came close to killing ourselves a couple of times.

Once I had brand new carpet installed in my living room. After the workers had gone I noticed my front door was hard to open and close. The bottom of the door needed to be trimmed down a bit, so I called Jan over and she brought over her very own power saw. We both agreed it seemed like an easy job. I didn’t even use a measuring tape to determine how much needed to be cut off the door. I just basically put my thumb down between the door and the carpet and eyeballed the thing. Then we took the door off its hinges and took it out on my front porch. We laid it across an old table and I held it while Jan operated the power saw. It was her saw so she was in charge of operating it. I wanted to have a go, but she insisted she was better skilled for using the saw and didn’t want to be held responsible for me cutting off a limb.

I held the door as best as I could, but it kept sliding around when she tried to saw the bottom off. It was then that she suggested I lie across the door to hold it still. Now this didn’t sound like such a good idea to me, but Jan assured me she knew what she was doing and she would be very careful. After giving the matter some thought, I decided it was the only way the job was going to get done and sacrificed myself by throwing my body across the door, holding on for dear life. 

Jan started up the power saw again and started cutting. Sparks were flying all around me, so I closed my eyes and prayed. After a few minutes I heard this weird noise like something had gone wrong. I happened to look up just in time to see the blade of the saw skid away from the bottom and up the face of the door toward me.

“Oops!” said Jan. “Sorry, it got away from me.”

 “What do you mean it got away from you?” I screamed, jumping off the door. “You could have cut me in half. I thought you said you know what you are doing.”

“I do, but this door is heavy and it takes a lot of pressure to cut through it. I just pushed too hard,” explained Jan.

Believe it or not I actually climbed back on the door while Jan continued cutting. I prayed even harder this time. I know God looks down from heaven sometimes and says, “Okay angels, I’m going to need a double shift today. Polly is trying to fix something herself.”

At last, after only a couple of hours, we managed to get the door trimmed and back on its hinges. It looked pretty good too, except for the big cut mark going up the front of the door. I painted it and you could hardly see it. We were so proud of our job.

Another time I was trying to remove a broken knob on my tub. I had already purchased a new knob and it seemed like a simple job. However, while trying to undo the screw that was holding the knob in place I accidentally stripped it clean so that you could not get it off no matter what. Suddenly I had a brilliant idea, as I so often do, and I grabbed my hammer from my tool box. It’s my noted opinion that you can repair almost anything with a good hammer. If it doesn’t work, give it a good whack with your hammer. I’ve had some luck with this in the past. I got in the tub and gently whacked the knob with my hammer, hoping to break it away from the screw. However, the knob didn’t break or budge. 

Robbie Lee was downstairs and she knows me well enough to know I was up to no good. “What’s going on up there?” she yelled.

“I’m trying to knock this knob off with my hammer,” I yelled back.

“Why don’t you just call Ron to fix it for you?” Robbie Lee yelled again.

“I can do this myself,” I yelled down with confidence. “There’s no need to bother Ron with this.” With that I gave it another harder whack this time, but nothing happened.

“You’d better just call Ron,” yelled Robbie Lee.

I didn’t answer this time. Instead I swung the hammer a bit harder, but the stubborn knob didn’t budge. I finally decided to throw my hammer back in the tool box and try something different later. As I turned on the water just to make sure everything was still working, I

noticed there was no hot water. There was hot water before I whacked it with the hammer.

“Oh, no,” I said. “I’ve done it now.”

 “Why is it so quiet up there?” asked Robbie Lee. 

“Call Ron,” I yelled back. 

“Why?” asked Robbie Lee. “What did you do?” 

“Just call Ron, please,” I yelled back. “Just call him and ask him to come over as quickly as possible.” 

Of course, Ron came right over, but now the simple job had turned into a more complicated job because of my handy work. Apparently, when I whacked the knob with my hammer I broke the fragile little thing that controls the hot water. Fortunately, Ron is a professional and he knew what needed to be done. He was able to fix the problem that same day. I wished I had called him in the first place. I learned not everything can be fixed with the whack of a hammer. Sometimes you need a professional.

I don’t mind do-it-yourself projects, but it’s also wise to know when to turn the job over to someone else who knows what he or she is doing. I’ve spent hours fooling around with plumbing repairs, appliance repairs, and many other do-it-yourself projects, only to still have to call out a professional to finish the job. Usually I’ve done more damage by fooling with it myself and it ends up costing me more than it would have if I had just called the right folks in the first place.

It’s good to know we don’t have to do life alone. God is always right there. We may feel like we are alone sometimes, but He is always close by. Often we try to fix things that are broken in our lives without any help from God or anyone else. We give God certain areas for Him to fix, but we save the hardest ones for ourselves. We whack at the problem with whatever we have in our hands. Then we cry and worry until we find we have only made the problem worse. Only then do we finally call on God and hand the problem over to Him. God wants us to trust and lean on Him, even beyond all our own understanding.

In today’s world we usually see it as a sign of weakness if we need help, but it’s actually a sign of strength to recognize when we need assistance and seek it out. It’s so important to surround ourselves with godly friends who will speak into our lives and be there when the times are hard. We should also make sure we are that kind of friend to others.

If we talk to God daily, we can lean on Him as a close friend instead of making Him our last resort. Life was never intended to be a do-it- yourself project. Go ahead, call on Him first. He’s a professional.

Excerpt from "Life is a Buffet So What's On Your Plate?" Copyright © by Polly D. Boyette 2009 All Rights Reserved.

Watoto 2010 Slideshow

This is a slideshow of our recent trip to Kampala, Africa this past May 2010. I hope you'll enjoy viewing it, but most of all I hope it will open your eyes and your heart to what's going on in Africa and what God is doing there. If you are interested in learning more, you can go to www.watoto.com. 

Speaking at Deep Creek Baptist Church in Chesapeake, VA

I had a great time speaking at the Crazy Ladies 2nd Annual Food Fest sponsored by Deep Creek Baptist Church in Chesapeake, VA. I always love having the opportunity to speak into the lives of women whenever I can. I deem it a real honor and I don't take it lightly. 

I love sharing my funny stories and making the women laugh, but even more importantly, I enjoy encouraging them in their everyday lives. Women always seem to be doing things for others. They are always giving out and seldom do they leave time to just sit down and receive. That's why I love the chance to speak positive, life-giving words into them as much as possible. Women are always so busy and they normally have a 100 things on their to-do list on any given day. So I really appreciate the time they take out of their busy schedules to come to a tea or a luncheon to relax and to allow me to spread a little jam on their daily bread. 

Thanks to all of you who have invited me to speak to your women's groups throughout the year. I am blessed more than anyone else. I meet so many courageous and unstoppable women. I feel encouraged myself just getting to spend a couple of hours with each group, talking, sharing and best of all, laughing. 

I pray God will continue to open doors for us as we follow His lead. We desire to impact the lives of as many women as possible for the cause of Christ. Make no mistake ladies, God loves you and He sees all that you do on a daily basis. Don't ever grow weary of doing good. One day you will celebrate a huge harvest. Don't quit. Don't give up. During hard times, pray even harder. Quitting is never an option. 

Life is a Buffet Speaking Event

I will be speaking at Deep Creek Baptist Church in Chesapeake, VA on July 16th, 2010 at 6:30 pm. If you are in the area come by and join us. There will be good food, good friends and, of course, lots of laughter. I hope to see you there.

Wobbly Legs

Robbie Lee and I discovered an apple tree in the middle of this large field on one of our exploratory trips to the mountains of Virginia. We were driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway and decided to stop and take in the view. There it was, a tree filled with delicious looking apples. We walked out into the field and soon discovered that all the good apples were way out of our reach. So I got the brilliant idea that Robbie Lee should get on my shoulders to grab a few for our trip back home. She reluctantly agreed. 

I squatted down on the ground and she climbed onto my shoulders, but with her added weight I could barely stand up again. So we decided to walk back up to the fence beside the road where she could climb up on my shoulders while I remained standing. It was sheer genius on my part. Robbie Lee jumped up on the fence and easily slid onto my shoulders. 

“Are you okay?” she asked since my knees were a bit wobbly. 

“I’m fine,” I reassured her. 

“Don’t you dare drop me,” Robbie Lee warned. 

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” I said with great confidence. 

The walk back down to the apple tree was on a slope, which added some degree of difficulty to our task, but that didn’t stop us. Yet as hard as I tried, by the time we made it halfway to the tree, my legs started to wobble even more.

Then it happened. I got a terrible case of the giggles. Before I knew it, my legs gave way, sending us both tumbling to the ground. There we were, lying in the middle of a field, roaring with laughter with our legs in the air. 

When we finally regained our composure we gave it another try, but the outcome was the same. My legs would start to wobble, I would get the giggles and down we would go. Several attempts were made, but with no success. We would barely make it away from the fence, most of the time, before collapsing on the ground in a big heap. 

“I give up,” I said, laughing. “I’m just not strong enough to carry you. As soon as my legs start to wobble I just lose control.” 

“Don’t give up,” replied Robbie Lee. “Let me have a try. I’ll carry you on my shoulders.” 

“You can’t carry me,” I scoffed. “I weigh more than you do. We’ll never make it.” 

“Come on,” said Robbie Lee, “let’s try it. I believe I can carry you better than you can carry me.” 

So once more we walked back to the fence; only this time I climbed onto Robbie Lee’s shoulders. As we started back down the slope I started to laugh again, but Robbie Lee held on tightly and her legs remained steady. This time we actually made it all the way to the apple tree. I couldn’t believe it. 

“You’re right,” I admitted, “you are stronger than me.” 

“Just grab some apples so we can get out of here before somebody comes to arrest us,” said Robbie Lee as she firmly gripped my legs.

I grabbed as many apples as I could carry. Then Robbie Lee carefully knelt down, allowing me to slide off her shoulders. 

“We did it!” I yelled to the big empty field. 

We danced around in the field for a spell, celebrating our victory before carrying our delicious treasures back to the car. That day is marked as one of my favorite memories from our many trips to the mountains. It still makes me laugh even now. 

Life can bring lots of laughs, but it can also bring tears, stress, pain and anger. Christians are not exempt us from life’s trials.

Jesus said in Luke 17:1, “Hard trials and temptations are bound to come, but too bad for whoever brings them on!” (The Message) 

He didn’t say “perhaps” trials would come or they would only come to unbelievers. He said they are “bound to come.”

God doesn’t desert us during these hard bumps in our lives. Often we blame Him for our misery and abandon our faith, believing God has broken a promise to give us a perfect life with no problems or cares. However, God never promised us a perfect, carefree life while we are here on earth. This is not heaven. This is not the place where we will never experience death or never get sick. The good news is this is only our temporary home while we wait for our eternal place in heaven. 

While we are here we need to make sure we stay on top of life and not let life get on top of us. The way to do that is to start with a solid foundation that will not fail you during times of trials.

Jesus spoke of just such a foundation in Luke 6:48, “He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.” 

Are God’s words truly built into your life or are you building without a solid foundation, just going through the motions? When the trials come, will you find yourself standing on solid rock or on wobbly legs?

We have to make the choice to not allow life to collapse on top of us, leaving us in a big heap in the middle of an empty field. Make sure your foundation is solid. Instead of trying to carry everything on your own shoulders, climb up on His broad shoulders and let Him carry you down the slopes, through the good times and the bad. The weight of the world is far too heavy for us to carry. Besides, He is much stronger than you are. 

So climb on and let Him carry you for a change. Believe me, the view is much better from His shoulders. 

Excerpt from "Life is a Buffet So What's On Your Plate?" Copyright © 2009 by Polly D. Boyette "All Rights Reserved"