LIFE IS A BUFFET SO ...

Choose to laugh.

Tell a funny story. No, funnier than that.  That's a good one.

Order french fries with your meal. (at least sometimes.)

Take a nap and go to the store for a bottle of pop come home and watch Andy Griffith.  It's a full day.

Invite your enemies to church.  They'll get saved and find out you were right all along.  Brag about this daily.

Talk with your mouth full. You may lose friends with this one, but it's your choice.

Stare directly at the sun.  Then stare at the moon. (you have to have a bunch of time on your hands, but that's okay). 

Gain weight and finally fit back into your favorite outfit.

Wear white in November.

Talk in the elevator.

Point at people and look confused.

Order dessert first. Then you'll be too full to eat the spinach and tuna casserole you were going to order in the first place.

Tell the truth, even if it's unpopular.

Dance in church.  David did it.

Laugh out loud in the library.

Display those love handles.  You worked hard to get them.

Sleep past 9am, get up and drink your coffee out in the back yard.  Radical huh?

Stay up past midnight.  Then call your friends and tell them you're up.

Dance down the street while wearing your iPod and sing along with the song.   

Put whipped cream on your salad.

Eat Bon Bons.  (what's a Bon Bon?)

Wear your sunglasses at night.  Yeah baby.

Pray for the President instead of criticizing his every move.

Send God an e-mail.  It's Trustme.com.

Answer the door in your robe and say, "Not now. I'm on my way out."

Order a bowl of fruit and a side of fried chicken.

Rip the tags off your mattress. Glue them on someone else's mattress. 

Show your hair's natural color. Your Mother will be proud.

Wear your pajamas to the store. Tell them you dreamed you were going to school.

Go to the dollar store and ask for change for a dollar.  Isn't that what it's for?

Laugh at your mistakes.  Share them with your friends.  Laugh at their mistakes. Make more mistakes.  Laugh at those mistakes.  This line was a mistake.

Tell your sister you're proud of her. Call your sister. Find your sister's number. Call information. Adopt a sister. 

Refuse to get a tight perm.  Just say no. 

Drink milk right out of the carton while holding a glass in the other hand. Got milk? Buy whole milk.  Milk a cow.  Adopt a cow.  Send the cow to live with your sister. 

Dare to turn your life over to Christ.  He has all the answers.  No, really.  I thought I had all the answers, but then I found out I didn't. I couldn't believe it. I mean, I had some of the answers.  Okay, two of the answers, but one of them was to invite Christ to rule in my life.  And boy, does He know what he's doing.  Do you know what you're doing? I know where I'm going and how I'm getting there.  How?  Because Christ said I am the way, the truth and the life.  Not one of the ways, but the way.  

Do you want to know where you're going and how to get there?  Choose life.  Choose Christ.  Why not? He loves you and he will forgive you for sending that cow to your sister and for all the other mistakes.  He loved you even when you showed up at the store in your pajamas. He knew you were the type to put whipped cream on your salad, yet He has a purpose for your life.  Hand it over to Him and watch what He does with it.  He owns the cattle on a thousand hills.  Now, He's got milk!  He'll be your provider. Go ahead.  Make His day. Just say yes.  Then stay up late, put your sunglasses on and call all of your friends and tell them how you changed your life.  Oh yeah, and call your sister. Tell her you're sorry about the cow thing.

Wave Networking Women

It was great fun meeting the ladies from the Wave Networking Women's group this morning. I enjoyed speaking to you and hearing your different stories and goals.

This is a group of women gathering together once a month on a Thursday morning to share and network ideas, goals, businesses, etc. with one another. You can't fail when you gather other like-minded people around you. Sharing your heart's desire with someone else makes you feel more motivated to be active toward meeting your goals somehow. Once you verbalize it, it's almost as if you now must take some kind of action to move closer toward that desire. You now have people who are going to be asking you how that thing is coming along and what kinds of things you are doing to make it happen.

Gather people around you who want the best for your life and who will cheer you on in what you are trying to achieve. God never intended for us to do this life alone. Gather strong, motivated people around you who will push you to be the best you can be.

I shared two points with the Wave Networking Women today:

Give God your ordinary life and he will do extraordinary things. Romans 12:1 "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, shopping, going-to-work, and walking-around life-and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing we can do for Him."

Give Him your ordinary life by:

1. Allowing God to do something new in your life and take you out of your comfort zone. Let God surprise you. Once you say "yes" to God you will me amazed by the many ways God will stretch you and grow you if you just trust Him. Let Him surprise you. Don't get stuck in one way of thinking or keeping your world small. Let Him expand your dreams and desires beyond what you thought possible.

2. Putting God in charge of your plans. Proverbs 16:1-3 - "Mortals make elaborate plans, but God has the last word. Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; God probes for what is good. Put God in charge of your work, then what you've planned will take place." We spend a good part of our time planning out our lives but it only takes one thing to jump in the middle of it and ruin everything. But with God in charge we're promised that what we've planned will take place. What a promise.

Thanks Nicole for inviting me to speak to your wonderful group of women today. It was a pleasure to hear what God's women are doing in so many different areas of life.

If you are interested in joining the Wave Networking Women Group please let me know and I will put you in touch with the group leader, Nicole Fountain.

Event Changes

The Wings Dinner Speaking event scheduled for February 6th, 2010 at Thalia Lynn Baptist Church in Virginia Beach has been postponed due to inclement weather. The new date for this speaking event is now scheduled for February 20th, 2010 from 6pm to 8pm. Mark this change on your calendar. I hope to see you there.

What's In a Name?

Are you good with remembering people’s names?  I’m not very good at it myself, but I try real hard.  Still sometimes I get it wrong.  My sister, Robbie Lee is the world’s worst with names.  You can tell her your name about a hundred times and she would still call you something different afterward.  The problem is she likes to use people’s names when she’s talking to them because she feels it makes the conversation more personal, but she almost always uses the wrong name.  This had lead to many embarrassing moments.  When people correct her she usually just says, “Whatever,” and just keeps on talking.  

Once a woman in our church asked us to have prayer with her as Sunday services were ending.  She was having some personal health issues and we were part of the ministry team that day.  I had been introduced to her earlier and remembered her name was Eunice.  However, as we bowed our heads and started praying out loud with her, Robbie Lee began, “Lord, we ask you to reach out and touch our friend Mildred here.  Mildred has some health issues that we know you can heal.”  I opened my eyes and noticed that Eunice was looking a bit confused, but Robbie Lee just kept on praying.  “Lord, heal Mildred from top to bottom.  Bless Mildred Lord and keep Mildred in your care.”  

This went on for a while until I finally interrupted Robbie Lee.  “Excuse me, Robbie, but her name is not Mildred.”  Robbie Lee gave me a blank stare.  “It’s not?” she asked, like she was shocked that her name could be something other than Mildred.  “My name is Eunice,” the woman replied.  “Oh,” said Robbie Lee.  She continued to pray, “Whatever, Lord you know who this is.  Just heal her I pray.”  I just smiled a big smile at Eunice and she walked away like she wasn’t so sure God was going to get it right.  

Another time I was talking with a woman at Moseberth’s Restaurant in Portsmouth, VA.  Robbie Lee was in the restroom and this woman walked up and introduced herself to me.  “Hello, my name is Linda and I’m a friend of Robbie’s,” she said, reaching out her hand to me. I saw you come into the restaurant with Robbie.”  We chatted for a while and everything was fine until Robbie Lee returned from the restroom.  “Oh, hello!” Robbie Lee said, giving her a hug.  Then Robbie looked at me and said, “Polly, let me introduce you to my friend, Martha.”  I slowly shook my head, knowing that her name was Linda.  “No, my name is not Martha,” she said with a surprised look.  “My name is Linda.”  Robbie Lee always ends up with a blank stare on her face.  “She already introduced herself to me,” I whispered to Robbie Lee.  “Oh,” said Robbie Lee.  “Whatever, it’s still good to see you.”  I just stood there with a red face as Robbie muddled her way through.  

I’ve told Robbie Lee she shouldn’t use people’s names so often if she’s not sure about them.  Yet, she falls into the wrong-name trap over and over again.  It never stops her.  She just keeps using names, hoping she’ll get it right.  She renames people as she goes.  Walking into church she smiles and yells, “Hello, Bob.  How are you?”  “That’s John,” I’ll whisper as we go by.  Robbie Lee just keeps on going.  “Hey, Betty, it’s been a long time,” Robbie Lee says, smiling and hugging along the way.  “Nope, wrong again.  Her name is Charlotte,” I correct.  “Whatever,” says Robbie Lee. 

Aren’t you glad God doesn’t have problems remembering your name?  Isaiah 49:16 says, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.”  In Matthew 10:30 Jesus says, “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”  We are that important to God.  Psalm 139:13 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”  You can’t get any more personal than that.  When others forget your name or overlook you, don’t let it get you down.  God in heaven is staring at your name in the palm of His hand and He will never forget your name.  

P.S.  If you see Robbie Lee, just throw up your hand and say, “Hello Margaret, nice to see you.”  She’ll probably just smile back and say, “Whatever.”