Five Tech Blessings; Read & Listen; Play; Work( See

Greetings of peace and joy! Now, before I get to five of my favorite apps on the journey through LENT, and pretty much any other season, I have a question.

Can anyone tell me why WordPress seems to have me in a time zone in a different country! I’m in California. Today is still Tuesday, but I think WordPress says it’s about 7 o’clock tomorrow morning. Anyway! It’s just been something bugging me and I can’t figure it out even though I turned on location services, so if you know, let me know.

Okay, now to the point of today’s blog post. Here are five apps, most of which I’ve used for years and all of which I like a lot! There are so many threats and risks associated with the strength and variety of technology we have these days, but technology is a blessing, and like all things, it is one people have chosen to abuse in many cases.

What are some apps you wouldn’t want to live without?

1. Bible.is

i have had this free app for years, and I still enjoy listening to the dramatized Bible on it even though through Audible I found a versiont narrated by famous actors and actresses. It’s part nostalgia I suppose. They also have an app for kids, which is cool!

2. Audible

This may be my most used app. Of course, you can listen to the Bible if you purchased one of the additions. They have all of the books! I listen to personal development, vocational/professional development, fiction and nonfiction, theology and devotional texts and so much more! Of course, I have my favorite narrator including Sandra Burr and Kristine Hvan. My son, husband and I have listened to the entire Harry Potter series a countless number of times. Come on, you have to! Even if not, I’m sure there something you have listened to or read it over and over again.

3. MagnifyingGlass

Part of being successful in a insanely sighted world is being able to locate and utilize the tools, which make vision possible. For me, it’s always been technology. I used to have handheld magnifier’s and then chargeable magnifiers and desktop magnifiers call the CCTV. Now, even if it requires that you carry around a portable charger to recharge your iPhone, they have the high-power magnifiers right in the App Store. How awesome is that! Of course, the flashlight attached comes in handy. There are no words to express how helpful it is to have a magnifier so small and portable and lightweight enough. It is helpful not to have one more device I have to carry around, especially since I’d probably be the stereotypical person who would lose their head if it wasn’t attached to their shoulders. This is the best one I have found since they discontinued the one I was using for years.

4. Scrabble

This is how I relax. Coming up with words is pretty simple when compared to all the other myriad of decisions we have to make every day. So, perhaps not I will find this earth shattering really exciting, but the wordists amongst us will probably get it! No pressure, play at your own rate or speed, or play with friends, which I don’t usually do.

5. PicPostPlay

Last year, I read a book (right???? Big suppressed eyes! LOL) called The Artist Way. In that book, the author encourages creativity. The premise is there is an artist in all of us no matter how technical or stuffy Our jobs might be or our lives might be, we have an artist child with interest. So, she encouraged us to find an outlet we loved. I have always loved Photography. I love music. I love collage is. So, with this app I could combine all three of those, which was really and is really great! So, I, of course, would recommend this app along with any and all of the others on this short list.

I’m Out TIL Tomorrow

As we enter the second half of the Lenten season, I pray that you have an outlet that helps keep the stress away, brings moments of peace and joy into your life, and draws you closer to God and the appreciation of God’s creation. Take care until next time!

God Bless you!

If We Are What We Read, What And Who Am I?

I wonder if I didn’t say anything, would you notice I didn’t post yesterday! Mostly, because my son was out of school, it just slipped my mind that it was even Monday. Still, I got plenty of work done including my worship plan for Sunday, and had dinner with my brother-in-law, who is in from San Franciscot, and the rest of the in-laws. Tacos is always a family favorite though noone makes them quite like Marlon, ask my son! I hope you are all having a great week thus far.

I have to get back to writing these budgets and getting ready for Sunday, but I need it to get to my outlet, which is writing for fun. So, let me talk about a couple of books I am or have read, and influence me.

Festive In Death, by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts)

Amazon

Lieutenant eve Dallas is a homicide Lieutenant! She is a victim/survivor of the foster care system around 30 years from now give or take. I don’t want to give away too much of a story in case I’ve wet your intereste, and you’re going to go read this 50 books series! Of course, this is fiction, which allows her to be a super superhero. Nevertheless, she overcomes horrific trauma to become an amazingly dedicated public servant. I can empathize, which is why I identify so much with her and love the series. I, too, grew up in foster care, and it was definitely ugly. I find this example to be both intimidating and inspiring. I can’t figure out if it helps me get to work or if it makes me feel like I’m completely not doing anything. Perhaps both. Still, I’ve read this series over and over again.

I like this book in the series particularly, because it forces Eve to have more balance then she tends to and it forces her to celebrate the holidays, which she would pretty much just let fall by the wayside if it were up to her, or so she’d have us believe. She’s a hard ass, but not brittle. Remember my post of Saturday? If we don’t take a rest, it increases The chances of our being brittle and broken… Well, good thing she has people to give her that same message, because she definitely needs it. My guess is most do; especially if, like me, you’re a Perfectionist/Type A personality.

As Eve gives thanks for Rourke, her husband, I give thanks for Marlon, mine. True LOVE definitely makes a difference and when we find it, we have to hold on tightly especially through treacherous and torturous storms. She is irreverent, belittles even the idea of faith in God and cusses entirely too much… She is imperfect. She lives every day of her life fighting for justice and she definitely knows her WHY. I want that confidence and won’t stop until I have it. Lord, I won’t let you go until and unless you bless me (Genesis 32:26j.

Pinterest images for Genesis 32:26

Eat That Frog, by Brian Tracy

Eat That Frog Cover

Perhaps it was the image of eating a disgusting frog that first got my attention! I love this book and have quoted from it quite a few times on Facebook and Instagram. When I suffer from anxiety, I list everything I need to do and that leads to inactivity, because then I get overwhelmed and anxious and I start to feel so small! It is a vicious and sometimes seemingly endless cycle. Can I get an Amen!

I was just talking to my husband about the fact that I don’t want to take the bus to the gym, work out, then either walk back from or take the bus back from the gym because it takes too long. I realized though that of course I spend so much time worrying about it and worrying about what I have to do that the time I think I’m saving, I’m wasting anyway! During that time, I’m beating myself up for what I’m not doing, and doing things that don’t necessarily need to be prioritized or… So, I have to remind myself daily and multiple times daily to eat that frog.

Which one? Bryan tells us the biggest one, but when everything is vital and urgent, that can’t be that easy to figure out all the time either. So, I am working on it.

This quote from Mark Twain inspired the title

• What do you think? How do you get unstuck?

Finally, I have been titled Sunday’s sermon Indulge Yourself.

Bible greeting card for Joel 2:12-13

My sermon will actually be on Isaiah 55:1-9, so this is the background text for a series. Lent is a time to unclutter our lives, clean out the junk and mess and return full heartedly to following Christ. Repentance is not a happy emotion in the way we are used to thinking of it, but in repenting, we enter the abundant life. We are invited to indulge in water and bread from heaven, and unlike physical water and bread, when we partake of these, we never hunger or thirst again. I love this promise and I’m comfortable walking and sitting in the reality of the almost and not yet partial for filament of this promise. As long as I am here on earth, I will hunger and thirst again physically and spiritually. I don’t walk perfectly with Christ all the time and sometimes I feel abandoned. Even knowing that I may be doing things to block my blessings does not lessen the anguish of these moments. So , I cry come Holy Spirit, come!

Let Us Pray

God, thank you so much for sending your son to be born and live amongst us, to die and fight for us and to rise up again that we might have eternal life. Thank you Holy Spirit that you continue to walk with us and sit with us and live with us so that we may have the wisdom, courage and compassion of Christ in the world. Thank you that you continue to help us walk in the way of Christ. Jesus, we love you and we praise you. We give you all the honor and glory. Thank you for your sacrifice and for your perfect example. We are not worthy in our own power, and yet, we continue to try and to be our best, because that is what you ask of us. Amen!

Take A Break or Be Broken

See ya Monday! Did you know that Sundays during LENT are considered mini Easters? Now, I know for some, that means whatever you decided to fast from or whatever new behavior/practice you are trying to cultivate to honor God gets halted for a day, but that’s not the way I see it. Take a weekly break from doing good? No! that can’t be right. The mimi Easter is a day in the midst of the contemplation to remember that the Christian walk is one, above all, of joy and hope. So, enjoy tomorrow and make sure to keep Christ first, center and always.

Look, I know I first said I intend it to post daily during the season and I do… Except Sundays. Saturdays might be a little abbreviated as well. It’s a family day, many conferences happen on Saturdays, such as today’s young peoples ministry conference, and then there’s preparing for worship on Sundays. If you also work in ministry in some capacity, you know exactly what I’m talking about! So, I am signing off for the weekend. If we don’t give our minds and souls breaks from time to time, we wind up broken and brittle. Take care. This might help. I am sharing a couple of vacation pictures with you as a way to exude peace and joy.

May God bless you and keep you now and forever!

Oh Wait!!! One More Thing

If you are enjoying my blog, please let me know By liking or commenting. Are you reading? Is the blog resonating with you? Do you have questions? Do you have ideas? Do you sense I am walking along this path of discipleship with you? Maybe you’ll take a moment sometime and let me know what’s on your mind. THANK YOU!

Journeying With My Son

Thursday, March 7! Today was a productive and blessed day. I mostly worked on preparations for Sunday school. My students are mostly middle school! I created a bingo game for the students for the sermon. I hand these out to students of all ages and their generated bingo cards have words that I expect to be in the sermon so the students can listen out for those and try to get bingo! So, of course, we Collett Bible bingo! They seem to enjoy it so I hope they enjoy it this week. I also created a play based on the sermon text, which will be Numbers 10:29–36. My class will enact this play during the Sunday school hour. I think this is a fun way for them to engage the scripture and work off some of that energy that middle schoolers always have! Help us!

When I get home, the last thing I wanted to do is deal with middle school or’s! Imagine, a gym full of middle school students and their parents and teachers. Well, today was my sons spring recital so of course I went, and of course I’m glad I went. As working mothers and fathers, ministers and teachers, lawyers and doctors, we often forget that we are called to parenthood. Adolescents are really good at communicating that they don’t need us, but nothing could be further from the truth. I know in my heart he will remember perhaps not the specific times I was there, but he will remember that I was there. More wrenchingly, he’d remember if I were not there. So, as we journey to the cross with our children and families, let us be present.

LENTEN REPENTANCE

1. Failure to be be present.
2. Being impatient.
3. Criticizing too much.

ENJOY THE JOURNEY!

Because Jesus bought our freedom on the cross, every day, by grace, I have a new opportunities to be a better mom, better wife, better sister and daughter, better minister and teacher. Today, repenting of the above listed shortcomings, I was able to do better. We’re now, that is good enough. I am enough. Good night and God bless!

Let Go, Pick Up & Move Forward

Ash Wednesday is about repenting and humbling self to the creator.  God created us from dust, and when our time here on earth is over, to dust we shall return.  Thanks to Jesus Christ, that is not the end for believers.  When we accept God’s grace and salvation through Christ, we rise up once out time here is over.  We go, as Christ did, to be with the Father in paradise.  Let us, therefore, take up our crosses and follow Christ to the Cross and into Glory.  

• What do you need to let go, put down and surrender to God?  What do you need to pick up, hold on to and dedicate to God? 

Let Go, Put Down and Surrender!

• Lazy and weary! I get up late, lay around listening to books about the fictional lives of others, put off reading and creating for work, because I am weary, anxious and depressed.  Why doesn’t it all matter enough for me to do more; for me to be more? I repent for I have devalued myself and given you and your children less that I am able.  Lord, forgive me, purify me and restore my energy, hope, joy and conference.  I have not loved you as you have loved me.  I have not treated others as you would, and I have not loved my neighbor as I should love myself.  I repent. Let me lay this down and march on to victory. 
• Anger and Wrath! I yell at my husband and son far more than necessary.  I am angry if they talk, when they don’t talk.  I want them to enjoy life, but get upset when they roughhouse, tell jokes I don’t understand and snap when they distract me, even if it is from listening to or reading a book I have reread and reread again.  I am angry and impatient.  I have no self-discipline or self-control at these times, and I repent. I lay this down and ask you to purify me, and give me a heart of joy, patience, engagement and love.  I love my family and may the words of my mouth and the deeds I perform let them know this every day.  Amen!
• Procrastination! I am always afraid that what I do will not be enough, so I do nothing think that once I start a project, it will take too long, and I don’t want to take the time.  There are so many messages I tell myself and some message I have not consciously identified. Whatever my rationale, I procrastinate and do not get things done.  Please release me of this burden.  I lay my procrastination down and pray I will never pick it up again.  I need you so much on this one!  

Pick-Up, Hold On To and Dedicate to God!

• Lord, my poor eyesight, inadequate transportation situation and a mission field with few willing laborers make my job challenging.  This is my cross to bear.  Help me take up these burdens, use them to your Glory, and make lemoniid out of lemons.  Lord, you put me here—this church, this ministry, this neighborhood, this time—for good reasons.  Please let me see your plan so that I can more gladly take up these crosses and inspire others to follow. 
• Hold on! I need to cling closer to my Call and Your Word.  Lately though, I have been hardhearted and not being fed by the words I read in Scripture. Help me hold on to You. 
• My work, my family and my life are dedicated to You.  Help me be worthy.  May my sacrifices of obedience, loyalty, contrite spirit and prayer be acceptable in Your sight; my rock and my redeemer

MY PRAYER

Holy Spirit, meet us in our Ash Wednesday worship tonight.  We are dust and ashes whom You have redeemed and made holy by the blood of the lamb and through the endowment of the Holy spirit.  God, I Adore, and I LOVE You! Thank you that Joy comes in the morning. AhMen!