Thursday, August 26, 2010

Diet Coke

I had a drive-thru breakfast this morning.  Three chicken minis (230 calories of deliciousness) and a Diet Coke.  As the server was handing me my drink, her eyes suddenly got all big and happy.  "I love that water!" she exclaimed.  I sleepily looked to my right to refresh my mind to what she was talking about.  And there, very healthy and conspicuous, was my 5-pack of 1-liter smart waters (There were six yesterday).  I love them too. I grinned back at her and said, "I know, right!  And once you have one, you can't go back to regular water. They're just so good."

It was as I was driving away that conviction struck.

My smart water was right there.  Right there!  It's the good, healthy choice.  And here I am, drinking a Diet Coke.  It's not the worst choice, but certainly not the best.

I've made other Diet Coke choices lately too.  Choosing the option, reaction, attitude that wasn't best.  They weren't ice cream mixed with peanut butter perched on a warm brownie and topped with whipped cream. They were just Diet Coke.  Even still, I'm a little disappointed in myself.  But just like in my car, I'm not without my resources.  I know what to do.  The smart water is right there.  It's just up to me to open up and drink it.

Do good, Regina.  Do good.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Effort

I'm challenged by this thought today...

 "Most people never run far enough on their first wind 
to find out they've got a second."
~ William James

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Clumps

I recently did something I haven't attempted in years:  put together a 1,000 piece puzzle.  I admit, I didn't seek out this challenge for myself.  It was cunningly presented to me by my sister.  Well, maybe not cunning.  She just brought a puzzle over, plopped it on my kitchen table, and helped me sort and complete the border.  Then she left.  "Errands."  uh huh.  Likely story.

I admit that I was able to resist the draw of the puzzle for a few days.  1,000 are little more than a jumble at the beginning.  In fact, they're kind of a big mess.  One of the hardest things to do is to narrow in on one color or pattern or landmark and begin making sense of it all.

But by experimenting and eliminating and carefully examining the example picture...little by little...the pieces start to come together.  Before long there are little clumps of the pieces that take the senseless mass of color and turn it into a little bit of the big picture.

Those clumps are a turning point for me.  Because once you have a clump or two, it's easier to figure out where other pieces go.  "I'm looking for a piece with a green line down the middle."  or  "I'm looking for a piece that's green and oddly shaped on one side."

And right there, while surrounded by the innards of a half-finished puzzle (that's generous...let's say quarter-finished), a verse came to mind:  "Let us not give up meeting together...but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Heb 10:25).

I've always associated this verse as a sort of "go to church" command, where the benefit is for those who are meeting together.  But it struck me that maybe it's just as important for those who are outside of the clump.

Because when clumps start to form, those disconnected pieces have a better idea of where they fit into the picture.  For a person who has a green line down the middle, or who is oddly shaped on one side...seeing that gap in the picture could change everything.  They can go from being lonely to being connected.  From wondering what their piece means to seeing how it adds to the greater picture.

But that can only happen if the clumps stay faithful and sticking together.   

And only a tiny part of that is being in a special building on a certain day of the week.  It's about the relationships that get us through all the joys and trials that life throws our way.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Hello Blog...

As I brush off the articulate side of my brain...let me share with you this list.

Simple pleasures:
Dinner with a new friend
Dinner with an old friend
Making dinner for a group of friends
Being called an in-house Mensa
Reading a chapter (or two) before bed
Rita Springer chord progressions
Refilling vending machine coin dispensers
Netflix
Friends who know your favorite shoes
Friends who aren't afraid to dance with you while you're barefoot
Fiddling
Thunder
Don't Stop Believin' on the radio
Being "handed around" on a phone call
Coming home
Finding a new line of greeting cards
Standing bow pulling pose


Complicated pleasures:
Being trusted for one of "those" phone calls
Full schedules
Possibility
Balance
Standing bow pulling pose