Thankfulness and forgiveness are two things God has given me to practice today.
This very minute.
Right now.
The barn is three miles down the road - a busy road without a good shoulder and then a narrow twisty one. It is not safe to bike or walk the route though it is close enough to do so. So to get to the barn you have to thumb a ride with a fellow student or catch the class bus. Usually it is not too difficult to do one or the other.
It bugs me when fellow students complain about their cars or how far parking is from campus or the roads or... Hello?? You have a car! You have the freedom to drive to and from the barn whenever you want or need to do so! You don't have to work out your schedule to match the person's with whom you are driving. You don't ever have to feel like you are inconveniencing anyone. You don't have to ask, ask, and ask until you find someone going out the time you need or want.
Then I realized. That still small voice to whom I am learning to listen spoke. What do I complain about that I should simply be thankful for? What do I have that others wish they had?
For the record, I have quite a lot for which to be thankful.
As for forgiveness. When the person with a car decides last minute to bail on a job that you committed to do and you are left with 3 1/2 hours to find a ride and it doesn't happen - you have to forgive.
When someone leaves you hanging high and dry - you have to forgive.
To hope others will forgive you when you mess up - you have to forgive.
It's not going to change the situation, make it better, or effect the offender if you choose not to forgive.
So I am choosing to forgive.
Right now.
I can do it.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Day 23 of 40 days for Life
This e-mail from 40 Days for Life reminded me to pray for the end to abortion and to pray for the unborn and their parents. I hope it encourages you to do the same.
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO
-------------------------------------------------------
"If you have been out on the sidewalk in front of
Planned Parenthood," said Michele in Colorado Springs,
"you know what a beautiful and majestic sight the
mountains are." She could stand there for a very
long time praising God in the wonders and beauty of
His creation.
Sometimes, though, she wonders, "How can such peace
and such horror live so close together? The horror
of Planned Parenthood just attacks your very soul,
trying to take away all peace and hope as it steals
the peace and hope of those going in. So you vow
never to give up."
Someday, she said, "I know the view will be restored
to what God's creation should be. And I hope for
that day!"
Here's today's devotional from Dennis DiMauro of
Lutherans for Life.
-----------------------------------------------------
DAY 23 INTENTION
-----------------------------------------------------
We pray for the strength to love those who do not
love us.
-----------------------------------------------------
SCRIPTURE
-----------------------------------------------------
But the Lord said "You have had pity on the plant for
which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which
came up in the night and perished in the night. And
should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which
are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons
who cannot discern between their right hand and their
left, and much livestock? Should I not be concerned
about that great city?"
-- Jonah 4:10-11
-----------------------------------------------------
REFLECTION by Dennis DiMauro
-----------------------------------------------------
God doesn't value people and things like we do. Jonah
loved a shade tree more than an entire city of sinful
people. We love our dogs more than a terrorist. We
love our cars more than a beggar on the side of the
road. And sometimes, we love our money more than a
child growing in a desperate teenager's womb.
But God isn't like us. Genesis 1 tells us that humans
were the capstone of God's creation. We were created
on the sixth day after God had completed the land,
the stars, the plants and the animals. Therefore, His
love for us is greater than His love for a plant, an
animal, or any other created thing.
And the book of Jonah tells us that He loves even the
most sinful people and seeks to bring them into His
merciful arms. And it's a love that seeks to touch
all of his created children: that desperate teenager,
the baby growing in her womb, even tyrants and
terrorists.
So it's up to us to imitate God's merciful love by
helping and praying for those who persecute us, and
those who don't love us back.
-----------------------------------------------------
PRAYER
-----------------------------------------------------
Gracious God, loving our enemies seems like one of
most difficult things you could ask of us. Please
remind us that this is how you love and that if you
ask it of us then you will give us the grace to do
it. This we ask through Christ our Lord, Amen.
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2432
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO
-------------------------------------------------------
"If you have been out on the sidewalk in front of
Planned Parenthood," said Michele in Colorado Springs,
"you know what a beautiful and majestic sight the
mountains are." She could stand there for a very
long time praising God in the wonders and beauty of
His creation.
Sometimes, though, she wonders, "How can such peace
and such horror live so close together? The horror
of Planned Parenthood just attacks your very soul,
trying to take away all peace and hope as it steals
the peace and hope of those going in. So you vow
never to give up."
Someday, she said, "I know the view will be restored
to what God's creation should be. And I hope for
that day!"
Here's today's devotional from Dennis DiMauro of
Lutherans for Life.
-----------------------------------------------------
DAY 23 INTENTION
-----------------------------------------------------
We pray for the strength to love those who do not
love us.
-----------------------------------------------------
SCRIPTURE
-----------------------------------------------------
But the Lord said "You have had pity on the plant for
which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which
came up in the night and perished in the night. And
should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which
are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons
who cannot discern between their right hand and their
left, and much livestock? Should I not be concerned
about that great city?"
-- Jonah 4:10-11
-----------------------------------------------------
REFLECTION by Dennis DiMauro
-----------------------------------------------------
God doesn't value people and things like we do. Jonah
loved a shade tree more than an entire city of sinful
people. We love our dogs more than a terrorist. We
love our cars more than a beggar on the side of the
road. And sometimes, we love our money more than a
child growing in a desperate teenager's womb.
But God isn't like us. Genesis 1 tells us that humans
were the capstone of God's creation. We were created
on the sixth day after God had completed the land,
the stars, the plants and the animals. Therefore, His
love for us is greater than His love for a plant, an
animal, or any other created thing.
And the book of Jonah tells us that He loves even the
most sinful people and seeks to bring them into His
merciful arms. And it's a love that seeks to touch
all of his created children: that desperate teenager,
the baby growing in her womb, even tyrants and
terrorists.
So it's up to us to imitate God's merciful love by
helping and praying for those who persecute us, and
those who don't love us back.
-----------------------------------------------------
PRAYER
-----------------------------------------------------
Gracious God, loving our enemies seems like one of
most difficult things you could ask of us. Please
remind us that this is how you love and that if you
ask it of us then you will give us the grace to do
it. This we ask through Christ our Lord, Amen.
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2432
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Horses...
“Do you give the horse its strength
or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
Do you make it leap like a locust,
striking terror with its proud snorting?
It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,
and charges into the fray.
It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing;
it does not shy away from the sword.
The quiver rattles against its side,
along with the flashing spear and lance.
In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground;
it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.
At the blast of the trumpet it snorts, ‘Aha!’
It catches the scent of battle from afar,
the shout of commanders and the battle cry."
striking terror with its proud snorting?
It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,
and charges into the fray.
It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing;
it does not shy away from the sword.
The quiver rattles against its side,
along with the flashing spear and lance.
In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground;
it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.
At the blast of the trumpet it snorts, ‘Aha!’
It catches the scent of battle from afar,
the shout of commanders and the battle cry."
~Job 39:19-25
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."
~Psalm 20:7
Many people have asked me what I plan to do with a journalism degree with an equine emphasis. A couple of people have asked me how I will use such a degree to serve the Lord. Allow me to answer those inquiries by sharing a few thoughts.
I believe that every job can be done unto the service of the Lord.
I know that America has become a nation needing missionaries.
I also know that the equine industry is quite large (check out the book: Careers with Horses by Vicki Hogue-Davies) and needs people who are salt and light.
I also am convinced that journalism is a career needing Christian light as well. Journalism is about telling the truth to the public. We cannot function without knowledge, and that knowledge needs to be true. If you consider that Jesus is the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life, it seems that Christians are the most equipped people to be journalists. We have the TRUTH.
Furthermore, I know that God made horses. He made me. Loving horses is a part of me.
So, I hope to write well, telling the truth, preferably at an equine publication. I hope to be ready in season and out of season to introduce other horse-lovers to the Inventor/Creator/Designer... of the horse.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Birthday!
Since my birthday landed on a Tuesday, I had free morning. Yes, I had homework that needed doing, but I was able to do it leisurely until my 12:45 class.
So I drank a nice cup of Stash Super Irish Breakfast black tea while listening to Celtic Spirit, Roy Rogers, and Red Hot Chili Pipers, and eating a piece of homemade blueberry buckle cake.
In the evening I needed some "landscape" shots for my photography class and my roommate needed a walk. So we walked to Centennial Park, met two nasty little doggies along the way, as well as a random happy birthday sign...
And a pretty little butterfly...
A beautiful sky...
It was a nice day. :-) I talked to my family, got happy texts from my friends, cards, and a few gifts from friends.
Thank you God for birthday blessings.
Birthday with the roomies!
For my birthday my roommates took me to see the the new film Courageous. It is a good movie! I won't ruin it for all who haven't seen it yet - just go watch it! (And take tissues! If I cried...) So, Tabitha came down from Ashland and we were complete. I joke - but it's half true - Jessica is a on-loan roommate from Tabs! Erin came too and was too sweet, driving us all there and back.
Thank you Jesus for good roommates! :-)
 |
| Jessie, Abby & Tabs |
 |
| Tabitha's first Movie Theater experience! |
 |
| Erin! |
Thank you Jesus for good roommates! :-)
 |
| The four roommates! |
Monday, October 10, 2011
If...
Thanksgiving. It's coming up. I'm not sure what I'm doing yet, but people are already talking about their fall break and thanksgiving plans...So I've gotten thinking.
If I had a car. If I had a car that got even 30 miles a gallon. If I had about $275 for about 68 gallons of gas. If I had the freedom. If... then to Grandma's house I'd go...
If I knew someone with a car who was hauling to New Hampshire for Thanksgiving and wouldn't mind a passenger who'd chip in for gas, I'd go then too.
It's just a thought.
If I had a car. If I had a car that got even 30 miles a gallon. If I had about $275 for about 68 gallons of gas. If I had the freedom. If... then to Grandma's house I'd go...
If I knew someone with a car who was hauling to New Hampshire for Thanksgiving and wouldn't mind a passenger who'd chip in for gas, I'd go then too.
It's just a thought.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Saturday...
Last night as I was closing at the barn, Jessica, Libby, and Johanna were getting Icon ready for the wedding today. I was informed that the wedding was open to all the equine students to attend. So I went back to my dorm room and informed my roommate (an equine major) that we were going to Siobhan's wedding at 12:30 tomorrow. She knew of the wedding but didn't know where it was to be or what time. Leave it to the journalist to find out all those details! ;-)
At 11:30 this bright and sunny Saturday we got dressed in our Sunday best and walked over to Estes Chapel at the Asbury Seminary across the street. The leaves are turning color and the breeze here always whispers, if not blows, making the short walk lovely. There we celebrated Siobhan and her husband Johnathan's marriage. It was a beautiful wedding and reception. Eventually I will post a few photos - especially of her and Johnny leaving by carriage, beautifully drawn by our handsome horse Icon.
Now, on to a bit of homework before Saturday night barn closing.
At 11:30 this bright and sunny Saturday we got dressed in our Sunday best and walked over to Estes Chapel at the Asbury Seminary across the street. The leaves are turning color and the breeze here always whispers, if not blows, making the short walk lovely. There we celebrated Siobhan and her husband Johnathan's marriage. It was a beautiful wedding and reception. Eventually I will post a few photos - especially of her and Johnny leaving by carriage, beautifully drawn by our handsome horse Icon.
Now, on to a bit of homework before Saturday night barn closing.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Fun facts from the field of Journalism
1.) The word magazine comes from the Arabic word makhazin, which means storehouse or warehouse.
2.)The three types of magazines are: consumer (the ones you see in stores...), trade (the specialized ones like Pizza Today that only niche trades want), and organization (only people in the organization get theses...like National Geographic).
3.) Henry Luce's Life was America's first full-fledged modern picture magazine. It was published weekly at a cover price of 10cents and premiered on November 23, 1936 with a cover photo of Fort Peck Dam in Montana.
4.) Reader's Digest carried no advertising for its first 34 years.
5.) Between 1772-1783, only 3 magazines were published in America: The Royal American Magazine, Pennsylvania Magazine, and the United States Magazine. Now thousands are published each year.
6.) Eleanor Roosevelt wrote an article for Negro magazine, which boosted sales from 50,000 to 100,000.
7.) Time put Richard Nixon on the cover 14 times during the unraveling of the Watergate plot.
8.) Magazines usually have a chance of continuing to exist if they can make it for three years.
9.) The editorial formula means tying all the elements of a magazine together logically and coherently in a readable, usable package.
10.)The three reasons for a magazine's success are: a highly focused editorial policy, a clearly defined formula, and a thorough understanding of and connection with the audience.
11.) The most important postal date in conjunction with the modern day magazine is 1879. Special second-class mailing privileges were granted to magazines meaning publishers could mail their magazines coast to coast at the same low cost as newspapers.
12.) Magazines have specialization of content and audience so specific that it includes different psychographics, demographics, national and international, regional and local branches.
13.) The first ad in an American magazine appeared the same year the magazine medium appeared in this country: 1741.
14.) Some famous writers for The Atlantic Monthly since its beginning in 1857 include: John Steinbeck, Martin Luther King Jr, and Emily Dickinson.
2.)The three types of magazines are: consumer (the ones you see in stores...), trade (the specialized ones like Pizza Today that only niche trades want), and organization (only people in the organization get theses...like National Geographic).
3.) Henry Luce's Life was America's first full-fledged modern picture magazine. It was published weekly at a cover price of 10cents and premiered on November 23, 1936 with a cover photo of Fort Peck Dam in Montana.
4.) Reader's Digest carried no advertising for its first 34 years.
5.) Between 1772-1783, only 3 magazines were published in America: The Royal American Magazine, Pennsylvania Magazine, and the United States Magazine. Now thousands are published each year.
6.) Eleanor Roosevelt wrote an article for Negro magazine, which boosted sales from 50,000 to 100,000.
7.) Time put Richard Nixon on the cover 14 times during the unraveling of the Watergate plot.
8.) Magazines usually have a chance of continuing to exist if they can make it for three years.
9.) The editorial formula means tying all the elements of a magazine together logically and coherently in a readable, usable package.
10.)The three reasons for a magazine's success are: a highly focused editorial policy, a clearly defined formula, and a thorough understanding of and connection with the audience.
11.) The most important postal date in conjunction with the modern day magazine is 1879. Special second-class mailing privileges were granted to magazines meaning publishers could mail their magazines coast to coast at the same low cost as newspapers.
12.) Magazines have specialization of content and audience so specific that it includes different psychographics, demographics, national and international, regional and local branches.
13.) The first ad in an American magazine appeared the same year the magazine medium appeared in this country: 1741.
14.) Some famous writers for The Atlantic Monthly since its beginning in 1857 include: John Steinbeck, Martin Luther King Jr, and Emily Dickinson.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Life's a Dance and Letters from Home
So, some of you have heard of this man - John Michael Montgomery. He lives in Nicholasville - the neighboring town to Wilmore. I was there last night eating pasta at Fazoli's and shopping at Walmart! I shop in his home town! lol!
Unlike so many other country stars who make Nashville home, John Michael still lives outside of Lexington in Nicholasville, near where he was raised, spending quality time with his wife Crystal, daughter Madison Caroline, and Walker Carl. It's a life that keeps his feet on the solid ground of reality. "I like it around here, and I grew up around here, and I know every little crack in the road and fence row," he notes. "I drive by some places, and I remember helping tear the fences down and putting 'em up. I get to reminisce a lot about back when I was young, and I was building swimming pools and cutting tobacco, all kinds of stuff. A lot of times I'll just get in my vehicle and drive around and see some of the places that haven't changed. They're the same way as when I was a kid.
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