Friday Tidings

Last July I embarked on the Boundless Summertime Challenge. It  was intended for young people beginning their journeys into adulthood.    But I hoped to kick-start my faith walk. I'm certainly at life’s halfway point so I looked where I’d been and how I wanted to finish my race. The daily Challenge assignments pointed out how we battle similar things at different times in our life. When the Challenge ended, I was motivated to live with greater purpose. We were also asked to memorize Romans 12. Several verses are stark reminders of my weakest links. So as I celebrate my Challenge anniversary, I reviewed my progress. God knows I’m still at work and he continues to shine his light on where I am and where I need to go. Romans 12:2 Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. My age doesn’t give me immunity to the constant barrage of input confronting me.  So I’m choosy with what I read, watch, and do. Thought control leads to self-control.

Here’s the routine:  My husband asks, “Have you seen my  _______? "  Ordinarily the missing object is where it was last used. However, the older we get, the foggier we are as to where and when that was. So as I go about my day I find things in random places and put them back where they belong. I am making a concerted effort not to let it bother me anymore. In my former days, (which was not all that long ago) I would sometimes declare sanctimoniously that if I kept MY kitchen the way he kept HIS shop, we’d never eat. No one has to LOOK for my things. I KNOW how to put everything away. Yada. Yada. Yada. I wasn’t nice. Thankfully, I control my tongue better now. But I confess, I still roll my eyes sometimes.  Not too long ago, I was sitting in a random waiting room, thumbing through a random magazine, and I spotted an unusual letter written by a recently widowed woman who was obviously hurting. She lamented all the times she had chided her husband for being late. No matter how ma

Computers save me tons of time and I spend a ton of time online. Everything was copacetic until I read about Popcorn Brain. Medical researchers have analyzed human concentration in the 21 st  Century information age. It’s easy to get over stimulated by the massive amounts of rapid-fire input from all of our technological toys. With a few clicks I can get my entertainment, news, send emails, Skype, pay bills, shop, and chat with friends. Bottom line? Popcorn Brain. The constant online stimulation makes it challenging for life offline—where things happen far slower. Further studies showed that lengthy online time is linked to lower levels of gray matter—the brain stuff that does my thinking. Uh oh.  At this stage, I can’t afford to lose any more gray matter. Fed a steady media diet of sound bytes, our brains get rewired to crave that fast paced technological advantage. Our pleasure-seeking brain chemicals love this stimulation and it becomes harder to break away from that magnetic on

Several amazing friends got together and decided to plan a high school class reunion for two decades of graduates. I can't imagine the effort required to plan a three-day celebration for that many people. Months of dedication will now bring hundreds together once again. What an incredible gift.  Even though high school graduation is one of those pivot points in life, we often leave behind many of those friendships as we move on and away.  I’m no longer the young graduate clinching her diploma and dreams. I’m old enough that more of my life is behind me than is in front. According to the reunion statistics, over four hundred have had their stories end far too soon. A vivid reminder that no one knows how many reunion opportunities remain. Thanks to the Facebook reunion page, my former classmates have been reminiscing about Classic Rock favorites, first jobs, cheap gas and old hangouts. Memories connect us once again. Interestingly, as we marched into middle age, our cliqu

We really need to talk. I think you probably know what I’m going to say. Things just aren’t the same. You no longer act the way you used to. I’ve tried to believe in you, but I’m working way too hard and I don’t feel like you’re doing your share. After being together this long these feelings really hurt. But you've changed.  I have tons of memories of better days. Like years ago at the beach when the hardest decision was whether to get ice cream or go for another swim. I loved our freedom together. I remember the opportunities you gave me to do whatever I wanted. You let me go to college and then study whatever I wanted. You even helped me through.  You let me take all those crazy part-time jobs that taught me how money was really earned. But the ultimate was when you agreed to let me buy a farm. Yes, me. You probably knew it wouldn’t work, but hey, why not try? When I failed, it hurt, but slowly I came back from those losses. It took awhile, but you stayed with me. A