Pollyanna!

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." Phil. 4:8

I love to sit and watch a good old fashioned Disney movie. I know I'm showing my age, but there is something pure and simplistic about a car named Herby, or a dog that talks or even finding a purpose for "flubber". These movies bring back the kid in us and if only for a short 90 minutes or so, take us to a more pristine and happy world.

I just finished watching Pollyanna. I don't have a whole lot of childhood memories. I think they are still caught up in the peri-menopause transition zone. But I do vividly remember watching this movie and the effect it had on me at that time. I think I found it truly captivating that one person could have such a dramatic effect on other people. I would remember Pollyanna when situations called for happier thoughts about unhappy people. I am surprised actually as I write this at how much of a profound effect this movie did have on my life.

Pollyanna is about a orphaned girl full of sunshine and happiness who moves in with her wealthy Aunt in a town beset with it's own less than happy characters. The movie carries Pollyanna's cheerful "gladness" attitude around town weaving it through everyone's lives and with it depositing a small miracle in each one. All this despite the cantankerous bitter Aunt who for some reason has lost the ability to show love. The movie however takes a sad turn even for Pollyanna as an accident leaves her paralyzed and on her way to a surgical hospital. The town responds with a reciprocal outpouring of love as they bid her farewell but they themselves are left submerged in their newfound happiness! Letting it be known how infectious happiness can be. And we are left with this glob of teary eyed "gladness" wondering if it is really possible to be that kind of happy, grateful for life...seeing only the good in everyone, type human being.
Lets face it. We could use more Pollyannas in this world. One can barely escape the tidal wave of "it's all about me" drama that sweeps our media, our Schools, our cyber world and even our Churchs'. This movie left me with a lot of hope! Happiness is contagious. Just as contagious as an epidemic of the measles. If we spent more time looking for the good in people and and thinking "happy" thoughts and quoting "happy texts" we could literally be the antiserum to a world befallen with a serious lack of "gladness".

A town was brought back to life by the positive, "look for the good in everyone" attitude. Lets face it this type of cheer is contagious. There are approximately 800 happy texts in the Bible...we love and serve a Happy God!!

Some thoughts on paper....

I came across some writings that I never did get around to posting. Thought I might share them.

The Shama

Hear, O, Israel. Jehovah our God is one Jehovah.
And you shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
And these words which I command you this day shall be in your heart.
And you shall carefully teach them to your sons, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk
by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.
And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
And you shall write them upon the posts of your house, and on your gates.

This command of Jehovah called the "shama" was given to the Israelites as God was preparing to give them Land flowing with Milk and honey which He had promised to their forefathers.

To be Crucified

Recently one of our small groupies embarked on a mission trip to Ecuador. Her and her daughter took this trip not knowing much about the culture they were going to experience. Upon arriving at the airport....her daughter was met with some "unwelcomed" verbal nuances that understandably made her feel very uncomfortable. A complete u-turn at this point sounded reasonable, however, once they were in closed and safe quarters things began to calm down and they were met with some comforting local ministry workers who vowed that they would be well taken care of...and they were. Upon returning home from their mission trip they were just beaming with excitement! They had an absolutely wonderful, unforgettable and life changing experience. And to think that all would have been missed had they followed their initial fears and turned around and come home.


As we were discussing over dinner one night the unique and enjoyable aspects of their trip we started to consider what an experience it would be if I were to go on the next trip. Of course the subject of having to fly accompanied this idea and the idea of flying has never been a popular one with me. After hearing this my dearly beloved small groupie loaded up her ammunition and preceded to fire, with perfect precision, at my need to "control" my surroundings. In fact I believe her words were, and I quote, as I know I will invite her to read this blog, "boy, you really don't like to give up control do you?" Now, there are not too many people in my life that will just up and "shoot" me with bullets that really hit home with my soul and make me think, "Gee...am I that obvious? Is my control factor that apparent in my life?" So I decided to look up the word control in the dictionary just to get an accurate description of my bullet wound!
Control: To check, test, or verify by evidence or experiments; to incorporate suitable controls in a controlled experiment; To exercise restraining or directing influence over; to have power over; and my favorite! to reduce the incidence or severity of...


I believe we all at some time have wrestled with the control or lack of it in our lives. Especially at those difficult times when things are just not going as we would like, and after exhausting all of our human efforts to force the issue we discover that there really isn't anything we can do...our hands are tied.


It is comforting though to know that our Lord, Jesus is not immune to this type of suffering. His last days on earth, particularly in the Garden of Gethsamane, reminds me of this. When he was praying to His Father in heaven. Jesus knew what lay ahead...and he was scared. The bible says that as he was praying "drops of blood" fell from his face. The heartache He must have gone through is more than what I could ever endure and much more intense than my temporary woes here on earth. Jesus, of his own volition, was not in control..and yet even though he could have changed that, he didn't. He accepted Gods will and in the end purchased for us a place in heaven. And I would imagine that as Jesus was praying..he was reminded of all that God had done for him up to that point. God's faithfulness in all areas of His ministry....God's provision and comfort after Jesus' 40 days of fasting in the desert, His Father's tender words of love at His baptism.


I am reminded these days as well of God's faithfulness. God has always been in my life. I cannot remember a time when He was not there. I can remember times when I left him...but somehow I always knew God was never very far away. Always providing...always rescuing...always forgiving. So why..is it so hard for us to remember the track record when hard times come around again....and again...and again? We worry, we fret we do everything humanly possible to "reduce the incidence or severity" of what we are going through or what we "think" will happen if we don't do something.


Maybe it's not so much about forgetting the track record as it is about just not wanting to go through it at all! And as I sit here in my Garden of Gethsamane..racking my brain trying to figure out what last ditch effort I can make to change the outcome, I realize the real reason behind my insanity...I don't want to fly! I don't want to embark out of my comfort zone...have my limits stretched...be all that I can be...I don't want to get on that plane! And lately I feel as though there are band aids on my band aids. Yet there is a part of me, maybe that which accompanied Jesus in the desert, that won't give in. Because I know in my heart of hearts that God, for some unmistakable reason is doing a work in me, and true to His word, He will not stop until it is completed. So, I may as well stop whining...saddle up my horse.....stock up on the chocolate and Merlot and just get on the plane. There is a destination...if not in this world then in eternity. God is the pilot and while I am on the plane it may go well with me if I take a trip more often to the cockpit and get to know my pilot a little better. Because the more you know someone the more you trust them...right?

Perspective...

Perspective is a funny thing. It can cause us to broaden our outlook or it can narrow our ability to see things in ways other than what is relative to our momentary situation or circumstance. Perspective is like a pair of glasses. If you don’t have the right prescription your vision is impaired.

During the time that the Israelites had been taken captive to Babylon the Lord brought to the prophet Jeremiah a vision. Following this vision, the Lord asked, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I paused at the end of this sentence. I started to look around asking myself, Tina, “What do you see?” At first glance I saw the obvious. Sitting in my living room, I first saw the Nativity scene displayed on my sofa table. Perusing over to the left I saw a candle. Then I glanced over at the Christmas tree and then to the clock on the wall. The words, “what do you see” kept running through my mind, as I found myself again much more conscious of what I had just seen… the Christmas tree, the Nativity scene and the clock on the wall, etc. Then a funny thing happened. I started to see the same things but in a different light the more I looked at them. I began to look beyond what was actually there. As I looked again at the Nativity Scene hope started to fill my soul as I remembered the salvation I have in that little baby lying in the manger. The Old World style clock on the wall has been hanging there for eight years now and before then in my apartment. It was a gift from my father who passed away this past summer. It gave me a feeling of his touch on my life. As I looked at the Christmas tree I saw the Angels that decorated it and how they were handed down to me from my Mother who passed away just under three years before. Then I started to count the many blessings in my life that started to adorn my perspective at that moment.

This Christmas is guaranteed to be an emotional precedence for me and my family. The losses in our family this year have left a melancholy gap in the Holiday traditions we normally celebrate. The effect of losing a loved can be very profound and sometimes mysterious and how each of us grieves that loss can be very personal. Holidays of course always seem to prompt a more sentimental visit down memory lane.

But that’s not all…

My attention has been more intimately focused on the reason for why Christmas is even here. . I find myself more in tune with the gift that is always, no matter what, under everyone’s Christmas tree every Christmas morning…the gift of Heaven. That brings such hope! Such a light in an ever increasingly dark world.
I begin to find an amazing comfort in knowing that someday I will be with my loved ones again…celebrating Christmas.

So far so good in Orlando! And up until today, the weather has been sunny and warm. Warm enough to engage ourselves in reviewing the new addition to Sea world...the Aquatica water park. Now...I can't say that I have been to an entourage of water parks in my life time but enough to know that this particular one is right on! From the landscaping to the virtual white sandy beach, this water park is going to be a fave. It has an extremely relaxing atmosphere with tropical music playing throughout the park, accompanied with very talkative tropical birds and a very friendly staff. I cannot remember the last time I laughed so hard. The rides and water activities seemed as though they were specially designed to be nothing but pure fun! Even us adults were having the time of our lives. The water itself is so inviting because of it's bathing temperatures. It is a really nice park. The wave pool was probably my favorite...but it's hard to choose.
Today however, we visited the Atlantic Ocean. The weather wasn't the greatest but when you are looking at the vastness of the open sea...I guess it really doesn't matter if it's accompanied by sun or clouds. We shopped the Ocean walk a bit..drove on the beach and grabbed a cup of java at Starbucks. And while we were enjoying our space on the shores of the Atlantic, we had a surprising visit by Mark and Denny from Delaware. Two students on their own Spring Break but not spending it in the typical fashion. It wasn't hard for me to think after they had left that while we were enjoying our shopping trips and water parks and relaxing in the sun. These two students from the University of Delaware were witnessing for Jesus. That is how they were spending their Spring Break. They were simple and to the point. Their first question was engaging."Can we talk to you about religious views?" I kind of chuckled and said, "which one?" And then I added, "we are Christians". To which they replied, " so are we!" But what surprised me was their next question. "So, do you believe in works and good deeds...." and before he could even finish the question I said, " nope...our salvation rests in Jesus Christ" and their faces lit up as I continued "so we're cool". I thought it very profound that these two "witnesses" were not satisfied with my "we're Christians" confession. They wanted to affirm that we were indeed on the one true path to God. We exchanged prayer requests and they went on their way. But I was left with the suspicious feeling that their visit was a divine appointment. Maybe they needed prayers or maybe just an encouraging word, I don't know. I do know that I was left with a gift of hope and a conviction that I need to witness more in my world.
Those are my highlights....now Mary's is her "airbrushed tattoo" that she very successfully and determinedly talked me into allowing. I say "talk" but that is really an understatement. Why are teens so efficient at the art of wearing you down to the point of saying yes? And why is it that we parents have not learned this same art of persuasion at wearing them down to get them to do what we want? We had it when we were teens right? Gee....do we actually grow out of it?
Well, that 's the highlight for today. My activity for the night is to nurse my sunburn. Yes...one does not come to Florida without at least one!