Louder Than the Voices

NOTE: This is actually a post I wrote in February of 2014. After events that has happened in the last few weeks, I have had it on my mind a lot. I think it bears  repeating.     Love What a week!!! Talk about a series of ups and downs! I feel like I have been on a roller coaster of gigantic proportions. Of course, I have talked a lot lately about the propane shortage and how it is effecting our clients. Monday morning I got to start pledging the extra $1,000 payments. Though it has been hectic, it has been so great to be such a blessing to people. Lots of "God Bless You"s, lots of not believing it was real, lots of gratitude. It has been humbling. There is some saying about doing things for others that can't do anything for you in return. I received a lot of return this week, believe me. Thursday was the day of tears. I had several older ladies who called and seriously cried. It was a long day for me because when someone else cries, I cry too. My UC ...

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God [is] one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. Father's Day is upon us again, I have some pretty good sized emotions when it comes to Father's Day, and I saw one of my friends who had lost their dad in recent years even state they wish there wasn't a special day set aside because it hurts too much. I have always kind of had a love/ hate relationship with Mother's Day and Father's ...

Good Saturday morning! This is one of those weeks where I am up and at the computer, later than I wanted to be but I am finally here. A big part of my week was spent at a leadership training. I always have such high hopes and aspirations when we head to these things. I usually learn a few things but I usually come away thinking, "huh, nobody really told me any big secrets that makes leading others just a piece of cake".  This was a very, very, good training though and I have probably brought back more personal growth than I have from anything in a long time. One of the things that we did was write down our own leadership philosophy. This was a homework assignment, and as I sat in my hotel room that night and thought about it. I was able to come up with 8 things right now. We had studied Colin Powell's philosophy earlier that day, it had taken him 30 years to come up with this, I didn't think my 8 was bad for one night. One of my 8 points stuck out to me, and has...

For the first time, I have asked a friend if I could share her story in my blog. Earlier in the week I was asking God what to write about and it was one of those weeks where nothing was coming. And then, everything blew up. Not in my life for a change, but in the life of this friend. I know the entire situation and my heart breaks for her. 1 Peter 4:10 says, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms."  This particular friend has the gift of helping others. I love it when someone uses their talents so effortlessly that sometimes they themselves may not even realize what their talent is. Other see it though. I see it, but most importantly, God sees it. My friend sees someone who needs taken care of and she is there. People know this, and they honestly ask her to help them out. Somehow they know they are going to be okay if she is taking care of them. Recently though, someone...