Goodthoughts

God's GPS

My husband, Chuck, got a BlackBerry for me after my old cell phone died.  He absolutely loves his and wanted to share the joy of being connected to the world every waking moment with me!  I'm learning to text and getting used to reading the news on my BlackBerry. 

But, one of the coolest things on my new Blackberry is the GPS.  I'm going to visit our daughter, Amy, later today.  She lives over 500 miles away.  I put in her address last night and each turn popped up on my screen...all the street names I couldn't remember...neatly spelled out for me.  I don't have to worry about getting lost!

God can do that, too, you know.  He doesn't need batteries.  He's never obsolete...and he doesn't require a monthly fee for his services.  But, he always knows where I am...and he always knows the best way to get to my destination...even when I don't.

There is one difference in God's version of GPS for you life.  You only get directions...one turn at a time.  And you do have to listen...and be willing to take the turn and keep walking until you come to the next fork in the road.

I was talking with my friend, Susan, yesterday.  We've been friends since we were 5 years old.  She said that she used to think that she could plan her life herself...sort of parallel to God's path.  Then... she would invite God to join her on her path.  But things never seemed to go right.  Then one day she realized that life would be a lot easier if she joined God on the path he offered instead.  Her life changed dramatically for the better after she did.

So, whether your life is stuck in traffic.  Or you're moving through life swiftly, but notice that you keep ending up in the same spot...ask God to show you his road.    God doesn't guarantee the road will always be smooth...but he does promise that he'll always be there to carry you over the bumpy places.  Try God's GPS...it's a custom planned journey just for you...because you're an original...and you've got something special to do!

Turn your goodthoughts into good deeds!

What if we could create a global community of folks willing to commit to one small act of kindness each day...a smile...a word of encouragement...a heartfelt compliment...an offer of help?  Could we start a tidal wave of love that would truly make a difference?  I believe we can!

I'm amazed at the readers from all over the world that come here for Goodthoughts each day.  Maybe we just need to put some little red shoes, like the bluebird's, on those goodthoughts and take them to the street...where each of us live!

I've created a new group on Facebook to do just that...and I'm inviting each of you to join.  It doesn't cost anything...nobody is going to know whether you participate or not, but please take a look and become one of the first members!  It could change  the lives of others for the good....and you know when we do good things for others it changes us as well!

So, check it out..

www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1476125291&ref=name#/group.php?gid=101413790098&ref=mf

If you don't have a Facebook account you'll need to go to facebook.com and open up one up.  It's free and it's easy.  Take some time to set up your Facebook profile.  You can find me by searching for Debbie Richey Warnock or the Goodthoughts group.  Ask to be my friend and join the group and your in!!  You can write your ideas on my wall or open a discussion topic with others. 

But I need your help to get this rolling.   It will be lots of fun to see good things happen because we all worked together.  So, go have a look and tell me what you think.  Thanks.--Debbie

The emergency flashers

"The Gift" was the my 3rd bluebird painting.  I finished it in November 2001...a month before my husband, Chuck,  left for a 3 week business trip to China.  The painting is about trusting God with our life's journey...the triangles represent those serendipitous moments that God places along our yellow path...like gifts that say, "Pay attention...this is the way!"

Before Chuck left for China, I stuck yellow post it notes in his suitcase...in his shirts...his socks...his Bible...his books...his briefcase...anywhere he might look while he was away from home.  They said things like..."watch for falling triangles!"..."don't trip over the triangles!"...triangles are everywhere!"

So, the first Sunday after he left for China I got in the car to go to church.  At the end of our driveway, I stopped, opened my car door, picked up the big Sunday newspaper and threw it into the passenger seat, and pulled out into the street.

 When I stopped at the stop sign I heard something... Blink. Blink. Blink.  I checked to see if my turning signal was on, but it wasn't.  Then I realized it was my emergency flashers that were blinking.  Blink. Blink. Blink.  How on earth did they get turned on?  I reached down to the steering column to turn them off, but the button wasn't on my steering column.  I looked all over my dashboard and couldn't find any way to turn them off. Blink. Blink. Blink. 

I drove back home, parked and got the driver's manual out of the glove compartment.    I read it from cover to cover and couldn't find anything about the emergency flashers on/off switch.  Blink. Blink. Blink.

I looked out the car window and saw Chuck's truck sitting in the carport next to me.  Why hadn't I thought of that before?  I turned off my car...jumped in Chuck's truck, put it in reverse, and pulled out.  Then I noticed it...Blink. Blink. Blink.  Emergency flashers work with the car off, too!!

I pulled the truck back into the carport, got out and got back in my car.  I decided to talk to God...he knows where that flasher button is...and I don't!  My conversation went something like this.  "Okay, God, I don't know what's going on here.  I'm trying to go to church and I know that you want me to go to  church, but I can't leave these lights blinking and run my battery down and I've looked everywhere I can think of and can't find the button to turn them off!  Now, I know that you know where the button is, so please let me find it and I'll be on my way.  I would appreciate it so much because I'm  kind of getting myself all worked up about this!" Blink. Blink. Blink.

I had the strangest feeling that God had heard my prayer...and that He was ...amused!!  He knew where that button was...but He wasn't telling!!  I said, "I DON'T THINK THIS IS VERY FUNNY!  I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU JUST CAN'T HELP ME FIND THIS BUTTON!!"  Blink. Blink. Blink.

"Okay, I know I'm missing something here, but if you're not going to help me, then I'm just going to church anyway!"  I drove the 5 miles to church.  Maybe somebody would be in the parking lot to help me.  Blink. Blink. Blink.

By now I was 45 minutes late for Sunday School, but thankfully another car pulled into the parking lot right before I did.  I parked and turned off my engine.  Blink. Blink. Blink.  I got out just as a man I'd never seen was walking by.

"Excuse, me.  I'm sorry to bother you, but my emergency flashers are on and I don't know how to turn them off.  Could you help me?"  I smiled.  Feeling foolish.  Blink. Blink. Blink.  He kindly agreed to see what he could do.

After about 5 minutes, it was clear he didn't know any more about my car than I did!  Blink. Blink. Blink. But just as he was about to give up he said, "Oh, here it is, right next to the radio!"  He pushed the button and my car was quiet at last.  Relieved, I thanked him and he walked on down the sidewalk to church.  The newspaper must have hit the button and turned on the flashers when I threw it in the car.

I stood by the car thinking, "Lord, I have the oddest feeling that you're still amused, but I just don't get it. But I do appreciate the help in getting my flashers off."  I went on to church, still clueless.

Late that night I received an email from Chuck.   He had told me about some unexpected changes that had taken place with our partner in China.  It didn't look like good news.  I was tired and got in the bed and wrote in my journal.  This is what I wrote..."Our plans will have to change.  We have to see all the triangles that are right in front of us.  Just like the emergency flashers that I couldn't figure out how to turn off. "  And then it hit me!

I turned the burglar alarm off, went out into the cold December night at midnight in my pajamas and opened my car door and sat down.  I looked at the now familiar button next to the radio.  The symbol on the emergency flasher switch was a triangle!!  A triangle!!  Wouldn't you know it!

No wonder God was amused!  There I had been constantly saying, "Look for the triangles!  Don't trip over the triangles."  And then when one was right in front of me and I desperately needed it, I couldn't even see it!!

I went back in the house and continued in my journal..."I just realized the flasher switch had a triangle on it!  Well, I had to stop and email that to Chuck.  Goosebumps here!  Lord, I know you are in charge here...taking care of our future.  Let us see the triangles clearly.  Work out the details before we get there and show us the right direction.  Make us better lookers and listeners." 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Eden's Path

Chuck and I started a new blog this weekend...it's called Eden's Path.  Come with us on our daily journey to live a simple life of faith, hope and dreams. 

For months now, we've felt a call to a quieter, gentler, more simple life...in ways that we never really thought about before.  This is a new dream for us...so we're sort of like babies learning to walk...there will be some falling down along the way...we'll make mistakes...but we'll make some friends with people who know more than we do (that's got to be a big crowd!)...we'll have fun learning...and hopefully find a way to live in balance with God, his world and each other.

By the way, this is today's lunch.  It's my black bean soup and Chuck's delicious bread.  He's really getting good at this bread making!  We'll have recipes, pictures, our gardens, and changes we've made as we journey to a simpler life.  Share your ideas with us as we go down Eden's Path.

Valentine Dreams

My husband, Chuck and I have been sweethearts for many years!!  I was 14 and he was 15 when we started dating. It was love at first sight or as my mother said, "You chased him until he caught you!"  We've been "goofy" in love ever since.

Being married to your best friend means you always have someone to talk to.  Being married to a dreamer means you always have something to talk about!  We're at a mellow stage in our journey together with God right now...we're getting closer to being our true selves...and we're dreaming new dreams.

One of our new dreams is to simplify our lives.  Living in a small town helps...it's very real here.  We're going to grow a vegetable garden this year.  We've been reading up on how to do square foot gardens and plan to start on our beds next month.  A friend has promised to teach us both how to can our little harvest.  We like the idea of knowing where our food comes from and being a part of caring for it. 

Chuck read an article on "No Knead Bread" in the New York Times a couple of weeks ago.  Now he's enthusiastically turning out yummy bakery quality bread several times a week!  Chuck's always been the clean up crew but never the cook till now. I love watching him try new things like this while munching on his tasty bread!

So, for Valentine's Day we've decided to skip the candy and roses and take time to order organic seeds for our garden.  We'll put our heads together at Chuck's computer...pick out our favorite veggies...place our order and wait for our seeds to arrive.  Love's made of small moments...of laughter and quiet...of hoping...believing... and changing together.   So this year at our house we're growing a garden of edible Valentine dreams!

Singin' and Dreamin"

After living over half my life in Nashville, TN, it’s not surprising that the bluebird would someday put on some red boots and pick up a guitar! In “Singin’ and Dreamin’ ” our bluebird is following his dream to Music City.  He's on stage live at the Bluebird Cafe (where else would you expect him to be!) with the Ryman Auditorium at the end of his yellow road! 

Now, my personal bluebird has no musical ability, but I can understand a life devoted to a dream...of having the courage and faith to stick with the purpose God puts in your heart!

I may just be singing in the shower, but I like the idea of giving up everything secure to hit the road in search of a dream!

Singin' and Dreamin'
Acrylic on canvas
14 x 18 inches
2004

HighCallingBlogs.com

Today Goodthoughts joined with the Christian community of bloggers at HighCallingBlogs.com.  I'm just one of over 75 blogs in a wide list of categories from creative arts (that's Goodthoughts) to parenting, technology, education, writing, pastors and much more.   

I'm a dreamer...on a journey to share my Goodthoughts with as many people as possible...and like all journeys in life...it's a lot more fun to travel with friends!  Welcome to all my fellow travelers from HighCallingBlogs.com.  I hope my art and stories give you a lift as you follow your own yellow road of dreams.

If you're a regular here at Goodthoughts, click on the orange HighCallingBlogs.com badge on my sidebar and check it out...you just might find some folks you want to add to your favorites list.

Big dreams in a little package

"Me do it!" was probably the first sentence our oldest daughter ever spoke!  Laurie was smaller than most kids her age.  But when God was passing out independence and determination...he gave Laurie a double dose!  I can remember her little two-year-old fingers gently pushing my hand away as she struggled to get the banana in her wooden fruit puzzle... all by herself. 

So, it really shouldn't have been a surprise when Laurie declared the night before her first day of school that she intended to ride the bus to Lilburn Elementary School...all by herself...

Quietly Living the Dream

My lifelong friend, Susan, left a comment on the Living the Dream page about her mom.  Here's what Susan wrote:

My mom...my mom was born in 1913 on a rural farm in Ky. She went to college at a time when most women didn't. Her tuition was paid with hogs her father sold to the college, and she was required to help prepare and serve meals in the college dining hall. After graduation she taught in a one room schoolhouse.

After a few years,she rode the Greyhound bus,alone, to Alabama to begin teaching at a high school there. When most women were marrying and having a family, she was teaching, "boarding" in a house with 6 other women teachers.WWII was going on and a lot of men were off fighting. Teachers weren't paid much so a better job was offered back in Ky. in Louisville. There she met my dad...she was 33.

Bulbs and Blooms

Elsie and Andy are a wonderful retired couple in our church.  They're very giving people.  When summer comes, Andy stops by every now and then to bring us gifts of peaches, strawberries or tomatoes.  He always manages to find the sweetest, juiciest ones around.  It makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

This Christmas Elsie and Andy gave us an amaryllis bulb. I was very excited about it because I had never had an amaryllis. The picture on the box showed a beautiful red and white striped bloom.   I planted it in a blue and white ceramic pot... just imagine how pretty those red striped blooms would look!

According to the instructions, it didn't like direct sun, but did like to be warm.  So I put it in the dining room on top of the radiator in front of the window that's covered by the front porch. I watered it faithfully and waited...and waited... and waited.