Okay, I am not normally one to rave about the Post Office, BUT they have finally come out with a winning product. I am going home for Christmas and when I saw all the gifts piled up, I realized there was no way they were going to fit into my one suitcase and carryon. American Airlines charges $25 each way for an extra bag, so it would cost me $50 and a bad back to lug all that stuff home and back.
But the Post Office now has flat-rate priority mail. The rate depends on the size of the box, not the weight or destination. You pick up a pre-printed box (there are various sizes) at the post office and take it home. After you pack it, you can either print out your postage online and schedule a pickup, or take it to the post office yourself. You can ship all you cram up into it to anywhere in the US or APO/FPO addresses.
I shipped two boxes home for under $25. The large box was HEAVY. I’m sure both Fed Ex and UPS would have charged much more. I didn't get insurance or tracking, but hey, I'm willing to take a little risk for this big of a discount. If this catches on, the PO may give a little challenge to their competition. This is a great deal, so check it out!
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
18,587 -- Lessons Learned from NaNoWriMo (continued)
When I look back to my college years (when I first trusted in Jesus as my Savior and began a personal relationship with Him), I saw more mature believers and thought that it would be impossible to ever have that kind of faith. But I learned some lessons over the years about THAT as well:
1. Although people sometimes look perfect on the outside, we cannot see their inner struggles. That is one of the reasons honesty is so important, not to discourage others, but so they won’t have an unrealistic idea of living a perfect life while still inhabiting a sinful body. Even those ‘perfect people’ in church are struggling with some issues. As you read Paul’s letters you find that at the end he, the apostle to the Gentiles, called himself the chief of all sinners. As God reveals more to us as we walk with him, we come to a deeper realization of just how depraved we really are on our own, and then love Jesus even more deeply for what he did for us on the cross by paying for our sins.
2. We must depend moment by moment on the control and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we trust in God to direct our paths, we can live a life pleasing to God, but in His strength, not our own. As soon as we take back control, we screw up.
3. Read the Bible and pray every day. So often it is easy to get distracted and neglect this. But even if only five minutes, do this daily. The Bible is God’s love letter and instruction manual to us. When I was in the Navy, I eagerly awaited mail call hoping for letters from home, which I then read avidly. I wanted to hear how they were doing, how the kids were growing, etc. And I wrote to them. Often we shared deeply personal thoughts in these letters. You have to spend time with someone to get to know them. To get to know God you need to read his letter (the Bible) and talk to him (prayer).
4. Encourage one another. Hebrews 10:24 says, “. . . let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” We will grow in our faith much faster when we give each other encouraging words and teach the truths of the Bible. And even when we fail, our faithful friends can help show us where we err and get us back on the right path. We are also to bear one another’s burdens. By whatever name (small groups, Bible studies, Community groups, etc), find a group of believers you can trust to keep confidences and take care of one another – physically, emotionally and spiritually. That is the true church – not a building.
5. Don’t get discouraged. Only Jesus lived a perfect life. We are NOT him. But as you mature in your faith and God works in your life, you will be able to look back and see REAL progress. In my B.C. (Before Christ) days, I was NOT a nice person. I could hold a grudge for days, was sarcastic and demeaning to people, and was very selfish and manipulative. If you don’t believe me, ask my sister! God has done a mighty work in my life and has changed me drastically. Although I will always have these sinful tendencies of the flesh, God really has transformed my personality. Romans 12: 2 says: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Let God change you from the inside out.
Obviously this list is not exhaustive, but just a few short reminders.
1. Although people sometimes look perfect on the outside, we cannot see their inner struggles. That is one of the reasons honesty is so important, not to discourage others, but so they won’t have an unrealistic idea of living a perfect life while still inhabiting a sinful body. Even those ‘perfect people’ in church are struggling with some issues. As you read Paul’s letters you find that at the end he, the apostle to the Gentiles, called himself the chief of all sinners. As God reveals more to us as we walk with him, we come to a deeper realization of just how depraved we really are on our own, and then love Jesus even more deeply for what he did for us on the cross by paying for our sins.
2. We must depend moment by moment on the control and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we trust in God to direct our paths, we can live a life pleasing to God, but in His strength, not our own. As soon as we take back control, we screw up.
3. Read the Bible and pray every day. So often it is easy to get distracted and neglect this. But even if only five minutes, do this daily. The Bible is God’s love letter and instruction manual to us. When I was in the Navy, I eagerly awaited mail call hoping for letters from home, which I then read avidly. I wanted to hear how they were doing, how the kids were growing, etc. And I wrote to them. Often we shared deeply personal thoughts in these letters. You have to spend time with someone to get to know them. To get to know God you need to read his letter (the Bible) and talk to him (prayer).
4. Encourage one another. Hebrews 10:24 says, “. . . let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” We will grow in our faith much faster when we give each other encouraging words and teach the truths of the Bible. And even when we fail, our faithful friends can help show us where we err and get us back on the right path. We are also to bear one another’s burdens. By whatever name (small groups, Bible studies, Community groups, etc), find a group of believers you can trust to keep confidences and take care of one another – physically, emotionally and spiritually. That is the true church – not a building.
5. Don’t get discouraged. Only Jesus lived a perfect life. We are NOT him. But as you mature in your faith and God works in your life, you will be able to look back and see REAL progress. In my B.C. (Before Christ) days, I was NOT a nice person. I could hold a grudge for days, was sarcastic and demeaning to people, and was very selfish and manipulative. If you don’t believe me, ask my sister! God has done a mighty work in my life and has changed me drastically. Although I will always have these sinful tendencies of the flesh, God really has transformed my personality. Romans 12: 2 says: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Let God change you from the inside out.
Obviously this list is not exhaustive, but just a few short reminders.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
18,587
Well, November is now gone. And National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is over. For the first time, I tried to write a novel. This project was more difficult than I expected and I learned some lessons.
1. Plan before you start. I didn’t learn about this annual November writing challenge until late, so I didn’t have much time to prepare. For next year, I need to do much more research and at least outline the basic plot before November.
2. Write some every day. The goal was to write at least 50,000 words (the length of a short novel) during this month, or about 1,667 words each day. So of course I got distracted, didn’t stick to the schedule and rapidly fell disastrously behind. About mid-month I learned that the best time for me to write was after my quiet time but before starting my regular work day. And by breaking up the goal into small achievable pieces, I was not overwhelmed by the overall goal. By sticking to this plan, I actually saw myself make some progress.
3. Encourage one another. We had a group from church who challenged each other to do this project. Our group only met a couple of times. We tried to encourage each other, but I noticed we basically groaned about how little we had completed. So now we are discussing how we can help each other from December through October to finish what we started and prepare for the next NaNoWriMo.
4. Don’t get too discouraged if you fall short. I only wrote 18,587 words, which is far short of my goal, but much more than I would have had if I didn’t start. And I learned some valuable lessons, so all was not lost.
As I read this advice, I realize that these basics can be applied to just about any project. See my next blog about this topic.
1. Plan before you start. I didn’t learn about this annual November writing challenge until late, so I didn’t have much time to prepare. For next year, I need to do much more research and at least outline the basic plot before November.
2. Write some every day. The goal was to write at least 50,000 words (the length of a short novel) during this month, or about 1,667 words each day. So of course I got distracted, didn’t stick to the schedule and rapidly fell disastrously behind. About mid-month I learned that the best time for me to write was after my quiet time but before starting my regular work day. And by breaking up the goal into small achievable pieces, I was not overwhelmed by the overall goal. By sticking to this plan, I actually saw myself make some progress.
3. Encourage one another. We had a group from church who challenged each other to do this project. Our group only met a couple of times. We tried to encourage each other, but I noticed we basically groaned about how little we had completed. So now we are discussing how we can help each other from December through October to finish what we started and prepare for the next NaNoWriMo.
4. Don’t get too discouraged if you fall short. I only wrote 18,587 words, which is far short of my goal, but much more than I would have had if I didn’t start. And I learned some valuable lessons, so all was not lost.
As I read this advice, I realize that these basics can be applied to just about any project. See my next blog about this topic.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
God Blessed My Socks Off!
This past weekend, November 20 and 21, I attended the Women of Faith conference in Ft. Lauderdale. As always, I had a great time with the ladies of Living Hope church (Miami), leaving spiritually refreshed and blessed.
One of the speakers on Friday talked about taking advantage of opportunities as they arise. God used this advice to do something I had not anticipated.
I bought a book in which Luci Swindoll was one of the contributors, so I went to the book signing early Saturday morning. When I arrived there was only one other person in the line in front of me, so I quickly got to the table where Luci signed the books. I felt a little uncomfortable and embarrassed, because I had a nagging push to bring up a topic that had been bugging me for several years. When she finished signing, there was NO ONE in line. So I thought, “Okay, God, You obviously want me to talk to her about this.”
Now I don’t remember the exact words of our conversation but this is the gist of it. Somewhat reluctantly I said, “I have something to apologize for.”
“Oh,” she replied.
So I explained that a year earlier (actually I think it was at least several years earlier) I had seen her talking to someone at a table on the concourse. I waited until the lady left and then came up, told her that I was a DTS (Dallas Theological Seminary) grad, and that I had mentioned to her brother Chuck Swindoll (who was either President or Chancellor of DTS at that time) that she had been telling stories about him at Women of Faith. He said “I bet you she didn’t tell you about the time she taught me to smoke!” No, she hadn’t, so when I saw her I wanted to tell her about it. When I left the table I continued down the concourse and noticed that just beyond the table was a long line of ladies holding books. I realized in horror that I had just butted in line in front of all those waiting ladies. I felt mortified – after all, I was a DTS grad, and that was so impolite, even if I didn’t realize there was a line at the time. I had been bothered by this incident ever since, so I wanted to apologize.
Luci said she didn’t remember the incident but accepted my apology anyway. And just then more people arrived in line, so I excused myself and left.
What amazed me was how I felt afterward -- It was like a heavy burden had been lifted off my shoulders. God had arranged the timing and opportunity. I felt such joy and blessing. This opportunity would have been missed if I had not obeyed God’s nudge (however reluctantly).
[LUCI – If you ever read this, you have my permission to use it.]
One of the speakers on Friday talked about taking advantage of opportunities as they arise. God used this advice to do something I had not anticipated.
I bought a book in which Luci Swindoll was one of the contributors, so I went to the book signing early Saturday morning. When I arrived there was only one other person in the line in front of me, so I quickly got to the table where Luci signed the books. I felt a little uncomfortable and embarrassed, because I had a nagging push to bring up a topic that had been bugging me for several years. When she finished signing, there was NO ONE in line. So I thought, “Okay, God, You obviously want me to talk to her about this.”
Now I don’t remember the exact words of our conversation but this is the gist of it. Somewhat reluctantly I said, “I have something to apologize for.”
“Oh,” she replied.
So I explained that a year earlier (actually I think it was at least several years earlier) I had seen her talking to someone at a table on the concourse. I waited until the lady left and then came up, told her that I was a DTS (Dallas Theological Seminary) grad, and that I had mentioned to her brother Chuck Swindoll (who was either President or Chancellor of DTS at that time) that she had been telling stories about him at Women of Faith. He said “I bet you she didn’t tell you about the time she taught me to smoke!” No, she hadn’t, so when I saw her I wanted to tell her about it. When I left the table I continued down the concourse and noticed that just beyond the table was a long line of ladies holding books. I realized in horror that I had just butted in line in front of all those waiting ladies. I felt mortified – after all, I was a DTS grad, and that was so impolite, even if I didn’t realize there was a line at the time. I had been bothered by this incident ever since, so I wanted to apologize.
Luci said she didn’t remember the incident but accepted my apology anyway. And just then more people arrived in line, so I excused myself and left.
What amazed me was how I felt afterward -- It was like a heavy burden had been lifted off my shoulders. God had arranged the timing and opportunity. I felt such joy and blessing. This opportunity would have been missed if I had not obeyed God’s nudge (however reluctantly).
[LUCI – If you ever read this, you have my permission to use it.]
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Miles and Milestones
In mid-October I drove to Mesquite, TX, to participate in the annual Missions Conference at Lake Ridge Bible Church (where I attended while going to Dallas Theological Seminary). Even though I was in the area for 10 days this trip, the time was still too short.
The first milestone occurred just before I left Florida – I answered my 3,000th initial inquiry from evangelistic websites hosted by Campus Crusade for Christ. Out of those, over 1000 people have written back at least once!
The second milestone was my 57th birthday on October 16. I arrived in Mesquite that afternoon and settled in at the home of my friend Nancy Wood. After dinner we headed over to Jim and Jane Reynolds’ house for a time of sharing with their Home Team about my missions experiences – and they surprised me with goodies and a huge birthday cookie! Yes, I did eat it all, though it took me most of the week to do it.
The Ladies’ Brunch on Saturday morning had a good crowd. The next morning I greeted my old Sunday school class, the Ambassadors. The Missions Banquet that evening had food from many different countries, and entertainment too!
During the week I was able to keep up with my email in the mornings thanks to Nancy’s high speed internet, and visited friends in the afternoons and evenings. The last Sunday I spoke to the Ambassadors class about some of the things God has been doing in our ministry (I’ll send an end-of-the-year update in the next newsletter).
The last milestone happened shortly after my return to Florida. I received an unexpected package in the mail -- containing a plaque marking my first 10 years with Campus Crusade for Christ. This award caught me by surprise – Time flies when you are having fun serving the Lord! Thank you so much for your prayers and support through the years.
The first milestone occurred just before I left Florida – I answered my 3,000th initial inquiry from evangelistic websites hosted by Campus Crusade for Christ. Out of those, over 1000 people have written back at least once!
The second milestone was my 57th birthday on October 16. I arrived in Mesquite that afternoon and settled in at the home of my friend Nancy Wood. After dinner we headed over to Jim and Jane Reynolds’ house for a time of sharing with their Home Team about my missions experiences – and they surprised me with goodies and a huge birthday cookie! Yes, I did eat it all, though it took me most of the week to do it.
The Ladies’ Brunch on Saturday morning had a good crowd. The next morning I greeted my old Sunday school class, the Ambassadors. The Missions Banquet that evening had food from many different countries, and entertainment too! During the week I was able to keep up with my email in the mornings thanks to Nancy’s high speed internet, and visited friends in the afternoons and evenings. The last Sunday I spoke to the Ambassadors class about some of the things God has been doing in our ministry (I’ll send an end-of-the-year update in the next newsletter).
The last milestone happened shortly after my return to Florida. I received an unexpected package in the mail -- containing a plaque marking my first 10 years with Campus Crusade for Christ. This award caught me by surprise – Time flies when you are having fun serving the Lord! Thank you so much for your prayers and support through the years.
NaNoWriMo update and Veterans Day
Sorry to say I have not been very diligent. I am over 6,000 words but got bogged down in some research and other activities. Hopefully I can catch up . . . .
Today is Veterans Day and I was tempted to go to the parade here in Homestead, until I saw the downpour out my window at 10:30 this morning. Those poor vets! It will literally rain on their parade.
This day is a precious one, set aside in honor of all those who have served our country, past and present. So far the earliest veteran I know of in my family is Curtis J. Baxter who served in the 169th Pennsylvania in the Civil War. World Vital Records had a free search, and although they didn't have the records for my father who served in the Navy in WW II and Korea, they did have the enlistment entry for my Uncle Larry James who served as an Army medic in WW II. My brother-in-law Ralph Funkhouser served in the Navy during the Viet Nam era. And of course I am proud of my Cold War service as a Navy JAG.
On the side of the file cabinet in front of my computer are prayer cards for family of church members who are currently serving. I especially think of Ken Halander from Elim Ev. Free Church in Puyallup, WA, (where my sister attends) who is doing another tour in Iraq.
This past weekend there was a great Air Show at Homestead Air Reserve Base. The Thunderbirds flew both days. One of their mechanics is Nathan Kearns, son of my good friend Steve Kearns. The weather was windy but otherwise nice, so the event was well-attended.
And of course, we must remember those wounded and killed last week at Ft. Hood.
Please read Psalm 91 and pray God's protection for all our troops around the world.
Today is Veterans Day and I was tempted to go to the parade here in Homestead, until I saw the downpour out my window at 10:30 this morning. Those poor vets! It will literally rain on their parade.
This day is a precious one, set aside in honor of all those who have served our country, past and present. So far the earliest veteran I know of in my family is Curtis J. Baxter who served in the 169th Pennsylvania in the Civil War. World Vital Records had a free search, and although they didn't have the records for my father who served in the Navy in WW II and Korea, they did have the enlistment entry for my Uncle Larry James who served as an Army medic in WW II. My brother-in-law Ralph Funkhouser served in the Navy during the Viet Nam era. And of course I am proud of my Cold War service as a Navy JAG.
On the side of the file cabinet in front of my computer are prayer cards for family of church members who are currently serving. I especially think of Ken Halander from Elim Ev. Free Church in Puyallup, WA, (where my sister attends) who is doing another tour in Iraq.
This past weekend there was a great Air Show at Homestead Air Reserve Base. The Thunderbirds flew both days. One of their mechanics is Nathan Kearns, son of my good friend Steve Kearns. The weather was windy but otherwise nice, so the event was well-attended.
And of course, we must remember those wounded and killed last week at Ft. Hood.
Please read Psalm 91 and pray God's protection for all our troops around the world.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Welcome to http://www.nanowrimo.org/ Okay, what is THAT??!!!!
Glad you asked!
I have wanted to write a novel for years and never got around to putting anything on paper. One of my friends at church challenged me to join her in National Novel Writing Month in November. Slowly a group starting forming at church and we met for our first session on Sunday. I wrote over 1,600 words. I know that is not much, but it is a big improvement over zero! The goal is to write 50,000 words this month. That won't be a complete adult novel, but it is a start.
It is fun to hear the different ideas for novels and encourage one another. And surprisingly we actually got work done.
Glad you asked!
I have wanted to write a novel for years and never got around to putting anything on paper. One of my friends at church challenged me to join her in National Novel Writing Month in November. Slowly a group starting forming at church and we met for our first session on Sunday. I wrote over 1,600 words. I know that is not much, but it is a big improvement over zero! The goal is to write 50,000 words this month. That won't be a complete adult novel, but it is a start.
It is fun to hear the different ideas for novels and encourage one another. And surprisingly we actually got work done.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Celebrating Another Year!
Ok, I’m a little weird. Most people hate getting another year older. But in my family, every year past 55 is a great milestone. Why such a strange benchmark? Our mother died of cancer when she was 55 years old.
So when I turned 57 this month, I was so pleased with this gift from God – another year to do His work. I try not to take this blessing lightly. God puts us all here for a purpose. He has given me the spiritual gift of teaching, and I know He expects me to use it for His glory. What a great privilege and a reason for special celebration!
So when I turned 57 this month, I was so pleased with this gift from God – another year to do His work. I try not to take this blessing lightly. God puts us all here for a purpose. He has given me the spiritual gift of teaching, and I know He expects me to use it for His glory. What a great privilege and a reason for special celebration!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
