October 2008 – DebraBee

October 31, 2008

The Challenge Of Listening To…

The Challenge of listening to others…….

The asked question….

How can you ever forgive that person for what they did to you?

Their answer before you ever answered them….

I could never forgive someone for such a thing; you’d have to kill me first!

Their unsolicited opinion…..

If I were you, I’d sue their butts and put them in prison for the rest of their lives!

The Answer Not Often Received…

Mat 6:14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you

October 30, 2008

A Question For Our Generation

The news again. Full of liberal shifting agendas and a painting of Obama to be a hero to come. I cannot guess at what the future holds for us but there is something important to think upon. No matter who ascends to the highest office of this nation, without the people (that’s you and me folks) backing his or her play, we are a joke.

Can we talk? I confess I get tired of our spoiled attitudes where we want everything but will sacrifice nothing to get it. How far we have come away from the dreams of our forefathers? How many of us had grandparents and great grandparents who suffered through tedious jobs so we could have a better future? Now that we are living that future, what have we really done with it?

Did they really want us to waste our money and talent driving fancier cars, to have television sets in every room of our house, to text message our lives away rather than draw closer to our family members, to waste hours each day playing video games or watching mindless music videos? Is this really how we want to spend our time? What will be said of us at the end of our lives, the end of our generation? What are we contributing to society?

October 29, 2008

Pardoning The Unpardonable

“To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.” G.K. Chesterton

October 27, 2008

Righteousness For Tomorrow

We put our votes in the mail today and continue to hope truth will prevail upon the American public. At the end of the day will we vote for what the media has poured into our brains or will we take the time to really dig for the nuggets of facts? This has to be one of the most talked about elections I can remember. May our rule be righteousness for tomorrow.

October 25, 2008

Come To SF City Hall November 1st – I AM Love 360

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Getting out of the SUV I could smell urine everywhere with a pinesol odor trying to mask it. As my feet hit the watery asphalt I had a momentary thought that my hands were too small for this huge mess. These people needed more help than I could ever offer. Barely could I look around and meet the eyes of so many in need who passed me on the sidewalk. This was not the “homeless” problem I was used to. In my sprawling bedroom community suburb the “needy” people are rarely seen in my day to day living. Aside from the occasional “need help and work” sign, it is hard to discern where they even are.

Here in the Tenderloin of San Francisco, the homeless were everywhere and far outnumbered what I had envisioned. More noticeable were the persons who seemed to suffer some obvious mental problem beyond anything substance abuse. As I walked toward City Hall my nostrils were filled with the smells of unclean bodies and sewage intermingled with the occasional smoke from cannabis.

I had about a dozen cards in my pocket for food vouchers but I felt bad because the food wasn’t coming for another week. These people were hungry today. I made myself take mental notes. Today my notes were of the scents mostly. I want to remember that smell when I am sitting here in the comfort of my own home. I want to remember vividly how there are people sleeping on sidewalks where others have just urinated or worse. I want to remember these people get cold at night trying to find someplace to sleep.

When I go back next week I want to remember faces. I want to remember names. I want to remember people who were helped for more than an hour. I want to see them helped for a lifetime.

I AM Love 360…….November 1^st in San Francisco. Just come to City Hall, you can’t miss it.

October 24, 2008

Invite Somebody In And Rebuild Our Society

My husband and I have recently gone beyond the boundaries of what is comfortable for us. We have opened up our home for the past several weeks to new people for dinner and conversation. It’s funny how the simple act of sharing a meal and chatter can break down walls we can’t even see. So often we have met new people and although they seem nice, we do the two minute polite talk and walk away without any further commitment. Barely have we gotten to know their name before we move on, after all, the two minute stopwatch in our minds automatically rang, “times up”.

I love people really, but something about inviting them into our private world on a regular basis is stretching me into being more honest with my time and my ability to be hospitable for more than a few minutes.

When you invite people into your home with the intent to spend time with them, you are making a real step into a commitment of sorts. No walking away when the two minute buzzer goes off in your head. Now begins the endurance. For us, it’s been a pleasant surprise to realize how much we enjoy getting to know people beyond the point of shaking their hand and making quick pleasantries.

This is where we all need to come home to. In getting to know our neighbors we find places of commonality. In talking to them we begin to have the lights turn on upstairs, maybe we have something they could use or vice versa to help one another? If we pull together and share what each of us has to offer, perhaps our daily burdens wouldn’t seem so heavy?

I wonder if when I am thinking about someone who could use an encouraging word, how much more it would mean to speak it to their face and look in their eyes, rather than send a text message? Going beyond the boundaries of what we have become in this fast paced society is necessary. Not only is it necessary but it’s not an option to stay behind walls of comfort. Tear down the walls and invite somebody in. Make your homes places for all to be welcomed and rebuild our society into something that cares for more than itself.

October 24, 2008

Thoughtful Statement

“A man who says that no patriot should attack the war until it is over… is saying no good son should warn his mother of a cliff until she has fallen.” G.K. Chesterton

October 23, 2008

Smart Investment

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Time it drawing near for our elections and the smear campaigns abound. While trying to be informed I find myself constantly wondering how people who have no rock of faith to stand upon are surviving in this charged atmosphere. My husband and I are buying our house and we also invest in a 401k retirement plan. Now if I were fearful I’d probably be checking on these investments but then I have to ask myself why? We don’t plan on moving from our home so regardless of what it’s worth we will still live in it. As for our retirement portfolio? No amount of moving money in this environment is going to make much sense so our only option is to hang onto it for the long haul. We hadn’t planned on cashing it out for decades anyway so let it do its usual fluctuating.

The only smart investment one can make in this day and age is the one for eternity. The portfolio for salvation is one I recommend whole heartedly.

October 21, 2008

One Woman Helping Another

Yesterday while running errands I had to stop at a bank for some cash. After all, who carries cash these days? I pulled up to the front of a nearby bank and realized I was pretty close to a large pickup next to me but there wasn’t much room on the other side of me either. As I started to open my door I saw there to be an elderly woman in the passenger seat who was trying to open her door. We couldn’t both exit our vehicles at the same time so I sat and waited.

Someone who looked to be her daughter came around and opened their passenger door wider, helping the woman step down out of the cab. I rolled down my window asking, “would you like me to back up?” thinking they might need more room. It was then, this elderly woman looked straight at me and spoke, “no it just takes me some time to get out.”

Although I had been in a hurry prior to turning into this parking space suddenly time didn’t seem to matter to me. I was content to sit there for as long as it took for these two women to clear the pathway. What a precious moment; one woman helping another who needed to take more time. A good lesson for me.

October 19, 2008

Life On The Fast Train

In recent weeks there is so much going on around me and in my own life it’s difficult to focus upon anything other than a passing glance before moving onto the next thing. After chatting with more than a few people I understand this is not my own personal phenomenon.

What do we do with high octane brainwaves? I am unwilling to give my obvious resource of thinking over to stress about work, bills, chores, errands, family commitments and we won’t even talk about the unexpected pitfalls. Learning about truth is just that, truth. I have spent years wasting my time on useless endeavors but I am no more lingering on myself. I have to fight for this place of peace but oh my, such battles won make the ongoing war bearable.

What war? Well, it’s the same war for all of us; salvation, peace, love and redemption. I am in this for the long haul and no longer do I fight for myself. I am fighting for those I love and cherish but also for those who don’t even know me yet. No other cause is worth my time more than this.

I have to take real care knowing where to put on brakes for the systemic life I am a part of in this century. I cannot derail myself by slamming to a complete halt in all functionality; however it’s important not to live my life as though I am sitting, merely observing from a coach car window; seeing opportunities passing me by. If I make excuses not to get off my “fast train life”, I will never be able to serve. I want to win the war so engagement is my only option.

It’s imperative for us to not live our lives with passing glances. We must focus on our purpose. That being said, what is our purpose? Time is a rush and where are we all rushing to?

1John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.