Shopping on an empty spirit

In the mornings, I typically get my kids to school and then I eat breakfast and spent time with God after I get back home. That's a typical morning. Today was not a typical morning. As I was driving home from dropping the kids off, I was privileged to be the first vehicle to be blocked from continuing down the road to get home. There had been an accident where a car had gone off the road. Just as I approached, an ambulance, two fire trucks and a police car pulled up to block the entire road. I decided to backtrack and circle around to get home. Well, that took me right past Sam's Club, and I knew that I needed a few things for lunches, so I decided to take advantage of the convenience and go in.

It's very quiet in Sam's Club at 8 am, and most people are refreshed as they start their day. Many of the workers greeted me as I pushed my cart through the store, and I greeted them back. I was starting to feel the effects of not having eaten yet and was lacking a bit of momentum. One friendly worker said "Good morning" to me and asked how I was doing. I said I was good and asked how she was. She replied, "So far so good." Now all that was just fine, so for the life of me I don't know where my next comment came from. I commented, "Well, it's still early."

I walked away, asking myself, "What was that???????" for the next 5 minutes! The only thing I could come up with was that I was shopping on an empty spirit. I had not come with a refreshed, filled spirit, but I was running on fumes from the day before. The day before was a good day, but I need to be filled daily (often constantly) in order to overflow the fruit of the spirit.

So I came home, got my Life (cereal) and got my life filled with Him. :)

An Intent Look

I've been crazy-busy with lining up authors for this years' CarePoint releases. We expect to have at least 4 workbooks this summer and at least 4 more in December. Can people really write that fast??? We'll see. But rest assured, if it's not quality stuff, you won't see it.

As a sneak preview, here are a few of the topics we expect to have this year:

• Spiritual Insecurity
• Hope for Widows
• Infertility
• Post-partum Depression
• Fear
• and something along the lines of intimacy hunger / hunger for nurturing... (I will be co-authoring [to be announced later :) ] this one and we still have to nail down the details)

I'm so excited about all that's developing with CarePoint right now. But one thing that God has been speaking to me this past week is from Matthew 19.26. As Jesus was talking with His disciples, KJV says, "Jesus beheld them". A word study revealed the original meaning behind "beheld" in this verse (from the Greek "emblepo") meaning "earnest looking".

And "earnest" refers to being "active or diligent". I love the New Living Translation of this verse:

"Jesus looked at them intently."

When has someone looked at you "intently"? I know when I look at someone actively, earnestly or intently, it's because there's care, purpose, direction and deep connection. That's how Jesus looks at his followers...at me...and you if you follow Him.

I want to return the look and capture His gaze. I don't want to miss it.

The Best Christmas Tree

I realize it's a bit late for Christmas, but I just wanted to share my favorite Christmas tree picture...taken by my friend Maureen, with my friends Monika and Patti. :)