THESAURUS DAY

I suspect I’m not the only writer who lands in a word trap, or maybe more of a word merry-go-round!  It’s when it dawns on you that you have used certain words or phrases over and over and…

Where would any writer be without the Thesaurus?  Yes, is does sound like some sort of dinosaur, but it is, in fact, the best friend a writer has.  Today we honor the man who came up with the brilliant idea to write this wonderful book.  Today is THESAURUS DAY!!!

Peter Mark Roget was born in London, the son of a Swiss minister.  He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, graduating in 1798.  Both his father and his wife died young, and his uncle, Samuel Romilly, committed suicide in Roget’s presence.  He struggled with depression for most of his life.  His work on the thesaurus arose partly from an effort to battle depression.

Roget retired in 1840 and around 1848 began preparing for publication a catalogue of words organized by their meanings.  It’s first printed edition, in 1852, was called THESAURUS OF ENGLISH WORDS AND PHRASES CLASSIFIED AND ARRANGED SO AS TO FACILITATE THE EXPRESSION OF IDEAS AND ASSIST IN LITERARY COMPOSITION.

LOL – can you imagine getting all that on the front cover of a book?

During his lifetime the work had twenty-eight printings; after his death it was revised and expanded by his son, John Lewis Roget (1828-1908), and later by John’s son, Samuel Romilly Roget (1875-?).

http://youtu.be/dkAxg9HSNw8

It’s an example of how something so helpful can come from an otherwise troubled mind and heart.  God can make something good out of the worst of circumstances.  I hope Mr. Roget found peace and knew Jesus by the end of his life.

Writers everywhere thank you, Mr. Roget, for your Thesaurus.  Nowadays, we don’t have to tote a Dictionary and a Thesaurus around with us because there are apps on our computers!  That makes life so much easier – and saves us much lower back and knee pain.

I’m fascinated with words and enjoy learning new ways to express my thoughts.  For instance, I’ll bet you thought GOBBLE was a sound you make to imitate the sound of a turkey at Thanksgiving, didn’t you?  Well, there’s more to it than that.

There are many ways to partake in a meal:

If your appetite is slight, then you might peck and nibble, but if you’re famished, you’re more likely to gobble. This word, which means both “to eat hastily” and “to make the throaty cry of a male turkey,” is thought to be from the word gob, which is slang for mouth. Both definitions could be fun to try out at the dinner table or in a new poem about Thanksgiving.  Hmm…

Yes, I know there are ten months until Thanksgiving – but you will remember, right?  😉

 

 

PROVERBS 10:8 ON 10/8

The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.  – Proverbs 10:8

You know, the thing about  those Proverbs…  they don’t mess around.  Some portions of Scripture dilly dally around to get to the meat of the matter.  Wow – the Proverbs – not so much.  They say what they mean and they mean what they say! 

Whether your boss is wise in heart or a chattering fool…  once in a while they will criticize you about something.  Let God worry about which they are…  you just make sure you are wise in heart and know how to be accepting of corrective criticism.  😉

You may ask, “Can you combine the wisdom you get from God with a quick wit?”  I’d ask how you couldn’t?  Maybe it’s just how God works with me, but more times than not, if I’m enduring some corrective criticism and asking God’s Spirit for help – He not only provides wisdom, but He also gives me thoughts about how to lighten the moment.  It’s very unusual to not have His wisdom and a joke or a story pop into my mind simultaneously. 

Is it necessary to explain what a chattering fool is – or how they can ruin???  I pray I’ve never been one, but I was young and immature at one time, so…  here’s the thing…  we are all works in progress.  God’s not done with any of us yet. 

By the same token, God loves us too much to leave us in an immature state.  He wants us to grow in our faith.  Let’s focus on the positive…  how do we become WISE IN HEART???  How do I learn to accept commands, to accept corrective criticism, to accept help given by authority to make me better?  What is that key attitude that God wants me to have as part of my armor to navigate this life?

• PRACTICE DISCERNMENT.  I say “practice” because discernment is a part of wisdom that only comes with practice…  lots and lots of practice.  When a person in authority corrects you and you are tempted to let it hurt your heart, stop that process in its tracks – stop it right there.  Pray that God’s Holy Spirit would help you discern whether the correction is 1) necessary and 2) helpful to your future workmanship.  If God’s Spirit lets you know that it is both necessary and helpful to your future workmanship – then and only then can you accept it, learn from it – and move on.  When corrective criticism is given about your work – something you are being paid or compensated to do a certain way – and it meets this criteria…  it is not aimed at you personally.  Take notes…  do what you have to do to get it right – but don’t let the criticism set in your heart!
• BE GRACIOUS.  We’ve all received corrective criticism – and a few of us have received the rantings of a fool who just happens to be our boss, am I right?  Regardless of whether you work for a wise person or a fool, always be gracious.  There are times to scream and cry and shout and yell at the top of your lungs.  That time is not as soon as you’ve been chewed out.  Go to the bathroom and stand in a stall or if it’s raining, go outside for a while (rain is great camo for tears).  My new go-to is a workout, followed by a shower.  Take it out on those machines…  they can take it! 
• TOW THE LINE BETWEEN STRENGTH AND UNDERSTANDING.  God did not make you to be a door mat.  If you are unjustly called on the carpet, do what I call “the quick prayer” – you know, like, “Lord, please help me here – this isn’t right.”  He knows!  It’s amazing how quickly he answers those prayers.  He answers as quickly as you pray them.  If you work for a wise person, they can show understanding and answer any questions you may have.  If you work for a fool, it could get tricky – but God’s going to work that out for you because you asked Him to!  A foolish boss will just chatter and chatter to hear him/herself talk.  It’s frustrating.  But, when God makes your boss need to take a breath, don’t be afraid to be strong and find out more deets about the proverbial raking over said coals.  Ask nicely, but be strong, keeping a calm, even tone.
• STAY SWEET.  Sweet words are like honey to the soul – even the soul of a foolish boss.  The wise boss will understand where you’re coming from, but the foolish boss will mistake your sweetness for weakness and assume you are afraid of people.  Nothing could be further from the truth, but in any case, stay sweet.  If you have been criticized and have prayed about it – and discern that it is unjustified, don’t lose your cool.  That wrecks your witness to your foolish boss.  Remember that God hasn’t given up on him/her.  You shouldn’t either.  The battle is the Lord’s.  Be still and let HIM fight it for you.
• BE PRUDENT.  Once in a great while, we really do have to choose our battles very carefully in the workplace.  We need to be wise and think about consequences that follow actions.  Is X worth Y???  Again, we pray and ask God for HIS way to handle things.  When Jesus was taken before Pilate, remember how He didn’t speak, even though He was heading for a horrific beating and subsequent death on the cross?  One without wisdom just pops off without a thought of what follows.  Keep emotions in check – God’s got the big picture under control.  Sometimes it’s a matter of just taking the criticism and keeping your mouth shut.
• EXERCISE INTELLIGENCE.  Before I explain, I want to say that intellect and common horse sense don’t even graze in the same field.  There are educated idiots running around all over the planet; however, if you are hearing corrective criticism from your boss and you actually have some knowledge about the subject at hand, it’s okay to speak up and explain why you did what you did the way you did it.  If you want God’s wisdom, it’s not always going to be intelligence that He wants you to use – but if it is, you’ll know it.
• HUMILITY DOESN’T HURT.  If you can accept the criticism from your boss, pray about it (in your head – God hears), and be wise in your response…  add a dash of humility into the mix.  Most bosses, whether wise or foolish, come down off their high horse long enough to let a humble person know that it’s okay to be human now and then.  Again, take a note…  do what it is you need to do to keep it from happening again.  Being humble is a huge (pronounced UGE) part of acquiring God’s wisdom.

God’s wisdom in the workplace will give you true joy and satisfaction of spirit.  It’s true…  read Proverbs 16:16.  🙂

 

NATIONAL CLEAN OFF YOUR DESK DAY

Man becomes his most creative during war.  Look at the amount of weaponry that was made in four short years of World War II…  But that’s kind of a sad statement on mankind.  – Clint Eastwood

Here’s the question:  How do you feel when you have a messy desk?

I asked this question in my group, A SECOND HELPING OF WELLNESS…  WITH A DASH OF HUMOR & A PINCH OF FAITH

https://www.facebook.com/groups/asecondhelpingofwellness

The answers were varied and interesting.  There are clearly some folks who need a clean, organized environment around them to ignite their creativity.  They do one thing at a time and toss it aside and move on.  For those people, I’m here to tell you that it is NATIONAL CLEAN OFF YOUR DESK DAY.

As for the rest of us…  I give you permission (and I give myself permission) to completely ignore this day and be just as messy as you need to be for your personal creative process!  We think differently than other people.  Our mess is our source of inspiration!

Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.  – E.L. Doctorow

I can only speak for myself, but when I ‘m working on one project, I always have about fifteen others, all in various stages of completion.  I feel perfectly comfortable with several unfinished projects – and the really strange thing is, I can be working on project #7 and something from project #9 inspires something in me for project #7.

I make truly organized people crazy – absolutely crazy!

Remember the old saying OPPOSITES ATTRACT???  When I met my husband nearly 30 years ago, he was the most organized man I’d ever met.  I mean scary organized…  now, he not only puts canned goods in the pantry – every type of food has to be put together.  I get that – that makes sense – now it gets scary.  All of the labels have to be turned forward – I mean sometimes I put a can in there and the label with the name of the item may or may not be facing toward me.  I never really stopped to think about it before I met him!

He tells people I’ve relaxed his OCD behavior.  I take that as a compliment – LOL!

Please don’t try ANY of these methods for cleaning off your desk!

It’s not that I’m really messy – I just have a lot going on.  There is a pile for every project and I know what I’m doing.  It’s my system and nobody (not even my husband) messes with my messy system!

I’m inspired by my piles of stuff.  If a desk is too clean, my brain goes blank!  Yikes! 

BLUE MONDAY

 

It’s BLUE MONDAY!  Now, how blue you allow yourself to be is completely up to you.  Choose your shade and rock your mood.  Why do we celebrate this day?  Well, there is no real scientific basis for it, however, it’s thought that a few factors lend themselves to a “let-down” blue mood:

1.  The Polar Vortex is bringing freezing cold temperatures to us.  Most of us don’t adapt to the cold as easily as we do to warm temperatures.

2.  We’ve been on a holiday high, celebrating Christmas with sugary foods we normally wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole.  Now most of us are saying we’re going to lose a ton of weight overnight – am I right?  That in itself is depressing.

3.  Speaking of those New Year’s Resolutions…  by now most of us have messed up and given up.  So, failure can obviously make us depressed.

4.  The bills are rolling in from all that Christmas fun!  I am taking all of my past-due bills and making them into Origami Cranes.  I may as well be creative while I’m waiting for money to fall in my lap, right?

5.  Most of us are heading back to work – back to the mundane routine of the 9-5 work week.  Well, we have to work to make money to pay for the Christmas fun – right?

Well – that was depressing!  Now, let’s look at this with an eye of rationality, shall we?

1.  God will see us through just like He always has.  We don’t have to be in a deep depression, so we can choose a lighter shade of blue today.  Remember that the Lord loves you and will take good care of you.

2.  It’s going to be okay.  If the weather is bringing you down, be thankful to God for your furnace and the warmth of a fireplace if you have one.

3.  If you made some resolutions for the new year and have been less than perfect – so what?  Is that a reason to give up?  Wow, I sure hope not!  Keep trying because that’s all anyone expects of you – don’t beat yourself up about that stuff.  Most resolutions are tough – or you wouldn’t have to make it every year (am I right?)  I make the same ones every year – because it’s where my weakness lies.  Remember – when we are weak – God is strong!  He is strong through our weakness.  Hang in there.  God will help you succeed – imperfectly.

4.  If you have a means to make money – a.k.a. – a job, be thankful.  If you have bills due and money coming in, it means you have friends and family you love and you’ve given them a token of that love.  You’ll get caught up financially because God will help you.  Ask Him and He will show you the way.

Yes, you have to go back to work today – and some jobs are worse than others.  Just be thankful you don’t have this job:

 

You have a choice – it’s okay to be blue, but I hope you will choose a light blue instead of a deep dark blue.  If you suffer from horrible dark blue mood today, maybe you should find a job you like – do what you love because life is just too short…  it is.  🙂

ONE THIS DAY IN HISTORY

Do you enjoy history? So do I. Let’s take a trip back to 1901. That’s the year that Frank Skiff and his brother-in-law, Frank Ross went into business together. They had a reliable horse and a sturdy wagon and a dream to go with them. They thought instead of folks having to leave their homes to buy goods, why not take the goods to the people? So they set off to do just that!

Other tea companies had come up with the same concept, but the Jewel Tea company made it better. They offered a premium with the first order. Sort of like a “bonus” to attract future business. The idea was a great one because it set the two Franks out on a road paved with profits and the promise of more business than they could imagine!

Back then, if something was considered to be superior it was called a “jewel”. That’s why they decided to name the company “Jewel Tea”. The Jewel Tea company was incorporated in Chicago, Illinois in 1903. By 1904 many new routes opened outside of the Chicago area and in 1906 they entered the food-manufacturing field. It began with baking powder and by 1908 they were roasting their own coffee!

Jewel Tea company was incorporated under the laws of New York State in 1916, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Sales reached $15 million in 1917 with over 1700 routes in operation. The first World War had an adverse effect on them and other companies, but because of John M. Hancock, the Jewel Tea company was operating in the black by 1921.

The company moved its operations from Chicago to Barrington, Illinois in 1930. They started selling household products through salesmen traveling the country until 1981. Jewel Tea kept housewives supplied with spices and baking powder to cleaning supplies, cookware, linens and china.

The National Autumn Leaf Collector’s Club has been a fun way to keep this history alive. The members of the club collect this antique china and are always searching for an old Jewel tin that once contained some sort of spice, tea or baking powder. At the annual conventions, members bring their rare treasures to show others. It’s a real treasure hunt of sorts. We are interested in everything Jewel Tea, but of course our real interest is in the Autumn Leaf patterned china. ❤

GRUNTLED WORKERS DAY

Today is GRUNTLED WORKERS DAY – which is obviously the opposite of a disgruntled worker.  I contend that a gruntled worker in the church is one who regularly seeks more light from God.  God is the source of love and light – there is an abundant supply of both.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12

In the King James version the word light appears 272 times; the word lighted appears 13 times, lighten appears 7 times, lightenedappears 5 times, lighteneth appears twice, lighter appears 5 times, lightestappears once, lighteth appears 3 times, lighting appears twice, lightlyappears 7 times, lightnessappears 3 times and the word lights appears 10 times.

Do you feel more enlightened by that??? Yeah, I had to ask!

Look – here’s the thing. God is not only love, but He is light. He is the original – the best – the source from which we obtain all we are. Judging from the number of times light is mentioned in the Bible, it’s a big deal.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:5

Is there darkness in our world? Do I have to ask? If we will keep reading our Bibles and praying, God’s Holy Spirit will illuminate our path.

We should always be seeking more of God’s light. His is the only light that can fight the darkness in our world.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. – 1 John 1:7

Because we walk in God’s light, we are able to work together. Not to say life is perfect by any means, but since we are all on the same team, so to speak, we see a common goal that we strive toward together. With God’s light in our lives, we can accomplish so much.

For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. – Ephesians 5:8

Seek more light. ❤

A COMMENTARY FROM THE HEART

Oh the joys of home ownership! It seems like yesterday we were enjoying our custom-built home. Suddenly, nine years passed, and we are in the “home improvement” stage.

Good for the body is the work of the body, and good for the soul is the work of the soul, and good for either is the work of the other. – Henry David Thoreau

I admit, I enjoy home improvement. I like seeing things look and work better than they did before. The part that is not so great is the cost of home improvement.

I thought the worst news I could hear was that the cost of coffee was going up. I was wrong. We got an estimate on house repairs about this time last year and had one set of figures in mind, but this year the cost was much higher. I suppose some of that increase is due to the rising cost of gas and other materials needed to do the job.

In spite of the cost of living, it’s still popular. – Kathy Norris

Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we plan to have the exterior of our house replaced and sealed properly against the rain. Our original exterior was not properly sealed which resulted in some wood rot. I could use a little “Home Improvement” right now.  Of course, I mean the TV show.  You can watch episodes on You Tube.  I can’t post them here.

Home is the one place in all this world where hearts are sure of each other. It is the place of confidence. It is the place where we tear off that mask of guarded and suspicious coldness which the world forces us to wear in self-defense, and where we pour out the unreserved communications of full and confiding hearts. It is the spot where expressions of tenderness gush out without any sensation of awkwardness and without any dread of ridicule. – Frederick W. Robertson

God’s got this! It’ll be ok. 🙂

A COMMENTARY FROM THE HEART

I have to be careful not to mention karma. I don’t believe in it, but I do believe that to do the right thing is always the right thing to do. On the merit of good itself, not because in turn, good will come back to me.

The desire to leave a legacy is normal for most of us. I think we all want to leave good behind us, or at least no harm.

Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you. – Shannon L. Alder

It’s my hope and prayer that something I write will help someone. I hope this little blog will serve as encouragement long after I’m gone. Does that sound silly?

If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. – Benjamin Franklin

 

Some days it doesn’t seem I have anything to offer. I’m just being honest. And some days I don’t want to offer anything. That’s just a part of life. I just need to keep praying and seeking God everyday. I want the things I write to glorify Him, not me.

The past is a pebble in my shoe. – Edgar Allan Poe

The challenges in life can seem daunting, but if there’s one thing I want to emphasize it is that faith in God through Christ Jesus is key in keeping life in perspective. My life is in God’s hands, and that’s the bottom line. He keeps me safe and healthy. He helps me through each day with new mercies, love and everlasting peace. Living for Christ is my legacy. The Holy Spirit of God helps me live a good life.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. – Philippians 3:12-15

Outlive your life! – Max Lucado

 

A COMMENTARY FROM THE HEART

All my life I’ve heard about the race we are to be running as Christians. The Apostle Paul outlined it clearly in the New Testament:

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. – Acts 20:23-25

The good news of God’s grace. And by what means do we perform this task? Do we have to be part of a body of believers to do this? Can a Lone Ranger Christian impact in the world, or is it only through organized religion we can impact the world for Christ?

Well it’s easier to be in church and minister through channels that are already set up and ready to go. You’re given your materials every quarter, study the lesson you are to teach and show up to teach it. That’s a piece of cake compared to being unchurched and attempting to minister!

The good news is, if you are determined to teach and encourage others in Christ, God is so faithful to help you do that. In the past year, God has blessed my ministry greatly on facebook! He’s helped me maintain two pages and be an encourager in two health groups! God’s Word will not return void! If you are mission-minded and want to reach the lost, there are ways to do that via facebook for sure!

Here are the links if you’d like to visit. I hope you will “LIKE” the pages! The groups are closed but not difficult to join. If you leave a request I’ll make sure you get in.

The two pages are:

AMERICA, BLESS GOD
https://www.facebook.com/bless.God.today.America

POEMS AND PRAYERS FOR MY SAVIOR
https://www.facebook.com/poetryformysavior

The two health groups are:

WELLNESS… WITH A DASH OF HUMOR & A PINCH OF FAITH
https://www.facebook.com/groups/asecondhelpingofwellness/

I also have a website, but its main purpose is to share these links. It is:

http://www.americablessgodtoday.webs.com/

May God richly bless you as you go into the world to SHARE THE GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ! Peace to you.  🙂

FUN AT WORK DAY

Follow your dreams – unless it’s that one where you’re at work in your underwear.  – Unknown

http://youtu.be/8TNQ6RsmoIk

Do you have fun at work???  Well, today you should!  If you are a boss, I have news for you.  Did you know you will get much more productivity from your employees if you make a fun work environment for them?  That’s right!  Nobody wants a job that seriously affects their ability to giggle.  I’ve had a few of those jobs in my life, and I found I made more mistakes and took more “sick” days because I just did not want to be there.

 Find a job you like and you add five days to every week.   – H. Jackson Brown

I’m not saying a workplace should be a circus (unless you actually work in a circus), but there needs to be a bit of fun every day.  Make your employees want to come to work with emotional incentives and a positive overall attitude.

I had three children while I was earning my PhD at Harvard.  When I met with a therapist, one of the first things she asked was, “When was the last time you read a book for fun?”  That day, schlepping my preschoolers through the grocery store, I picked up a copy of Jurassic Park.  I read all night.  That question became a pivotal part of my career as a coach and self-help author.  Inject fun into any joyless portion of your life.  Everything can change.  – Martha Beck, PhD

Positivity works from the top down – not from the bottom up.  If you as a boss have a great outlook and make things more fun for your people, then your people will respect you and work well with and for you.

I’ve worked for some great people, and I’ve worked for some not so great people.  The great ones make sure you know you matter and make sure the work environment is friendly and not hostile or overly competitive.  They don’t micro-manage, but they know what is going on in their department.  There is always an element of FUN with a great boss.

 Thank God every morning when you get up, that you have something to do that day which must be done, whether you like it or not.  Being forced to work and forced to do your best will breed in you temperance and self-control, diligence and strength of will, cheerfulness and content, and a hundred virtues which the idle never know.   – Charles Kingsley 

Leadership is a gift some people naturally possess.  It’s important to learn how to be the best leader you can be for the sake of those under you.  The bottom line is, the better you treat your people, the more work you will get from them.  You have to earn their respect and their commitment.

All happy companies are different:  Each one earns a monopoly by solving a unique problem.  All failed companies are the same:  They failed to escape competition.  – Peter Thiel

For most people, committing time to a job is not just about getting a paycheck.  It’s about knowing you can have a bit of fun along the way and not get in trouble for it.  🙂