Kelly Girl Thinks

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. Proverbs 21:5

My boys were being timed on how fast they could run a mile with a group of their friends. Most of the boys took off at a sprint, but my guys have run before and knew how they can become burned-out before making it to the end.

The good-natured smack talk began. “Can’t you keep up?” and “Is that the best you can do?” was heard.

The oldest responded, “I’m setting my pace.”

The group of boys laughed.

While the other boys were too exhausted to keep up their original speed, the oldest was able to finish first. The youngest was running against older boys and did great too!

If only I would learn this lesson. I’ll go full speed ahead like a tornado and eventually die down. I need to be more like the boys in their Energizer Bunny wisdom so that I can just keep going and going. Unfortunately, I can be like my eyes…nearsighted.

Today, think about the whole race so burn-out doesn’t happen. This goes for your job, activities, school, and even family. When you try to fit everything in at once, your energy is going to wane. You’re not going to be able to keep up the pace and each area will suffer. Be realistic in what you can accomplish. Choose a few things to give your best to instead of several where you can only be mediocre.

But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. Jeremiah 7:24

There was a rocket launch the other night on television that brought back memories of getting a front row seat to one a few years ago. We were out on a boat with the radio tuned in listening to preparations for launch. It was such an exciting feeling to hear the countdown to liftoff! I’m sure it took an incredible amount of planning and coordination in order to make it a success. So many things had to line up for it to happen while we were on the water. The weather, mechanics, and logistics could interrupt the takeoff of the rocket by NASA.

Although so many hours were put into making the launch a success, what we saw only lasted minutes. I asked the boys what they remembered of the short time, and they took a few minutes to think about that sunny day. They remembered those men and women patrolling the waters, making sure those present were at a safe distance from the launch area. They remembered the noise and how loud it was. They remembered the big cloud of vapor and a certain smell from the rocket launch.

I learned the basics from the NASA website. It said that rockets burn fuel. Most rocket engines turn the fuel into hot gas. The engine pushes the gas out of the back. The gas makes the rocket move forward. In space, the engine has nothing to push against. This is when the rocket works by Newton’s third law of motion which says that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

I learned all about Newton’s laws a few days ago. I decided to move a few rocks to make a sign that is at the end of my driveway look better. I was doing what you could loosely term “landscaping”; however I decided to do it without my hubby’s help. Oh, no big deal, I could move those rocks without any problems. The first day I moved several of the medium sized ones without any issues. I just put a few in the wheel barrow and used my incredibly strong muscles to take them up the driveway. Success!

I had bigger plans though. We had some larger rocks (that my hubby later informed me probably weighed three times my body weight per rock) that would look great around the sign. The hubby may or may not have said that I wasn’t to try to move them without his help. I may or may not be a little “strong willed” and decided that I wanted to get it done. The “me want now” mentality may or may not have happened. I enlisted the help of the oldest and off to work we went. It was hard work, but laughing and fun certainly played into our work time. We got them all moved with only a few scratches and scrapes. It was time to put the final one into place. This is where good old Newton knew what he was talking about.

The laws of motion were demonstrated quite painfully in an experiment with two rocks and my finger. Remember, I homeschool and experiments are good. We like to actually see things rather than just read about them. It sticks in minds better. Always wanting to expand the knowledge of my children, it was time to give a physics lesson. I believe I focused on the first law of motion in this particular educational experience. It says that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will remain in motion, at a constant velocity unless or until outside forces act upon it. My finger was on that moving rock in motion until it ran into the rock that was already in place, being smashed in the process. How about that boys…did you see what I was trying to teach you?

After x-rays of my finger showed it wasn’t broken or fractured, I realized a couple important lessons. Yes, the bible says to obey your husbands. As hard as it is to say, lesson learned. Hopefully it sticks with me for a bit! Just like the rest of the Bible, this is true even when we fight against it. When our hubbies do love us and try to protect us, even when we don’t make it very easy on them, we need to listen as we want them to listen to us.

Lesson two had to do with my impatience (a whole other topic), which showed my stubbornness. I didn’t listen, I didn’t pay attention, and I paid the price. It set me back on all my jobs I wanted to complete because I had to take the time to get my finger checked plus run around with a bum finger for a few days.  Definitely not going forward…

What advice from God have you been ignoring? Are you going to wait until you are shown a negative reaction to your action? Be smarter than that and learn from what God tells you the first time. Don’t be so stubborn that you have to get a firsthand illustration!

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Do you ever feel all churned-up on the inside? Sometimes you get out of bed and it’s like a storm has been spinning on the inside. You feel off and sometimes don’t even know why. Other times you could’ve had a completely irrational dream through the night, you could be dreading something that needs to get done during the day, or an uncomfortable situation that needs to be faced. It could simply be a Monday and it’s back to work or school.

Let’s take a look at storms around a beach. It’s always a great adventure to get up early the day after a storm has gone through and the water has been churned up to see what kind of treasures has been left behind. This is when you find some of the coolest seashells!

Another place to find treasures after something gets all churned-up is in the washing machine. There are times when pockets aren’t fully emptied and I miss something. I get treasures of coins, rocks, and amazing surprises! It’s what’s left behind after the cycle is over and things are calm again.

Not only can you get treasures from the washing machine, it also pulls out the dirt in clothes and leaves it behind.  A dishwasher is the same in getting rid of the gross stuff. We are left with nice, sparkling dishes! There could be stuck on food and germs, but not after all the agitation inside while being ran. They are left much cleaner than when they were first put in.

Having thought about this, being churned-up isn’t always a bad thing. No, it doesn’t feel good at the time, but sometimes it’s necessary in getting the treasures that have been locked away. Also, it’s sometimes necessary in pushing out the gunk to get sparkling clean again. It’s actually exciting to know that we could be on the edge of something new and great when that feeling comes upon us!

This is helpful to recognize, but how do we handle it as we are going through it? We face a decision during these times…a fork in the road. We could let it take over our attitudes, words, and thoughts or get through it with grace and dignity. Sounds good and we’re getting somewhere, but I still have the question of how we can do that.

Nope, drinking won’t help or ignoring the situation won’t help. That will just suppress it and nothing will come out of all that churning. It would be wasted. Worse yet, it will have to happen all over again another day.

Since I don’t have the answers and I know someone who does, I would start there. Say a prayer. God knows for sure what we’re going through even if we don’t. We may not even know how to pray about it. That’s ok…keep it simple. “God, I’m feeling all churned-up and it doesn’t seem logical, but there it is. I can’t wish it away, but I know you can walk me through it and you can help give me peace while it’s happening. I’m not asking you take it away, but give me courage and strength to hold me up during the storm so that I can find the treasure you have waiting for me when it’s all over.”

By doing this, we have already been given power.  Now we need to do our part and not dwell on those agitated feelings, even while we still acknowledge them. Remember…no pretending allowed.  We are working through things in a healthy way while trusting God to take care of the problems.

The storm has to blow over and the washing machine and dishwasher have to complete their cycles before the finished work can be shown. By sitting, watching, and waiting for them to be complete, we are dragging out the process. We need to get our mind on good, positive things to pass the time even if we don’t “feel” like it. We need to do it in spite of our feelings.

Today, focus your mind on the treasures waiting for you, not dwelling on the churned-up feeling that you might not even understand in the first place.

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12

Our oldest was blessed with having fantastic teachers while he was in school from kindergarten to third grade. When he was assigned his teacher for second grade, we didn’t know anything about her because she was new to the school. As the time of open house approached, he became more and more excited to see his classroom and to find out how many classmates he already knew.

We entered the classroom to see a very young teacher fresh from college. She greeted us with an innocent type of enthusiasm and encouraged our son to look at the pictures of his schoolbooks. He glanced at us with a funny look on his face. He couldn’t understand why he’d just look at the pictures since he was in second grade, and had been reading for some time.

That night, my hubby and I talked to our son about how fun the school year was going to be and what a nice teacher he had. Unfortunately, we weren’t positive how productive the year would be if his new teacher was going to be focusing on things that had already been taught. We knew there wasn’t the experience that previous teachers had due to it being her first year in the school and a first year teacher.

His second grade ended up being a wonderful year! Our son’s teacher that year ended up being someone very special. She was a cheerleader, an advocate, and a committed teacher to her students. She showed more discernment than some teachers show in all of their years of teaching. She wanted the parents to be involved and to know what was going on in their children’s education. She was a fantastic communicator. She handled problems not by using a standard way of dealing with things, but with compassion and wisdom that doesn’t come from a college class or even experience. There was something more to her…a light that shined from her. It was as if a higher power was guiding her. One day I knew for sure; she was wearing a cross necklace.

I learned a few things from that teacher. First, age has nothing to do with wisdom. It comes from God. Second, actions are so much more powerful than words. The light that shined from her spoke so much more than if she would’ve preached about Jesus. She was a perfect example of living out her faith. I could see she had a calling. She was in God’s will and He had blessed her with wisdom beyond her years.

There are times when talking about God is important, even necessary, but more often than not our actions speak much louder than our words.

If you feel self-doubt today, as we all do, be confident in your calling from God. Open yourself up to be a vessel of God’s love and wisdom. This is the way that His light will shine out of you for all to see.

There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. Luke 12:2

WARNING: Cologne does not eliminate stink! This should be on every cologne bottle sold to teenage boys.  Just because one puts the cologne on after sweating, it doesn’t mean the stink disappeared.  The bad bacteria has to be scrubbed away in order to eliminate the odor.

Just like a teenage boy, covering a skunk in cologne does not change the fact that if the skunk sprays, it’s still going to stink. That special skunk smell will now just be mixed with the cologne smell; however I highly doubt we would even smell the cologne after such an incident.

When my great-aunt was in the army overseas she had a skunk with her for a short time. We’ve always loved to hear her stories of military life, but this is one I really got a kick out of. She decided to take the skunk with her onto base one day. She walked through the office with that skunk and saw calm, controlled military personnel go into a bit of a panic. She grinned, knowing the pet was “disarmed” and there wasn’t any danger of anyone getting sprayed, however she sure did love seeing the reactions.

It’s harder to tell what the inside of a person is like than that of a skunk. We go into defense mode as soon as we see that black and white little body. We have a healthy fear of being sprayed with just that image. There is no pretending for that skunk.  It can’t pretend it’s anything besides what it is. No, it doesn’t actually have the green waves coming off it as it’s walking around, but we know what it’s capable of.

People are a whole different ballgame. It’s harder to recognize if there’s a stink on the inside of people because it can be masked with a good looking outside. The outside can be sugar and spice and everything nice, but the inside can be quite “skunky”.

People can be more deceiving than skunks.  They can get pretty good at masking their true feelings. However, with skunks, just like with people, there isn’t anything we can hide on the inside while acting a different way on the outside that isn’t going to eventually be made known. Just like a teenage boy or a skunk, the stink isn’t going to be masked for long.

When you get mad, just like a skunk, it’s going to come out! Work today on letting your inside and outside match. Scrub away that bad bacteria and be genuine because eventually the stink is going to come out if you don’t.

See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Song of Solomon 2:11

The boys had an opportunity to participate in an archeology dig recently. My oldest is fascinated with history and digging up artifacts to learn more about what life was like in the past. We thought they would get to meet a couple real archeologists, listen to a talk, and even possibly watch them dig. I was so surprised when we got there and they did explain what they were doing, but then put the boys right to work. There were only a few families there, so the opportunity they had was amazing!

The couple that was conducting the dig was phenomenal with the boys. They were patient, kind, and built up a passion that I don’t think we’re soon going to see leave. They allowed the boys to use their tools, figure out sections to dig, and allowed them to do the digging, unearthing all kinds of great finds. The boys had to be very careful and meticulous that they didn’t miss anything. They worked in a 1 meter wide by 1 meter long section for eight hours! They got to tag and bag their finds, plus they drew the area where they worked. Pictures were even taken to refer back to. The boys enjoyed it so much that we returned in order for them to clean what was found before it was sent away.

It’s unbelievable to me how God knows every bit of us, just as the boys learned every bit of their square they worked on. He cares about the past too. He has compassion for our hurts and disappointments. He has celebrated with us on our achievements. Although what has happened to us previously has shaped us into the individuals we are today, He wants us to live in the present. We should learn what we can from the past, but if we still live in the past, He can’t move us forward into the future.

If something negative has happened to us, but we can’t seem to move on from it, we are allowing that circumstance to control us. The past is controlling the present and future instead of God. We aren’t seeing the rainbow God has straight ahead of us because we’re still looking at the dark clouds behind us.

Just like that archeology dig, the past is for learning and growing from. It’s so we don’t make the same mistakes over and over again. It’s for gaining understanding and wisdom. Just remember the rains are over and gone. This is the present. It’s for seeing God’s rainbows, not for seeing the mud puddles. We have to go through the rain in order to have the rainbows of the future!

Don’t let the past dictate your todays and tomorrows. Allow God to show you life without the splashes of yesterday distorting your view of today.

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. Proverbs 31:25

• They are one of the original toys inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.
• The company was founded in Denmark in 1932.
• The new ones can still be used with ones from 1958.
• You can combine six of the eight-studded bricks in 915,103,765 ways.
• There’s a house made from this toy.
• “Leg” and “godt” means “play well”…taking the first two letters from these Danish words gives the name of the famous building blocks that are a favorite toy in my house.

I’m sure you have it figured out…Legos! It doesn’t matter if you’re a year old playing with the Duplo bricks or 100 years old constructing intricate models, all age ranges love them. Did you know that Lego Duplo bricks can connect with regular Lego bricks? I don’t know how that’s possible, but I learned all kinds of information from the Huffington Post. I was getting informed!

My boys would be fine to get rid of just about every toy there is and only have Legos. They have bookcases full of their planes, police stations, trucks, and things I don’t have a clue what they’re supposed to be. I do know they’re from Star Wars though. They enjoy creating their own masterpieces, but they have their favorite sets too.

It amazes me how it all starts with one little, bitty brick. Building brick by brick it can grow into something quite large! That single building block seems so insignificant. Some sets though, can become quite large from hours of building them.

One of the bigger sets was just built at my house. It took an awful lot of time, and I didn’t quite realize how many hundreds of those blocks were locked together until it was dropped and the explosion occurred. Of course I mean from the toy…not the person…absolutely.

Have you ever had a pesky annoyance that you didn’t think too much about? It was small. No big deal. You chose to let it go, keeping strife out of your house. That’s awesome! Then, another small, but irksome thing happened which interlocked with the first one that you let go…well, maybe just pushed aside. Where was it hiding? Those little disturbances kept building up over time until they were too heavy to keep hold of. Finally, the explosion took place.  Sound familiar?

Instead of pushing the annoying instances to a place that will come out later after you receive a build-up, try letting it out right away. That doesn’t mean I’m saying you have free reign to gripe and complain, tell someone off, or even stomp your foot. Nope, I’m telling you to let it out another way. Whatever works for you that God would find acceptable; laughter is always good!  Can you find the humor in the situation?

Listen, ask my son, just because something is shoved under the bed and you can’t see, doesn’t mean it was taken care of. It’s just waiting for more to join it until the “monster” is too big to hide. It will eventually come spilling out from under the dust ruffle.

I’ll give you an example.  What about if you have a crazy driver behind you and they’re practically kissing your bumper? If you are going to put on a puckered up face and say, “I’m not going to get upset at that person because it just wouldn’t be Godly,” but you stuff it down and not really get over it, it probably isn’t the best way to handle it. Just be careful the explosion doesn’t take place as an overreaction to one more of those small annoyances. Innocent bystanders could get hurt!

Wouldn’t it be better to truly turn it over to God and let Him take care of it? He’ll help you let it go. This actually happened to me. Yep, I was the one in the car with a crazy person behind me.  They finally passed me(I was going the speed limit by the way) and even waved to me, but not necessarily in a friendly manner. Anyhow, God sure made the laughter come out so there was nothing there to build on later. Up over the hill I went and do you know what a saw?  The vehicle that had passed me. Why? They got behind a tractor they couldn’t pass! Don’t tell me God doesn’t have a sense of humor!  I laughed the whole way home even though it took me quite a bit of extra time behind the person just doing his job in that tractor.  That irritation was gone…nothing to build on!

Today, be clothed with strength and dignity. Being strong isn’t holding everything in and pushing every irritating thought down. Being strong is dealing with those things in a healthy way so that there aren’t any explosions later on.

 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4

When my youngest was little, we’d put his brother on the school bus and take our dog for a walk. I think some of my best talks with the boys have been strolling down the road. The words tend to flow more for boys while they are doing something. They’ll clam up face-to-face, but add physical activity and the grunts go away.

We’d have to get really quiet in some areas because of the T. rex that was in the woods. We’d have to move pretty quickly in others because of that log…I mean that alligator that was watching us. The woods on our road came alive with more than what was common to the area. Our wise old dog was willing to go with whatever we came up with. If we took off, he did to. If we had to creep down the road, he was in!

When we weren’t on a great adventure through the desserts, forests, or wherever our imagination took us, my youngest would beg for stories of a little boy named Bill. In the stories he had a side-kick…his dog. The little boy led an everyday life, but his good manners and helpfulness made him a hero. The situations he found himself in paralleled my youngest son’s life. When he helped someone out, they would thank Super-Bill, the hero, for making their day.

As an adult, we see heroes only if they make a huge sacrifice, putting their lives on the line. We are so very thankful for those type of heroes, but there is room for everyone to be a hero. The dictionary says it is a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.

What is a hero in my book?  The person who bought a meal for a homeless man is a hero. A child who befriends someone who is being picked on and stands up to a bully even though he is scared is a hero. A teacher who has faith in a student that has never seen support is a hero. A father who takes the time to teach and have quality moments with his son or daughter is a hero. A mother who never gives up and is the biggest cheerleader for her child is a hero. A husband who swoops in and helps out a tired wife is a hero. A person who helps an overwhelmed mother who has a crying child, a cart full of groceries, and who just dropped the keys to the car is a hero.

Be a hero like in the stories we used to tell. An everyday hero inspires others, encourages, and spreads kindness. They don’t realize the impact they have, yet they keep doing. They have humility and value others.  They last.

But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD…   Jeremiah 30:17

I have a cousin who was more like a little sister to me as she was growing up. I was always staying with her mom and dad, and I used to babysit her. I think it was during that time when I realized how much I’d like to have a family of my own someday. I enjoyed helping care for her, making her smile, and teaching her new things. When I would babysit her, we would often go on picnics right by her house. There was an old school house that had swings and a slide. When she was too little to swing on her own, I would hold her in my lap and we would slowly swing back and forth while I would tell her nursery rhymes and sing silly songs. What fun we had!

My grandparents lived right down the alley from that school house. On a sunny, summer day everyone was gathered together at Grandma and Grandpa’s because there was going to be a community parade and carnival in the evening. While we were waiting for the time of the parade to arrive, a few of us “young ones” decided to take my little cousin to play for a while.

We had a great time, but as we were heading back to the house I felt something go up my shorts. It was a bee and it stung me in my rear! Apparently, since I wasn’t flapping my arms and doing the bee is up my shorts dance, it decided to really make sure it got me…over and over again. Boy did that hurt! Of course, I couldn’t do anything about it because I was carrying that sweet little girl in my arms, and my number one priority was to keep her protected. Therefore, no bee dance.

When we got back, I handed her over and went to get babied myself. Grandma made some miracle cream to put on those horrendous bites. Ok, maybe she just pulled out some toothpaste, but grandmas know how to make things better! It did soothe the sting and the festivities could continue without giving that bee the satisfaction of ruining my day.

The days of that little playground are gone and the school house is now apartments. That little girl is all grown up and doing well in a career that she enjoys. Times change, but there are still chances of getting stung. Do we handle it with grace and dignity or with frustration and complaining? God is always waiting to soothe the stings in life if we only allow Him.

Would I have as much dignity now if I was stung like I had back then? Would the whole neighborhood hear me hollerin’?  Would I feel it necessary to bring it up and make everyone around me listen to the moaning and groaning about what that bee did to me?

Today, instead of complaining to everybody we see about our stings, let’s go directly to the One with the ability to heal our wounds.

As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” Genesis 19:17

In previous years we’ve enjoyed beach vacations in October. It wasn’t too hot, the crowds were gone, it was more affordable, and the bugs weren’t as bad as usual. As I’m following Hurricane Matthew and all the evacuations that are taking place, I think back to the signs on the highway leading away from the coast and how important that road becomes when there’s only one way out of danger. I was reading how in South Carolina they reversed the lanes so that traffic on the interstate, which would normally be heading into Charleston, is now heading west out of Charleston.

The traffic might be slow and the ride long and difficult, but it’s better to keep moving forward slowly than decide to go back where we shouldn’t be. By staying, we are not only putting ourselves at risk, but we are putting others at risk when they have to come in to save us. Once we get on our way, we should take comfort in knowing that we are leaving somewhere that we may have stayed too long as it is. Any more time and we could be trapped in a place without a choice of leaving.  No matter how dangerous something is, we would sometimes rather face it in our comfort zone instead of fleeing to safety.

I’m sure you realize I’m talking about more than evacuating from a hurricane. There are times in our lives when we need to evacuate from bad situations. Just like that interstate heading out of Charleston…there is only one way to go. That’s forward. Get in the car and start driving, then God can keep you going just like the flow of that traffic. Rely on Him to not allow you to turn back into danger.

May God lead the evacuation to safety for all who are facing life’s dangers.