Author: tinamhunt

ESFP with a dash of ADD. Lover of the Word and words. The cup of my life is neither half empty or half full--it overflows! I'm blessed to be a blessing and I'm here to share the journey.

Wondering and Wandering to Christmas: Are You Feeling Lucky?

During my years of pastoral ministry, I had the privilege of working as assistant pastor to an extremely gifted man, Lester Clark. I learned so much from him. One of the things that shapes who I am and how I function can be directly attributed to Pastor Clark’s teaching. He didn’t believe in luck. He was so convinced on this matter that he didn’t call carry-in dinners Pot Lucks, he called them Pot Blessings.

Luck is defined as “a combination of circumstances, events, etc., operating by chance to bring good or ill to a person” (dictionary.com). Synonyms for luck include: happenstance, karma, and fortuitousness. For me the reason I don’t believe in luck is in the essence or definition: the idea of chance. Chance meeting. What are the chances of that happening?

If we believe in luck, then we would believe that it was fortuitous that Mary was betrothed to kind-hearted Joseph, a man who would go completely against the norm and go ahead and take her as his wife. We consider them quite fortunate for having shown up at the only inn with a stable still available and an inn keeper’s wife with a conscience when it came to sending a woman about to deliver out into the night. I don’t believe it was luck. I believe was God was working all things for good.

Another place where I don’t see luck, but rather see God is in the ways our paths cross at just the right time with people who touch and change our lives. When I was teaching classes in my last job, I would share with the class at the outset that I didn’t know why we were together, but that I completely believe that God put us there on purpose and for a purpose. I would refer to 1 Corinthians 12:18b: God has put each part just where he wants it (NLT).

Are you feeling lucky, or blessed? How do you look at and consider the circumstances of your life? Have you missed any divine appointments lately? Have you snarled about an inconvenience or interruption recently instead of considering God was working for your good or the good of someone around you? Consider changing your perspective and don’t leave anything to chance.

Wondering and Wandering to Christmas: Shhhhhh…

I will probably never be accused of being quiet. It was one of the things that really bothered my dad. He was always telling me to turn down my volume. He made a point to remind me to be quieter whenever I went out or to someone’s home. I laugh loud. I talk loud. I am just loud. So it was really hard for me to grasp what Paul was saying to the Thessalonians: 11 Make it your goal to live a quiet life (4:11, NLT). In terms of Myers-Briggs, I’m an ESFP. I have ADD. So I’m an extrovert, who thinks out loud, and acts impulsively. How am I supposed to live a quiet life?

Just as shalom, peace, is not merely the absence of conflict, quiet is more than just the absence of noise. In a small but insightful book, “Nurturing Silence in a Noisy Heart”, Dr. Wayne Oates points out that the noise of daily life can keep one from listening to, and attending to, the whispers which are truly important. Ken Gire picks up on the same theme in his book on the reflective life: “The reflective life is a life that is attentive, receptive, and responsive to what God is doing in us and around us (p. 11, The Reflective Life).”

Keeping those thoughts in mind, I can begin to believe that a quiet life is achievable for even me. It also reminds me of one of my favorite parts of the Christmas story. Having just delivered the baby Jesus, laying in a stable surrounded by shepherds, being serenaded by angels, Mary held it all as treasure and pondered them in her heart. Mary demonstrated the reflective and quiet life. Will we be attentive and reflective or busy and noisy? The quiet life awaits.

Day 23 Leftover Thanks

Today you will not find me lining the coffers of any greedy retailer. The other day Nelson asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I had no answer for him. Now that’s not to say I there aren’t things I would like to have (convertible laptop tablet and hazelnut coffee), but there isn’t anything I need. I’m hoping to get some Barnes and Noble gift cards so I can feed my hungry little Nook Tablet. But I don’t need any clothes and because of my ecsema I quit buying my favorite yummies from Bath and Body.

One of my favorite things for this day is leftovers. I love leftover turke–white meat only. The sweet potato and green bean casseroles always seem better the second day and beyond. And since we ate at home there will be lots to enjoy.

So today I am thankful for the bounty and the blessings. Yum!

Thanksgiving Thanks

I’m full of thanks for family, food, and football. I’m thankful that my daughters and grandchildren will be in my home today. I’m thankful that I am married to a man who loves to cook and is really, really good at it. And it goes without saying how happy I am to enjoy football with my family.

I’m blessed. I know it and I’m thank-full.

Day 21 Squiggly Thanks

Today I had to chuckle at myself. I was working and trying to get some writing done on my book before my little lady was up and about. At one point I was trying to figure out how to spell a word. The reason I was having trouble, I quickly discovered, was that I was pronouncing it wrong and therefore spelling it wrong. A couple other words were just not looking right. Several times I would stare at the screen, sure that I had spelled the word correctly, but the tell-tale red squiggly line remained.

Part of what made me chuckle was a conversation I had with the RHWC the other day. He is in first grade and wanting to spell everything. He gets very frustrated with our crazy language because no matter how many rules you know, there is always an exception. For example, the giggle you emit when you hear a joke (clue: laughter). Now spell the word that represents a female offspring (clue daughter). The RHWC knows that if you change the first letter on Hat to P, you get Pat. If laughter is pronounced “lafter” then shouldn’t daughter be “dafter”?

So today, I am thankful for little red squiggly lines that appear while I’m writing to keep me from looking and spelling like my first grade grandson. On him, it’s cute–on me: not so much.

Happy spelling. 🙂

Day 20 Loving the Morning

I’m thankful that I am a morning person. My alarm goes off at 4:45 in the monring. I am able to get up and start functioning and be at work at 6:00. I have always been this way. I took my hardest classes in college at 7:30AM: Greek and Philosophy.

Of course that means right now, I’m feeling like I could let my head hit the pillow.

Sweet dreams.

Day 19 Mema’s Gratitude

I pick the red-headed-wonder-child up from school on Mondays. Here was a our conversation in the car on the way to my house:
Mema: Hi Buddy.
RHWC: Hi Mema. How’s was your day?
M: It was good, Buddy, how about yours?
RHWC: It was excelentamundo.
M: Wow, that sounds like a special kind of day.
We talked then about some of the more challenging stuff he’s learning–he loves the challenge. Then we talked about Pilgrims and Indians and Math. Then he said:
RHWC: Mema, I hope you live for at least fifty more years.
M: That’s a lot of years, Buddy.
RHWC: Yeah, I know. But I want you around forever.
M: Thanks, Buddy. I hope I have a lot of years, but however many I have–each day is a treasure when I’m with you.
RHWC: For me too, Mema.

My heart just needed that dose of love.

Day 18 Gladitude

Today I am thankful for my daughter Beth. It is her 29th birthday.

It’s been such a good day. Our pastor asked me to do a monologue that went with his message. It was a funny one. We’re still new enough at the church that the people are still getting used to my silly-abilities. I love to make people laugh.

Day 17: Wormy Thanks

No, this is not about fishing. My thanks today is completely related to books.

Hi, my name is Tina and I’m a book a holic. For the last 5yrs I have arranged my work schedule around this sale, which happens 4 times a year. Today I bought 13 hardbacks and 9 paperbacks and spent $15.75. My favorite find was a 2vol. Tyndale Word Study NT and Concordance. I have wanted a set of these for-ehhhh-ver. When I spotted them on the bottom shelf, in the back corner of the last room, I let out a squeal of delight. My daughter was on the other side of the room and she said she heard me.

When I was a pastor, I was very intentional about growing my library. When I transitioned from the senior pastorate to chaplaincy I sold off a big chunk because we needed the money. When I left ministry and counseling I sold a large part of my library and then again a few years later I weeded through my collection again. I’ve made a habbit in recent years to either donate books back to the library or to my church library. It’s a good thing to do and makes room for new additions. 🙂

So this little bookworm is thankful for books today. And happy too.

Day 16 TGIF or TGITD

I have always thought that it was a bit unfair to favor one day over another. I spent most of my life as a workaholic, so there was little time for rest on the weekend. It seemed to me that all the thankfulness for Friday was a bunch of hoo-ha. Age and perspective have tempered my opinion on this, but probably not in the way you would think.

Nope. I’m not a big fan of living for one day, banking all my hope on the end of trudging off to the workplace. Nope. I love everyday equally. I treasure the breath put into each day. I enjoy living now. For me, it really is TGITD: thank God it’s this day, or TGIT: thank God it’s today.

This IS the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.