Pride

You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you, making you spill your coffee everywhere. Why did you spill the coffee? You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup. Had there been tea in your cup, you would have spilled tea. The point is whatever is inside the cup is what will spill out. Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which will happen), whatever is inside you will come out. It’s easy to fake it, until you get rattled. So, we have to ask ourselves, “What’s in my cup?” When life gets tough, what spills out? Joy, gratefulness, peace and humility? Or does anger, bitterness, harsh words, and reactions come out? You choose! Today let’s work towards filling our cups with gratitude, forgiveness, joy, words of affirmation, kindness, gentleness, and love for others.

Y’all. I didn’t write that above paragraph, myself. It was copied from a post I saw on Facebook. But BOY did it hit home. Did I tell you what happened to me when I went to register Miss Neenee for high school? We were inside the school. She wanted to see where her classes were. And of course I was excited to climb the stairs and walk all over kingdom come (just kidding, I was not). After my new high schooler had gotten her fill of the visions of classrooms, lockers, hall ways, & perfectly decorated bulletin boards, we headed to the car. When we walked out of the building toward the parking lot, we were greeted by 2 enthusiastic and information bearing kids.

One of the boys said to my excited new high schooler, “Are you a trumpet player?”

In which my trumpeter replied, “Yeah.”

Then, the boy replied, “Well, your car just got hit.”

WHAT??

Evidently, I must have had that look, because here came the band director. Walking from the site of the accident toward me.

There was a short conversation between the band director & I. He briefly told me a young man accidently backed into my car. He said he the young man was very sorry & had social anxiety. Basically, the kid was afraid I was going to come out with all fists flying, pitching a dying duck dog fit about my car. I looked down the way at the worried & scared look on the boy’s face & immediately felt bad for him. I walked down to my car with my daughter following behind me. Even though this was a situation I wish I didn’t have to deal with, I thought it was a teachable moment. As I walked up & looked at the HUGE dent in my bumper,

I looked over at the boy & said, “Are you okay?” He was so nervous.

He muttered out, “Yes ma’am. I’m really sorry.”

I said, “Don’t worry about it. We can fix cars. We can’t always fix people.” I smiled at him & you could tell he felt more at ease. Now when his dad showed up, I’m not so sure what he felt. But his dad & I exchanged pleasantries and insurance information. The law showed up to make their report & as we departed the parking lot, the young man told me again he was sorry. I let him know if this was the worst thing that ever happened to him, he would be ok. Things happen.

Was this an inconvenience? Yes. Was everyone okay? Yes. Could I have showed out and acted a fool? Probably. But what good would that have done? It wouldn’t have changed the fact my car still needed repair. But, what spilled out of my cup, that time, was forgiveness, patience, & hopefully kindness. Do I always act on my best behavior? Probably not. I am human & sometimes I do say & act in a way that my mama would be ashamed of. However, I can get it together every so often, more so than on other occasions.

What’s in your cup today? Is it filled with hate, spite, & an unforgiving spirit? When you are shaken, does your cup spill out bitterness & sharp words? Or does it spill out thankfulness, compassion, & warmhearted actions?

I Peter 3: 8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; (NKJV)

Are your ways prideful & judgmental? Or are they filled with mercy & grace?

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.(NKJV)

Romans 14:13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.(NKJV)

Since I have gotten a little older, I seem to be of the opinion, kindness needs to be deliberate & practiced ALL THE TIME. You never know what someone might be going through. And believe me I have never came across anyone without problems. You may be the only light they see in a world of gloom & doom. This world needs love. Why don’t we make an effort to show the Christ like love we would want shown to us? Life is a circle. What comes around, goes around. You get what you give out. So, next time someone gives you a short answer, just smile & kindly thank them. They may have just gotten some really bad news. Or they could just have their cup filled with some stinkin’ rotten things. Either way, your kind heart might just change their way of thinking. If not, you will be still be doing the right thing.

Like my Mamaw used to say, “Don’t act ugly.”

Y’all, can I say we have just been enjoying the fire out of Miss Neenee being in the band? This means we have a reason to go to the football games again. And boy do we love it. We did however make mention how we miss my son-in-law there. He is deployed right now. He loves sports and competition and yelling for our team. So much, that my daughter may or may not have to tell him to sit down before he gets thrown out of the game. He gets a bit riled up. And we love him for it. I hope your weather has been pleasant. Someone said fall is beginning. I’m not sure where they are, but here in northeast MS it is still HOT AS BLUE BLAZES. I hope you all have a relaxing weekend. We will be at the ballgame tonight cheering on our little trumpet player. Until next time I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Look at that game face.Almost got her to smile.Yes this is a HUGE football helmet with smoke billowing out of it. We are just fancy like that.

Football good times.

photo credits: Facebook, http://www.ellenlandreth.wordpress.com, pinterest

I was listening to the radio the other day. I love country music. So, of course it was on a country station. I have heard the song “Red Dirt Road” by Brooks & Dunn ever since it came out. It’s a song about a person’s life that was experienced on a “Red Dirt Road”. Well, of course I relate to that. I was raised on Rural Route 2, right where the black top ended. (Which is just about the wording of the 1^st line of this song). In Northeast Mississippi we had lots of red dirt roads. But while I was listening to this song, for some reason it clicked finally what the duo was saying. They talk about all this stuff that happened on the red dirt road, which was their life. The song’s chorus goes like this:

It’s where I drank my first beer.

It’s where I found Jesus.

Where I wrecked my first car: I tore it all to pieces.

I learned the path to Heaven, Is full of sinners an’ believers.

Learned that happiness on earth, Ain’t just for high achievers.

I’ve learned; I come to know, There’s life at both ends, Of that red dirt road.

I think there is a lot of truth in this. The part about happiness on earth ain’t just for high achievers- really is true. Even the simplest of people can be completely happy. Happiness is an easy thing to achieve, if you are willing to do what the Bible says. In Proverbs there was a man named Agur. He declared what he had learned on his “Red Dirt Road”.

Proverbs 30:7-9

Two [things] have I required of thee; deny me [them] not before I die:

Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who [is] the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God [in vain].

Agur wanted to be rid of a life of excessive pride & lying. Then, he did not want to be rich or poor, since there are problems with both. In verse 9 he explains if we are prideful or rich we think we don’t need God. If we are poor, we could be tempted to steal & curse God (a big ol’ helpin’ of a “Why me, Lord?” attitude). I think there is a BIG lesson in those couple of verses. One that I needed to hear for sure. I need to be more content. I need to enjoy what God has allowed me to achieve on my red dirt road of life. (Instead of always looking for something more to make me happy.) Did you notice Agur did not want a lot of money? I think if we had a lot of money we would be in a constant state of greed, making sure nobody’s trying to get our money. Then we could be worried that something would happen to our money. All that time spent trying to keep hold to all that we have. When, you can’t take it with you. In my life time, I have seen so many people act so silly over stuff. You know what? When the Lord calls them home, what’s going to happen to that stuff? Somebody else is going to end up with it. I haven’t ever seen a U-Haul (full of stuff) pulled behind a hearse. Have you? I think ol’ Agur hit it all right on the head.

I hope you don’t mind that my post today includes, Jesus, beer, & happiness. Because I don’t believe in any way, that those things go together. It just worked out that way, for once. I will ask for forgiveness because Lord have mercy, I don’t want anybody to be offended by it. Ya’ll just have to understand where I am coming from with this. I’m so glad you chose to stop by & visit with me. I love it when you come by! I have to be going for now, because I should be washing clothes.