Daily Archives: June 7, 2008

Taking Care of Oneself

Knowing that my fine group is going to be asking me on Wednesday how I have done with having some quiet time in the morning, I have gotten up three mornings in a row and done just that. One of the things I planned to do yesterday was to buy some math curriculum.
So, yesterday morning, I was getting ready to send $250 to someone I had never met in order to buy a math curriculum, and as I wrote the check, I got this little feeling inside that said I should think about this before I did it. So, in the name of taking care of myself, I emailed the lady and told her that I had some concerns about sending off $250 and just having to trust that she would send me the curriculum. Maybe you can’t imagine how uncomfortable this might be — what if she gets offended? What if she writes back a really testy email telling me off? What if it’s the “wrong” thing to let her know of my concerns?

I got a quick email back from her, quite gracious and reassuring. The only change I made was to send a money order instead of a check. And I only did that because I knew it would simplify things on both ends — she wouldn’t have to wait for a check to clear, and I wouldn’t have to wait for the material to be mailed.

For all my readers who are doing important things like closing high-dollar real-estate deals (is there anyone among my readers doing that?!?), this may seem like a really small thing, but for me, it was a huge step to feel an inclination to wait and check something out, and to DO it, even though it felt risky to me.

Yay, me! Try it! You’ll like it!

Changed Hearts and Lives

Last evening, my family had the privilege of serving dinner at the monthly family dinner of the Teen Challenge organization near us. Teen Challenge is a residential facility for young men ages 18-35 who are in trouble because of drug and/or alcohol addiction. Three men received certificates of completion last night, and we heard their stories and their testimonies of what God has done in their lives through Teen Challenge.

Besides the testimonies, my favorite part probably was the drama, which was done by two guys to the song, Who I Am, by Casting Crowns. (I’ve added this song to my playlist as well. Click on it if you would like to hear it.) Here is part of the lyrics:

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart

Not because of who I am
But because of what You’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I’m calling
Lord, You catch me when I’m falling
And You’ve told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours

Who Am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love, and watch me rise again
Who Am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me

Not because of who I am
But because of what You’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who You are

My prayers are with Matt, Scott, and Nick as they move on from Teen Challenge and face life “in the real world,” replete with temptations and the need for daily choices to remember who they are.