Decisions & Consequences - Part V

Overcoming a Bad Decision - a Mistake

How does one overcome a bad decision? I don't know that I have a definitive answer, but I do know that we have to continue to move forward, even if it's just one step at a time.

The obvious thing is to 'repent' - which just means to change the way you think about it. How does this play out when we make a mistake?

We first have to acknowledge we made the mistake, and prepare ourselves to understand how this wrong direction is going to affect our future. Three and a half years ago, I made a 'mistake' in ministry - one that had a profound effect on my life - and now has totally changed my life's direction.

Which is why I say I don't have a definitive answer. The first thing I did was to throw myself into God's arms and ask Him to show me what was it in me, and my life that caused this 'mistake' to occur. I was totally broken.

I remember hearing a story once about how a shepherd will take a wandering sheep and deliberately break it's leg, then carry it around on his shoulders until it's leg is healed. After that, the sheep doesn't ever wander off again. That's what happened to my heart. It was totally broken, and the Good Shepherd carried me on His shoulders for three months until I healed enough for me to consider going His direction for me - not my direction for me.

In fact, I was so broken, when Jesus took me off His shoulders and set me on the ground again, I wasn't moving at all - until He gently put me in the direction of "chocolate." I still remember that experience - and I'm still very cautious - even though that I know that I'm never going to get anywhere unless I step out in faith. Because I'm afraid to make a mistake now. But nevertheless, I still step out.

Which is what I did again today. I stepped out and started another blog, a place to put all my book reviews, so that this space can be totally for the things I feel God is showing me. I'm going to be speaking to issues and points of view that we need to be thinking about as Christians today.

Blessings to you.

Never Say Never - by Lisa Wingate

As a blog book reviewer for Bethany House, one of the benefits is getting a free book. The model they chose for this cover, with her carefree expression, and the hanging of elbow out the side of what looks like a pick-up truck, intrigued me.

The story is told from two first-person points of view. One, the 27-year old Kai Miller, and 70-year old Donnetta Bradford – and how their lives intersect during a Texas Gulf Coast hurricane.

The story centers on these two women, their histories, their connections, and their faith or lack thereof. Both women have good hearts, and eventually, Kai becomes “family,” in more ways than one.

I enjoyed this book. It’s a fast read. There’s plenty of suspense during unanswered questions to keep you interested throughout the book. Plus, the added perceptions of the two main characters told from each other’s point of view. How Donnetta sees Kai and how Kai sees Donnetta is interesting.

But I think the dog Radar steals the show in many cases. A young dog which also gets caught in the hurricane, has some hilarious misadventures, dragging Kai, and Donnetta’s nephew Kemp Eldridge behind him.

The succeeding fast-developing romance and misunderstandings that develop between Kai and Kemp make for interesting reading. And Donnetta’s questions about her seemingly uncaring husband are answered in such a way that will leave you cheering!

I recommend this book. I enjoyed it. You will too.

Decisions & Consequences, Part IV

A couple of posts ago, I alluded to a decision I made a long time ago that still affects me today.

That decision was in 1971. I had just gotten "put down" two chairs in band, and I wasn't a happy camper. I was already down pretty far in the clarinet pecking order. I had done everything possible to make my secondhand plastic clarinet sound better. I had bought better quality reeds, better ligatures (the thing that holds the reed to the mouthpiece) and a better mouthpiece. Alas, even after all those improvements, the clarinet still sounded plastic. Wooden clarinets have a rich, easy, clear tone quality to them that enriches your soul. I had never heard a wooden clarinet until I was in high school. I fell in love with the sound.

Earlier in the school year, our local music store had come to band and offered a deal - $100 trade-in on any old instrument. My dad was a travelling salesman for PPG. I knew he would be gone for three more days. Tuesday after school, I went down to the music store and "traded in" my old clarinet. They said we could "try out" a new instrument before we bought it. I knew I would at least get to play this beautiful-sounding new clarinet for at least three days before taking it back to the store on Saturday if Dad said no.

You had to know my dad. For some reason, he always said "No" to everything you asked for – at first. But if it was a reasonable request, or a very important one, and you responded well, he usually changed his mind. Knowing this, I expected a "No" on Friday evening.

For three glorious days, I got to play that new clarinet – in band, at home. I played it as much as I could. I played it until my lips started getting sore. My band director saw I had a new instrument. I told him I was hoping to keep it. My mother could tell the sound was different. She was sympathetic to my cause, but realistically thinking was impossible.

Of course, Dad said "No" Friday evening, but I handled it well, and didn't act too disappointed.

I was also a fairly new born-again Christian. I prayed a Gideon's Fleece type of prayer. I said, "Lord, if You want me to have this clarinet, have Dad ask me again how much it costs." Now – Dad knew how much it cost. We had gone over all the particulars.

I'm vacuuming the living floor. It was one of my Saturday chores. Five minutes go by. Dad comes into the living room.

"How much did you say that clarinet cost?"

I outwardly gulp, but inwardly I am SCREAMING!

"Well, they said…"

Within an hour, that clarinet was mine. As a result of that decision, in my senior year, I qualified for a scholarship that paid for private lessons.

As a result of the lessons, I entered a clarinet solo in the Kansas State High School Music Contest. I was also a part of two other small instrumental groups. They all qualified for medals if you got a 'one' rating.

They did. I still have those medals. I got them out about a month ago, when I was having a 'bad' day emotionally. And they showed me that decision on a Tuesday afternoon to go to the music store after school, was a decision that is still affecting me today.

Next time: How to overcome a bad decision that still haunts you.

A Rainbow Crystal of Wisdom

In Kaleidoscope, Clairmont has done it again – folksy, humble, sometimes self-deprecating humor with a message. This time the messages are from Proverbs.

In a kaleidoscope, there are many colors, many angles, and many different views of cut glass. With a turn of the wheel, you see something different. It’s the same glass, the same colors, but a different combination of puzzle pieces put together each time you turn the wheel of a kaleidoscope.

That’s what Clairmont has done with Kaleidoscope. She has used Proverbs as her cut glass, and with each turn of the wheel, she shows you something different, something unique and something wonderful.

No deep or startling revelations here, but each chapter gives you a great story, food for thought, study questions, and scripture to help you along in your journey.

I was intrigued and anxious to read the book, because I love the book of Proverbs. I read a chapter in it every day, well, almost every day. I was interested to see which proverb she chose at the beginning of each chapter, how she discussed it, and what questions regarding the topic she would bring, as well as coordinating scriptures.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to see “God’s wit and wisdom in a whole new light.”