Pass the Blunders Please!

 

It’s a funny thing how some seasons of our lives are relatively peaceful and then there are those where everything goes wonky in our world.
I’m in one of those wonky seasons where I keep committing blunder after blunder.

 It all started with the purchase of a new camera. You see I enrolled in a Digital Photography class, but after enrolling I thought to myself, “you don’t even own a digital camera…at least not an SLR, which is what I needed for the class.

 I debated for a long while as to whether I should drop the class since this isn’t exactly a good time to be spending extra money. What with hubby being laid off and all. But in the end I decided this was something I’ve wanted to do since high school, some thirty years ago.

 So, I did a wee bit of research to find the perfect camera. Oi! I can be so impatient when it comes to things like this and I often pay the price in the end, which is exactly what happened…Blunders, blunders, blunders!!

PAYING CASH…

Not wanting to end up with a balance on the credit card, I decided to raid funds from my “Vintage Airstream Account.” So, one bright Thursday morning I skipped off to the bank and pulled out said moneys.
Being the impatient little thing that I am I immediately headed to my favorite electronics store…whose name shall remain unspoken.

SETTLING FOR LESS THEN WHAT I WANTED…

I looked over some of the more popular brands and decided on a certain one, but all the while I was wanting something else…a brand new Pentax. Why in the world is it difficult to find a brand new Pentax that you can actually hold in your hands? It’s beyond me. Anywho, like I said before, I’m an impatient little thing and settled for less then what I wanted.

Later that afternoon I headed to Disneyland to try out my new toy, but alas, I couldn’t get one good shot from it and left disappointed. I have to admit that the cameras today are much more complicated then they used to be, but could I really be that bad of a photographer? Not one good shot out of 50!!

NOT KNOWING THE RETURN POLICY…

I don’t like admitting when I make such HUGE blunders, but I knew I wasn’t going to happy with this camera, so 28 hours after buying it I took it back. Who would have thought that it would turn into such a blunder? Not me.

The first thing that happened was a sales clerk came over and unpacked the entire thing and started questioning me about what was wrong with it, why didn’t I like it, maybe it was just me and not the camera. Feeling frustrated all I could say was, “the thing wouldn’t focus and all the pictures were blurry.” All I wanted was my money back…no big deal right? WRONG!!!

SPENDING TOO MUCH CASH MEANS YOU HAVE TO WAIT TO GET YOUR MONEY BACK.

This to me was the most frustrating!!! If you remember Blunder #1…paying cash is not always the best thing to do and since my camera cost me a wee bit over 500 I had to wait for the corporate office to send me a check…gggrrrhhhhh!!!
Hubby was becoming VERY FRUSTRATED and asked to speak to the manager, but when she turned over the receipt to show him the policy on cash purchases, he noticed a restocking fee of 15%. Blunder, Blunder, Blunder!!!! He decided that waiting for a check to come in the mail wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

IMPATEINCE DOES NOT PAY OFF!

In the end everything worked out just fine. I got ALL my money back (no restocking fee attached), I found a Pentax K-r that I’m perfectly in LOVE with, although I’ve barely figured out how to turn it on, and I learned some very good lessons through all my blunders.

OH! ANd if you’re in need a a few blunders yourself, I’d be happy to laon you some of mine…I’ve got plenty more .

Well Good Morning Sunshine!

I awoke this morning with a feeling of anticipation for what the future may bring. If you remember from my last post, today is the day. The last day that hubby will be at his current job. And we are ok with that.

I went about my morning as usual and then I turned on my laptop to find that someone new had visited my blog. I think it’s always so much fun making new friends in the blogging community and here was a possible new friend.

But as I read her comment I realized she didn’t have anything worth reading. No words of encouragement, no words of kindness, just words that tear at your heart because they are rude and insensitive. Insulting my husband, myself, and my GOD!!

I thought how sad that a person who has never visited before would leave such a rude, unkind, thoughtless comment and I became a bit angry, to say the least. But I was reminded that I don’t know anything about this woman or her life story. Heartaches she’s lived through. Disappointments that have marred her dreams. And I realized that I had no right to judge her for her words…no matter how mean they were.

I was also reminded of a book I once read where the author said that two types of people will always come in and out of our lives. There will be those that she called “Balcony People.” People who encourage you and lift you up. People that will always have a kind word and be a joy to be around.

And then there are the “other people.” The “Basement People” as she called them. Those that come into our lives and tear us down, beat us up emotionally, and then tell us we were asking for it and we even deserved it. People that seem to delight in spewing their anger towards those around them.

We have choices in our lives, whether we choose to be a blessing or a curse. Whether we choose to use our tongues (words) to lift people up or to tear them down. My prayer for today is that I would never be a person who chooses to use my tongue, words, or actions to tear down another.

^{Proverbs 25: 11} A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver.

^{Proverbs 12: 18 & 19} There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health. The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment.

Tick Tock…

Tick Tock. Time has run out on this clock.

I am counting the days, the hours, the minutes, until the hubby, once again, joins the ranks of the unemployed.
We knew this day would come, sooner or later, and we’re grateful it lasted as long as it did. But when Friday comes it will be all over…again.


Hubby was told he could transfer to the plant in Washington and that was all I needed to start dreaming dreams. I envisioned us kayaking through the San Juan islands, taking the ferry to Friday Harbor and having tea at the Empress Hotel during the Christmas season. I would be close enough to Vancouver Island that it would become my very own fantasy land. And the two of us would be able to explore his native country together…Canada.

 
But it was not meant to be, for hubby has become too accustomed to our Southern California weather. Riding his bike each day after work, flying his little airplanes by the beach, and the never ending sunshine and heat.
And so, he will look for a new position elsewhere, while I continue my studies.
Are we worried? Not at all. We serve the King of kings and Lord of lords and whatever road He leads us down we know that He is just a stones through away.

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am,
to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.
Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry,
both to abound and to suffer need.
Philippians 4:11 & 12

 

Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them,
"Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.
Mark 6:30-32

Can you relate to what the disciples are feeling here?  They are exhausted, weary, burdened, and burned out.  Too often, life is an exhausting ordeal. 
But here's the encouraging news: Jesus has so much compassion for you, and He desires the very best for you.

Maybe you need to get away from the hectic pace of life and the stress it brings, and spend time in a quiet,
deserted place with the Lord to seek His desires for you.  Or maybe you are already in a deserted place, spiritually,
where Jesus is absent from your life; you need to get out of that place and seek Jesus alone for guidance and hope and joy.

You see, not only does Jesus want to give you rest for your soul, He wants to be with you.  Notice that Jesus said, "Come aside." 
He desires to spend time with you, because He's the one guiding you and ministering to you.  He doesn't leave you alone for you to figure out
what your next steps are; He's right there with you, offering His help to you.

Trust in the compassion of Jesus, not the stressful rat-race of life, to get your significance. 
Ask Him for rest.  Ask Him for advice.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart (Proverbs 3:5-6) for your next steps. 
And above all, find your true rest and comfort in Him.

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

From the Dailey E-Devotion of Horizon Christian Fellowship