Articles

Jan 07 2017

A Holiday Road Trip?

Author: Karan Gleddie • Discussion: 6 Comments

A Holiday Road Trip?

While on a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at the roadside restaurant for lunch.  After finishing their meal, they resumed their trip.

Unknowincouple-1002gly, the woman left her glasses on the table and didn’t miss them until they had been driving about twenty minutes.

By then, to add to the aggravation, they had to travel quite a distance before finding a place to turn around.  

All the way back, the husband fussed and complained and scolded his wife.  As she got out of the car and hurried inside to retrieve her glasses, he yelled to her, “While you’re in there, you might as well get my hat and credit card!”

 

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Reflections: Will I ever get done?

I have often put my life on hold using one little word,

AFTER.  I wonder if others do the same.  See if any of my excuses are ones you can relate too.

    • After the office is clean, I will have time to write.
    • After the house is clean, I will invite company for dinner.
    • After I lose weight, I will buy a swimsuit.
    • After my children are out of school, I will have more time to study the Bible.
    • After I catch up on all my TV series, I will have time to visit friends.
    • After I clean the garage, I will have a place to park the car.
    • After I get a treadmill, I will start exercising.

 

Recently, I had a few light bulb moments, or a blonde epiphany, (is that legal?) 

    • The office will never be clean enough.
    • The house will never be perfect enough.
    • No matter how much weight I lose or gain, I will NEVER buy a swimsuit.
    • When your children finish school, marry, and have children of their own we will never have time.We will be too busy attending ball games, recitals, soccer, having sleepovers, taking pictures and having fun.  Grandchildren automatically move to top priority.
    • A TV series is never done; there is always another new one to watch.
    • Landscaping and yard work is a weekly task, the weeds and grass just keep growing.
    • If the garage is cleaned out we will have to rent a large storage unit.  Besides the car looks good outside and everyone knows where we live.
    • I will never start exercising when I get a treadmill, bicycle, or the Wii.  If I haven’t started before now nothing else will help. 

 

I have wasted a lot of time waiting for the “AFTERS” to get done so I could move onto the important tasks.  The Bible says now is the time to use what we have to serve and honor God.  I don’t want my life to get stuck with the afters and never get to the serving of others.  I want to keep moving forward, onward and upward, running the race well.©

Philippians 2:16 (NLT)

Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.

    1 Corinthians 9:16
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize?
So run to win!      
 
Dear Friends, thank you for stopping by and spending your time with me today, I love each of you. 

What are your favorite “after” excuses?  I would love to hear from you and get your opinion on these thoughts

Hugs to All, Lovingly Karan

Nov 20 2016

I’ve found A Secret

Author: Karan Gleddie • Discussion: 2 Comments

I’ve found A Secret

A littboysle boy opened the old family Bible with fascination. He looked at the old pages carefully as he turned them.

Then something fell out of the Bible and he picked it up and looked at it closely.

It was an old leaf from a tree that had been pressed in between the pages.

“Mommy look what I have found,” the boy called out.

“What have you got there dear?” his mother asked.

With astonishment in the young boy’s voice, he answered: “I’ve just found Adam’s clothes!”

 

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Reflections :

As I have gotten more mature (don’t you love that word) I assumed I would be wiser, more disciplined, and have more time. You know having, “All my ducks in a row.” Which if you think about it is not reality.

bad_hair_daySome day’s life does not go the way I want it too. I can write lists, make my plans and try to get some sense of order, yet life does not stop because I have a bad day. Have you ever felt like that?

I am thankful that as each new day comes, I can choose to find something to be thankful for. I am learning how to find joy in the moments. This is a lifelong journey, and a fast learner I am not.

Not because my life is perfect, but because I have a friend who loves me through the circumstances of my life. He is the shield who blocks the sting and protects me in his perfect will. Nothing touches me that does not go through the cross first.

Although I will always have my share of bad hair days, bags under my eyes, blow my diet and lose my temper. I am safe and secure in the knowledge that God’s love and forgiveness are constant, unconditional and forever. He is my Friend, He is enough.©

How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36:7

Lovingly, Karan

Thank you for dropping by and sharing your time with me.

What helps you cope with bad days? I would love to hear What You do.

Hugs to All

Have a great week!

 

 

Oct 23 2016

Coffee for Grandmother ~ The Election

Author: Karan Gleddie • Discussion: No Comments

Coffee for Grandmother

10A little grandmother was surprised by her seven-year-old grandson one morning. He had made her a cup of coffee. She drank what was the worse cup of coffee of her life

When she got to the bottom, there were three of those little green army men, and she asked him why they were there.

Her grandson said, “On television, they say, “the best part of waking up is soldiers in your cup!”

 

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Reflections:  The Election

This last year and especially these last few months I have found the election season very stressful.

votingAs an Americans living out of the United States, Lyle and I were excited to finally get our ballots and have the privilege of voting.

I am constantly amazed how everyone seems so invested here in Canada about this election. And like the US each person has their favorite candidate and a verity of opinions on them. No matter where I go people want to discuss the candidates.

I read an article a few month ago about the “election stress disorder.” It made me laugh, but then I realized I had many of the symptoms too. LOL. I had become distressed and anxious, always checking polls, twitter, and the news every morning and night.

I was telling my friend in South Carolina that I feared I had this “election stress disorder” and she laughed and reminded me I get like this every four years. What are friends for, to give us perspective when we can’t see the forest for the trees and our focus becomes small?

As I was reading my Bible this morning I was telling God how anxious I am  about this whole election process.

Luke 18:27 it says; …”what is impossible from a human perspective, is possible with God”

What a comfort to be reminded again that God is still in charge, and all is well.

Oswald chambers said it well, “Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the one who is leading.”

I am secure in knowing that in this world God is still on the throne.©

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Are you feeling anxious and stressed by this election like me?

No matter where you live, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thank you, Dear friends for spending your time with me.

Have a great week, HUGS

Lovingly, Karan

 

Sep 03 2016

Is Anyone Watching, Swimming lessons anyone?

Author: Karan Gleddie • Discussion: No Comments

 

Is Anyone Watching?

lunchThe children were lined up in the cafeteria of the Catholic elementary school for lunch.  

At the head of the table was a large pile of apples.  The nun made a note, and posted it on the apple tray:

“Take only ONE. God is watching.”

Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. 

A child had written a note, “Take all you want. God is watching the apples..’

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Reflections:   Swimming lessons anyone?

As I enjoyed watching the Olympics the last few weeks, the discipline and commitment that each Olympian strives to achieve are amazing.

Every time I see or hear about the Olympics, I think about my daughter who became intrigued with the swimmers. I would find her in the living room practicing the butterfly stroke with the swimmers on our shag carpet. Every day she came home after school to practice. And at night I would find water on the bathroom floor as she perfected her strokes.

swimming2We soon learned that she be going on a kindergarten school trip. The class was going to a swimming pool, and she did not know how to swim. And the trip was only a week away. So we went and bought a new swimsuit for the occasion, but caution our daughter not to go into the deep end because swimming around the living room does not make her a swimmer. But, she kept insisting that she knew how to swim, after all, she had practiced!

The day arrived, and Lyle took her to school that morning and again cautioned her not to go into the deep end. He got a smile, hug, and a wave as she headed for the bus and her friends.

We waited impatiently until the time arrives to pick her up, and Lyle raced down to the school to get her.

As she got into the truck, she was unusually quiet, so Lyle asked her how the day went. And with a surprised look on her face, she said,” I jumped into the deep end of the pool, and I almost drowned?”

She was so convinced that she knew how to swim. After all, she learned all the strokes and had practiced with the best. The only thing she was missing though was the water!!!

Although we laugh at remembering this story, I wonder how many times do I think I know what’s best for myself too?

Those times when I don’t want to bother God with my problems.  And when I try to fix them myself I only I only make them worse.  I was so sure I knew how to do it.  I used God as my last resort when He should be my first. Is it pride or stubbornness that keeps me from asking for His help? ©       In:

Psalm 121:1-3 (NLT)

I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there?

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.

Do yo ever feel like God has too much to do to take care of your little problems?

Thank you, dear friends for spending your time with me, Have a wonderful weekend be safe. Hugs to all.

Lovingly, Karan

Aug 13 2016

He’s Wired for Sound!

Author: Karan Gleddie • Discussion: No Comments

 tangled-up-in-wires-and-cablesHe’s Wired for Sound!

The preacher was wired for sound with a lapel microphone, and as he preached, he moved briskly about the platform, jerking the mike cord as he went.

Then he moved to one side, getting wound up in the cord and nearly  tripping before jerking it again.

After several more times moving back and forth, a little girl in the third pew leaned toward her mother and whispered, “If he gets loose, will he hurt us?’

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Reflections:

They say “laughter is the best medicine for a hurting heart.”  I believe it.  As a child when life happened I could always see the funny side of any circumstance. Maybe it was a way to hide my anxiety and hesitation. Growing up I was unsure how to respond to stressful situations, so I just laughed.  And sometimes I would get in trouble for the inappropriate times I did laugh!  Can you relate? But I learned if I could find humor and laughter, it would relieve stresses and give me joy in a crisis-driven world.

laughing10Many years ago I was guest speaking for a group of women, in northern Canada.  The weather was warm enough to wear a skirt that day.  It was a little big around, but the button seemed secure. Besides, it was a cute skirt and matched my suit jacket. What can I say? 

As I was in the middle of my presentation, the button fell off, and I caught my skirt as it was sliding down. Trying to act as normal as I could I kept talking, grabbed my skirt and tucked it into my slip elastic. Whew! I am so glad I decided to wear a slip that day; it could have been just a pantyhose day.  I am also thankful for the women at the head table beside me, who remained stoic during my presentation, they can surely say they have seen it all.

I believe God has a great sense of humor. He must laugh when he sees us scurrying around trying to fix all our problems. Only too soon we reach the befuddling, confused and worn out state of crises.  I often do that myself.

Many times I think I don’t want to bother God with the little stuff he is too busy. I can be his deputy shepherd, and help him by taking care of them myself. Only to make a bigger mess. Only to run the back to God so he can fix it quick. Do you do that too?  I love that He never refuses and always has plenty of grace, forgiveness, and love to fix that which in broken.  The Bible says;

You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.       

 Nehemiah 9:17 

God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

Thank you, dear friends for spending your time with me, let me know what you think.

 Have a wonderful weekend.
Hugs to all.

Lovingly, Karan