What Are You Saying?

I was thinking about how words can truly affect lives. Back in the day I'm ashamed to admit that I could tear someone to shreds in an instant with my words and I was actually proud of it. I thought, "If they want to come after me or my family...they deserve it, they are asking for it...and I'm just the one to give it to them. They messed with the wrong person!"

I'd persistently look for vulnerable areas by poking, poking and poking until I'd find it, then I'd dig in, my words inflicting pain and causing damage. But truthfully..it was a cover up, hiding the hurt, pain and "less than" areas inside my heart. I put a bandaid over it and as the scripture says, "...For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."~Matthew 6:45 

My words reflected the lacking in my heart. 

I'm so thankful that GOD took the "gift" of words HE gave me, Healing every hurt so that I could be used for the very Purpose HE created me for...pointing people to JESUS, lifting up instead of tearing down... "The words of the reckless pierce like swords,

but the tongue of the wise brings healing."~Proverbs 12:18

Friends, words are powerful. Let's truly think about what we say to others. Let's pray for help to be encouragers instead of discouragers. Join me today in asking JESUS to heal all areas that may be causing us to lash out, hurt, retaliate, or gossip. 

LORD, please help us to be the people you created us to be. Fill us with more of YOU...YOUR Words, YOUR Heart, YOUR Love. Remove the bitterness, pain and/or anger that causes us to say hurtful things. Help us speak words of life, reflecting YOUR Redeeming Grace, causing people to bloom. Guide our walk through each day looking for ways to lift one another up to YOUR Glory; pointing people toward YOUR Ever-Ready, Loving Embrace. In YOUR Name we pray JESUS, Amen. 

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue,

And those who love it will eat its fruit."~Proverbs 18:21

"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers."~Ephesians 4:29

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."~Psalm 19:14

Jump on the Thankful Train...what are you thankful for?

A Day of Change

I came home from work just as Josh was getting ready to leave for his interview. I had to leave to go to Elijah's basketball game and waited for his call. For those of you who don't know Josh...he is a man of VERY FEW words. It's like pulling teeth to get detailed information. He said that he thought it went well...that's about all I got. I don't want to be a meddling mother so I left it at that.

Thank you all for your prayers...he needs a job so bad! He is really depressed right now, this will help him to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I got home from the game, Jason (my nephew) had just dropped Josh off here. He has nowhere else to go and doesn't want to stay here at all! He was crying and said that he doesn't want to talk to me. He's still angry with me about something that happened a year ago that disrupted my kids lives. His dad continually filled his head with a bunch of negative things about me.

Needless to say, our relationship has been a surface one. He spends time with me but it's usually a little strained. I tried to tell him that we can use this time to get everything in his life straightened out and then he can eventually get an apartment. He is too upset right now...he wants to live at my sisters with his cousin. Luckily my wise brother-in-law put his foot down, (my nephew and son are not good together and bring each other down) he told him he cannot live there and needs to go home to his mom.

We'll see what happens...lots of prayers are needed right now! Change is always hard, but necessary for growth.

100th POST: I CAN DO IT?

Looking back...I think my most fulfilling posts have involved making a difference. We all have problems, stress, money issues, family issues...it's amazing when you finally stop spending all your time thinking about yourself. The what if's, how come, why me, it all doesn't matter. I can say this because as we go through one of the most trying times in our life right now, I know that the monetary things are not the most important. I feel at peace...I spend my time trying to help others and not think of myself. Things are out of our control, so I choose to take control of the situations I can. Finding ways to help other people. On the day of my 100th post...I was able to be a part of something special.


OGGI'S PIZZA & OC PIZZA donated ALL the Food~100% of Profit benefitted the Gane Family!

Owner of Oggi's in the striped shirt with Al & Maria

Jr. Midget Team Fundraiser Dinner

Raising money to help a family with a sick child is something that far out weighs our situation! I keep praying for a purpose in my life...being the change in someone's life has given me a direction. "I am only one person...what can I do?" This question was one that I often asked myself, which was followed by, "Nothing I guess, so I wont do anything." Year after year, excuse after excuse, I would repeat this. Until I realized, I can do small things that might make a BIG difference to someone else.

If you have been pondering this...I'd like to encourage you to start with SOMETHING! No matter how small, the little things will lead you into bigger things, before you know it, you've changed someone's world. The less time you spend focusing on yourself the better you'll feel.

Today our team gave of our time and money to help relieve the burden for a family with a sick child. Small but meaningful, rewarding and encouraging...I can make a difference in someone's life...one small act of unselfish giving at a time. I would like to challenge you and ask that by the time you reach your 100th, 200th or 500th post...you write about something that inspired you to be the change in the world!

I have attached a few of my favorite posts from the past year...I hope they will inspire at least one person to reach out~I started with a true story about an amazing experience that changed my life.

MY CHRISTMAS MIRACLE - A TRUE STORY
http://searchwarp.com/swa278027.htm

DOES SOMEBODY NEED YOU?
http://lisapetrarca.blogspot.com/2008/05/does-somebody-need-you.html

INSPIRATIONAL POEM ~ PUSH AHEAD
http://lisapetrarca.blogspot.com/2008/04/uplifting-poem-push-ahead.html

THIS WILL GIVE YOU CHILLS
http://lisapetrarca.blogspot.com/2008/03/this-will-give-you-chills.html

CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN A DAY
http://lisapetrarca.blogspot.com/2008/01/can-you-make-difference-in-day.html

THE EDISON BUM
http://lisapetrarca.blogspot.com/2008/07/edison-bum.html

INSPIRATIONAL STORY FROM DR. IN SOUTH AFRICA
http://lisapetrarca.blogspot.com/2008/07/inspirational-story-from-dr-in-south.html

AN ATTEMPT IS EVERYTHING
http://lisapetrarca.blogspot.com/2008/06/attempt-is-everything.html

THE INVISIBLE MAN
http://lisapetrarca.blogspot.com/2008/05/invisible-man.html

PLAY VOCABULARY GAME ~ HELP THE HUNGRY
http://lisapetrarca.blogspot.com/2008/04/play-vocabulary-game-help-hungry.html

I HAD A REALLY COOL EXPERIENCE
http://lisapetrarca.blogspot.com/2008/03/i-had-really-cool-experience.html

SKID ROW
http://lisapetrarca.blogspot.com/2008/02/skid-row.html

HELP KIDS IN AFRICA
http://lisapetrarca.blogspot.com/2008/02/help-kids-in-africa.html

I would like to close my 100th Post with a story:

Cherokee Indian Legend

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage? His dad takes him into the forest, blindfolded and leaves him....alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night...and not take off the blindfold until the ray of sun shines through it. He is all by himself. He cannot cry out for help to anyone.

Once he survives the night he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience. Each lad must come into his own manhood. The boy was terrified-could hear all kinds of noise...Beasts were all around him. Maybe even some human would hurt him. The wind blew the grass and earth...and it shook his stump. But he sat stoically - never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could be a man.

Finally, after a horrific night...the sun appeared and he removed his
blindfold. It was then that he saw his father sitting on the stump next to him...at watch...the entire night!

We are never alone. Even when we do not know it, our Father is protecting us...He is sitting on the stump beside us. All we have to do is reach out to Him. Joshua 1:9

The Edison Bum

How do normal people end up homeless? I ask this because of an incident on Saturday. My son had a HUGE football passing tournament...all the top schools in the state come and compete. I woke up early to take him (very hard..been fighting the stomach flu), dropped him off and had an hour to kill. So I went to the store to get something to settle my stomach. As I was leaving I saw "The Edison Bum" sitting to the side of the store up in the bushes. He received his name because he went to Edison High School. He is always hanging around the field, digging through trash cans and talking to the players.

The story that was relayed to me went something like this, "That guy used to go here, he was a star football player, all-conference...could've played in college." I asked, "What happened to him?" With a bewildered look he said, "I don't know!"

Fast forward...I'm pulling out of the driveway and think, I should give him some money for breakfast. I drove past him, there it was again...I should give him money. I made a quick u-turn, and pulled up alongside the curb, rolled down my window, shouted, "Hi, here's some money for breakfast!" "Oh, thank you so much!" He walked slowly over, grinning...I handed him the money. I said, "You know, Edison is having their big passing tournament today, you should head over." "Oh, really! What time does it start?" "At 9:00 a.m. so there's plenty of time," I replied. Excitement brightened his dirt stained face, "My name is Craig, I used to play football too. I grew up here and went to Eader (elementary school), Dwyer (middle school) and then Edison. I was a pretty good football player!" His smile was contagious. My grin now mimicked his as I quickly blurted out, "Nice to meet you Craig, my name is Lisa...I heard that you were a REALLY good player!" Surprised he said, "You did!" I said "Yep, well, I have to get to the field, I will probably see you over there?" "Okay!" he shouted.

Wow, I thought, what happened to bring him to this point? He went to the same school's my kids go to, was raised in a nice neighborhood, played for a power house football school and probably had hopes and dreams just like everyone else. How did a life go so terribly wrong? What had his parents hoped he would become? He was someone's, son, brother, uncle, and friend, and he was a BUM.

About an hour into the game I got up to get something to eat and there sat Craig (The Edison Bum) sitting under the easy up. Someone had given him their chair and a bottle of water. I stopped to watch, he was talking with a dad...football talk. Pointing, laughing, cheering and booing, there he sat...a "normal" guy watching a football game. The glow on his face covering the dirt stains, brightly shining with excitement...acceptance was what he had found on this particular Saturday. The parents welcomed him in with open arms. He was treated with respect, kindness and love. Not much effort on their part...but it obviously meant the world to Craig.

What does it take to change the world? One small act of love and compassion at a time.

JULLIEN INTERCEPTING A PASS

ACTION,..EDISON WON THE TOURNAMENT!!!!!