The Christsstar Chronicle

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January 2005

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Friday, January 28, 2005

Today I'm thankful for the podiatrist who will fix my 2-year-old ingrown toenail!

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Thursday, January 27, 2005

Today I'm thankful for a forgiving husband.

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Wednesday, January 26, 2005

I don't know why I do it. I've always done it, and I almost always get 'bitten' when I do it. But I still do it. What is "it" you ask? Stick my nose in other people's business. I'm not sure if I've ever really understood not only how nosey I am, but also how much it hurts others when I force myself into someone's conversation.

Usually I just blow off the person's reaction and just go back to what I was doing, fully aware I was in the wrong. But I've never done anything to fix the problem.

In my daily life, I spend half the time in my little corner of the world minding my own business. I find myself trying to hear what others around me are saying ... thinking maybe it's something I need to know for work, or maybe they're talking about me. (Yeah, I know, if it was something I needed to know they'd tell me; and it's rarely about me.) But I still do it.

Or if I accidentally overhear something I make some comment about it; therefore interrupting the conversation in place. One or more parties of the conversation properly tell me to mind my own business, possibly being nice, possibly not.

Not only is this a very rude practice, but it's also part of what gets me in trouble for gossiping, which I rather unsuccessfully try not to do.

There are times when it is OK to invite myself to a conversation. But I think I don't know when those times are.

So today, I've decided that I'm going to not be so nosey. At least not interrupt conversations that I'm not invited in. (Gotta start somewhere.) But my dilemma is knowing when I can interrupt, and when I can't. Sometimes are obvious, some are not.

This, I believe, is a sin that I've been ignoring for most of my life. A sin that I'm trying to work through. A sin that I don't think I've ever confessed.

Lord - please forgive me for my nosiness. While I try to call it curiosity, that's just an excuse and not of You, Lord. Please help me determine when it's OK for me to 'join' a conversation and when it's not. And if I can't decide, help me have the self-control to just be quiet and mind my own business. I know that through you I can work through this sin and become the person you want me to be. Amen

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Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Psalms 22: 1 - 31

1 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. 2 O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest. 3 Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. 4 In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. 5 To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed. 6 But I am a worm and not a man, A reproach of men and despised by the people. 7 All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head, {saying,} 8 "Commit {yourself} to the LORD; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him." 9 Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb; You made me trust {when} upon my mother's breasts. 10 Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from my mother's womb.

11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near; For there is none to help. 12 Many bulls have surrounded me; Strong {bulls} of Bashan have encircled me. 13 They open wide their mouth at me, As a ravening and a roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; 18 They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots. 19 But You, O LORD, be not far off; O You my help, hasten to my assistance. 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, My only {life} from the power of the dog. 21 Save me from the lion's mouth; From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.

22 I will tell of Your name to my brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. 23 You who fear the LORD, praise Him; All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel. 24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from him; But when he cried to Him for help, He heard. 25 From You {comes} my praise in the great assembly; I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him. 26 The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the LORD. Let your heart live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations will worship before You. 28 For the kingdom is the LORD'S And He rules over the nations. 29 All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship, All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep his soul alive. 30 Posterity will serve Him; It will be told of the Lord to the {coming} generation. 31 They will come and will declare His righteousness To a people who will be born, that He has performed {it.}

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Today I'm thankful for God's working in my life to get me up in the morning and doing my devotions. I've been doing so well with my simple 5 minute Psalm reading I added my other bible reading to first thing in the morning also.

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Monday, January 24, 2005

Today I'm thankful for my sweater that still keeps me warm, even thought it's falling apart and 3 years old.

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Friday, January 21, 2005

Today I'm thankful for my health insurance, which allows me to go to the doctor this afternoon!

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Thursday, January 20, 2005

Today I'm thankful for my mother, who provides me, via e-mail, laughter and joy during my long days at work.

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Today I'm thankful that Eric and I finally sat down and made our budget. It's itemized and we plan to stick to it. Period. No ifs, ands or buts.

I'm also thankful that we have DirecTV and get the Fit TV channel so I can work out at home to "In Shape with Sharon Mann."

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Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Psalms 18:28-36

28 For You light my lamp; The LORD my God illumines my darkness. 29 For by You I can run upon a troop; And by my God I can leap over a wall. 30 As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. 31 For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God, 32 The God who girds me with strength And makes my way blameless? 33 He makes my feet like hinds' {feet,} And sets me upon my high places. 34 He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great. 36 You enlarge my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped.

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Tuesday, January 18, 2005

Ezekiel 36:25-32

25 "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28 "You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. 29 "Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. 30 "I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31 "Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. 32 "I am not doing {this} for your sake," declares the Lord GOD, "let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!"

Pastor A read this in church on Sunday. I was just in awe at God's grace and mercy.

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Friday, January 14, 2005

Got this joke this morning. There's a little more truth than humor in it.

The rich industrialist from the North was horrified to find the southern fisherman lying lazily beside his boat, smoking a pipe.

"Why aren't you out fishing?" said the industrialist.

"Because I have caught enough fish for the day," said the fisherman.

"Why don't you catch some more?"

"What would I do with them?"

"You could earn more money," was the industrialist's reply. "With that you could have a motor fixed to your boat and go into deeper waters and catch more fish. Then you would make enough to buy nylon nets. These would bring you more fish and more money. Soon you would have enough money to own two boats . . . maybe even a fleet of boats. Then you would be a rich man like me."

"What would I do then?" asked the fisherman.

"Then you could really enjoy life."

"What do you think I am doing right now?"

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Thursday, January 13, 2005

Today I'm thankful for my CW friend Jennifer (you know who you are). She has blessed my life in so many ways since she started posting here.

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Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Psalms 12: 1 - 8
1 Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases to be, For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. 2 They speak falsehood to one another; With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak. 3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaks great things; 4 Who have said, "With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?" 5 "Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise," says the LORD; "I will set him in the safety for which he longs." 6 The words of the LORD are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times. 7 You, O LORD, will keep them; You will preserve him from this generation forever. 8 The wicked strut about on every side When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

This was today's Psalm. It really spoke to me. It's very much like the issues I'm having at work with a co-worker. It gives me confidence that God is in charge and God will prevail. It also convicts me a little that I need to watch my tongue and make sure it's honoring to God.

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Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Today I am thankful for the wonderful women of CW who pray and support and encourage me in my less than ideal situation. (Men are good too, but today a couple women in particular are extra special.)

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Monday, January 10, 2005

Today's thankful thought:
I get to work 8:30-5 today and tomorrow, which means I get to sleep in a little later than usual.

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Friday, January 7, 2005

Today I am thankful that Eric's flight was without any problems yesterday and he got home safe and sound. AND - HE'S HOME!!!!

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Wednesday, January 5, 2005

This week's quote about Christianity from Pastor Andrew (who got it from someone else):
Christians are like manure. Pile them all up in one place and it stinks up the neighborhood. But spread them out and you enrich the world.

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Today I'm thankful for such fun co-workers. AND one of my co-workers is Christian and has similar feelings about a certain subject as me ... so I don't feel so outcasted.

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Tuesday, January 4, 2005

Today I am thankful for my alarm clock.

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