How To Get Rid of the Valentine’s Day Blues
By Karen Friday
When February 14th comes near, I hear people say, “I’m skipping Valentine’s Day this year!” Heart-broken or disenchanted with the whole “will you be my valentine?” charm or its absence.
As a young and vulnerable heart, Valentine’s Day without a boyfriend seemed ghastly to me. The Valentine’s Day blues at its peak (a girl in love with love).
Why do we think being someone’s valentine defines us? At least thinking it’s the tell-tale sign of who we are in regards to having and owning love. Like the cliche’: “I’m lucky in love.”
For the security of celebrating the day-of-love holiday, I often see girls and women date someone who is not their “first pick” until the holiday is over. Guys do this too. Settle. To have someone fill the spot for grandiose images of candlelight, romance, flowers, and chocolate.
February 12, 2015 at 9:10 am | Uncategorized
Lord, please respond at MY earliest convenience.
Meg was outside a local store holding this sign
© 2015 by Karen Friday
Ah, convenience. The love and want of things easily obtainable.
Inconvenience is bothersome. Such as running errands on my to-do list—with many stops to make—while I’m out and about. When I can obtain the majority of my needs at the same location, it’s handy-dandy!
A Fitting Story (Scene 1): I stop at a local convenience store for car fuel. Hungry or thirsty (or both), I mosey inside for a snack and drink. Oh, while I’m here, if I pick up bread and milk, I won’t have to stop at the grocery store. It will cost more money but less time for me (I rationalize).
On a side note, I had to relinquish going inside the local BP gas station. A habit was getting the best of me—Snickers ice-cream bars.
The comfort of convenience. “Mrs. Friday, please contact me at your earliest convenience.” How nice! They care about my convenience.
Our society is a convenient place: stores, fast-food, walk-in medical clinics, a “no-waiting” business, and even relationships. But all come with a visible or hidden price.
February 5, 2015 at 9:18 am | Uncategorized
Stolen Identity
By Karen Friday
My name was exploited and personal resources at stake.
Robbed. Bamboozled. Deceived. A crafty thief stole from me. Stripping me bare of belongings and draining me dry. Utterly bankrupt and exposed to the most common scam on the planet. Information security failed, leaving me open to attack.
A victim of identity theft. Not the kind you hear about in the media. My identity in association with bank accounts and financial credit has never been damaged. No one has robbed me of ‘who I am” by posing as me online; running up a money debt for living pleasures—at my expense. To date, these areas remain secure and not breached.
But my identity was compromised. By a vile enemy. The thief who intends to kill, steal, and destroy. (John 10:10) He robbed me of “who I am” by strategic lies (both in my mind and labels imposed on me by others). He spent greedy time running up a debt, for his own pleasure, at my expense.
January 29, 2015 at 8:51 am | Uncategorized
DIY Myth: Pull Yourself Up By Your Bootstraps
© 2015 by Karen Friday
Imagine you are on a nice afternoon stroll through the countryside and you trip over a branch taking a tumble to the ground. You are alone. No problem. Firmly grab ahold of your bootstraps (only one finger fits through the loop) or laces and pull yourself to an upright position. Simple. A do-it-yourself task. You don’t need anyone to help you.
Now envision this same scenario taking place on the inside of you—deep within. The innermost part of you has fallen and you can’t get up. So go ahead. Do it. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps!
It’s an impossible feat. A complete myth. And I believe it to be a lie from the enemy. It doesn’t matter if you’ve lost your balance in body or spirit, a DIY project is not a suitable technique.
January 22, 2015 at 9:41 am | Uncategorized
Reservations for Guilt Trips
By Karen Friday
Trips. A planned or spontaneous travel schedule. Most-liked vacation spots. Places familiar or unknown. Traveling abroad. A voyage by sea. Guided tours. Historical landmarks. The mountains. A natural wonder. The beach. Tropical climates. Soaring altitudes. Resorts for sight seekers, adventure junkies, and tourists of all shapes and sizes.
Perhaps…crossing out a bucket list item—going somewhere you’ve never visited. Even people are labeled trips.
Whatever the mode of transportation. Whether a one-way-trip or round-trip. Short or extended stay. It’s movement toward a point of destination. A journey for recreation, relaxation, and getaways—a means to escape.
There are times we go on trips and end up somewhere we don’t want to be. Guilt trips qualify.
Guilt trips make us painfully aware of being stuck in an unwanted place. We feel it deep inside. A restless, unsettled state of wishing we were home—back to familiar surroundings. A safe place.
January 15, 2015 at 9:12 am | Uncategorized
Look Before You Blame
© 2015 by Karen Friday
Sometimes no one is to blame but me.
Our tendency to cast blame on other men or women started with the first man and woman.
When the first humans disobeyed God, it triggered a finger-pointing cycle still in motion today. Adam told God it was the woman’s fault. When Eve was questioned, she immediately blamed the serpent.
You see the pattern here? “It was her!” or “He’s to blame!” (Not me!)
Let’s take a closer look. Pull the cameras in for a tight shot in the Garden. Someone on the film crew get a microphone on Adam. A headset mic will do. Fig leaf shirts are not in style.
In Genesis 3:11, the Lord God asked Adam straight up, “Did you eat of the tree I commanded you not to eat?” Before we pause for a commercial break (glad there are no real commercials in Bible stories), listen carefully to Adam’s response, “The woman you gave me…she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” (verse 12.)
January 8, 2015 at 8:35 am | Uncategorized
Standing Room Only in 2015
By Karen Friday
“Once you start listening to people in the stands, you will soon be sitting with them.” ~Joe Kuharich, college/pro football player and coach.
As we embark on a new year, we have a choice to sit in the stands of life or take a stand for something. Something that matters.
Four ways to make 2015 a standing room only year:
1. Listen to The Lord to continue in his playbook.
“But my people did not listen to my voice….” Psalm 81:11 (ESV)
- Listening for positioning (the mission field God has given you).
- There’s a difference between hearing and listening.
Hearing is the physiological mechanics of our ear. Listening is attentive: processing what we hear through our mind.
January 1, 2015 at 9:28 am | Uncategorized
The First Breath of Grace
Unto Us A Child Is Born
By Karen Friday
He took his first breath.
Wrapped in swaddling cloths, though adorned with royal titles.
Wonderful. Counselor. Prince of Peace. Holy King. Immanuel (God with us). The Ancient of Days.
The Lamb of God who created the star that was lit and placed in the heavens to announce his arrival. He is the light of the world.
I held him in my arms. Overjoyed. This is my child. My baby. My boy.
Barely minutes old and seemingly fragile. But this baby embodied the fullness of the Godhead. Such power was later demonstrated when he cast out evil spirits and raised the dead to life again!
December 18, 2014 at 9:47 am | Uncategorized
Silent Night. Holy Knight.
© 2014 by Karen Friday
“S-i-l-e-n-t night . . . all is calm . . . .” (Calm? No. But very quiet.)
I sipped on herbal tea with honey and fresh lemon. Under the canopy of a bath towel, my face hovered over steam rising up from the sink.
Unable to squeak out a single word. Laryngitis had set up residence in my vocal cords. Late into the silent night, I was trying every known home remedy. On my umpteen cup of tea, I knew I could not outwit this condition. I was at its mercy.
My voice went on a short vacation and didn’t ask me for permission to leave. The nerve! Why the uneasiness? I had a job interview the next morning. How could I possibly introduce myself?
It’s no secret. I’m fond of talking. Me and words are BFFS (best friends forever). ‘Verbose’ should be inscribed on my forehead or near my mouth. (Rest assured of my family’s reaction to the period of silence: “Praise God from whom all blessings flow!”)
December 11, 2014 at 9:09 am | Uncategorized
You Go First
By Karen Friday
My bare feet made their way up the ladder, mortified to back out now.
A jump from the high diving board. Could I pull it off? With this quiet, secret fear of heights? A ‘public’ embarrassment to turn around and go the same way I had arrived—down the ladder. Past the people waiting in line. As pool-siders gawked behind sunglasses, I would look like a scaredy cat.
Me and my sister, along with friends, hung out at the local pool several summer days a week. We were middle school age (yes, younger kids jump off high dives). I had conjured up enough courage to make jumps (oodles of them) off the low dive. It was low.
Mind you, I wasn’t planning a crowd-pleasing, eyebrow-raising dive or backwards flip. I wasn’t a good diver. I kind of fell into the water from the sidelines with hands in proper position to go in first and head following after. My body wasn’t perfectly straight, bent legs gave me away. (Judges score cards read 3.0.)
December 4, 2014 at 9:15 am | Uncategorized