No Parking!

Hey Y'all,

Back around Easter my family took a one day trip to Myrtle Beach. We got up at the crack of daylight, packed our car and drove the 3 hours to the beach. We were so excited to get there. We started looking for public access areas, where we could park and enjoy our day. We found one and begin looking for a parking place. All of the spaces had parking meters and Mike checked and they where $6 for the day. As we were just about to place money in the meter a man pulls up beside us and says, "The parking is free. The meters are for the summer season." Mike looks around at other cars in the little lot and notices that several are parked at meters that read "Expired." So we cheerfully parked and hurried down on the beach. After several hours of playing along the shore and a picnic lunch, we headed back to the car to drive around and look in the gift shops. I was the last to make it to the car and Mike is slamming the trunk shut. I could tell things were not so good. Turns out....It wasn't free parking and we had a parking ticket. So instead of paying $6 for the day to park there...we actually needed to pay $25!

I read a quote the other day and it reminded me of this incident.

"The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking spaces." Will Rodgers

That day at the beach we were so wanting the trip to not cost us much. We listened to a total stranger and ended up paying 3 times as much. What looked like success...a free parking space...was costly.

When we let things or others steer us to parking spaces instead of keeping our eyes on the path God has for us, we will also meet higher cost.

I can attest to this. I have parked in so many parking places of excuses that have delayed and cost me dearly.

I love writing. I love telling stories. I love motivating and seeing God work in the lives of people as they hear the truths of God and shackles of rejection fall away. I love watching them fall into the arms of the God they never knew loved them so much! I've seen it and experienced it!

So why don't I do it more often? I park. I will drive a little ways taking in the journey in amazement. Then I'll see an excuse and pullover and park! Parking places that read, "Stop here. It's too hard." Another may read, "Stop here! Your too old." "Stop Here! Your grammar is too bad." While another may read, "Stop here! There are more pressing or fun things to do here!"

Parking places keep you from your destination. Yes, as we got to the beach that day, we needed to park our car...but that wasn't our destination. Our destination that day was a fun filled, worry free day at the beach. If we had parked correctly, and not made the excuses about it not being the summer season and should be free...we would have reached that destination and not had to side-track with a parking ticket.

Looking back, it still was a great day. We paid the ticket on-line and still had a wonderful time. We also learned from that mistake...which is one of the good things about parking spaces. You learn which ones to avoid!

No parking
No excuses!
I'm going to keep my eyes on the road and listen to the NAVIGATOR as HE directs the journey. Next time I park it will be under HIS direction and in HIS space!
Wanna go for a ride?

Love ya
Pamela

I Wasn't Sure....

I wasn't sure...exactly how I stopped writing here. At first I was just a little too busy with life. Then, I wasn't sure what to say...I mean, by that time, it had been a month and I had just told everyone I wasn't going to let two weeks pass by again. So since I wasn't sure...I prayed. I waited for illumination and inspiration...what I got was one word...wait. Wait? How long? Why? What will my readers think? Then one of the biggest questions, "Will they come back when I write again?

After almost two months of waiting...and waiting...and worrying...and waiting some more. I feel I have been given permission to put fingers to keyboard and communicate again. In the waiting though something strange has happened. I have pondered and reflected on my purpose for writing in the first place. So I feel like I want to share some of the random reflections and questions that have surfaced, as I sat here everyday wondering if today...I could again let the fingers and thoughts fly.

Why do I write a blog?
Is it to journal? Not really, I don't talk a lot about my day or my family..occasionally but not all the time. I talk about my family more when it fits in as an illustration to what ever message I'm trying to communicate.
What am I trying to communicate?
I started out writing strictly devotional. It was for me, I didn't really expect any readers. Then I started writing to build friendships among other bloggers...and some beautiful friendships have formed through this blog.
I even did some give-aways, told funny stories, put up weird "Can you guess what this is" pictures.
But I came back to the same question...Why do I write this blog?
I wasn't sure.
Was it to propel or advertise my speaking ministry? Well that has not happened. I don't think so anyway. I've alsways considered that to be in God's hands.
The conclusion I have come to today is that for me, this is a form of Worship. A time to spend with JESUS my BRIDE-GROOM. A time for me to invite others to sit with us as we share together the amazing love HE has for us.
A time to talk about how we have experienced HIS love, HIS grace, HIS power, and HIS REDEMPTION in our lives. A time for usto encourage one another to look at what HE is doing...to see how much HE LOVES US!

All that I have done so far in writing this blog, I believe meets that criteria....I just wasn't sure...of my own purpose.

I wasn't sure...
Now I am

Love you and have missed our time more than any keyboard can communicate! If I have lost any of you I'm sorry....but it isn't about me or you...it's about JESUS.
Pamela