The Journey of Friendship

Someone said, "friends are family that you get to pick".  Well, I love that concept, but I think it goes beyond my choosing, to God choosing for me the people who were to populate my world.  I never could have chosen the delightful, complicated, challenging, mysterious, stubborn, precious, aggravating people in my life without God just dropping them right in my pathway.  The route that my life has taken started so small and it has taken me into places I didn't know existed and into the lives of people who certainly didn't know that I existed, yet the place and the people were just my size.  We fit so well that I didn't want to move beyond that comfortable place into the unknown.  I like cozy, comfortable, familiar and warm up close, I'll see you in a minute relationships, but God  who always knows what I need before I know, of course, has chosen to disrupt my nest making many times.  Making me "choose" His way, sometimes kicking and screaming.  Why can't things stay the same and why can't I braille  the faces of the ones I love for always??  Because He knows that I need some new people in my life to confront the comfortable, cozy existence that I would choose, and I would miss my next best friend.
I have decided that God is populating my heavenly neighborhood with the people I've known through the years.  I don't get to keep them here, but there it will be the sweetest neighborhood - well, you'll know, you'll be there.  I've collected some of the best cooks in the world, some of the most terrific communicators, some of the dearest listeners and some of the most ordinary folk, like myself.  We never get it all said, never get enough time to listen to the cutest stories and surely never enough time to taste all the fantastic food. 
This painting is of my friend, Windell.  He and Judy came into my life 52 years ago and they stayed through the college years, the young married years, the baby years, the pastoring years, the retirement years, the times of celebration and the times of utter sorrow.  In this picture, which represents peace to me ~ he is waiting on Judy while she shops ~ I trust that he is as patient as he appears for I know that Judy has never failed to have a blast wherever life finds her.  She's probably off talking to someone and I can just hear her laughter . . . it always makes me smile.  She's not in a hurry, when she's with you, you're the most important person in the world.  I need Judy in my world and she will be in my heavenly neighborhood!
Having gone to Clovis this week, made me aware of my precious "chosen" family.  How could humans love each other so deeply and not be in daily communication?  It has to be a God thing.  Well, I surely do feel loved this afternoon and I thank the Father for his family plan.  Oh, how sweet to be hugged and lied to about your age, to weep together and to laugh until you would shame your Mother.  Be sure to take the time to give your heart away to another.   We are all so needy when it comes to unconditional love and compassion. 
I challenge you to walk in a plain path with no hidden alcoves, let yourself get hurt and then heal.  Forgive and repair the breach.  Let God take you where you  wouldn't choose and let Him give you the people that will keep on extending that heavenly neighborhood!
I pray favor over your life today and  always!
Paulette

The Timeless Tide

This is the beach at Longboat Key, Fl.  The whole island is too beautiful to take in -
Watching the water wash up onto the beach was so relaxing -  I wanted to collect shells and sit and stare at the never ending tide with it's waves moving in and then back out.  How like eternity - only God could make something so beautiful and renewing to my spirit!    I could have stayed there for hours -  Maybe in heaven there will be a beach for me to sit on, even close enough to the water to have the waves wash up around me  and over me - I would like that. . . do you think when the meek inherit the earth such things will be included, such things as our desires for the simple timeless stuff?

Imagination over memory

In about 11 days I'll be 70.  I love the idea of this new era of my life.   I read these words recently, "One of the best things about aging is being able to watch imagination overtake memory".   I'm beginning to image some wonderful things for these beautiful years.
 I didn't bake this cake from memory, but I did imagine how it would look finished. 
 I can't remember the name of every person in every church that Gerald ever pastored, but I can close my eyes and see their smiles and I can reach out my heart and imagine  their spirit.  I thought the other day how awesome it would  be in heaven to see all those people from all those churches together, making up the body of Christ that I have known  through the years. 
 I can't recite the scriptures that I've poured into my soul through the years, but I can imagine how it has built a relationship between me and Jesus that is second to none. 
 I can't remember all the things that my parents told me through the years, but I can imagine them looking over the banisters of heaven and saying, "Look at that, she did remember!"  
 I can't remember all the grammar that I studied in school, but in my imagination I can see a book that God will allow me to write. 
 I can't remember all the art lessons that I ever took, but somehow when I paint my imagination takes over about mid-way and the fun kicks in.
  I can't remember meals that I cooked last week,  but when I get the  skillet out ~ imagination takes over and low and behold we've got something good to eat.  I used to say  I had Gerald trained - when he got hungry he was just to go get in the car.  I'm trying to break that habit.
I'm going to let my imagination run wild for awhile and just see what I can get into ~ I bet you can do that too.  Let's surprise ourselves with the joy of being a child again - a child in the Fathers' House, where there are no limits and no doubts,  just full imagination  ahead.  Let the fun begin!
paulette

Re-Purpose

Sunday I read about the pitbulls that had been raised to fight.  The football player who owned them had a purpose and that purpose was not good.  When he was arrested and charged, he was fined 1 million dollars for the rehabilitation of these dogs.  Only two had to be put down and the others are being re-purposed.  There was the cutest picture of an adorable little guy snuggling with a young boy - this pitbull is now a therapy dog, assisting children with reading disabilities.  Talk about re-purpose!!!
For the last few weeks my friend Carol and I have been planning, gathering and repurposing found objects to use for a fun workshop at our annual women's retreat.  The title is "Necessity, the Mother of Invention".  I wish all my buddies could be here in this kitchen with us as we scrub off labels, remove tags, glue stray strands, paint, staple and a meriad of other task to re-purpose these mis-used treasures.  The whole purpose of our work is to teach other women how to take their circumstances,caused by  this economy that we're all adjusting to and re-purpose our lives.
It really  doesn't matter how mistreated we have been in the past, if we can bring our broken, bent and scratched-up souls to the Master, He can take all that we're not and repurpose us to become all that He dreamed we could be. 
I want Him to "Re-Purpose" me today.  I want to give Him  all my scratched, dented and warped stuff and let him sand it, re-weave it, paint it and staple some of the parts that can handle some more holes, into a repurposed, useful object.  Loved and whole again. 
I wrote in my journal this week, "Brokeness brings the Breakthrough".  I guess another way to say all that I've said is, the breakthrough that we all long for comes from yielding our brokeness to God and letting Him "Re-Purpose" us into His Purpose, which was the plan all along.
My day is calling and it won't happen if I don't get out of this gown and into my get-going duds.
Happy Re-Purposing to you today
Paulette

My family and our Seasons

July 14, 2010

Last night we were watching the news and we heard a thud at the front door where upon when opened, there was a very large box beaten severely by UPS, but seeing my name on the tag - I couldn't wait to dig into it. . .  Truly I expected to go chasing after that truck to say whatever the contents - it had to have broken pieces!  As I ripped away the tape I discovered three large gift wrapped boxes - they too where smashed in.  I ripped the pretty paper off them and then to my surprise, after relieving the contents from  tons of packing material, there were dishes.  Dishes with my funny little deco scheme of roosters/chickens.  My daughter-in-law, Joy had sent me an early b'day present.  Would you believe???!!!   Not one piece had a trace of so much as a scratch.  Maybe turning 70 in September will be pretty much the same - I've felt a little smashed lately, but I have to tell you - I'm not broken and this Season called "Senior" is just what it is. . . you don't get here without some rough rides and honey,  in the last 10 years I've ridden in not a few moving trucks and re-organized my life to fit the day too many times to be amused.  Through it all I found that my box  has stayed in tack and I can do this!  While I'm re-arranging my packaging for this Season,  our grandchildren are sailing into new Seasons of their own:

 Jack, our 10 year old won his first Iron-man trophy - he is our natural athlete, who knows where his talent will take him?! 

Trey & Mallory began their trip home to OKC after a year in Eugene, Ore. via bikes.  Trey tells me the sights are too marvelous to take in.  He and Mallory were married 2 years on 7/11.  This is a Season of discovery for them as they believe God for the impossible. 

 My Season doesn't include a bicycle and certainly not biking, swimming and running with Jack.   I can still  keep stride with Gerald and that's no mean feat!

Now McKenzie and Mat are in a delightful Season called Engagement.  They've set their date,  the wedding place is secured, the dress has been bought ~ We are all full of plans, what a happy time!

Seasons ~ We are where we are by design, there are no oops with God.  Seeing my life and the lives of those I love from this pinnacle called "70" - there is a pattern, because there is a Designer.  I'm so thankful today that each Season  has it's delights and it's smashings.  My prayer is that I'll remember to see it from God's Season and that's called "Eternity".  paulette

Who wants control?

July 10, 2010
We have a challenge here at 6100 Longmeadow ~ Suzy is into Routine, and every afternoon about 3pm she gets a little cookie (doggie biscuit).  She holds it in her mouth as long as she can stand it then she hides it and protects it with her life.  You dare not touch it should you cherish your hand :~). . . then after about 3 hours of such serious endeavor she calls me (she talks very clearly, although she has selective hearing) and wants me to hold the cookie while she takes small bites - the only problem being, she doesn't want to drop it in my hand - she does and she doesn't.  She wants to eat her cake and have it too.  Every day it's the same, she is so predictable, she's a Routine Dog. 
We laugh at her, but I know  what this is all about; it's called CONTROL and we all suffer with it, well, at least I know a couple of humans  who do.
We want God to have control, but oh, it's so hard to relinquish control.  We want to be in charge, yet we take charge.   We pray prayers that tell God what He's supposed to do and when, and dare I mention that we say, "Are we there yet?"
I don't want to manage God, yet sometimes I ask,  are we through yet?  can I go now?  has it  been long enough all ready???   I even add polite words like; please and thank you.
I do know that God will not be put in a box - I tried to manage Him that way when I first started out to follow Him - well, needless to say, He broke all my boxes!  In fact I broke myself trying to box Him up.  Thank God for freedom today. . . but I must hasten to say, He's not done yet, or was that, "Am I  there yet?"

 "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day"

"Faith is embracing the uncertainties of Life.  It is chasing the lions that cross our paths.  It is recognizing a divine appointment when you see one.
Embrace relational uncertainty - it's called Romance.  embrace spiritual uncertainty - it's called Mystery.  Embrace occupational uncertainity - it's called Destiny.  Embrace emotional uncertainty - it's called JOY~  Embrace intellectual uncertainty - it's called Revelation."    (Mark Batterman)

I want to laugh today, be surprised and feel passionate about life.  I want God to be God with all His mystery and I want to celebrate being a human being - a Christian in the making.  I want all of Him and I want Him to have all of me.

Do I want to have my cake and eat it too, yes I guess I do.  I'm  pretty hard wired, but at the same time, I choose to have a teachable spirit.  I tell you truly - I need God in my life every moment of every day, how 'bout you?   paulette

1/2 Learning; 1/2 Unlearning

Years ago I read Leo Buscaglia and was shocked by his words that unlearning was as important as  learning.  I had learned a lot of things that needed to be deleted in my brain, for instance:

• be afraid, be very afraid!
• you can't do that!
• who do you think you are?

• this is the way we've always done it
• God is angry at you
• don't take risks, be safe
• don't be silly
• trust is risky business

You can see that I've been on a very long UNLEARNING curve. . . I'm not there yet, but I'm gaining ground!
I remember the first time I viewed a film about paradigm shifts - it blew my mind!  How do I get out of this box that I've built for myself?  God was turning on the light all along, do I love Him or what?!  He is so patient with me.

Today I was reading "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day" and once again I was blasted out of my seat by Batterson reminding me of the story told of Jesus healing the crippled man by the pool ~

This man made an assumption that may have cost him thirty eight years!  He only had one category for healing.  He assumed, based on an ancient superstition, that he had to be the first one into the pool of Bethesda when the water was stirred in order to be healed.  In a sense, he was imprisoned by what he knew.  But Jesus uninstalled that mistaken belief with one sentence: "Stand up, pick up your sleeping mat, and walk!"   Now, here is what you need to see.  Jesus didn't just set this man free physically, He set him free cognitively.  Faith is unlearning the senseless worries and misguided beliefs that keep us captive.  It is far more complex than simply modifying behavior.  Faith involves synaptogenesis.  Faith is rewiring the human brain ~ Mark Batterson

Gerald looked at me and said - hey - he didn't have to go to the pool and I said - hey - he didn't need anyone to get him to get him there. . . Batterson goes on to say:

          Neurologically speaking, that is what we do when we study Scripture. 
         We are literally upgrading our minds by downloading the mind of Christ ~ mb

I have believed for a long time that the "washing of the Word" is a daily ritual that cleanses the mind, but reading Batterson's words made me realize that it's not just washed, but changed by the unlearning of stuff that doesn't need to be stuck in my brain - in it's place is the eternal, unchanging truth of God.  Now that's learning to let God be God.  I'm busy unlearning all the junk that Satan has put on me from early childhood and learning that:

God is Who He says He is
God can do what He says He can do
I am who God says I am
I can do all things through Christ
God's Word is alive and active in me   (Beth Moore's statements of faith)

Well all this to say, I'm a life-long student, a child in the Father's house and I will never arrive at a point in time when I know all that I need to know and I'll always be letting go what I don't need to know. 
 I want to stop whining about there being no one to get me to the pool and I want to stop thinking that the only way to be healed is by being in the pool!  I'm diving straight into the Word of God!  It's time for a change - not a political one, but a heart change.

"Change my heart O God, make is ever new.  Change my heart O God, may I be like You!"
Paulette

Obedient Ingredient

June 26, 2010

"The Obedient Ingredient"

You may worry about me when you begin to read this blog, but wait until the end to catch my drift.  Each morning in our worship time, I'm the designated reader and after we've each had our private time of reading the Word, I read aloud from a book that we feel would stretch us and move us to a deeper level with God - so that to tell you, we are reading "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day" by Mark Batterson.  This book was recommended to me by my lifetime friend, pastor Jim Hill.  Strange title, but it's biblical, wouldn't you know.  If you want to check it out it's found in 2nd Samuel 23: 20 & 21.  Benaiah was a lion chaser.  I know about lion chasers - I've lived with one for a very long time, but there again you know my history so I don't have to be redundant.

This morning I was reading about God being four dimensional and I am three dimensional which means I can only be in one place at a time.  I can't travel into the past or into the future because, in one dimension, time is linear.   He talked about Planck length (I'm clueless on this one) and quantum mechanics - duh. . . but I got it!!!  God is all around us all the time - he is not bound by limitations as we are.  So knowing what my limits are and knowing that I cannot fathom God's limitlessness - I wanted to know - how to I get to God? It is very simple:

Faith gives us the dimensional freedom to overcome our human limitations by exiting space/time via prayer. . . I can do this!

Now back to you wondering where in the world I'm going with this obedient ingredient thing ~ I love to cook and when I watch TV I find myself always going to the "Food" channel or "Cook" channel.  There is a wonderful chef on the "Cook" channel named Roger Mookie, I hope I spelled his name correctly, anyway he bases everything that he cooks on any given show by what he calls, the obedient ingredient.   So I was thinking this morning when I read this passage, hey, this thing called "Prayer" is the obedient ingredient that takes me from my 3 dimension self into a beautiful thing called "Faith" thereby I find myself in the Presence of God my Father.  Knowing Him through prayer and by faith believing the impossible I see my circumstances in a different light or should I say in a different dimension - God comes to where I am and by faith I see life through His eyes.  You may ask if I'm a Lion Chaser and I'd have to say, I signed up, but I'm  scared spit less. . . maybe that is where faith comes in.  I'll have to let God go with me into the pit, because, if He doesn't go, I'm surely not going. . . and I don't like snowy days or lions,  but He shows up for those as well. 

The bottom line:  If you want God to be with you when you fall into a pit, you must use the obedient ingredient.  That's my story and I'm sticking by it!  Paulette woods

Art Class ~ a student again

Yesterday I starting studing with my friend, Linda Vance.  Almost 25 years ago, she and I shared a teaching studio.  She taught oils and acrylics and I taught watercolor and drawing.  Well, after years of doing design and not painting, I wanted to really get back to basics and paint again. . . The painting here was one that I did recently and gave to Jerry and Joy for their 27th anniversary - I liked it and was encouraged to think that there was still some gray matter in the old head. . . well, yesterday was quiet revealing!!!  I felt like an infant trying to figure out what a spoon was ~  I have never worked so hard and accomplished so little in the space of 3 hours!  I learned one very important thing about myself: I am a lifetime student, I have not arrived!  There's so much more to learn and I WILL LEARN AGAIN~ I'm using a study of a young child standing in her nightgown, plucking petals from a longstemmed rose - love the subject!  Just the struggle of remembering how many heads in a body and how does the foot relate to the size of the head and how do you measure the width of the hand as to the distance between the chin and the eyebrow and so on and so!!!  I was so tired when I pulled out of her parking area - the temp was in the 90's and Suzy needed water and my car needed gas - I thought I'd never get to a gas station, but I did and we finally got home around 1:30 where there was plenty of water and some spaghetti leftovers and  a soft chair to sink into and not think about my inability to perform according to my preconceived notions about my ability as an artist - One thing I know ~ in watercolor there is magic, in oil there is no magic, just hard work and a lot of math~  I will conquer this giant! paulette

"Father's Day", a day to give honor

Ten years ago my Father went home to be with Jesus and I miss him still.  I remember things almost everyday that he said and the way that he would whistle around the house, he loved to read the funny paper and he was a really good preacher.  He and Mom were married 62 years and they loved each other dearly.
This is Gerald and he is the Father of our boys and my darling husband of 52 years.  He is gentle and kind.  He loves to tease (I don't like to be teased), but  he continues to tease me, hoping I won't always be so serious. . . I'm still serious.  His life has been spent giving to others, whether from the pulpit or if there was a needy soul - he's a giver.  If I give him $100 so  he will have something in his wallet, as sure as I live someone will come by and his money will be gone to help buy a bus ticket, a tank of gas, a night's  lodging or a hot meal.  He sees a need and he fills it.  He has no hobbies, he likes everyone, he'd rather preach than eat and he likes to eat :~).  He is conquered by a 4 lb Yorkie and two grown men, we still call our boys.  He has always been focused and single minded.  Give him a job and consider it done.  He can't abide laziness or a job half done - he's always felt he had to set the pace and raise the bar.  When I am tired he has another days work in him - he is the EverReady battery, he just keeps on going.  I'm thankful for my days in his company.  He starts my day with God's Word and Prayer, followed by Communion.  We talk about what our day looks like and what the day before came down to.  He is my best friend, my pastor & priest, he is my counselor and advisor, he is my sweetheart.  He is a man of integrity and grit, a man of honor and ethics.  He is a man of God, respected and befriended.  I think he is a fine example for our boys - they are both wonderful fathers.  I see him uniquely in each of them - mainly, they're both stubborn!!  Too stubborn to quit and both such winners!

So, tonight I honor the four fathers in my life: My father, Paul Barnes, My husband, Gerald Woods and the guys; Gerald Wayne Woods II & Jonathan David Woods.  What this world needs are a few good men - and I offer these four for a start!  My heroes.  Wish I had a pictures of Paul - Instead, I have my precious Logan, he's not a father, but he's my honey!
Paulette

These beautiful blooms came from my garden this Spring.  I remember wishing I could grow flowers and now that I'm in this season of my life, here they are.  I intend to paint as many of them as I can.  I love having live things in the house to remind me that God has promised that as long as the earth stands, there will be seed time and harvest.  So no matter the goings on of the world, our God is still in charge of the day in which we live.  He will provide not only our needs but also some beautiful things to gaze upon and to touch with tender fingers - He is God and I adore Him!  He is touchable~ paulette

The days of beetles and roses

Help, I have Japanese beetles on my roses. . . I went on line and found that you can spray them with soapy Dawn dish detergent water and pick them off, dropping them into a bucket of soapy water. . . well, thus far I have several floating face down in the bucket.  that was this evening  - the article said that morning is the best time to do this, for they are still sleepy ~  sleepy???  Well, in the morning I will spray again and brush them off into the bucket - perhaps, just perhaps I can win this war...   If not, I'm going after the real stuff that kills everything in sight!!!!  This is war!  paulette

Through the years

Being with Gerald for almost 52 years has been the greatest learning, growing, loving experience of my life. We keep evolving and we keep reaching out to the other to gather strength that only the other can give. This kind of knowledge comes with a high price tag:

• the will to stay
• the decision to love unconditionally
• the heart to be loyal
• the power to forgive
• the mind to trust the unknown
• the surrender to God (only he can wield you together)
• the purpose of family to keep you faithful
• the desire to be known completely by one other human is a mammoth treasure

I'm so glad I came and stayed. My lover, my friend, my forever soulmate. . . How can tell you I love you? Let me count the ways . . . . . . . .

Paulette

The Climate of my spirit

"For that which I do I allow not; for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." Romans 7:15 kjv
"For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do." Romans 7:15 nkjv

I'm writing this morning about my struggle to know and be known by God. There is a scripture that talks about being lukewarm, neither hot nor cold (God said He would spew that out) ~ well that vacillation between hot and cold was where I found myself before full surrender came. It's hard to know who you are when your spirit works like a zipper - How I longed for balance and stability within.

My natural abilities were suppressed because of the climate of my spirit. I wouldn't let them surface although I knew they were there. The things I really wanted to do ~ like enjoy myself, celebrate the day, the children, our home ~ I could not. I was so driven and torn by the duplicity of my spirit. Ah, but the things I hated that I did - a critical spirit, resentment, an unhappy attitude, anger, running hot and cold in relationships, no balance, no purpose or meaning to life ~ Oh, I allowed for all of this - my mind gave excuse for it, but what a death trap (believing the lie or shall I say the liar), what a total lack of true life! I couldn't even verbalize my brain fog. I was such a sham, the things of value became cheap and the cheap things became my valuables. The things I clutched to myself pitful self.

Looking at these words written so many years ago, I realize the struggle taking place was for my very soul. Satan wanted me to live a defeated life, sludging through the icy waters of a lukewarm spirit, forbid that should ever get my spirit set afflame. Jesus wanted me to be so free that I would cease to focus on my navel - (what a small orb is that??) He wanted me to rise above such pettiness of self and seek the all encompassing relationship with him that would give my life true heat, allowing me to have a burning passion for life, loving him and loving others. Even the failures that come with being a human being. . . I could declare, this too shall pass!
All the passages of life are meant for good. . . how we pass through them determines the temperature of our spirit. Climate control? No, a Spirit controlled climate! God changed me ~ I like the changes! Paulette

Where do you go when you need a lifechange?

"For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid! But sin that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful." Romans 7:9-13 kjv

"I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me and by it killed me. therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful." nkjv



Before I knew God and His Word, I had a certain quality of life, but when I would come up against the commandments, (When I would hear a sermon or hear the Bible read) all the evil in my soul arose to kill off the good in me. So rather than dealing with the problem: MY SIN, I believed the devil when he said, 'if you go that way you'll totally loose yourself and never amount to anything in this life'. But the law was the mirror that showed me my sin and the law (God's Word) is holy, able to change death into life. All the stuff that I wanted and had, I thought, had to die - no ambition, or desires, no possessions. . . God forbid! yet the only way my sin (selfishness) could be seen and dealt with, was the to be measured against God's goodness. . . as seen in the life of Jesus, who fulfilled the law when he emptied himself to become my Savior. I had to die to my ambitions, desires, possessions. (To) is the key word here. Then by surrendering my will to His I have the exchanged life now and forever! What a deal. I traded my old empty life which I thought so good, for total life in Him. My ambitions were re-directed, my desires were cleansed and my possessions became a holy trust, not ownership, just stewardship. This makes me an associate rich person - I don't have to pay the mortgage or the taxes on the stuff, and by being God's kid, He allows me full access to all that is His, and Honey it is massive!

~ Oh Joy! In Jesus I have the exchanged life! I really like the change!

Take the time to be kind - someone needs you TODAY

"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly(sisterly) love; in honor preferring one another" (Romans 12:10)
Kindness is not benevolence - it comes from a heart that has been gentled by the Holy Spirit. It is not looking down it is lifting up - and it is strength. Only the strong can be kind. Affection is a learned response - it is the outward expression of genuine kindness. A gentle touch, a hand shake that says, "I really am here". I tell you, people are so skin hungry! It's time to start healing by our gentleness and our kindness. Jesus, please help me to be genuinely affectionate and not afraid of being rejected or rebuffed. This is all about Body life, the Body of Christ; we didn't get to choose them. . . and we have such a variety of people - some easy to be with, others easy to reject. One thing I note in this word brotherly - in a family there is give and take, but the love sustains. To honor another is to affirm, agree with, respect and hold in awe as if you just can't figure them out - that's the sacredness of the personality. I love the differences. I want to think of others before myself - yet my needs sometimes are so glaring that I forget ~ I think I need a hug ~Paulette