Be careful what you ask for....

Pretty much every day i'm asking God for the Grace my family needs to get us through all the ummmm....:stuff"....that life is throwing at us.  Well, yesterday, i think He was either a little hard of hearing or distracted because this is the Grace we got.....
Meet Grace (we call her Gracie).  We adopted her from the animal shelter yesterday.  She's roughly 8-10 weeks old and is a german shepherd mix.  While she'll never be able to replace Kirby, who we had to have euthanized in Spetember, she should be able to fill in at his place by my side as my new running buddy.  Our other dog, Mercy, is a little over 9 years old now.  She's reached that point where she's just a little too old to be going the longer distances.  i can't wait for Gracie to get old enough to head out with me. 

Thanks God for this Grace you have brought to us.

laters.

I Ain't NO Supermodel!

That title comes as a shock to you doesn't it?  I KNOW!  RIGHT????

Well, it's true, so after you get over the initial shock and catch your breath, read on.

But, i am a model....to my family and my friends.  Now, before you fall out of your chair laughing, let me explain. While there's absolutely NOTHING that Mr. J, Ms. J or even the ever-amazing Tyra Banks can do for this physique carved out of jello and a profile resembling that of the Sphynx (as it looks today), i'm NOT talking about modeling in the sense of fashion design and photgraphy.  I'm talking about the kind of modeling i feel God calls on us ALL to do.

I feel it's my responsibility to model Compassion, Grace, Humility, Kindness and, yes, even that "F" word, Forgiveness.  How i call on my family, or tell my friends, how they should exhibit these qualities (and all those that go along with them) unless i first model them in my own actions?  It's get back to that "walking the talk" adage. i HAVE to do it before i can ask others to do it, right?

Do i suck at it sometimes?  Oh my gosh, YES!!!  Am i perfect in doing it?  Positively, NO!!!  But that shouldn't ever keep me from trying over and over and over and (see where i'm going here?) over again, right?

Fortunately, i've had these qualities, and SO MUCH more, modeled for me many times over the last 2000+ years. Every time i pick up the Bible and read through sections of the New Testament, i see time and time again the type of "Model" i'm supposed to be in front of my family, my friends, my co-workers and mostly, God (notice i didn't say "my" God).  When i see the compassion and love that Jesus showed others, i'm in complete awe.  Most often, i'm speechless as i come to the realization of just how far short i fall of ever being matched up to His life.  But that's never going to keep me from trying.

So, all i ask is that if, actually WHEN, you see me fail at "modeling" these characteristics towards you or those around me, i just ask you to remember that i'm a "work in progress", okay?  I mean, when you really think about it, aren't we all?



laters.