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So tonight in Yield (young adult group) we talked about seeking after God.

I am once again amazed at the wisdom shared in the group.

We discussed that seeking means to seek after, want, pursue, desire...to crave. Are we craving the things of God?

So, to put the Word to the test (and it always passes) we are going to seek after God like never before. Starting Dec. 1st, we have written down what we are seeking in God, what door we want to see opened by knocking and we are asking God...we don't have because we don't ask, right?

And, we are going to check our hearts so that we aren't asking amiss, but that we are asking out of Godly desire and not selfish ambition.

So, what is Lisa P-hyper doing? Well, I'm going to seek God for more of Him. He's real and he's personal so I want a real and personal, deeper relationship with Him. I am going to ask God to open the door for ministry and revival/renewal in the youth AND I'm going to ask God for something that I am not going to put on this blog. :)

Then, I'm thinking. How in the world do I seek after God? Well, if I wanted something, I would look for it...persistantly and consistantly. I would stop doing other things to persue. So, no secular anything for me in December. No tv, no secular internet, no nothin'. The only exception I see is when I visit my mother in law and their tv will be on...it will just happen. Next I will replace all that other stuff I do with prayer and reading the Word. That's a good idea anyway, huh? That sounds like seeking.

We talked tonight about how a musician begins to be a musician. My husband had a desire...he had a craving to play the guitar. So, he got a guitar and started to learn how to play. His desire was so big that the sore fingertips he got for his effort didn't mean a thing...he kept pursing. Jarred and Bethany mentioned that after playing for awhile, your fingers become numb to playing and their fingerstips becamse calloused. Jarred can't even feel his face with the tips of his fingers because his fingers are primed for playing.

So, what I deduce from that is that IF my desire, passion and pursuit is greater than the obstacles, then I have an appointment with God. YEE HAWWWWWWWW

He said to ask and I'll receive so I'm asking. He said to knock so I'm gonna knock and he said to seek and I'll find. So...here we go.....  I'm seeking, knocking and asking...next thing you know I'll be finding, walking thorugh an open door and receiving. YEEE HAWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!

 

So I went to a funeral this morning. I decided to write my OWN eulogy. Is that how you spell eulogy? Maybe it's Ulogee? Anyway, here it goes. Here it goes: She loved her kids and was a good mother. She was crazy about her husband and was a good wife. His life is better because she was a good helpmate. They have had an awesome life together. Her children honor her and call her blessed. She was proud of them and they are Godly. Her children are wise and strong in the Lord. She loved her church and served the kingdom with gladness. She was wise and remained teachable, correctable and received instruction right up until the time she kicked the bucket. What she put her hand to prospered. She was a praying woman and loved the Word of God. She was kind and gentle. Her friends knew her as humorous, loyal and quirky. Her spiritual children knew her as fun, loving, truthful and prayerful. Because of her, lives are changed for the better. She was misunderstood at times, but leaned on God because she trusts Him. She was a solid leader and could serve or lead with integrity. She made people laugh. She was an encourager. She finally lost all that weight she'd been meaning to lose for years. She was real and true. _____________________________________ Now, I wrote all of that because that is what I want to be said about me when I leave this world and enter the home I have dreamed of for so long.(heaven) Is my eulogy egostical? Is it not humble? No, it is what I desire to be right now. So, with my eulogy in mind, I must be all of those things I want said about me right now and aspire to be all God has made me to be so that at the end the truth will be all of the wonderful things I said above. I'm living out my eulogy right now. PS: I wouldn't mind video being played of me with those I love the most. Show videos of me being crazy with the kids. Show me jumping on the trampoline, falling off of logs, show me on stage acting silly.... At my funeral, celebrate the gift of Joy that God has given to me. (You can cry a little too, since I know you are going to miss me, but don't do it too long. There's a lot of life to live out there and you are working on your eulogy too.) Was this blog depressing? I hope not. I hope it's encouraging.

NEW SONG from THE LP 2006 (c)All Rights Reserved. TWO WRONG DON'T MAKE A RIGHT (blues style) Two wrongs don't make a right. Two wrongs don't make a right. Two wrongs don't make a right. Make a right. Make a right. Make a right. Verse I (recitation) How can you strangle on a little bug but swallow a hog whole? How can you pull the splinter from my eye when in your eye is a telephone pole? To Chorus Verse II Sure I mess up. I am not afraid to admit to my mistakes. But how come my boo boos smell like putrid but yours smell like cakes? To Chorus Verese III Be careful when you gnaw at me and devour me with your words. For if I succomb to my desire and bite you back, we'll both be a couple of dead ole birds. To Chorus Verse IV You want me to look at your heart and measure you by your intentions so sweet. But when I do what you think not right, I'm weighed in the balance and kicked in the seat. Two wrongs don't make a right. Two wrongs don't make a right. Two WRRRRROOONNNGGGzzzzzzz (Big Finale) Donnn'tttttttt Makkkkkke uh Riiiitttteeeee. (Bows, picks up roses and skates off stage.) Written by: Lisa D. Piper (c)2006/PraiseHim Publishing All Rights Reserved. BMI

This is what I used to have on my ABOUT ME part. Some folks liked it, so I'm making it avaialble here, but I decided to downsize the about me on my page: I am going to tell you who I am in my head. Anything you see or hear is simply who you think I am. I am five foot twelve. I weight less than 170 pounds, more than 142. My hair is yellow blonde with natural golden highlights. I work out every day and enjoy those cramps I get at the end of a four mile jog. When I am stressed I enjoy a latte al la motte and a good book. My fingernails are long and luxurious. I don't even have to paint them because they are so awesome. When I go to Wal-Mart, I look perfect. My old school mates can't believe how much I haven't changed over the years. I tell them it's a clean heart and good living. I should start my own line of skin care and rejuvenating products. I am a genius. No, I haven't been tested, but I'm so smart that I know I'm a genius without having to be tested. I'm not really genius in all areas of education, but for those things that count, I am a real genius. Just ask me. I'll tell you the truth. I am loved by all and hated by none. No one gets offended at me and I think it's interesting that no one likes to gossip about me. I am blessed like that. I never gossip and I try to keep my opinions to myself unless I get the normal opinion fee of three easy installments of $19.95. I give 50% off to repeat customers if they followed my advice the first time. If a repeat customer does not cherish my opinion, the next opinion is one hard lump sum payment of $99 plus a $25 fee for putting up with your hard knot head. The dumbest thing I've ever done was set my carpet on fire and then my back yard on fire. Nuff said about that. I love my family and it's hard on them living with someone who is right all of the time. But what can I say? Should I just be wrong on purpose to make others comfortable? Wouldn't that be hypocritical? I like to wear solid and bold colors. I have one flowerdy shirt and I look like a float from the Macy's parade when I wear it. I didn't know that until Charline took a picture of me wearing it at the Joyce Meyer conference last week. The next time I wear it, I'll buy some candy and walk down the street throwing it at kids. It's later that it should be. I should be in bed, but who needs beauty sleep when you've got good beauty genes? My 70+ year old grandmother doesn't even have one gray hair on her head. Let the good times roll! When I think of one word that would describe me, I would say...hmmmm... mabye the word, 'leggy'. Yes, that's it. I can't find the right jeans because my long legs turn regular jeans into capris. If I wear heals, I look like a cowgirl I'm so leggy. That's why I say Yee Haw sometimes. If I drink Mt. Dew, I get nuts. Now that's the truth. I try to stay off that hard stuff so that I don't stay awake for like a week. I drink only water so that I stay sane.

01/28/04 In the Arms of a Cranky Bride ©All Rights Reserved. I worked long hours yesterday and last night. I came home and went to sleep. Before I awoke, here is what I dreamed: I was in a church building with many congregations gathered together to worship the Lord. The music was led by Pastor Paul. Paul had selected a new song, but when he gave the instruction for Sister Mildred to give the music to the musicians, she apparently gave them the wrong song. Pastor Paul was irritated as he tried to sing a song he did not know. Dennis was playing an instrument and was irritated since no one was playing along properly. I was on a piano in the back of the church trying to pick out the song they were playing. The sheet music was in front of me. Pastor Paul came and got it so he could sing the right song. Imagine every musician and singer singing a different song or chords. Every time I plucked the keys of the piano, it was it strange contrast to what the musicians were doing so I got irritated and quit. I went to sit on the front row. There were women dressed it very fancy, sleek gowns with tassels hanging from them. They were called worshipers but they weren't moving out into the dance because they were agitated by the irritated musicians and singers. I could see another congregation doing their own thing toward the stage of the church. They wanted to worship but the unmoving dancers and irritated musicians and singers kept the congregation form worshiping. Everyone wanted to really worship but nothing was going the way they had expected. In my dream, everyone was trying not to be offended at the others because they knew it wasn't right, but the irritation was hard to resist. With their efforts focused on not being offended, no one worshiped. Their resist mode was up so high that nothing could affect them. Pastor Jones sat in the congregation wondering, "What's going wrong? Worship! Worship!" The fresh Word he had was about to be robbed because the hearts would not receive it. He had a Word from God. Dennis woke me up and before I opened my eyes the following words came to me: 'In the arms of a Cranky Bride.' The Word says that it is better to dwell on the rooftop then in a house with a contentious bride. A husband can't hold, cuddle, love, comfort, exhort or be intimate with a cranky bride. She won't let him. She bristles at his every move. She's still married to him but she makes it so that he doesn't want to come near her. He might even feel rejected because the very thing he wants to give her would calm her heart if she only knew the value of his attention and love. 9/2/06 WOW! I didn't remember writing this one either. WOW! That's all I can say. "Lord, help me to not be a cranky bride. I want to grasp hold of you and I want you to move in me. Please help me to look past those things that irritate and hinder me and look to you."

August 26, 2004 (c) ALl Rights Resrved. "I've got a Butterfinger in my pocket!" The German exchange student leaned into the table where my son was sitting and whispered his secret with great excitement. My son and his friends looked up from their food thinking they hadn't heard what the boy with the hick German accent had said. My son said, "So?" The boy repeated again with eyes dancing, "I have a Butterfinger in my pocket!" One teenager said, "Are you mental?" The exchange student said, "I bought it out of the candy machine. It's illegal to have one, but I just bought one out of the candy machine!" My son just shook his head. "What are you talking about?" Now confused, the student said, "Isn't it illegal to sell Butterfingers?" "No." replied the other youths. "Oh, well it is in Germany." The boy went on to explain that the government felt like there was an ingredient in the candy bar that kept certain medicine from working properly so the bar is outlawed for sale. After the exchange student went to get his lunch he came back and grinned, knowing he'd just been laughed at and said with good humor, "I've got a Butterfinger in my pocket!" After my son told me that story, we went to mid-week services at our church. As the pastor preached I thought about our freedoms. If we are free in the Lord, we are free indeed! How often I've been excited over my freedoms in Christ and what He's doing in me that I've wanted to share it with those who take their freedoms for granted. I want to say, "I've got Jesus in my heart!" (aka I've got a Butterfinger in my pocket!) When the love and joy of the Lord is swelling in my heart, I've often tried to share it even with other Christians only to be told, "So!" or "Are you mental?" I'm glad that worshiping my Father in heaven isn't illegal. I'm glad that anyone can have access to Him through his Son Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord I don't have to put Him in my pocket but can shine my light for all to see!

Frank-n-Sense Writen on 12/1/04 ©All Rights Reserved. My buddy Frank used to work at a car lot. That's interesting enough because he knows little about car maintenance. His job was to take work orders and work with mechanics to repair or service vehicles. He asked me once, "Did I ever tell you about the time I sent a woman home with no engine?" Of course he was exaggerating some, but I had to hear the story. A customer came to pick up an old model blue mustang one evening. Frank said someone had returned the work order so, as usual, he assumed that the car was ready to go. He had the car pulled to the front for the customer and charged her for the repairs. When he returned to work the next morning, the woman was waiting for him. She scowled at him as she pointed her finger and then crooked it as if to order Frank to come to her. Frank walked over to her car as the woman lifted the hood. Once she did this, she pointed and said, "Does this look right?" Frank glanced under the hood and was stunned at the sight. He couldn't make any excuses so he just said, "Well, that's not right, is it?" Frank said to me, "There were things missing under there. I'm not sure what things were missing but there were holes where stuff should have been. Nothing looked right under there. I wondered how she was able to drive it." He grinned and said, "One area was missing something so big that I don't think I sent her home with a radiator." I think that for this time in my life, I feel like that old blue mustang. I'm running okay, but I think I've got some parts missing. I've been through 'servicing' recently and I don't even know what's left of me. Since I was twelve years old I have sung in the church. In September I stopped doing that with the exception of singing in the church choir. I don't even know if I miss public music ministry/singing. I want to worship the Lord but I find myself not wanting the 'old parts' of singing. I wonder if the singing thing has been removed from me and I wonder if it will return. My children are teenagers now and I'm not really needed for their physical needs anymore. The way I work, they eat before I get home and when I fix breakfast no one eats it so I don't bother. I feel like a part of me is gone with this new season of our lives. I don't know if there's a replacement part or not, but for now I feel empty. The hopes and dreams I once had, I am finding out, are probably no longer a part of the vision for my life. I remember in my early 20's when I realized I wouldn't grow up to be a psychiatrist. (Thank the Lord.) At the time, letting go of that desire was difficult. There are things in my life I maybe assumed the Lord was leading me to go for that may have been only my own desires and wants. I lay them down right now. I ask the Lord to raise my hood and just take out the hopes, dreams and visions that aren't a part of what He wants for me. Perhaps I shouldn't drive my spiritual car until everything is fitly put together? I thought I heard the Lord tell me to mark this time in my life so I could remember back on it. Will I always feel like a car that's being overhauled? Am I done or is he priming me to become a vintage classic? Is he taking out the old engine and putting in a souped up motor? Is he polishing my spiritual chrome and aligning my wheels so that I focus on the path of righteousness? I've been raising my hood and pointing at all the changes and saying to God, "We've got a problem here!" Am I like that accusing woman pointing her finger with dissatisfaction as if God might be capable of making mistakes? How I long to be done with this season of my life. But just like that woman who tried to operate her vehicle before the job was finished, I better stay in heaven's garage until the Master Mechanic gives the go ahead. 9/2/06 Update I just found this journal entry in my writings. WOW! I really enjoyed reading it. I'm happy to report that I have mostly new parts and that I think the Lord is tuning me up for something really awesome. I am very glad that I've been in the garage. I'm now in full time ministry, writing, speaking and leading an awesome college age group. With this group, (YIELD Minsitry), we minister to teenagers every Friday. I sing in the choir, the car and do background vocals in the studio. I'm satisfied with that. Also…I sing parodies as Patsy Whine and am working on a parody as another character..hee hee hee. How in the world did I get to this place in my life? I guess I got here one day at a time and from glory to glory… Before you know it, I'll be out of the garage and a testament to the workmanship of my creator. Yee HAW!

Riddle: You have eight cubes. Seven of them weigh the same. The eighth one is heavier but you need a set of scales to determine which one is heavier. The cubes are alike in every way except the weight of the eighth one. You are alone in a room and in order to get out, you need to put the heavier cube in a keyhole. If you put the wrong cube in, the room will blow up and blast you to smithereens. All you have is a set of balance scales. The thing is, you can only use the scales two times before it too blows up. How do you get out? This is the puzzle my daughter brought home from school. I thought about it for a minute then forgot it. In a few days, my husband and I entertained two other happy couples. He shared the crazy ice terrorist riddle with the couples. The three men talked about the riddle at length and tried to solve it. We three gals, didn't give a rip and talked about womanly kinds of things like news of our friends and a new restaurant in town. When my daughter told my son of the riddle, he could not get it off of his mind. She told him while driving home from church. We had no idea that he was still trying to solve the puzzle until we had driven for twenty minutes. He suddenly sprang up from the backseat and yelled, "This is going to drive me nuts!" When I thought for sure he'd forgotten about it, he would ask her a question. She'd have to repeat the puzzle to make sure he got all of the details. People crack me up! I've studied the different temperaments people have, and the responses my daughter got from the riddle really drove home the diversity of God's creation. I asked me son as he tried to solve the riddle, "Son, can you imagine anyone just not solving the problem and not really even thinking about it again?" He was shocked at the thought. At this point, he still hadn't solved the riddle and I was taking up valuable thinking time by speaking to him. "No," came the terse reply. I asked, "Can you imagine never knowing the answer to this riddle?" Again the idea was just unfathomable. I was amazed as we pulled into the driveway and he spouted out the correct answer. He and my husband basked in the knowledge that our sin is smart! When my daughter, Kirstie, shook her head and told him that he had indeed solved the riddle, Kyle said, "I feel so good. I feel like I've accomplished something." My husband said, 'It does feel good to solve it." I furrowed my brow and rolled my eyes. They hadn't even DONE anything. All they did was solve a nonsense puzzle about cubes in a keyhole. Everyone knows that there aren't keyholes made like cubes and why would a person be in a room alone with cubes and scales? I mentioned to my family that I could care less about the riddle or if I ever heard the answer. As hard as it was for Kyle to believe that people like me exist…you know, the ones who couldn't solve a riddle if they were trapped in a booby trapped room and their life depended on it.. I couldn't believe their exuberant joy in their intellectual accomplishment. I've never understood the purpose of puzzles of any kind. I have started to get a little understanding of the puzzle master, however. Once, I walked into my father-in-law's home and spotted a 1000 piece puzzle in the living room. The puzzle was completely worked, except there was a little hole where one more piece needed to be interlocked. The one piece was sitting to the side. My father-in-law had gotten up and walked to another room of the house. I stood peering over at the puzzle and said to my mother-in-law, "How about I just stick this piece in here! He left it out!" I grinned really big! She did not laugh. She gave me a look of warning. (She is a puzzle doer and one of those analytical thinkers too.) I said, "It's the only piece I could have done of the puzzle. I need to do it." I didn't dare. You see, he had spent hours over that wacky thing and when he had nearly accomplished the great feat, he took a break. His plan was to return and put the last piece in with flare. He would sit and look at what he had done and take great pride in it. Now, if you're a puzzle-doer, the thought that I might put in the last piece probably horrified you. If you're not a puzzle-doer, then you might have giggled or you may not have even seen the significance in the last puzzle piece at all. While I don't do puzzles, there are some orderly kinds of things that I do. When I put my dishes away, I put them in the cabinet in an orderly fashion. When I teach my kids how to put away the dishes, I always tell them to put them away with excellence. What does that mean? That means to put them away like I want them to be put away. No putting the rim up in the cabinet. No putting a larger bowl on top of a smaller one. No putting the salad forks in with the dinner forks. I mean, there could be a major war in the Piper household if the dishes aren't put away with excellence. (Excellence=my way) I went to my sister-in-law's home and put her dishes away. I was horrified when I opened her cabinets and saw that someone had done an injustice to her and not put her dishes away with excellence. The glasses were rim up so I flipped them and finished putting the dishes away. While I was still working in the kitchen and talking a mile a minute, I heard the sound of clinking. To my grave dismay, Stephanie was flipping the glasses back up the wrong way! She shook her head and said, "Lisa, I don't do mine like you and your mom." I declared with great persuasive force, "But, you're doing it wrong!" She dared to ignore me and kept flipping her glasses RIM UP! Oh the atrocity! No matter what I said or demanded, she stood her ground in her kitchen. I finally loosened up and ignored the glasses that were just calling out to me to be justified. Stephanie laughed at me just like I laughed at those puzzle-doers. Now, after saying all of that, if you are wondering what the answer to the riddle could possibly be…I cannot help you. I don't remember the answer. However, if you are interested in knowing, I could ask my son, but he isn't here right now. What is my point to all of this musing about puzzles and doing things right? Well, I think it is that we are all different. Sometimes we look at others who think, behave and respond differently than us and think they are the weird ones. We can get so caught up that our way is right that we assume others are wrong. What is right anyway? Proverbs says that a man is right in his own eyes. I say rim down…Stephanie says rim up. I say burn the puzzles, others say glue them to a piece of board and hang 'em up. There is only ONE reason for a War, an Argument, a Conflict or a Fight. There must be one element to every situation and that is RIGHTNESS. When one party believes he is right and another is wrong, then motive for disunity has been sown into the relationship. For example, I think my dishes are right…if you don't do them like me, I think you are wrong. There's the conflict. The U.S. thinks that terrorism is wrong and other countries think it is right. Personally, I believe we are right. But how are we to know if we are right? I mean, when it comes to relationships and government and important matters, how do we know we are right if everyone has an opinion of what rightness is? How about I end this blog and just say, "That's the reason God gave us His Word. The Bible is the absolute truth. We can learn from it and when we line up what we think against the Bible, then the Bible is right. You have to have the absolute truth to make decisions and determine what is right and good and true." So, if you think your husband/wife is wrong and you are arguing about the matter, go to the Word. The Word can solve the issues, if you are willing to submit that you are wrong. I'm finishing this blog with a couple of thoughts: #1: There are riddles in the Bible. The Bible does not teach against riddles, even though I'm pretty sure Samson wished he's never participated in the game. #2: I hope you got my point. If you are still angry with me because I did not post the solving of the riddle, the Bible says to forgive. J Message me and I'll see what I can do to get the riddle…I really don't know what it is…I don't care either…but I care about you and if you want the answer, I'll get it for you.

Na-Na-Na-Na Boo Boo By Lisa Piper © All Rights Reserved. On the front of a newspaper was the name of a man who had been busted for drugs and for doing other illegal activity. Unfortunately, his name was the same name as a friend of mine. Someone informed the newspaper that the criminal's name was the same as my friend and that some of its readers needed to know this. The newspaper printed a teeny, tiny statement in the next issue that there were two citizens with that same name and that one was an "alleged" criminal. In another instance, a paper made a mistake by improperly reporting a piece of front-page news. When informed of their mistake, the paper printed a teeny weenie retraction way back in the back of the newspaper. It is interesting to me many forms of media take pleasure and enjoy financial gain by broadcasting the sins, errors and unfortunate circumstances of others. However, they do much to downplay their own errors and when they apologize, it's seldom noticed. I've yet to see a front page headline that reads, "Trashy Gazette! Paper misleads public! Don't trust a word you read!" When I worked in a nursing home, someone accused me of stealing money from a resident. I wasn't there when the "concerned" person blasted my staff with accusations. This crazy woman publicly accused me of stealing like $7. She did this in front of my employees. She sent word to me through my staff that I'd better get my act together and she would "TALK" to me later. She obtained the number of my supervisor so she could report my $7 misdemeanor. When I returned from lunch, my employees were upset. They were embarrassed and I'm sure they wondered what I had done. Later, the accuser called the facility and told my employee that answered the telephone, "I think I made a mistake. Don't worry about what I said. I found the money." My employee gave me the message. I called my accuser and inquired about the error. She said, "Well, I made a mistake in the accounting. I'm sorry. I just got upset before I took time to think about it. I realized it when I got into my car but I was too embarrassed to come back in. I called the charge person and let her know that I made a mistake." I would have told her it was okay, but I felt like this woman needed some instruction and correction. I said softly, "You publicly accused me of messing with this money. You publicly accused me and then privately apologized. How do you think I look to my staff and to those who heard you?" For the price of 3 big macs, she tainted my reputation. She wanted grace when she made an error, but wanted to broadcast mine. (Acts16:16-40) When Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison, they began to worship. Suddenly, their chains fell off and the prison doors opened at midnight. Paul and Silas won the jail keeper to the Lord but did not leave the prison. When it was daylight, those who put Paul and Silas in the prison told the jail keeper to let them out. I love Paul's response. Paul said, "They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? Nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out." Now that takes some guts! When the magistrates heard Paul's response, they became fearful that they had beaten and imprisoned a Roman citizen and went to Paul and Silas and asked them to leave the jail and the city. The chief priests wanted Jesus crucified publicly. In St. Luke 22:52,53, Jesus says to them that they were coming after him likes thieves in the night and in secret. He reminds them that he was daily with them in the temple, but they wouldn't go after him in public. Their sin was done in secret. They accused Jesus publicly of disobeying the law, yet they followed not their own laws when they went after Jesus like they did. Proverbs 11:9 "An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbor; but through knowledge shall the just be delivered." I remember a man who publicly dishonored my father. The pain my parents suffered was horrible. My mom and dad grew spiritually from this situation, but it took awhile to absorb the shock of what was done to them. A couple of years later, the man called my dad and apologized. My dad forgave him, but the damage was done. Much of it could have been undone if the man would have forgiven him publicly. After all, the man had accused my dad of things that should have never been said. He picked apart my dad's character it in the stores, on the telephone; in the church…he said it EVERYWHERE! But how did he apologize? In private. I guess there are a million stories of this. I know a woman who was nearly destroyed by the media, yet now that she is victorious, there are no reporters at her door. There are no special reports of how God has turned her life into a fruitful example of His grace and mercy. As I am writing this, I am wondering, "Why is the Lord bringing these things to my mind? Is there someone whom I have wronged and I don't need to just apologize, but I need to do it publicly? I guess it could be. I have done my share of gossiping. Just like learning the lesson not to touch a hot stove, perhaps all gossipers would think twice about devouring others if they knew they would have to stand the trial of a public apology. I am committed to being obedient to the Lord. If He doesn't bring something to my remembrance, I guess I'll keep it for future reference and GUARD my MOUTH! My prayer for today: "Lord, help me to deliver words of encouragement, healing and grace to those with whom I come into contact. Help me to take responsibility for my own actions and to repent quickly when I do wrong. Create in me a clean heart. I never want to exploit the faults of others while exhalting my own. Help me to keep a balance and to treat others as I want to be treated. Thank you for teaching me this lesson. I know that you could require me to apologize publicly and that would not be fun, so help me to be nice even when I don't want to. I love you and thank you for publicly taking on my sins and for exposing yourself so that my faults could be covered in your blood. In Jesus' excellent name. Amen!"