Thoughts in Transit

Remembering Maria

2009-05-21T08:42:00.006-04:00

Pray for the Chapman family today especially. It's been a year since their baby girl went Home.

Mary Beth blogged about it this morning, and you might want to check out Jim's thoughts, too.

Thanks, friends.

From one concert to the next

2009-04-10T10:10:00.005-04:00

Need I say more?

Rupp Arena
Lexington, KY
Sunday, April 26, 2009
7:00 p.m.

I am so overwhelmed with the opportunities I've been given in the last 6 months. There is so much more to say, but I haven't yet found the words.

Three words

2009-03-31T08:35:00.001-04:00

Best. Concert. Ever.

That's all I have time for now, but I should be getting pictures soon -- and if I don't, I know how to get them.

Stay tuned.

Next stop - Indianapolis

2009-03-26T08:42:00.003-04:00

Yes, that's right. This afternoon at 4:00 p.m., I am heading to Indianapolis to spend the weekend with my brother. And even though our hometown Louisville Cardinals will be playing in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet Sixteen at Lucas Oil Stadium tomorrow night, that's not where we'll be.

Instead, we'll be at Conseco Fieldhouse, worshiping our Lord with Chris Tomlin and Israel Houghton & New Breed. Woohoo! (Can anyone tell I am excited?)

Funny story: Back in October, my brother was planning to buy these tickets for me for Christmas. We had seen Jeremy Camp, TobyMac and Matthew West together at Conseco last year and it was awesome, so he knew this concert would be a good present.

Leave it to me to screw that up.

Ever since I went through the Management, Agency and Promotion track of workshops and seminars at GMA Gospel Music Week in 2007, I have been on e-mail lists galore, such that I often hear who's coming to town and have opportunity to buy tickets before they are available to the general public.

When I saw that Chris would be in Indy, I knew I needed to buy tickets. (My brother bought the Jeremy Camp tickets last year, so it was my turn, right? That was my reasoning, anyway.) I also knew they would go pretty darn fast, so I took advantage of the presale and bought them before they were made available publicly.

I was so excited I called my brother immediately! Little did I know I had just ruined his perfect Christmas plans. LOL. Thankfully, he forgave me when we found out where are seats are. I believe he said something like, "If you can get seats like that, I'll let you buy tickets every single time!"

Details when I get home Saturday. Be blessed!

Taking His love to the least of these

2009-03-20T08:41:00.008-04:00

Love to blog? Love God's children? Check out the bloggers trips Shaun Groves has been coordinating for Compassion International.

Fellow blogger Melanie went on one of these trips with Shaun not long ago -- to the Dominican Republic, I think. Read all about it here.

This time Shaun and the gang are going to India.

One of these days I'm going to inquire about how feasible it might be for me to go on such a trip. It's always interesting to think about traveling overseas with my wheelchair and all the rest of my extra stuff, but I know plenty of others who have done it.

Until then, I will pray. Please do the same!

Love you guys! Have a great Friday.

A little fun for the pastors' wives out there

2009-03-17T11:37:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Travis for pointing out this gem.

Sometimes we forget

2009-03-16T08:50:00.002-04:00

I don't know how many times I have heard in recent days of marriages that are in trouble. Marriages that I thought were rock solid and could never be shaken. I'm not naive enough to think that there is anyone, save Jesus, who can walk this earth perfectly, but it has just been quite the reality check to hear of all the struggles.

I just heard a new song by Warren Barfield called "Love Is Not a Fight" and it prompts me once again to pray for all of you who are in that particular place right now. Check out the video and Warren's comments.

If I am ever trusted with the responsibility of such a relationship, may I keep that ever before me and, when necessary, "will it until I feel it" again.

A verse for thought

2009-03-16T08:24:00.002-04:00

I'm joining about 3,000 of my sisters in Christ in endeavoring to memorize Scripture this year. (See here for more info.) And the verse the Lord has been impressing on me to use and meditate on for the next two weeks is this one:

But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams." 1 Samuel 15:22 (NIV)

Have you really stopped to think about what that means? I've been pondering it a lot lately. I'll share more later.

Be blessed, friends. Love you all!

My fifteen minutes

2009-02-27T14:30:00.003-05:00

Look, y'all! I made the Web today and it's not even something I wrote!

God makes me laugh sometimes. You know He has to have a sense of humor.

Happy Friday!

A pic from the past

2009-02-25T16:13:00.007-05:00

Ok, so this isn't a picture of my most recent Mark Schultz adventure -- Andrew and Ashley haven't sent those yet.

Maybe they lost my e-mail address. Maybe they got the call that their adoption is going to happen sooner than they thought and they've been running around like crazy trying to get ready. Or maybe they just forgot. I'm not really worried about it.

But to appease those of you who are clamoring for pictures (You know who you are...), here's one from way back. Four years back, actually. This was after a concert in Mount Vernon, Ohio, in the middle of June 2005. It was the last time I got to run around with this particular group of friends before I moved back to Kentucky.

We had fun, but that gymnasium was not air conditioned, and boy was it hot! I have no idea how Mark and the band survived under the stage lights that night.

On the other hand, I do remember bottled water by the case and several damp towels... :)

Blessings!

Heath, Schultz and some great new friends

2009-02-17T08:39:00.003-05:00

That about sums up last night's adventure into the world of Valentine's banquets.

My dad and I had fun -- we "just happened" (yeah, right) to sit down next to a young couple from Lexington who went to college with my brothers. For awhile, when Andrew and Ashley lived in Louisville, they lived in the same apartment complex off Hurstbourne Lane that I lived in when I first graduated from law school. Who knew? It was great to get to know them.

Brandon Heath is funny. I don't know why I was surprised by that, but I was. I recognized more of his songs than I thought I would, and was even able to sing along with some. Definitely an artist to keep an eye on.

And Mark, well... That was just fun, but it always is when Mark is involved. I can't tell the whole story now because I don't have time, but I got the chance to speak to him before the show and get some group pics, and then he sang most of the old favorites and one new one. (I can't get the chorus out of my head and I only heard it once.)

The even better news: He's in the studio now working on album number six. (I think it's number six. I've lost count.) So I should be able to play that new song as much as I want come fall. :)

Stay tuned for pics and more details later. Have a blessed day!

Seven hours and counting

2009-02-16T11:43:00.002-05:00

Before my fun evening out with my dad. :) Can't wait! I love an excuse to get all dressed up and be a "girly girl." And great music to boot! Who knew?

Have a blessed day, everyone!

Flowers from Heaven?

2009-02-11T08:26:00.013-05:00

At least that's what I think they are. :)

Yesterday morning, I was working away when my coworker Debbie came back to my desk. "Lora, something came for you!"

I looked over and she was unwrapping a beautiful vase of flowers. Pink roses, along with all kinds of other pink and purple flowers. Someone must have made a mistake, right?

She handed me the card, which I couldn't even open without help because I was in such shock. But when I finally got it open, I read:

"Happy Valentine's Week! You are loved."

That's it. No signature, no initials, nothin'! I couldn't even begin to fathom who would send me flowers, especially anonymous ones. (Still can't.) So I started e-mailing and calling to see if I could figure out who would bless me this way. Every single person so far has denied knowing anything about it. Talk about distracting!

But, in the midst of the frenzy, a still voice in my heart said, "Does it really matter who sent them? I have loved you with an everlasting love." Do you know what that does to me? To hear the Father so clearly that way? Needless to say, I spent much of the morning in tears I was so overwhelmed with the feeling. Wow.

And the best part, y'all -- He loves every single one of us like that! He says so right in the Word. More times than I can count. (Ephesians 3:17-18 comes to mind. Look it up.) So amazing. It reminds me of a song on Steven Curtis Chapman's This Moment album, "You Are Being Loved." The first little bit goes like this:

You think love is only for the good enough
And one thing you're never gonna be worthy of
But there's a song being sung over you
By the One who breathes life into you

You are being loved
You are being loved
Right now at this very moment
You are being loved

Awesome! (If you don't have the CD, you should get it. And yes, I do say that about everything SCC records. Can you blame me?)

That doesn't mean, of course, that I stopped trying to figure out who sent them.... I even called the florist! She said, "I remember that one. My assistant specifically asked the guy if he wanted to leave a name and he said no." Ugh.... So frustrating!

I am leaving it at that. If God wanted to bless me with flowers for "Valentine's Week," I certainly won't complain. But y'know...

If there really is a man out there trying to make his interest known, he's not going to make a whole lot of progress unless I know who he is!

Just sayin'. ;)

UPDATE: I just heard another This Moment song, and this one made me laugh. If I really do have a secret admirer, maybe this explains it. The song is "Something Crazy." Chorus goes like this:

It's crazy when love gets ahold of you
And it's crazy things that love will make you do
And it's crazy but it's true
You really don't know love at all until it makes you do
Something crazy.

Have fun!

One word meme

2009-02-08T08:39:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite writers, Angela Hunt, posted this on her blog last week, and I thought it was fun, so I thought I'd do the same, and then tag a bunch of folks (Rose, Kim, Tracee, Melissa) to see what they end up with. Have fun!

Here is what you are supposed to do...use only one word for each of the following...and please don't spoil the fun...copy and paste into your own note, type in your answers and tag a bunch of people - including me.

Where is your cell phone....................kitchen
Your hair....................................... windblown
Your father....................................Ed
Your favorite thing...........................book light
Your dream last night........................odd
Your favorite drink........................... Diet Dr Pepper
Your dream/goal.............................published
The room you are in..........................spare
Your fear.......................................heights
Where do you want to be in 6 years.......working
Muffins..........................................blueberry
One of your wish list items...................house
Where you grew up...........................Mt Washington
The last thing you did.........................ate
What are you wearing.......................corduroy
Your TV.........................................off
Your pets........................................Chloe
Your computer.................................HP
Your life..........................................busy
Your mood.......................................hyper
Missing someone...............................yes
Your car..........................................what?
Favorite store...................................Target
Your summer.....................................full
Your favorite color.............................purple
When is the last time you laughed...........today
Last time you cried............................. Saturday

Three people who email me....................Janna, Denise, Amy

Three of my favorite foods...................pizza, ice cream, strawberries

Three places I would rather be right now...warm, with friends,
Three people I think will respond.............Rose, Kim, Melissa

Book reading right now . . . The Whole Truth, James Scott Bell

One of those days...

2009-02-06T16:14:00.004-05:00

First of all, I have neglected you, my readers (sparse though you may be) for too long. Forgive me. I hope to do much catching up this weekend.

Secondly, I know it's Friday, and I know it's much warmer outside than it has been in weeks. And for that I am grateful. But oh my goodness I want to just go back to sleep and start over! :)

First, I woke up late and could barely move to get myself dressed. My mom stopped by early to help with my shoes before the bus came -- because she's awesome like that -- and I wasn't even upright yet, let alone ready. Understandably, that drives her to distraction, and I felt bad. Then the bus wasn't even as early as I thought it was going to be, which made me feel worse since my mom had gotten up so much earlier than usual.

But I made it to work and had a rather uneventful day. Until a few minutes ago when I searched through my bag to put my keys in my coat pocket so they'd be within easy reach when I get home later. I found no keys.

They must be in my other coat pocket. The coat I wore yesterday, which is currently hanging in the hall closet, inside my locked house. To borrow a phrase from a fellow blogger, Awesome. (Congrats on your new bundle, Amanda!)

I had to call my parents and ask them to please open the house for me. And my timing is so great that I woke them both up from a much needed nap. Even more awesome.

Nonetheless, like 33Miles sings on their new album:

Woke up to the pouring rain
Stumbled out of bed with half a brain
Twenty minutes late for work again
But it’s alright, it’s alright

It’s just one of those days
When everything’s right
God is in His heaven and I’m walking in the light
So hallelujah anyway
It’s just one of those days

Nothing new under the sun

2009-01-12T09:35:00.015-05:00

"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." Ecclesiastes 1:9.

Our pastor is preaching a series from Ecclesiastes right now, and I couldn't help but think of this verse when contemplating another of my Christmas gifts, because they're back in fashion again after a hiatus of 20-plus years .

Yes, my mom got me legwarmers. They're not quite as festive as these -- they're a sensible gray with two buttons at the ankle -- but I am wearing them... under my slacks.

Circulation in my lower extremities is not all that great, considering I don't move much, so when the weather gets cold, my legs pretty much stay cold, too. We thought using the leg warmers over my braces but under my slacks would help me stay warmer in our converted warehouse office space.

Guess what? So far, it's working!

The best thing about dads....

2009-01-05T12:08:00.013-05:00

If they're good ones, they know what you need, and sometimes what you want, before you even ask.

Mine is a prime example. For Christmas, Dad bought me tickets to the annual sweetheart banquet sponsored by our local Christian radio station. And, no, I'm not going with some stranger from halfway across the globe -- Dad is taking me himself. How awesome is that?

But it gets better. The entertainment for the evening includes Mark Schultz, who just happens to be one of the nicest guys on the planet. When I was between jobs in 2005, the Lord used Mark and his music to minister to my soul and keep me looking up during a very difficult time of transition. (I think I saw him in concert about 10 times that year, and I even got to meet him.)

As excited as I was to hear that Mark would be in town again (with fellow Dove Award winner Brandon Heath, no less), I had resigned myself to not seeing this particular concert. It's a sweetheart banquet, after all, and one doesn't just go to those alone. Plus, the ticket price was more than my meager budget could handle.

Little did I know that my dad bought tickets when the station first began advertising the event. The gift was so unexpected that I burst into tears when I opened it. I think my brothers and sister-in-law were offended that their gifts did not also evoke tears. (Sorry guys! You know I love you.)

What a treat it will be! For the first time in a long while, I get to celebrate Valentine's Day with my best guy!

How tender of my Heavenly Father to know just what my lonely heart needed, and how special that He threw in one of my favorite artists to boot! I am so blessed and so unworthy of the gifts He gives to me. A lot of times mine come through my earthly dad, but He gives such gifts to all His children (Matt. 7:11; James 1:17) in a lot of different ways. We have only to open our eyes to see them.

Thankful

2009-01-05T07:56:00.005-05:00

Not only am I thankful for my Savior and his sacrifice, and for the generosity of family and friends as we wrap up this holiday season, but I am also increasingly thankful for my job.

On the way to work this morning, the bus had to drop someone off at the employment office downtown. At 6:45 a.m., the line was already out the door and down the street for a block. So many are struggling in this time -- I pray that I don't miss an opportunity to help where I can.

Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?" The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matt. 25:37-40)

Have a blessed day!

P.S. My trip to Florida was really fun. I'll write more later, and I'll try to upload some pictures, too!

More Women of Faith news

2008-12-16T14:58:00.002-05:00

I heard a rumor (from a credible source) that another favorite musician of mine will make appearances at select Women of Faith events next year. Thanks for keepin' us in the loop, Jim!

Hmmm... Lord willing, there just may be a road trip in my future come August! :) I'll keep you posted as I get more details.

Stay warm, my friends! I love ya.

P.S. My Christmas cards are still on the same table, in the same boxes. Sigh. Maybe I'll do a New Year's letter this year instead. What do you think?

Snow day

2008-12-16T13:26:00.004-05:00

I didn't try to get on the bus today, so let's just say I won't be going to get the mail, either. I know the Lord is with me, but He also gave me common sense. Every now and then I remember to use it.

There are, however, good things about working from home -- not the least of which is the space heater pointed straight at my legs. :) That and the killer Ghirardelli hot cocoa -- and the fact that I can listen to whatever I want as loud as I want.

Even in the snow, remember this:

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)

More Christmas music

2008-12-11T09:14:00.001-05:00

Check out this video for your favorite Christmas tunes -- with a twist. Have a great day!

Fixing my gaze on the goal

2008-12-11T08:35:00.006-05:00

Hey gang! (I can call all three of you who read this a gang, right?)

First, Mandisa ROCKED THE HOUSE on Tuesday. If she's going to be anywhere near you in the next year, take the opportunity to go. (I'm sure the calendar will be updated as new dates are added.) You will be blessed -- both by her music and her testimony. UPDATE: I just realized that Mandisa is traveling with Women of Faith next year, so you may be able to catch her there!

Second, can I just share something? It makes me nuts that so many people already have their Christmas cards mailed! Mine are sitting on my table in my living room -- still in their boxes. Hopefully I will get to them in the next week. Then again, I wouldn't even have the first Christmas decoration out if not for my mom scurrying around in the early mornings digging stuff out of closets and the like. (Love you, Mom!)

Keep your fingers crossed, and pray that I will stay focused and stay on task through the next few days. It's gonna be busy.

The Lord is reminding me right now of Proverbs 4:25-27, which reads:

Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or to the left. Keep your foot from evil.

Not only is that relevant in this time of extreme busyness, when we have countless tasks before us, but also in our pilgrimage with Christ. I know I have a tendency to be too easily distracted from the goal He has set before me. Too easily I forget to fix my gaze on Him. May He be ever before me this day.

Excitement,...

2008-12-09T15:48:00.002-05:00

I know, I know. You have no idea what to do with two posts in one day. But this one will be quick, I promise!

I just have to say I'm getting ready to see Mandisa in concert tonight, and I can't wait! First, it's the first concert I've had the opportunity to see/hear since Third Day came to town in May. Second, I haven't seen Mandisa since she performed at the Dove Awards in 2007 with Toby Mac and Kirk Franklin.

The Doves live is another post completely. Remind me and someday I'll write about it.

I'm just ready for some good music, y'all! More soon!

Thank you

2008-12-09T08:43:00.002-05:00

Most of my early mornings at work are spent scouring the Web for anything that's newsworthy in the realms of open source software or Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance. (If you're looking for the nexus between the two topics, don't worry. There really isn't one, save that I get paid to write about both.)

If I have learned anything in three years, it's that tech news is pretty slow from mid-November until mid-January. We're usually scraping the bottom of the barrel for blog topics, which means resorting to product release announcements, personnel changes, and unfortunately, layoff and spending cut stories.

I found a story about a particular company gaining a new board member and sent a link to my coworker, noting, "It's bad when this is the extent of excitement in the open source world." He laughed, but reminded me, "At least you have something."

Ouch. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 says,

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

How quickly I forget the things I have to be thankful for!

Today, my prayer is that I will have the attitude described by 33Miles in their song, "Thank You." The first verse goes something like this:

What if in morning when I wake up
Even before I fill my coffee cup
I said thank You
Thank You

What if I look at the day and the hours ahead
And before I move forward I bowed my head
And said thank You
Oh I said thank You

Thank You, Father. For life and breath. For another day to share Your love. Help me not to waste it.

His [Ironic] Ways

2008-12-01T11:41:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was wonderful and none of you had to suffer with the nasty stomach virus that's going around. My parents both did. I think they had chicken noodle soup for dinner that day. Poor things. Thankfully, they're on the mend now.

If you've known me long, you know I am trusting God for the peace and contentment to live fully during my season of singleness, however short or long it may be. Nonetheless, some days being single isn't so easy -- like this past weekend.

So imagine my surprise this morning when I accessed my e-mail and found this waiting in my inbox:

Greetings from far away Argentina to the most beautiful & lovely lady from www.itbusinessedge.com

My dear and lovely Lora,

Just to say hello from far away Argentina to the most beautiful & lovely lady from www.itbusinessedge.com!!! I know that you are an attorney and journalist specialized in IT business fields and for me it would be a great joy to be your far away friend. I love your beautiful smile and your inner joy that you reflect in your picture.

I will be praying for your brand new elected president Barack Obama and for all of his staff as well as for the brand new members of the parlament who were recently elected. May almighty God help them to make the right decisions & actions.

I know that the Thanksgiving Day is already over but anyway I wish you have enjoyed it very much being with your family and loved ones. May almighty God bless you and each and everyone of your loved ones!

First, I laughed. We get e-mails like this every now and then at work -- a hazard of having our faces and bios plastered on the Internet, I suppose. Who knows if they are real or if they are part of some scheme to get info out of us or to get access to our servers? I passed it on to my friend, who is compiling all such fun and funny e-mails and comments into a scrapbook of sorts, and went on with my business.

All the while, I was thinking, "Ok, Lord. Very funny. Assuming that this person is not some creepy criminal or old enough to be my grandfather (which is a lot to assume given the circumstances), how is it that a man half the world away can see Your light and joy in me from a picture and want to be my 'far away friend,' yet not a single man who sees me in person and interacts with me right here on a regular basis is remotely interested? I don't want a 'far away friend.' "

Before the complaint was fully formed in my head, though, I heard the voice of a Friend who is not at all far away -- One who sticks closer than a brother -- reminding me that He is not going anywhere and He is so much more than a friend.

How merciful He is to remind me that I am beautiful, that I am capable of being noticed by a man! Beyond even that, this little e-mail from Argentina is a reminder that in His time, He can move His man to seek me out, no matter how impossible the circumstances may seem.

I am so thankful that He holds my heart!

The Lord is near

2008-10-07T09:29:00.013-04:00

I was reading the last in a long series of Karen Kingsbury books on the way into work this morning and one of the characters was focused on this Scripture, so now it's stuck in my head, too.

Philippians 4:4-8 says:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

I have read and heard the first verse and the last three verses of that passage over and over again in my journey with Christ. But that middle verse, verse 5, jumped out at me today for the first time.

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

The Lord is near. Always. If we remember that, our gentleness will be evident to all. But when we forget, when we become consumed by our circumstances rather than keeping our eyes on Him, the flesh in us takes over. And for me at least, I am too often the furthest thing from gentle when that happens. May it be different today, for He is near.

Praises!

2008-10-06T09:51:00.004-04:00

Just a quick update:

My mom's best friend is home from the hospital and recovering nicely. Thanks for your prayers.

And from what I hear, there was perfect weather in Tennessee Saturday for Emily Chapman's wedding, which was outside at their house. Check out Jim's blog for a little glimpse!

I hope your day is blessed and you are constantly aware of His presence!

A violent wind

2008-10-03T08:40:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago, the remains of Hurricane Ike blew right through Louisville. The high winds left quite a path of destruction behind. Falling trees brought power lines with them, blocked roads and left gaping holes in many roofs. More than 300,000 were without power -- many for a week or more.

Thankfully, my little neighborhood wasn't affected much, other than a few branches down in the yards next door and across the street. So while my dad was calling to ask if I had power and our women's ministry director was calling to say Bible study had been canceled, I was holed up in my office -- surrounded by stacks of open books -- typing away.

I was studying the Feasts of Israel. If class had not been canceled, we were scheduled to begin Beth Moore's study on the Psalms of Ascent that night, and we wanted to give the ladies a bit of background before launching headlong into the study.

So as the wind roared outside, I was digging up info on the Feast of Weeks (see Leviticus 23:15-21) , which eventually led me to the story of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit...

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as I read. How like God -- the omnipresent, omnipotent One -- to show Himself anew to me in a wind, just as He did that day so long ago. When I should have been nervous or at least concerned about what was happening outside, I sat here bathed in the knowledge of His presence.

May we live in that awareness daily!

Quick prayer requests...

2008-10-01T12:43:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone! I promise more story posts are on the way -- I just haven't taken the time to write them all out as I would like. (There's even one more about a ditch. Is this a trend, or is God trying to tell me I need to get out of a rut?)

In the meantime, a few things:

1. Pray for our small group as we go through Beth Moore's Stepping Up. The enemy is trying to have a field day wreaking havoc with schedules, etc., so we think we don't have time for the Word. But we know better! He who is in us has already won, and we need to act on that truth.

2. My mom's best friend is in the hospital recovering from some sort of virus that came on as the result of her chemo therapy-weakened immune system. She's out of ICU now, so that's a praise! But there's still a lot of healing to be done.

3. My cousin, who is 29 years old with a husband and three young children, is recovering from hip replacement surgery. She's not one who likes to sit still much, so in spite of having a father, a mother-in-law and a sister who are physicians, she is not the best patient. (Though I'm sure she's trying very hard to be a good one!)

4. Continue to pray for Steven Curtis Chapman and family as they pull together final details for Emily's wedding on Saturday, Oct. 4. It's apparently been an interesting few days at the Chapman house. In addition to the expected bittersweet mix of emotions, they're also experiencing what we hope does not become a series of broken bones! See Grace's blog for details.

Thanks! More soon.

Even on a trip to the mailbox

2008-09-12T17:58:00.016-04:00

How is it that, for two days in a row, I can go to work all day and come home with nothing to talk about? Then God gives me something to share while I'm outside getting the mail! That's just how He is -- into what we see as the small stuff, the every day, and the mundane.

In Psalm 139:7-10, the Psalmist says:

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there ; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

This afternoon, I got home from work, dropped my stuff -- including my phone -- on the kitchen table, fed the cat, waited for the bus to back out of the driveway, and headed to the opposite side of the street to get the mail.

Positioning my power wheelchair so I can reach into the mailbox has always been an interesting task; there's about a 2-inch drop from the side of the road to the grass where the mailbox post is anchored. And I guess I was in too much of a hurry: I got a little too close to that edge, and my right tires slipped over it!

So there I was, next to the mailboxes, half on the road and half off. No matter what I did, my wheelchair wasn't going anywhere. I was STUCK. At first I thought, "Well, I'm glad it's not raining 'cause I could be here for awhile." (My phone was on the kitchen table, remember? I couldn't even call anyone.)

Then I thought, "Well, maybe it won't be that long. The girls will start showing up for Bible study in about 30 minutes." I sat there, doing the best I could to stay in the chair, thinking, "OK, Lord. What do You want me to do here? I need you."

Not even 60 seconds later, my neighbor across the street drove past me and into her driveway. She went into the house and about her business, probably thinking I was just checking my mail. (Which, of course, had been the whole point of my little trip down the driveway in the first place.) But when she came out a few minutes later and I was still there, she asked, "Do you need some help?"

"Yes, please." I couldn't help laughing. In no time at all I was back on four tires, mail in my hand, and headed into the house.

God reminded me yet again that He is with me every single minute in every single place -- even at the mailbox! Oh, I am so thankful He is so involved in the small stuff of my life!

He wants to be involved in your small stuff, in your every day, and in your mundane, too. All you need to do is ask.

Early morning music

2008-09-10T18:09:00.006-04:00

It's funny that I started a blog called "Thoughts in Transit" the day before my regular work-at-home-Wednesday. I haven't been on the bus today. In fact, I haven't even left the house!

Needless to say, I don't have all that much to share -- except this.

This morning Steven Curtis Chapman performed live on television for the first time since his daughter's homegoing in May.

Watch CBS Videos Online
Please continue to pray for the Chapman family as they work to live well and to honor God in sharing sweet Maria's story.

More later... Have a great day!

A beginning, of sorts...

2008-09-09T22:39:00.007-04:00

My commute to and from work takes anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on traffic. But since I'm riding the bus and not driving, that's a decent chunk of time that I should probably make use of, right?

So I thought I'd try this blogging thing to keep everyone updated on all things Lora (er, most things, anyway). I can't make promises as to how often I'll be able to post, but hopefully it will be worth everyone's while.

Blessings!