Prepare the House

  In Genesis 24 we read of one of the Bible's famous love stories; it's the story of Isaac and Rebecca. For those of you who may not be familiar with this story, here are the cliffnotes.

Abraham's wife Sarah dies. After this Abraham realizes Isaac (his son) needs a wife and sends his servant to find Isaac a wife. (That level of trust amazes me! Abraham trusted his servant to find his son a wife. AND apparently, Isaac also had high trust in the servant's ability to chose a wife for him.) Servant packs up the camels and heads to Nahor, Mesopotamia. Once he gets to Nahor he prays a simple prayer asking God to give him success. And he asks for a sign, the woman who gives him a drink of water and also waters his camels, "let her be the one."
The Word says before he finished praying that Rebecca came to draw water. She offered him water and watered his camels. Worshiping God the servant asks if he may come to her house to stay. She says yes and that there was plenty of room in the house. She goes to get her father, Laban. Laban comes out to the servant and says these words, "Come in, O blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.”
A few short verses later Rebecca was riding away to land of Abraham with the trusted servant. Isaac seeing her from afar knew who she was and he came to meet her. He took her home. They married and

began their life together.

Amazing story! There are so many valuable points to pull from this story but the one that jumped out at me this morning was in verse 31. " And he said, “Come in, O blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels."

"For I have prepared the house,..."
 For those who read yesterday's post know that the idea of preparing is on my mind.
The definition of Prepare: transitive verb meaning  "to make ready beforehand for some purpose, use, or activity  or  to put in a proper state of mind."

Laban was ready beforehand. He didn't know that Abraham's trusted servant was outside his house choosing Isaac's wife. He didn't know that his daughter was about to presented with the opportunity of a lifetime. But because his house was prepared he linked his name & family the heritage of Christ.  Yes, I am aware that Laban doesn't exactly have the best resume in the Word but he was able to join his daughter to a powerful family legacy.

"For I have prepared the house,..."
Are we prepared for what is outside our house? Are you ready for what God has in store for you & your life? When the time comes are you going to be able to say, "I ready for I have prepared"?  OR will you miss out on an opportunity because you have to waste time getting ready for it?
Example: The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins

Can you say, “Come in, O blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house,...?"


 

"Condition yourself,..."

   This weekend I was blessed to be able to speak with one of my real-life heroines, Vesta Lane Mangun. This woman has always been an example role model for me. I love everything about her. Her fierce loyalty, her pure elegance, her love for people, her passion for the things of God, her zeal for Truth, and her love for family.

As I previously said, this weekend I was able to sit down on two separate occasions and talk with her. The first opportunity was full of general conversation concerning my work, schooling, and family. But the next opportunity contained gold. She sat me down and took my hands and prayed a powerful prayer over my life. After the prayer, she looked at me and said these words, " Baby, I pray for you. You have a calling and right now you need to begin to condition yourself for it."

Those words have run over and over in my mind, "Condition yourself,..." 
I have no clue of the how's when's and where's of my future. I don't know when those God dreams will come about in my lifetime. I don't know what signs to look for. But I can prepare for it.

I can be ready when the divinely appointed door opens.
I can be ready when my time comes.
I can be ready when He speaks, " This is the way. Walk in it..."

I can begin conditioning my physical self. I will work on my physical health so that it will not hinder my purpose. I can begin conditioning my spiritual self. I will start habits that will postively affect my purpose. I will pray more, study the Word more, learn more about Him. So that I may be effective. I can learn and study more about my culture, my passions, my world. By doing so I will "show myself approved."

If I prepare now I will be ready when He is ready.
It starts today.
Condition yourself,...

Having A Coke With You

Having A Coke With You

is even more fun than going top San Sebastain, Irun, Hendaye, Biarritz, Bayonne

or being sick to my stomach on the Travesera de Gracia in Barcelona

partly because in your orange shirt you look like a better happier St. Sebastian

partly because of my love for you, partly because of your love for yoghurt

partly because of the fluoresent orange tulips around the birches

partly because of the secrecy our smiles take on before people and statuary

it is hard to believe when I'm with you that there can be anything as still


as solemn as unpleasently definitive as statuary when right in front of it

in the warm New York 4 o'clock light we are drifting back and forth

between each other like a tree breathing through its spectacles

and the portrait show seems to have no faces in it at all, just paint

you suddenly wonder why in the world anyone ever did them I look


at you and I would rather look at you than all the portraits in the world

except possibly for the "Polish Rider" occasionally and anyway it's in the Frick

which thank heavens you haven't gone to yet so we can go together the first time

and the fact that you move so beautifully more or less takes care of Futurism

just as at home I never think of the "Nude Descending a Staircase" or

at a rehearsal a single drawing of Leonardo or Michaelangleo that used to wow me

and what good does all the research of the impressionists do them


when they never got the right person to stand near the tree when the sun sank

or for that matter Marino Marini when he didn't pick the rider as carefully

as the horse

it seems they were all cheated of some marvelous experience


which is not going to go wasted on me which is why I am telling you about it

Frank O'Hara

No scrubs,...

I don't want no scrub

A scrub is a guy that can't get no love from me

Feeling the TLC today,...

Scrub: A bum. He takes and takes from you but never gives back. He wants things his way or nothing at all. When you're with him you don't grow as a person; your spirit slowly is killed. He drains you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

 

Scrubs come in all shapes, colors and sizes. Sometimes they're easy to spot. Sometimes they're hard to see. Sometimes they attempt to cover up their scrubbiest ways with fine clothes and popularity. Sometimes they blatantly show their true colors.

 

It's best when you see a "scrub" to run with all you have. Listen to the wise voices around you. Heed their warnings. You're better than anything he has to offer, which isn't much. Ignore his smooth talk and oily ways. Look beyond his surface and see into his true heart. Forget what you want to see and see the reality that is often hid by rose-colored glasses.

But a scrub is checkin' me

But his game is kinda weak

And I know that he cannot approach me

Cuz I'm lookin' like class and he's lookin' like trash

Let's Talk,...

You can take a picture of something you see

In the future where will I be?

You can climb a ladder up to the sun

Or write a song nobody has sung

Or do something that's never been done

Are you lost or incomplete?

Do you feel like a puzzle, you can't find your missing piece?

Tell me how do you feel?

Well I feel like they're talking in a language I don't speak

And they're talking it to me

So you don't know were you're going, and you wanna talk

And you feel like you're going where you've been before

You tell anyone who'll listen but you feel ignored

Nothing's really making any sense at all

Let's talk,...*Talk by Coldplay

Now, let us have a little talk with Jesus.

Let us tell him all about our problems.

He will hear our faintest cry.

He will answer by and by.

...You will find a little talk with Jesus makes it right.

Haunted Dreams

“Sleep is when all the unsorted stuff comes flying out as from a dustbin upset in a high wind”

- William G. Golding

I dreamed of you again.

It is so strange to me how unprovoked you appear.

Dreams of you are always full of questions

And those questions breed more questions.

The day or two after is always the worst.

I find myself wondering if anything will ever come of it.

Then the cold reality sets in.

Squaring my shoulders, I look at the honest truth.

Insecurities fill my heart

as I realize you and I

are very similar but yet very different.

Our worlds familiar, yet we remain worlds apart.

It is what it is.

Like ships in the night sharing the same vast sea

We will continue to be.

All I ask of you is that you stopping haunting my dreams.

Classy is as Classy does,...

  A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.-Coco Chanel

  My life has always been full of classy women. I was raised watching old movies with Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, and Sophia Loren. I observed these women and how elegant their every action was. Also, I had role models in my world such as my mother, grandmothers and aunts. As well, as many women I have watched throughout the years.

I've learned the following:

• When a woman is classy, she carries herself in a confident, self-assured manner. She isn't snobby (there is a difference between classy & snobby). She knows who she is and isn't ashamed of it. She is confident that she can handle what life throws at her. Why? Because she has prepared for it. (Another sign of a classy lady.)
• When a woman is classy, she walks differently and has great posture. This goes along with the confidence point. You can tell how a woman thinks about herself by how she carries herself. Slouching shows lack of self-respect, confidence, & pride. Then there are those who carry themselves in an overly confident manner. We've all seen them. They walk as if everyone should be watching them. These women lean towards snob behaviors.
• When a woman is classy, she dresses like it. She doesn't expose herself. She respects her body and dresses it in a manner that causes others to respect it. She doesn't worry about the lastest trends in apparel, she knows what looks good and what doesn't. She isn't a crowd follower but a crowd parter. People respectful watch her.
• When a woman is classy, she is authentic. She is real. There is no fake smiles, hugs or comments. Everything is genuine, just like she is. She isn't afraid to show emotion but knows when to temper it. One of my favorite stories concerning a real-life heroine of mine, is about the time she was caught in her pajamas by a maintenance man (my grandfather). My grandfather said she was just as elegant in her oversized sleep shirt as she was in a suit. She wasn't ashamed of being authenic.She recognized it and was comfortable in the fact she was just as human as anyone else.

  Classy women are a scarcity in this day and time. We hear of women making the news because of nudity pics or affair scandals. It's hard for us to look around and see a truly classy woman to role model. I long for women to begin respecting themselves again. Because when you respect you others take note and begin to respect you in turn.