I attended a Women's Tea at a small neighborhood church. The goal? To raise funds for missionaries. A LOT of women and two small restrooms, made it an obvious choice to temporarily convert the Men's Room into a Women's.

Near the men's room, there was a group of ladies giggling like little school girls. Surely this wasn't the first time they'd seen a urinal, I thought.

I walked in and there it was. As big as Texas - a stratigically placed, celebratory arrangement of flowers! Count me in the circle of gigglers. One of the event coordinators had the wisdom to embrace the circumstance. We can't control what happens, but we can choose what we dwell on.

The urinal is a symbol of worries and fear. The flowers? A peace that comes from abiding in Jesus. My mind only has room for one. I hope the next time I'm flirting with the idea that life sometimes stinks, I quickly remember that I'm choosing the urinal. I'd much rather choose the sweet fragrance of peace.

Jesus, remind me that I have the choice of the fragrance. Jesus, be my peace. Amen.

The peace that passeth understanding guards our hearts and minds IN Christ Jesus. (Phil.4: 7)

"Raymond escaped!" announced my son from upstairs. Meet Raymond, yep, he's a turtle. I was sure my son was kidding. Seems he added water to his tank, a posh 50 gallon condo complete with ruins for ambiance, rocks, filter, thermostat, & best of all a floating deck. A deck that allows sunbathing under his UV light (AND apparently also allows him to scale the wall).

A quick calculation determined he was free 4 hrs. Several things raced through my mind as we searched under beds, in closets, behind furniture:

Be careful what you wish for...The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence...You never know what you've got until it's gone. Ah, contentment, it starts with gratitude. I don't know if Raymond learned his lesson, but he sure taught me mine. Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. ~ Winston Churchill (This photo was made AFTER we found Raymond!)

Jesus, thank you for the gift of eternal life. Amen.

"Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." Phil. 4:11

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God ... 1 Thessalonians 5:18

It's no surprise that there are a lot of dogs in the world named Shadow. If you're a dog lover, being shadowed is a feature you adore.

I sat down to prop my feet up for a moment. Just as expected, up bounced my little lap dog, Cocoa. As I sat there petting her, I thought about the sweetness that Cocoa chooses to be with me - every possible moment! She's my dog and always will be. I think she knows that. But there is something sweet about her staying focused on me. After all, she's some kind of spoiled. She has freedom. Access to any room of the house, and a doggy door (though she seems rarely tempted to go outside).

My flesh is always battling to distract me. Cocoa reminds me that staying foused on the Master is always a good choice.

Jesus, rule my heart. Jesus be my peace, my love, my words, my kindness. Jesus, be my focus. Amen.

"Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth,” Colossians 3:2.