40 Years Unto Me...40 Days Unto Others

Lent Day 1 (Day 347 of experiment)

2012-02-23T05:01:00.001-05:00

(Cliffhanger...what a great movie! Love me some Sly Stallone on the mountaintop!)

Scripture: Ps 37:1-42; Habakkuk 3:1-18; Philippians 3:12-21; John 17:1-8

Scripture standout: Ps 37: "³ Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
⁴ Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Habakkuk 3: "² LORD, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD.
Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known;"

His Deed/The Day: So maybe I mentioned this last week. I just wrapped up an interview with a really motivated young teacher from Andrew Jackson High School. Jackson has lots of challenges, but people like this teacher were working hard to turn things around. As we were walking to our cars, I asked her if she needed anything. I told her if she saw any opportunities for me to help, I was in.

She said yes.

Then she got all excited and said, yes again! Clasping her hands together she explained how she needed a 22-book classroom set of The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy. Gulp! I had hives finding the right words to express that what I was actually offering was something free — like speaking to her class. Or maybe buying pencils or copy paper. Worse yet, I might have even been attempting some sort of free ask. The worst.

I shut up and just nodded — giving myself a mental kick in the pants.

Today's deed was to begin researching how the hell I was going to find an affordable 22-book set for this deserving classroom. Amazon sells them used for $.50 a piece, with $3.99 shipping — for each book. Needless to say, I am still searching for options. That was today's deed, in addition to some low-hanging Facebook birthday fruit.

A little lesson: don't make empty offers, because someone may take you up on it. And that's fine if you're willing to make good on it! Just takes a little research and planning on the back end.

Deedsclosure: I dwell on all the junk on my to-do list each day. I constantly consider my own challenges. Sometimes, I think, "Man, I have some problems!" But so does everybody else! Who doesn't wake up each morning and groan? There are neighbors, friends, family and co-workers standing at the bottom of much bigger mountains than I face each day. Daily deeding requires taking your eyes off your own mountain and looking around to see how you can help somebody else on their climb.

Day 346 — Ash Wednesday!

2012-02-22T09:22:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe another year has gone by and it's Ash Wednesday again. And I'm glad you are considering this Lenten experiment.

For anyone just joining in, here's the low down — the skinny, the way this thing roles, the meat and potatoes. Instead of giving up chocolate, or wine (Lord, no way!!!) or Diet Coke, or whatever it is you adore, commit yourself to a little PSS.

No, not PMS..

or PTSD...

or the PTA.

PSS. Prayer. Scripture. Silence.

Aim to make daily time in your routine for a little sit down with the day's daily office, some quiet and some prayerful direction. During that prayer time, go big — be bold. Say, "God, I am ready to get to work today — YOUR work. I'm ready to be your gloves. I'm ready for you to use this bag-o-bones to help somebody else out today. Help me to forget about my own needs, because I'm sure you have me covered. Today I'm your servant. Help me be last."

Then get ready.

You won't ever enter a room or a meeting or a carpool line or a grocery store the same way again. Get settled in your front row seat to watch the good stuff that will unfold before your eyes. When your focus turns from "how I look or feel" coming into an experience to "how is God going to use me to bolster somebody else" in this experience, it's actually pretty incredible.

Incredible — but harder than you might think to execute. The me's have a strong hold — at they are deeply rooted in my experience. It's been more than a year of daily deeding, and thinking about others before I think of myself still feels unnatural. But it's a worthy exercise to try, I think. A good mantra to use is "It's not about me! It's not about me!" Or "Put me last! Put me last!" Or better yet, "Lord, use me to bless someone. Use me! Use me!" Or, the always effective, "It's 5 o'clock somewhere, Lord!" Cheers!

I'm here to tell you, this habit does not just kick in. It's takes constant, and I mean constant, reminding. And everyday still I fall into the me's — and by the end of the day, I often wondering what the hell I did for someone else during the day. Thankfully, there's always a Facebook birthday to acknowledge or Girl Scout cookies to buy or a Take-A-Penny-Share -A-Penny bowl to help fulfill the One-Deed-A-Day Challenge.

Also to note: finding time for PSS ain't easy. I gitterdun in the wee morning hours, usually before I run. If I don't, my day takes hold and it's hard to circle back. Try to make time — whether it's in the carpool line, or when you're waiting to checkout at Publix or when you're sitting at your desk planning your day. And boy howdy do I know that the quiet time is the trickiest thing of all to maneuver. But it is an important component. Maybe it's when you're walking outside to get the paper. Maybe it's 10 seconds between your last gulp of coffee and your walk to the car. Seize the quiet moments, however short they are.

One last reminder: A deed does not have to be earth-shattering, or life-changing or huge in any way. You should not pursue what you think is an A+ in deeding. You may experience some biggins. But chances are, your deeds will be small and seemingly insignificant. It may be leaving an extra $1 tip in the tips jar at the local smoothie store. It may be letting another car turn during traffic. It could be a thank you note, or an email of encouragement or a prayer for a stranger. Not sure what a deed is? Follow your gut and your heart. Through them, God gives you nudges. You'll feel encouraged to act on a thought. You'll have a nagging urge to do something you wouldn't ordinarily do. Listen to the nudges, even if they push you toward something that is way out of your comfort zone. Don't rationalize or over-engineer or study your way out of not doing it. Just do it. Even if it feels so weird or embarrassing. Even if someone gives you a dirty look. As long as it's legal, go for it! Just do it!

Still need ideas? Along the right side of the blog are some websites with good ideas for helping others. I think I called it a Tool Box. Check it out. And if you want affirmation that there are deeding angels all around us, all over the world — turn on the news. Read the newspaper. Be a news junkie like yours truly! It's not all doom and gloom in the media. There's a lot of it, to be sure. But if you look closely, you'll see examples everywhere of people stepping up with deeds large and small. Angels? I think so.

So join in! Get your PSS on and see what kinds of deeds emerge during Lent 2012. Share how it's going on this blog if you like! If it's anything like my experience last year, you'll look back and see how many blessings came your way by making a habit of daily deeding.

Now that we're through all that, let's get started.

Below is the daily "format" of the blogging. As I mentioned yesterday, most of the blogging that has occurred since last Lent has been more in the form of LOGGING. I've been logging scripture (from the Forward Day by Day, the Episcopal church's daily lectionary readings), my favie faves from that day's reading, and an account of what deed I managed to eek out. Recently, I started adding a line called "Deedsclosure," which includes some of observations about deeding that I've noticed throughout the year. Usually, I'll fill in the scripture and scripture standout in the morning as I'm having my morning quiet time, and type in the Day's Deed and Deedsclosure before bedtime. That's the way it goes down, in case anyone's curious.

Here we go...

Scripture: Ps 103; Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 or Isaiah 58:1-12; 2 Corinthians 5:20b—6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Scripture standout: Ps 103: "¹³ As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust."

2 Corinthians: " ³ We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. ⁴ Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; ⁵ in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; ⁶ in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; ⁷ in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; ⁸through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; ⁹ known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed;¹⁰ sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything."

His Deed/The Day: I let an elderly driver make a left hand turn in the Winn-Dixie parking lot when I had the right-of-way. I really felt like I'd scored big time — helping an old lady cross the street! That's the kind of stuff Boy Scouts get to do!

Just as I was about to scratch deeding off today's list, another one flew onto my radar. I called a guy back who left a message on my work voicemail. He could not have been a bigger a**. He launched in to me about how he'd been calling the office all day, and NO ONE had returned his call and blah, blah, blah, yuckity yuck yuck yuck. He wanted back issues. He wanted a reprint. Then he wanted to express his annoyance about not being called back. He called me Suzanne. Oi vey! I could feel my ears getting red, especially over the name mispronunciation.

I reminded myself this was Ash Wednesday. It's a time of forgiveness, right? Instead of getting my sass on, I said a short prayer for him. I encouraged myself to feel bad for him. All this guy wanted was the reprint of a story — about a friend of his who'd died. He and his wife (who'd helped him hang up phones as he moved from room to room in his house while letting me have it) might have been really distraught over this loss. They probably didn't have much going on if they spent 20 minutes of this beautiful Ash Wednesday harumphing at me — for something I don't handle! It felt better to consider things that way. Perhaps today's deed was not following my instinct and hanging up on him.

Deedsclosure: The best deeds come from a nudge, or a nag that says, "Just do it."

Day 345 — Fat Tuesday (back where we started!)

2012-02-21T04:52:00.002-05:00

Scripture: Ps 26, 28, 36, 39; Proverbs 30:1-4, 24-33; Philippians 3:1-11; John 18:28-38

Scripture standout: Ps 39: "⁵ You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,
even those who seem secure.^[b^]"

Proverbs 30:"³³ For as churning cream produces butter,
and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.”

John 18: "³⁷ “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

His Deed/The Day: We're back where we started a year ago or more today! Last year, I decided to try doing one prayerfully-inspired good deed a day for Lent. I held on to my chocolate and coffee and other vices, but began the practice of daily prayer, scripture reading and silence to prepare my heart for opportunities to be God's hands that day.

It was so fun, I kept it up for the rest of the year — with a goal of 400 days unto others, instead of 40. For the duration of Lent and this experiment, I'll try to be better about actually blogging vs. just logging deeds and scripture. I've been keeping track as a way to hold myself personally accountable, but also as a way to go back and see what deeds actually transpired each day. Research and data, I feel, are important...but not necessarily fun to read. I'll try to be better about being a fun blogger.

Today's deed was, I guess, cleaning up after the pancake supper at church instead of bolting home to bed — which is what I would have rather done. It was a group effort, and I played a teeny tiny role, but perhaps many hands do make light work and it helped someone else get home earlier than they expected.

Deedsclosure: Tangible gratitude or verbal thanks rarely follows a deed done.

Day 344

2012-02-20T10:07:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 25, 9,15; Proverbs 27:1-6, 10-12; Philippians 2:1-13; John 18: 15-18, 25-27

Scripture standout: My favie fave of all time Psalm:
^{Ps 25: 4} Show me your ways, LORD,
   teach me your paths.
⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me,
   for you are God my Savior,
   and my hope is in you all day long.

Phillippians 2: "³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

His Deed/The Day: Hit deeding pay dirt today at the Ft. Sumpter museum! Held a door — for a blind person. Oh yeah!

Deedsclosure: Crowds and public places are the best places to deed. Donations are the easiest way to deed. Facebook the laziest, but not altogether worst.

Day 343

2012-02-19T17:49:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 50:1-6; 2 Kings 2:1-12; 2 Corinthians 4:3-6

Scripture standout: A goodie from Biblegateway today:
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” 1 John 4:11-12 NIV

2 Corinthians: ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ."

His Deed/The Day: Held lots of doors at the tour today

Deedsclosure: Deeding requires an almost constant self-reminding that I am God's servant in every instant. That is hard to do. Every time I walk into a room, it's not "what's going to happen to me next" but "how is God going to use me here." Once that is clear, the next steps become very exciting! It's like watching a great movie unfold! But it is not easy to be in this constant state of servitude.

Day 342

2012-02-18T21:44:00.002-05:00

Scripture: Ps 107:33-43; Ps 108:1-6; Ps 33; Genesis 35:1-20; 1 John 3:11-18; John 11:1-18

Scripture standout: Ps 33: "⁴ For the word of the LORD is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
⁵ The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love."

1 John 3: "¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

His Deed/The Day: Picked up the dinner tab and the tickets for today's adventure to Charleston with Grandaddy and Ben. Gotta jump for opportunities when there's another giver in the house! Graandaddy was quick on the draw with the hotel expenses and just about everything else.

Here's a thought: Lent starts next week. Hard to believe this little deeding experiment launched a year ago with Lent 2011. I'm thinking I might share a deeding observation each day as a way to wrap things up. Heck, maybe I'll start tonight. Here goes:

Deedsclosure: The act of deeding feels unnatural, even after more than 300 practiced days of it — but deeding always, every single GD time, yields a supernatural feeling of joy. Talk amongst yourselves.

Day 341

2012-02-17T11:51:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 102, Ps 107:1-32; Genesis 32:22—33:17; 1 John 3:1-10; John 10: 31-42

Scripture standout: Ps 107: "²¹ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind."

1 John 3: "¹ See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! "

His Deed/The Day: I opened my big fat mouth! Following a teacher interview for the Teachable Moments series, I told the interviewee to please tell me or Cyd if she needed anything. What I meant was, if she needed anything in the way of a class speaker, or the likes. She said, "Yes! I need a new book series!!!" She started to describe a volume of books she needed...she was so excited, I could hardly re-explain myself! So, I guess I'll be hearing more about that deed...

Day 340

2012-02-16T07:46:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 105:1-45; Genesis 32:3-21; 1 John 2:18-29; John 10:19-30

Scripture standout: Thought this was interesting that today's reading from Biblegateway was on the topic of tonight's interfaith forum: love and compassion:
“[More on Love and Hatred] For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” 1 John 3:11

John 10: " ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all^[b]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

His Deed/The Day: Helped host the interfaith forum at church! It was really, really great — better than expected. Like the scripture above, there was lots of "one-ness" going on.

Actually, there was a beautiful moment, too.

The panel discussion was addressing same-sex marriages. And the Imam was sharing his insights — which were fascinating. When he finished, a creeper in the back of the church started shouting questions at him — about how Muslim leaders like to fondle little boys, or something psycho sicko like that. Then he mouthed off again. That's when one of our bigger, more scary looking parishioners got in his ear and told him to shut the !@$% up or he was on his way out the door. Thank God for him!

So I was sitting there in the front row cringing. What a !@#$, I thought, for being so rude and crazy! But the most incredible thing happened. God was definitely right there in our midst. The panelists' ensuing responses were full of love and explanation — from Christian perspectives to Jewish. They talked personally about compassion. It was stirring.

After the forum, the yay-hoo in the back row told the moderator that he felt he should apologize for his outburst, but he wasn't going to. Ugggh, was my next thought. But again, God was present. The Yay-hoo went to the reception, where he was greeted kindly by guests. He took a gulp of red wine and asked if the panelists were going to be there at the reception. I was freaking!!!!! (still not 100 percent that God had his eye on this guy!) When the Imam came into the reception with his beautiful wife and daughter, I saw Yay-hoo make a beeline for him. I bristled. And you know what Yay-hoo did? He APOLOGIZED to the Imam. He thanked the Imam for sharing his thoughts. He did the same thing to the Mormon. Then he left.

And that was that. God was present — we were one.

Day 339

2012-02-15T06:02:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 101, 109:1-4; Ps 119:121-144; Genesis 31:25-50; 1 John 2:12-17; John 10:1-18

Scripture standout: 1 John 10: "¹⁵ Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father^[a] is not in them. ¹⁶ For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever."

John 10: "¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd."

His Deed/The Day: I was going to say all I did was work and sleep today, but I did manage the deed of wrapping up planning for our church's interfaith forum Thursday night. It's not hard to plan, but definitely requires some furious emailing. Done. Now let's see if anyone comes!

Day 338

2012-02-14T06:16:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 97, 99; Genesis 31:1-24; 1 John 2:1-11; John 9:18-41

Scripture standout: 1 John 2: "⁹ Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister^[b] is still in the darkness. ¹⁰ Anyone who loves their brother and sister^[c] lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. ¹¹ But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them."

John 9: "²⁵ He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

His Deed/The Day: Just a Valentine delivery today, and following through on actually getting in-motion deeds done.

Day 337

2012-02-13T07:32:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 89:1-52; Genesis 30:1-24; 1 John 1:1-10; John 9:1-17

Scripture standout: 1 John 1: "⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all^[b] sin."

John 9: "⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam”(this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing."

His Deed/The Day: I have to share about two angel experiences during the race yesterday — which, btw, was cold to the bone but a wonderful experience. I think probably due to the cold weather, the crowd support was a little thinner than usual this year. Which isn't to say there wasn't any, but it wasn't exuberant as year's past. Maybe that was good because it made three angels stand out a little brighter. The first was this random guy on the side of the course who said, "It's OK to walk a little." That was reassuring, because I was thinking the same thing. I was getting hungry and wanted to rip into my energy beans. Here's when the second angel arrived. It was so dang cold outside, and my hands were so frozen, I could not use my fine motor skills. Much less, I had gloves on. To my horror, I realized there was no way I could get into my bag of beans. Try as I might, I could not open the freaking bag. I thought I might cry. About that time, I saw three people cheering outside of their house. I told them how silly this was, but I could not open my bag of beans. They were so helpful! They pried those things open and sent me on my way. I needed that. The last angel appeared after I crossed the finish line. Originally, I passed on getting one of those foil blankets because I had actually warmed up by that point. But as I was walking toward the post-race area, this sweet old man with kind eyes said, "Here, let me put this on you. And he took a foil blanket, snapped it open and put it gently over my shoulders. Then his arthritic hands took the ends and fashioned a tie in the front — I looked like superman. Our eyes met, and I could see how tender he was, how important what he was doing was. He was not in a hurry. He was not looking around for the next runner to help. We had a moment.

Today's deed was bringing another "pick me up kit" to a friend recuperating from a big surgery.

Day 336

2012-02-12T04:41:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 30; 2 Kings 5:1-14; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Mark 1: 40-45

Scripture standout: 1 Corinthians 9: "²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷ No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

His Deed/The Day: What a gift! I'm on my way out the door for the big marathon. I was hoping for some spiritual inspiration before I left — then this in the daily reading. Thank you God! It's just the pick-me-up I needed! Especially on this FREEZING marathon morning!
The real gift today was the deed of running for all the women out there who fight breast cancer each day...

Day 335

2012-02-11T07:30:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 87, 90, 136; Genesis 29:1-20; Romans 14:1-23; John 8:47-59

Scripture standout: Ps 90: "¹³ Relent, LORD! How long will it be?
   Have compassion on your servants.
¹⁴ Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
   that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
¹⁵ Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
   for as many years as we have seen trouble.
¹⁶ May your deeds be shown to your servants,
   your splendor to their children."

Romans 14: "⁴ Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand... ¹³ Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister."

His Deed/The Day: I followed through on the difficult task from earlier this week of buying a bracelet from the sweet little girl trying to raise awareness of bullying. Whew!!! That wasn't easy! But the check's in the mail. A neighbor sent a request asking for a few bucks for March of Dimes. Done. Didn't even put that envelope in the stack....just rummaged through my purse for a few extra dollars and licked it shut. Done. I got some Valentine's in the mail — everyone likes getting a little love in the mail! I'm trying to stock up on some deeds because no telling what tomorrow will look like. RB and I are going the distance — doing the big 26.2 Breast Cancer Marathon. I might be on my a**! tomorrow! And that could very well prevent me from deeding. Although, I am running for a friend who I respect very much — she's recuperating from breast cancer. This race is hers.

Before I forget, let me jot down a deeding dont. Don't be that person who blabs on and on about what's going on in life — without asking the asker what's going on in theirs. That is so non-deedly. Geez. That is a deed in itself. Never forget to ask — what's going on with you, what's the big news with you today?

Day 334

2012-02-10T07:21:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 88, 91, 92; Genesis 27:46—28:4, 10-22; Romans 13:1-14; John 8:33-47

Scripture standout: Ps 91: "⁴ For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD;
I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
⁵ How great are your works, LORD,
how profound your thoughts! "

Romans 13: "¹⁰ Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

His Deed/The Day: Don't you hate seeing pedestrians stuck in the middle of a road, waiting for an opportunity to risk their life and run to the other side? If you're not going to cause an accident yourself, why not stop for them. Riverside Avenue is a great place to do that — had an opportunity to do that on this day. Easy deed.

Day 333

2012-02-09T06:50:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 146; Genesis 27:30-45; Romans 12:9-21; John 8:21-32

Scripture standout: Romans 12: "⁹ Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[a] Do not be conceited.

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[b] says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”^[c]

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

His Deed/The Day: This was a sucky day. Last week, I applied for a job for the first time in a long time. I only did it because I felt like my strengths matched the job requirements in every way. The benefits were enticing, and would help curb the costs of a Bolles education for our kids. Friends who knew the hire-er called on my behalf. The interview went beautifully — I received flattering feedback. I spent the past week feeling like I was "in." Then the curt email — he had chosen another candidate. A former Times-Union writer/editor. Soooo sorry.

Ughhh! I was so confused and angry at first! Even though I was not sure I wanted to put myself into an 8-5 job at this point in my life, I wanted to choose! If I was going to put myself out there, I wanted positive results! And this guy — the chosen candidate — geesh! I know him! And let me tell you something, he is not all that! (I screamed to myself) Typical, over-degreed, one-tracked, daily paper lifer who is a lot more socially awkward than I and surely can't look cute in a twin set and pearls. (I cried) But at the same time, I was also nervous about leaving the flexible, secure cocoon that I've made for myself as editor of two newspapers. I knew how much I'd miss working from my house and answering to no one but myself.

I knew there was only one thing I could do. Be thankful. I spent a tearful afternoon thanking God for everything he has given me — especially through the job I have now. At the end of the day, I am fortunate to have a job, much less one I love. The Chosen was out of work for nine months. He needed it — to support his family. And maybe I had no business needing a job that would take me further away from mine.

So, today's deed was sending some congratulatory cookies to a cousin in Texas who just had a rockin' movie premiere yesterday. She's helped launch a very successful film. I am proud of her, and made sure she knew it.

Day 332

2012-02-08T06:09:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 119:97-120; Ps 81, 82; Genesis 27:1-29; Romans 12:1-8; John 8:12-20

Scripture standout: Romans 12: "² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

John 8: "¹² When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

His Deed/The Day: I got a message that my aunt's mom was not doing well, that it was "that time." I don't know what kind of deed this was, but I took a minute to really remember her. Dorthea was a small town grandma who baked everyone's special cakes — wedding cakes, birthday cakes, anniversary cakes, whatever the occasion. She inserted one dime into each cake's batter, so there was always one lucky guest who got a surprising mouthful. Her kitchen was always in disarray, but it was warm and smelled like roasted chicken and celery every time I ever went in it. She let her guests gather in the living room after eating around her dinner table — while she cleaned up, laughing while she worked. I once heard Dorthea sat on a sewing needle long, long ago. A doctor found it recently during an X-ray. She had no idea it was there! Dorthea always had a loyal dog and a grapefruit tree in her side yard — just off the shady wrap around porch of her old home. Dorthea died yesterday. But that little exercise helped cement her memory in my mind.

Day 331

2012-02-07T04:49:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 78:1-39; Genesis 26:1-6, 12-33; Hebrews 13:17-25; John 7:53—8:11

Scripture standout: Hebrews 13: " ²⁰ Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, ²¹ equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

John 7: "⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

His Deed/The Day: I attempted to deed a little girl I did not know, but it this deed is still "in progress." Since I am a news junkie, I read on a local TV station website that a little girl in Orange Park was fighting back against bullying by making and selling bracelets. She had been the victim of a bully at her school in OakLeaf Plantation. Some mean kid or kids called her Toucan Sam because she has a more pronounced nose. She stood up to them and now is making these bracelets as a way to remind the wearer that beauty is only found on the inside. What a tough girl! So I tried to buy one of her bracelets. Trouble is, her business model is, well, let's just say it's not super easy to just support her thing and move on. There has been quite a bit of messaging back and forth. At some point, I hope to have her address so i can purchase a $5 bracelet. We shall see. But I think it is important in deeding to at least take the step toward actually doing the thing you think might be a good idea. With this, it would have been very easy to just read the story without clicking the hot links to her Facebook page.

Day 330

2012-02-06T04:53:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 80, 77; Genesis 25:19-34; Hebrews 13:1-16; John 7:37-52

Scripture standout: Ps 77: "¹¹ I will remember the deeds of the LORD;

yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
¹² I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

(Some personal favorites): Hebrews 13: "¹ Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. ² Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it."

Hebrews 13: "⁵ Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have,"

Hebrews 13: "¹⁶ And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

His Deed/The Day: I don't think it went to the right phone number, but texted someone today on what a good job they do.

Day 329

2012-02-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 147:1-12, 21c; Isaiah 40:21-31; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39

Scripture standout: Isaiah 40: "²⁸ Do you not know?
   Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
   and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
   and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint."

His Deed/The Day: So I'll cheat and share yesterday's deed as today's. Being that it's Super Bowl Sunday, I will likely be deeding no one but myself with some Velveeta cheese and commercial watching!

I have been working on the Teachable Moments series in the Times-Union with a lovely journalist at the public radio station, WJCT. We started doing our teacher interviews together in the studio about a month ago, and it's been super fun. She's a little older than I am, with kids who are out of the house and out of college. But still, we connect personally I think. When I went over on Friday night, it was a little chilly — I grabbed this big, awesome, stretchy, jersey scarf that provides the ultimate in wrap-up coziness. When I got to the studio, it was one of the first things NPR Buddy noticed. She admired it. She touched it, I could just see that she was trying to figure out how where to find one for herself. And I understand that — I'm telling you, if you're a cold-natured person like myself, you're always looking for something you can tuck in your purse and flog out when the air conditioning's blasting or you're sitting under a vent, or it's just plain chilly out. It's a gem of a piece!

I remembered that I had two of these scarves. And the other one was deep in the scarf pile — I never wore it. So I made note of NPR Buddy's interest. The next day I unearthed scarf two, folded it nicely, tied a bow around it and wrote NPR Buddy a little letter. I explained to hear that I never wore the scarf because it was actually meant for her. I apologized that there were four small holes at the bottom of one side, where I had removed an annoying tag. Woops! I got in the car and drove it to the station, and left it on the receptionist's chair.

Another thing I've learned about deeding. Follow through is a must. It's one thing to hear the idea and decide to do it. It's another to do it. Don't let your deeds pile up, or they become a chore. Just a thought...

Day 328

2012-02-04T09:03:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 75, 76, 23, 27; Genesis 24:28-38, 49-51; Hebrews 12:12-29; John 7: 14-36

Scripture standout: P 27: ¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?"

Hebrews 12: "²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, ²⁹ for our “God is a consuming fire.”^[e^]"

His Deed/The Day: This deeding is on a role with the Camelia bush!!! I saw on Facebook this morning that our neighbor's daughter is having her dance recital this weekend. Hello Camelia bush! Hello scissors and ribbon! It's never to early for a morning "break a leg!"

Day 327

2012-02-03T06:35:00.003-05:00

Scripture: Ps 69:1-38; Ps 73; Genesis 24:1-27; Hebrews 12:3-11; John 7:1-3

Scripture standout: Ps 69: "¹ Save me, O God,
   for the waters have come up to my neck.
² I sink in the miry depths,
   where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
   the floods engulf me.
³ I am worn out calling for help;
   my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,
   looking for my God."

Ps 73: "²³ Yet I am always with you;
   you hold me by my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
   and afterward you will take me into glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
   And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
   but God is the strength of my heart    and my portion forever."

Hebrews 12: "⁷ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? ⁸ If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. ⁹ Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! ¹⁰ They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

His Deed/The Day: I remember well the days when that first Psalms resonated deeply in me. When the children were 2 and under, 3 and under — I felt mired in a place with no foothold. I was tired, hormonal, annoyed because it was difficult to communicate, I felt off — and desperate sometimes. While those early years with kids is beautiful in many ways, I can tell you there were dark times, too. I read these Psalms and thought, "that's how I feel! Lord, help me!!!!" And he did every time....sending his peace and rest. I always felt spoken to in those instances. Lord, is there a mother of young kiddos I can help deed today?

OK...so far...haven't helped any moms of youngins. But I did help babysitters of moms of youngins? There were two awesome pop-ins from friends/sitters who came by with their little people for a visit — or to use the potty.

I was had again by the Camillia bush in the backyard. As I was running back inside the house for the second time this morning — forgetting some paperwork I promised to leave in the mailbox for a friend — I noticed the bush. My mind said, "instead of just clipping those papers to the mailbox, why don't you pick one of those beautiful Camillias and clip it on there, too!" I relented, because I'm learning to not ignore those little nudges. Sidestepping dog poop, I ran to the bush and lopped off a pretty flower — then placed it carefully in the clothespin on our mailbox.

Would you know I got a message from the friend who was picking up the papers? She said something to the effect of this, "I'm not a religious person, but I have faith. And I think God put you in my life at this time for a reason. Thank you so much for the flower, it made my day." I cried!!!!

Day 326

2012-02-02T06:11:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 84; Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2: 22-40

Scripture standout: Hebrews 2: "¹⁷ For this reason he had to be made like them,^[a] fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."

His Deed/The Day: Was dragging all day from a family deed done the night before, does that count? We had a birthday dinner for some older family members. It was late, late night...there was "animated debate" during dinner, there was little shared thanks. Exhausting, thoroughly. But hopefully, two people felt loved and appreciated on their birthdays. Hopefully.

Day 325

2012-02-01T06:16:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 72, 119:73-96; Genesis 22:1-18; Hebrews 11:23-31; John 6:52-59

Scripture standout: Genesis 22: "¹¹ But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied."

John 6: "⁵⁸This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

His Deed/The Day: I think one of the important things I've learned from nearly 400 days of daily deeding is that it starts with fleeting thoughts. Little, seemingly insignificant thoughts zip in and out of my head constantly throughout the day. I think the blessing happens when I hear the thought, grab it and do it. Here's an example. This morning I was packing lunches, answering questions, helping kids gather homework, schlepping laundry — lots of thoughts swirling. As I kept passing our kitchen window, I kept noticing our two beautiful Camelia bushes outside in the backyard. They are the only beautiful things out there these days — our grass is dead and there's dog poop everywhere, and leaves, but our Camelia bushes look gorgeous. A particularly squeaky thought screeched through my brain: you could cut a few of those suckers, put them in a glass and give them to someone who'd appreciate them — you could give it to Mrs. Denise at school. And instead of moving with the flow, I did it. I grabbed scissors off my desk, marched outside, trimmed a few flowers, found a glass and through it all in the car for the ride to school.

(Mrs. Denise, btw, is the school "everything." She sits at the front desk, welcomes everyone in, calls parents for sick children, knows everyone by name and that's just the start of the list. In a word, she's awesome) I went up to Mrs. Denise desk and put the flowers down. Since I had something for Ben in my other hand, she asked, "Are those flowers for Mrs. Wood?" As if she was already making note on how she was going to get those flowers to the right person. I said, "No, thery're for you!" She looked genuninely pleased. She said it made her day. Thank you fleeting, squeaky thought!

Day 324

2012-01-31T04:57:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 61, 62, 68: 1-36; Genesis 21:1-21; Hebrews 11:13-22; John 6:41-51

Scripture standout: Ps 61: "² From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

Gen 62: "⁹ Surely the lowborn are but a breath,
the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath."

John 6: "⁴³ “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. ⁴⁴ “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God."

His Deed/The Day: A little "get better soon" care package for a friend...

Day 323

2012-01-30T04:52:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 56, 57, 64, 65; Genesis 19:1-29; Hebrews 11: 1-12; John 6:27-40

Scripture standout: Ps 65: " ⁵ You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,
   God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
   and of the farthest seas,
⁶ who formed the mountains by your power,
   having armed yourself with strength,
⁷ who stilled the roaring of the seas,
   the roaring of their waves,
   and the turmoil of the nations.
⁸ The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
   where morning dawns, where evening fades,
   you call forth songs of joy."

John 6: "³⁵ Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ³⁶ But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. ³⁷ All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”"

His Deed/The Day: A hearty congratulations to a friend who made major progress in a big project.

And on a weird note, RB and I likely deeded a strung out gal we met up with our on Monday morning run. It was pretty scary, actually. As we were going our separate ways, this nasty old pervo white van stops and parks right next to us. The girl driving tells us she just wants to get home. She said she'd been abducted, and "they" wouldn't let her go for four days. She asked for directions to Atlantic Boulevard. Then repeated all her questions again. Being that it was a highly weird situation — potentially dangerous — we gave her directions to Atlantic Boulevard and kept stepping back. Maybe, hopefully, that's all she needed to get home. Maybe deeding isn't always heartwarming. Maybe it's scary sometimes. Regardless...running with a phone now, at least I will if I can remove all the gummy fruits from the inside of my pouch that have been there since lending it to the kids.

Day 322

2012-01-29T08:41:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 111; Deuteronomy 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Mark 1:21-28

Scripture standout: A favie fave...LOVE this one, it was the quote of the day on Biblegateway. Possibly this is the foundation of this little experiment:

Mark 9:35: “Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.””

Ps. 111: "² Great are the works of the LORD;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.
³ Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever."

His Deed/The Day: Sometimes, during those rare church experiences where I can actually focus (i.e., when the kids are acolyting, or it's just me flying solo) I instead zone out into some mystical quiet land where thoughts just zip in and out of my mind. I stare at what people are wearing, I wonder if so-and-so is there, I think about what I'm doing the rest of the day, I ponder whose child is screaming in the back of the church. Today's deed was to focus on praying with the congregation and for the special needs of the church and for those facing challenges. It felt good to be there doing what I was supposed to do.

Day 321

2012-01-28T07:41:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 55, 138, 139:1-23; Genesis 18: 1-16; Hebrews 10:26-39; John 6:16-27

Scripture standout: Ps 55: "But as for me, I trust in you."

Ps 138: "¹ You have searched me, LORD,

   and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
   you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
   you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
   you, LORD, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
   and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
   too lofty for me to attain.

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
   How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
   they would outnumber the grains of sand—
   when I awake, I am still with you."

John 6: "²⁶ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. ²⁷ Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you."

His Deed/The Day: Checked in with a friend facing a health challenge.

Day 320

2012-01-27T04:56:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 40, 54, 51; Genesis 17:15-27; Hebrews 10:11-25; John 6:1-15

Scripture standout: Ps 40: "⁵ Many, LORD my God,
   are the wonders you have done,
   the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
   were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
   they would be too many to declare."

Hebrews 10: "²³ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,"

John 6: "⁸ Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ⁹“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there).¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish."

His Deed/The Day: I'll take it! Helped two friends who needed a place for their kids to land.

Day 319

2012-01-26T06:13:00.002-05:00

Scripture: Ps 50, 118; Genesis 16:15—17:14; Hebrews 10:1-10; John 5:30-47

Scripture standout:
Ps 118: ¹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever."

John 5: ³⁰ By myself I can do nothing;"

A good one from today's Biblegateway:
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10 NIV

His Deed/The Day: $1 tip in the Smoothie King tip jar and more birthday fun for a friend.

Day 318

2012-01-25T05:01:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 67; Acts 26:9-21; Galatians 1: 11-24; Matthew 10:16-22

Scripture standout: Acts 26: "¹⁶ ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me."

Matthew 10: 19"do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, ²⁰ for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."

His Deed/The Day: Another little birthday funny for RB...who is turning 40 Friday, btw! Blazin' trails she is...Happy birthday wishes also went out to my father-in-law, who is totally blazin' trails by turning 94 years old.

Day 317

2012-01-24T06:07:00.002-05:00

Scripture: Ps 45, 47, 48; Genesis 15:1-11, 17-21; Hebrews 9:1-14; John 5: 1-18

Scripture standout: Ps 48: "¹⁴ For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end."

Hebrews 9: "¹³ The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. ¹⁴ How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,^[c] so that we may serve the living God!"

John 5: "¹⁷ In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” ¹⁸ For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God."

His Deed/The Day: Our priest's mother died last week. Thank goodness for the extra Terry's Kitchen casserole in the freezer and the notepad by my desk. It made me wonder, do parishioners take care of the priest during a time of need like this — just like her or she takes care of parishioners? I hope so.

Today I also did a deed that ticked me off. I have a kind-of-friend, who asks for help with her child every single GD time she calls, texts or emails me. Anyone have a KOF like that? She asked if I could help this week. I wanted to say no, but frankly the ask is so manageable and her child is so sweet that I just can't. But the anger persists. David said to consider it charity work — which I did. After a morning of grumbling, it helped.

Day 316

2012-01-23T06:19:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 41, 52, 44; Genesis 14:1-24; Hebrews 8:1-13; John 4:43-54

Scripture standout: Ps 41: "¹ Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;
the LORD delivers them in times of trouble.
² The LORD protects and preserves them—
they are counted among the blessed in the land— "

His Deed/The Day: So, I was typing away this morning — and burned two pieces of toast so badly, that they caught on fire in the toaster oven. The house smells TERRIBLE. It smells like the smoking section of a raunchy bar. Yuck. It was nice to get out for awhile today. RB and I finished our last long run — 22 miles! For RB, at least. My foot started acting up at mile 16, so I had to walk some. But whatever...that big training deed is done, done DONE!

I was a little worried about seeking out a deed tonight at Walgreens, where I was buying arch supports and Aleve. Luckily, the guy behind the counter asked if I wanted to donate $1 to the American Cancer Society. Considering how my house smells, I thought it was a timely give. Done.

Day 315

2012-01-22T09:48:00.002-05:00

Scripture: Ps 62:6-14; Jonah 3:1-5, 10; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20

Scripture standout: Ps 62: "⁹ Surely the lowborn are but a breath,
the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
together they are only a breath."

I Corinthians 7: "²⁹ What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; ³⁰ those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; ³¹ those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away."

His Deed/The Day: Relying on my job for the deed today. OK, my jobs. First, I fulfilled a mom duty by watching a long, but very cute play produced by the children. Second, gave the new intern some writing feedback. Let's be honest. I stayed out too late Saturday night. I was not on prime deeding function mode.

Day 314

2012-01-22T09:44:00.004-05:00

Scripture:

Scripture standout:

His Deed/The Day: Birthday surprises and fun for a loved gal!

Day 313

2012-01-20T06:20:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 31, 35; Genesis 11:27-12:8; Hebrews 7:1-17; John 4:16-26

Scripture standout: Ps 31: "¹⁴ But I trust in you, LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵ My times are in your hands;"

And another favie fave from the Biblegateway QoTD:

“[Trials and Temptations] Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:2-3 NIV

His Deed/The Day: Ah, deed done before the kids wake up — now that's my kind of deeding day. I'd heard about a friend — not a good friend, but a nice person who's a friend of a friend — is starting a new nonprofit venture in Jacksonville. I hadn't gotten details about it, and all I knew was something that was shared with me in a passing conversation. I do know it's launching on Saturday, whatever it is. So, this morning I fired off a quick email wishing her and the new venture well — and that one day soon I wanted to hear more about it.

Day 312

2012-01-19T04:51:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 37:1-42; Genesis 11: 1-9; Hebrews 6:13-20; John 4:1-15

Scripture standout: Ps 37: "²³ The LORD makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
²⁴ though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand."

John 4: "¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

His Deed/The Day: Oh geez. Today my deed was to listen. Political season is heating up. And oh how. A co-worker enjoys ranting on this topic. Since the only thing a ranter wants is to be heard, I decided the day's deed would be to listen, and nod and look interested.

Day 311

2012-01-18T06:18:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 23; Acts 4:8-13; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Matthew 16:13-19

Scripture standout: 1 Peter 5: "² Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;"

Ps 23: "¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

² He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³ he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
   for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
   through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
   for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
   forever."

His Deed/The Day: Ah, sweet relief — no deeding panic for today. I just heard a friend's son is going to perform in church this month. How great! I took the thought a step further, and shared that with his mother to share with him. Not a big deal, but who doesn't like to be congratulated?

Day 310

2012-01-17T04:56:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 26, 28, 36, 39; Genesis 9:1-17; Hebrews 5: 7-14; John 3:16-21

Scripture standout: ps 26: "¹² My feet stand on level ground;
in the great congregation I will praise the LORD."

John 3: "¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

His Deed/The Day: I feel like I'm going through a deeding dry period. Today, I'm looking for some of that yummy "low-hanging fruit!" The kind of deeds that jump out or into my conscience and scream, "Do me!!!!"

Well, at least there was some low-hanging fruit with a good friend who has a birthday coming up — and another going through a healthcare challenge. A note for one and a treat for the other was easy, and fun. But later that night, after a meeting, when a colleague broke into tears over a situation and I stood there like a freak ignoring my inner pleas to hug her or "do something won't you!!!", I failed to pick the low-hanging fruit. Why is it still so hard to break out of that comfort zone?

Day 309

2012-01-16T14:00:00.003-05:00

Scripture: Ps 25, 9, 15; Genesis 8:6-22; Hebrews 4:14—5:6; John 2:23—3:15

Scripture standout: (one of my all-time favie faves) Ps 25: "⁴ Lord, show me your ways.
      Teach me how to follow you.
⁵ Guide me in your truth. Teach me.
      You are God my Savior.
      I put my hope in you all day long."

His Deed/The Day: An observation: Most of the time, I think we have very little perspective on the glorious wonderful things God does for us in our lives. Life gets too busy and cloudy to catch a good view. But sometimes, you can see the steps — very clearly. And it's pretty cool how God connects people to accomplish exciting things through each of us.

A little example: I've always wanted to write, at least something, for the daily newspaper. I've been fortunate to have accumulated a nice portfolio of work through my many years at The Business Journal of Jacksonville and Austin, and now at The Resident. But through my friend, RB, I became acquainted with the Community Foundation of Jacksonville's Philanthropic Initiative. Our group just so happened to be interested in bettering education in Jacksonville by highlighting best practices by local teachers. Just so happened the Times-Union would be a media partner. Then they tapped me to write them! The project is successful and rallies interest, makes people feel good. And now the Times-Union is offering me a freelance gig — paid! What if I'd never met RB? (Well, insert here that things would be very different because our lives are completely intertwined between our children's friendships, our husbands and our own...but that's another story)

Another example: Yesterday, my trio met to make music. One of us is having a little healthcare need tended to. We rallied around her...gifts galore. Fun! But even more fun was reminiscing about how our connection five years ago was "a God thing." Our violin/violist (Let's call her G-String 2) ran into the G-String 1's husband at a cocktail party. She told him she played the violin, and maybe his wife would enjoy getting together. He took her name tag and shared it with G String 1. Enter me, G-String 3, who ran into G-String 1 at the park. I said, "maybe we could get togheter and play sometime." The trio was formed, and we've been enjoying each other's friendship ever since.

Deed for today...being part of an audience. By the end of MLK Day holiday, I was much more interested in sitting down with the family instead of rushing off to a concert by the Ritz Chamber players at our church. No one would miss me, I thought! But I think a deed is definitely showing support in an audience, and I was low on a deed. So I grabbed Marley and went...glad we did!

Day 308

2012-01-15T08:48:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 139; 1 Samuel 3:1-20; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; John 1:43-51

Scripture standout: PS 139: ²³ God, see what is in my heart.
      Know what is there.
   Put me to the test.
      Know what I'm thinking.
²⁴ See if there's anything in my life you don't like.
      Help me live in the way that is always right."

1 Samuel 3: "¹⁰ The Lord came and stood there. He called out, just as he had done the other times. He said, "Samuel! Samuel!"

Then Samuel replied, "Speak. I'm listening."

²⁰ Christ has paid the price for you. So use your bodies in a way that honors God.

1 Corinthians 6: "

⁴³ The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me."

John 1: "

His Deed/The Day: A big thank you...email style, but what the heck...to my thoughtful aunt and uncle! They sent a lovely post-Christmas box of fruit from south Texas.

Day 307

2012-01-14T14:15:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 20, 116, 117; Genesis 6:9-22; Hebrews 4:1-13; John 2:13-22

Scripture standout: Hebrews 4: "¹³ Nothing God created is hidden from him. His eyes see everything. He will hold us accountable for everything we do."

His Deed/The Day: A person who is close to me got a yucky diagnosis recently. Another test occurred yesterday with dismal results. I received a text sharing the news and I responded with the first thing that came to my mind: "Dang." Somewhere down my path, the scripture passage that says "mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice" (I'm probably butchering it, but you get the reference) has really stuck. When someone is sad, guess what a friend's response should be? To be sad with them! Happy about something? Well, good friends are happy right by your side. The pragmatic approaches and planning and questions — they come later. But in those really really blissful moments and those really, really painful periods, the best deed ever is a friend who shares in it.

Day 306

2012-01-13T04:59:00.002-05:00

Scripture: Ps 16, 17, 22; Genesis 6:1-8; Hebrews 3:12-19; John 2:1-12

Scripture standout: Ps 16: "⁵ Lord, everything you have given me is good.
You have made my life secure. "

Hebrews 2: 12 "Do not let an unbelieving heart turn you away from the living God. ¹³ But build one another up every day."

John 2: "They did what he said. ⁹ The person in charge tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He didn't realize where it had come from. But the servants who had brought the water knew.

Then the person in charge called the groom to one side. ¹⁰ He said to him, "Everyone brings out the best wine first. They bring out the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink. But you have saved the best until now."

His Deed/The Day: Anybody tried to back out of a parking place on Park Street or Riverside Avenue? It's a tough proposition! The other day I must have waited 10 minutes in reverse, foot on the brake, head contorted to get a view of oncoming traffic — to back out of a place. It's no easy task! Today, a little old lady was trying to do the same thing onto Riverside Avenue. That's not much easier. On a busy, less thought-full day, I would have blown past feeling fortunate it wasn't me...Today, I stopped, waited while she pulled out and didn't freak that I missed the light and had to wait another few minutes.

Day 305

2012-01-12T06:29:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 18:1-50; Genesis 4:17-26; Hebrews 3:1-11; John 1:43-51

Scripture standout: Hebrews 3: "⁴ Every house is built by someone. But God is the builder of everything."

Ps 18: "²⁸ Lord, you keep the lamp of my life burning brightly.
You are my God. You bring light into my darkness."

His Deed/The Day: Checked in with two friends who are trying to get to the bottom of health troubles.

Day 304

2012-01-11T08:31:00.002-05:00

Scripture: Ps 119:1-24; Ps 12, 13, 14; Genesis 4:1-16; Hebrews 2:11-18; John 1:29-42

Scripture standout: Ps 119: "¹² Lord, I give praise to you.
Teach me your orders.:

Ps 12: "⁵ The Lord says, "The weak are beaten down.
      Those who are in need groan.
   So I will stand up to help them.
      I will keep them safe from those who tell lies about them."
⁶ The words of the Lord are perfect.
      They are like silver made pure in a clay furnace.
      They are like silver made pure seven times over.
⁷ Lord, you will keep us safe."

His Deed/The Day: Today, I told two friends I am thankful for their friendship and how grateful I am they're alive and uninjured. These lifelong friends were driving to dinner last night and ended up in a horrible accident. A description of the incident is below. I can't help but notice how swiftly and gently God sent his angels to protect them. Truly, it is a tangible glimpse of God's provision and protection. Anyone who doesn't believe in angels is just not seeing things clearly:

Friends and Family,

Many of you are already aware that the kids and I were in a nasty wreck this evening. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured. I’m sure we’ll have some difficulty getting to bed tonight and will probably be sore in the morning. Thanks to everyone for the immediate and overwhelming outpouring of love, sympathy, prayers, and offers of help. It means a lot. Many have asked to hear the story which is why I’m sending the email. I prefer to tell it once as best I can and subsequently put it out of my mind. Feel free to forward the story to whomever, but please no calls or emails tonight. After another beer I’m turning the computer off and watching some mindless television. Perhaps there is another Presidential debate on.

Just after 6pm we left home to go to dinner since Laddy was going to a church meeting at a neighbor’s home. Traveling North on Roosevelt just past Verona a vehicle careened through a stop sign (my initial thought is that it was being pursued by police). It slid through our lanes in front of us and further lost control as it turned through the median and then veered back into the northbound lanes striking my Expedition between the driver’s and rear door where Mary Katherine was seated. The collision caused my car to spin counter clockwise and roll. It came to rest facing the opposite direction having rolled 270 degrees. In the process we collided with another car and a third crashed into a roadside fence/wall whilst avoiding the crash. Sadly, the piece of dung who caused all this drove through the same fence and fled the scene and has not been seen since. Despite the horrific experience some good has come from this. I can’t be more proud of how the kids managed. They stoically and deliberately exited the car through the upright driver’s window as directed with the aid of a good Samaritan. Regretfully I was unable to locate him after the chaos to properly thank him for coming to our aid. In addition to the aforementioned helpful stranger Bebe Stephens had the misfortune of rolling up on the accident mere seconds after we stopped rolling knowing exactly who was inside. She was there with hugs for all of us and was a welcome site for sore eyes. Kindly she took the kids home to Laddy so I could stay and deal with police.

Just a few observations and I hope they don’t come off as preaching. Firstly, SUVs are an easy target for criticism, but I shutter to think what would’ve happened had we been in a “normal” car. The combined impact speed of the initial collision must have been in excess of 60mph. You can see from the attached picture how the frame stood tall. For as long as we have kids and maybe longer we’ll be driving SUVs and whenever Geico is ready I’m buying another Expedition. All airbags and window curtains deployed as designed. Our only scratches were from exiting through the window. Secondly, I have been a habitual offender when it comes to promptly engaging my seat belt as I leave the house. The accident took place 1.1 miles from there. Without seatbelts a trip to the ER would’ve been inevitable, maybe worse. Buckle up before leaving the driveway.

Take care, hug your loved ones, and drive safe.

Day 303

2012-01-10T04:57:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 5, 6, 10, 11; Genesis 3: 1-24; Hebrews 2:1-10; John 1:19-28

Scripture standout: Ps 5: 8 "Lead me in your right path.
Make your way smooth and straight for me."

His Deed/The Day: Well, that was dumb. RB and I decided to try and run six miles the day after we did 20. My foot still hurts, her knee was acting up — we ended up walking for 4 miles. Hardly broke a sweat, and limped the whole way home. Not smart for home stretch marathon training.

As I gimped home, I saw her. I spied Girl-Who-Walks-Aggressively-Down-San-Jose-Sans-Bra. She is a neighborhood mystery. With her long black hair and sweat pants, she is not afraid to charge down the street for exercise without buckling the girls down. During cooler months, she at least insulates them with a bulky college sweatshirt. But if it's over 60 degrees, you can bet her ta-tas are having their own rave party while she's being a witness to her fitness. So these are the thoughts I usually have when I see her. But on this day, I blocked it all out and prayed for her. Not that I think she needs anything or is screwed up — but praying for her happiness and comfort and to have a joyful day seemed a lot better than making snarky comments about her flappers. Deed done.

Day 302

2012-01-09T04:54:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 1, 2, 3, 4, 7; Genesis 2:4-25; Hebrews 1:1-14; John 1:1-18

Scripture standout:

Hebrews: "¹⁴ All angels are spirits who serve. God sends them to serve those who will receive salvation."

John 1: "¹⁶ We have all received one blessing after another. God's grace is not limited."

His Deed/The Day: Ran 20 miles — OK, divided. Did eight before send-off and 12 miles after dropping them off at school. My foot hurts, just one — not sure what that's about. Needless to say, could only muster a long shower and a $1 tip at the Smoothie Store in addition to a great Teachable Moments interview.

Day 301

2012-01-08T08:42:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 29; Genesis 1:1-5; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11

Scripture standout: Mark 1: "⁹ At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee. John baptized him in the Jordan River. ¹⁰ Jesus was coming up out of the water. Just then he saw heaven being torn open. He saw the Holy Spirit coming down on him like a dove. ¹¹ A voice spoke to him from heaven. It said, "You are my Son, and I love you. I am very pleased with you."

Ps 29: "⁷ The voice of the Lord strikes
with flashes of lightning.
⁸ The voice of the Lord shakes the desert."

His Deed/The Day: Girl Scout Cookies. What a wonderfully sweet deeding opportunity! So many girl scouts, so many chances to say "sure! give me two boxes of thin mints!"

Day 300

2012-01-07T08:59:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 103, 114, 115; Deuteronomy 8:1-3; Colossians 1:1-14; John 6:30-33, 48-51

Scripture standout: Ps 115: "Lord, may glory be given to you, not to us.
You are loving and faithful."

Deuteronomy 8: "² Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way. He guided you in the desert for these 40 years. He wanted to take your pride away. He wanted to put you to the test and know what was in your hearts. He wanted to see whether you would obey his commands.

³ He took your pride away. He let you go hungry. Then he gave you manna to eat. You and your parents had never even known anything about manna before. He tested you to teach you that man doesn't live only on bread. He also lives on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."

³⁰ So they asked him, "What miraculous sign will you give us? What will you do so we can see it and believe you? ³¹ Long ago our people ate the manna in the desert. It is written in Scripture, 'The Lord gave them bread from heaven to eat.' "—(Exodus 16:4; Nehemiah 9:15; Psalm 78:24,25)

John 6: "

³² Jesus said to them, "What I'm about to tell you is true. It is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven. It is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ The bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven. He gives life to the world."

his Deed/The Day: So finally, the 300-day mark appears! It took forever to get out of the 200s! Now there's just 100 days left of the challenge. We ordered pizza tonight from a new restaurant down the street that delivers. The young man who brought it was nervous and eager, telling me it was his first night on the job. Gave him a good luck and a nice tip...

Day 299

2012-01-06T06:15:00.002-05:00

Scripture: Ps 72:1-7, 10-14; Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2: 1-12

Scripture standout: Ephesians 3: "² Through him and through faith in him we can approach God. We can come to him freely. We can come without fear."

Matthew 2: "⁹ After the Wise Men had listened to the king, they went on their way. The star they had seen when they were in the east went ahead of them. It finally stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were filled with joy.

¹¹ The Wise Men went to the house. There they saw the child with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures. They gave him gold, incense and myrrh."

His Deed/The Day: Put $1 in an empty tip jar at the yogurt store.

Day 298

2012-01-05T04:54:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 2, 110:1-7; Ps 29, 98; Jonah 2:2-9; Ephesians 6:10-20; John 11:17-27, 38-44

Scripture standout:

Ephesians 6: "Pray all kinds of prayers. Be watchful, so that you can pray. Always keep on praying for all of God's people."

John 11: "²⁵ Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. ²⁶ And those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

²⁷ "Yes, Lord," she told him. "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God. I believe that you are the One who was supposed to come into the world."

His Deed/The Day: Prayers for someone who got an awful diagnosis.

Day 297

2012-01-04T06:06:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 85, 87, 89:1-29; Joshua 3:14—4:7; Ephesians 5:1-20; John 9:1-12, 35-38

Scripture standout:

Ephesians 5: "⁸ At one time you were in the dark. But now you are in the light because of what the Lord has done. Live like children of the light. ⁹ The light produces what is completely good, right and true. ¹⁰ Find out what pleases the Lord."

John 9: "¹ As Jesus went along, he saw a man who was blind. He had been blind since he was born. ² Jesus' disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned? Was this man born blind because he sinned? Or did his parents sin?"

³ "It isn't because this man sinned," said Jesus. "It isn't because his parents sinned. This happened so that God's work could be shown in his life."

His Deed/The Day: Before I forget, I have to share this incredible story from yesterday's long run. So RB and I had just started out on a 17-miler. We were yacking about getting things for the kids and how expensive some things are and how you can't do it all the time, and how husbands beef about it and blah, blah, blah money grumbles this that and the other. Next thing I know, RB looks behind her and turns back, shrieking! She found two $10 bills on the sidewalk. Not a $20, but two $10 bills — one for me, one for her. What timing! Today's deed: Not sure how big of a deed it was, but I tried something new. At Publix, the baggers are so nice and they're always so eager to take your groceries out to the car for you. My pat answer is always a smile and a "no thanks, I got it." This time, I had a box of fried chicken and a box of mashed potato mix (Ben's favorites — we were celebrating his Spelling Bed win..BOMBASTIC!), and a four-pack of Cheerwine. As always, the bagger was ready to walk me out with my pithy booty. Something just let me say yes this time. We had a nice walk to the car, it was a beautiful afternoon — crisp, sun was shining. I started wondering if saying yes means a frenzied bagger gets a breath of fresh air and sunshine. I'll contemplate that better next time.

Day 296

2012-01-03T05:59:00.002-05:00

Scripture: Ps 68, 72; 1 Kings 19:9-18; Ephesians 4:17-32; John 6:15-27

Scripture standout: Ephesians 4: "³¹ Get rid of all hard feelings, anger and rage. Stop all fighting and lying. Put away every form of hatred. ³² Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive each other, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done."

John 6: "¹⁸ A strong wind was blowing, and the water became rough. ¹⁹They rowed three or three and a half miles. Then they saw Jesus coming toward the boat. He was walking on the water. They were terrified.

²⁰ But he said to them, "It is I. Don't be afraid."

²¹ Then they agreed to take him into the boat. Right away the boat reached the shore where they were heading."

His Deed/ The Day: Freezing today! Finally! Dentists are in the rearview mirror and a long run is in my sights later this morning. Kids are going back to school and routine now reigns once more....Today's deed: sending a little shout out to a mom.

Day 295

2012-01-02T07:22:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ps 34, 33; 1 Kings 19:1-8; Ephesians 4:1-16; John 6:1-14

Scripture standout: Ephesians 4: "¹⁶ He makes the whole body grow and build itself up in love. Under the control of Christ, each part of the body does its work. It supports the other parts. In that way, the body is joined and held together."

His Deed/The Day: Today I have to go to the dentist for a three-hour appointment. My goodness, if he doesn't jack me down to a laid, laid, laid back way with the gas, I'm going to freak. I don't like the dentist at all. Nothing about it appeals — the visual, the sounds, the smell, the taste. It is an epic sensory fail.

Today's deed is going to express thanks and kudos to someone who threw a very interesting New Year's Day gathering yesterday. In anyone else's book, it would have been a disaster. But not to her, and what a curiously entertaining event unfolded!

Below is today's Forward Day by Day devotional. I believe this wholeheartedly! You give what you have, and God uses you in big ways:

John 6:1-14. There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?

A crowd followed Jesus up a mountain. Jesus asked his disciples where they could buy food for them all. One disciple thought they didn’t have enough money. Then they noticed a boy with five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus told the crowd to sit down. He took the bread and the fish, gave thanks to God, and the food multiplied. There was more than enough for everyone.

Many readers focus on Jesus’ miraculous powers in this story. But what about that boy? He could have hidden his food under his clothes or simply figured that it wasn’t enough. Instead, he offered what he had.

After the earthquake in Haiti, a small group of children in a Sunday School class wanted to raise money for relief. They held a bake sale on a Sunday morning and challenged other classes to do the same. The next group had another bake sale and raised even more money. Another class sold bracelets. Ideas and proceeds kept multiplying so that the whole congregation was involved. It all started with that first small group.

It’s easy to think that what we have to give is small and insignificant. That boy offered what he had. When we offer what we have, God multiplies our gifts. What might be your small offering today?

Day 294

2012-01-01T11:20:00.002-05:00

Scripture: Ps 8; Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:15-21

Scripture standout: Numbers 6: "²⁴ " ' "May the Lord bless you
      and take good care of you.
²⁵ May the Lord smile on you
      and be gracious to you.
²⁶ May the Lord look on you with favor
      and give you his peace."

Galatians 4: "⁶ Because you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. He is the Holy Spirit. By his power we call God "[Abba.]" Abba means Father.

⁷ So you aren't slaves any longer. You are God's children. Because you are his children, he gives you what he promised to give his people."

His Deed/The Day: Happy New Year's Day! It's been almost a year since thoughts of this project began. Now it's become a daily routine and a different way of thinking. Trying to do a conscious, angel-inspired deed a day has been exciting — and still, totally against the grain. That has been the biggest wonder of the whole project. Even after 300 days, it is a struggle — often a panic — to wonder what good I can help accomplish before my head hits the pillow.

I have found that the most serendipitous, memorable deeding occurs when I am calm, and contemplative about how God uses us each day. It's a total turning around of thought, though. Instead of waking up thinking about how much I have to do each day, or going to event wondering who I'll know — I have to retrain my brain to think, "Oh, joy...how will God tap me to help today? or "how is God going to work through me for the greater good at this gathering?" That's when it gets exciting and when the deeds are more palpable. Getting to that point, however, requires constant reminding and reassurance. It does not feel natural.

So on this project presses — 400 days is the goal, just a few days short of the 40th birthday. I'm still learning and experiencing, and mostly joyful to be on the journey!

Today's deed was sending Happy New Year greetings to family and friends...not a biggie, but a feel-gooder!

Day 293

2011-12-31T08:10:00.003-05:00

Scripture: Ps 46, 48; 1 Kings 3:5-14; James 4:13-17; 5:7-11; John 5:1-15

Scripture standout: Ps 46: "¹ God is our place of safety. He gives us strength.
      He is always there to help us in times of trouble.
² The earth may fall apart.
      The mountains may fall into the middle of the sea.
      But we will not be afraid.
³ The waters of the sea may roar and foam.
      The mountains may shake when the waters rise.
      But we will not be afraid."

James 4: "¹⁷ So when you know the good things you should do and don't do them, you sin."

James 5: "⁹ Brothers and sisters, don't find fault with one another. If you do, you will be judged. "

His Deed/ The Day: For the past few days, the family has been involved in a group deed — helping out some visiting family that came with two toddlers and two small, yippy dogs. The parents have had to travel in and out of town a couple of times, so it's been "it takes a village" style lately. Today, we have the yippy dogs. A small deed in a big gift of "what family's there for."

Day 292

2011-12-31T08:01:00.003-05:00

Long day — deed was doing something I would have done anyway: comforting a sick daughter and taking her to the doctor for two shots in her but for strep.

Day 292

2011-12-29T11:03:00.002-05:00

Scripture: Ps 18; 2 Samuel 23:13-17b; 2 John: 1-13; John 2:1-11

Scripture standout: Ps 18: "I love you, Lord.
      You give me strength.
² The Lord is my rock and my fort. He is the One who saves me.
      My God is my rock. I go to him for safety.
      He is like a shield to me. He's the power that saves me. He's my place of safety."
His Deed/The Day: OK, so last night David, Dad and I went to Bistro Aix for a little farewell dinner. Serendipitously, David's sister Margaret and her husband Tom arrived and we enjoyed a lovely little evening out with great food and even better company. Margaret and Tom left early for a concert and paid their half. Then the waitress told those of us remaining that our bill had been "taken care of." How nice! I figured we'd been deeded by Margaret and Tom and texted them a thanks. Trouble is, they didn't pay for our half. Not sure who did! The plot thickened! So I called the restaurant just now to fess up. They thanked me for doing the right thing, but after some research — determined that DAVID had paid. Confusing. Oh well, maybe just trying to "do the right thing" is a semi-deed?

Day 291

2011-12-28T13:48:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 124; Jeremiah 31:15-17; Revelation 21:1-7; Matthew 2:13-18

Scripture standout: Jeremiah 31: "¹⁶ The Lord says,

   "Do not sob anymore.
      Do not let tears fall from your eyes.
   I will reward you for your work,"

announces the Lord.
"Your children will return from the land of the enemy.
¹⁷ So I am giving you hope for the years to come,"

His Deed/The Day: I liked today's devotional on Forward Day by Day. I can't even imagine losing one of my children (I have been in bed with Marley, who is still sick with the pukes and know how terrible even that feels) and am struck by how the small gift of a cross helped give this woman so much encouragement. Today's deed is doing some e-encouraging, which is all I can muster from Marley's sick bed. Geez, the throw-ups are the worst!!!

Matthew 2:13-18. When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.

One day I casually admired a silver cross worn by an adult student in one of my college English classes. She related that it had been left on her doorstep the day after her two sons died in a fire. She says that she has worn it constantly ever since.

In subsequent conversations with her, I have come to admire this woman and her enduring faith. She “gets it” in a way I am not sure I would be able to do, were even one of my children to perish. She understands that her boys, as she calls them, have gone ahead into eternity and that she will, with patience, catch up to them. For now, she works and studies—lives, loves, and learns. Like the Holy Innocents we remember today, her children died too soon. It’s a cruel injustice that challenges our deepest beliefs. I hope that the mothers of Bethlehem, like my student, found strength in their faith and had loving family and friends to grieve with them.

Day 290

2011-12-27T16:02:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Ps 92; Exodus 33:18-23; John 21:19b-24; 1 John 1:1-9

Scripture standout: 1 John 1: "⁵ Here is the message we have heard from him and announce to you. God is light. There is no darkness in him at all.

⁶ Suppose we say that we share life with God but still walk in the darkness. Then we are lying. We are not living by the truth.⁷ But suppose we walk in the light, just as he is in the light. Then we share life with one another."

His Deed/The Day: More condolences, darn it. A lot of loss this holiday, sadly. Also, a family member is trying his hand at making and marketing spicy pecan brittle. It's really good! Told him so...

Day 288 and 289

2011-12-26T21:12:00.001-05:00

Today was the day to sleep in — Boxing Day. No work. Nothing on the books. Sleep city. Funny what happens when you start planning. The morning started with Marley puking over the side of her bed — and it's 9 p.m., and I haven't gotten out of my pajamas. Marley still feels cruddy. Sigh. Shared condolences with two people who lost good friends during the holidays.

Day 285, 286, 287

2011-12-24T23:09:00.001-05:00

Apologies for not keeping up during the past few days. But I have hit the ground running since returning from Colorado on the 22nd. We were supposed to come in on Dec. 21. But the kids and I raised our hands for the $500 travel vouchers to hop off the plane and stay over for a flight the next morning. Let's just say Christmas preparation took over at that point.

I've been keeping up with the one deed a day through the kids' "Blessings Bowl," which has been a huge help, but I've been keeping my eyes out for other opportunities. Extra tips, the Salvation Army tin, volunteering my children to be Mary & Joseph in the church Christmas pageant — praying for strangers.

While we were in the Dallas airport, a big "urge" hit me. I have to share. Not sure about anyone else, but I've strangely never felt very comfortable about thanking a military person for their service. It feels weird. And what are they supposed to say to that? As always, I think myself out of it. But on Thursday, I got an urge to say something to the soldier re-tying his boots after going through security. "Thank you for your service," I said, about to DIE of embarrassment. He said, "no problem!" I was dying again — what an uncomfortable answer! Geez, what a dumb idea to say something. To ease the weirdness, I asked him where home was for him. "New York," he said. "I can't wait to go home. I haven't seen my wife in 2 years."

2. Years.

I had a lump in my throat, and my voice cracked — enough for the kids to look at me funny. "Well, enjoy — Merry Christmas to you."

2. Years.

It sure put Christmas in perspective.

Tonight is Christmas Eve.

Day 278, 279, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284

2011-12-15T20:52:00.002-05:00

Scripture: There's no better time than now to read the Christmas stories in all gospels!

Scripture standout: Check it!

His Deed the Day: So we're off for the slopes. There will be plenty of deeding and fun to be had, but in case we miss something, here are the deeds for the days we'll be gone;

278: Don't miss a Beat Inc., $10 for student field trips
279: ElderSource, Dining with Dignity, $10 for making built up silverware and weighted cups
280: Dignity U Wear, $10 to provide five new pairs of socks and underwear for one week for a child living in poverty.
281: Emergency Services and Homeless Coalition of Jacksonville, $10 to Christmas meals for recently housed individuals
282: Davis Performing Arts Center, $10 for music books
283: Communities in Schools, $10 for seeds and small plants
284:Career Frontiers of NE Florida, $10 for a recordable DVD disk