Have a God Day!

When I got my first Tracfone, I thought the T9 word feature was the coolest thing. I wasn't an avid texter, but when I did send out a text, the T9 word would seem to anticipate what I wanted to say as if by magic. I could craft a message with only a few taps of my fingers on the keys. 


However, T9 word was not smart enough to differentiate which combination of letters I wanted, so sometimes the wrong word would sneak into my message. My daughter's nickname is and has been "Seeds" since she was very young. (Maybe that's a subject for another post someday!). Once in a while, I would text "Seeds, are you there?" However, that combination of letters in T9 word also translates to "refer." I would get a "LOL! REFER???" as a reply.


Today, I've graduated beyond T9 word technology. I carry a Smartphone, which came with an entirely new technological feature called "Swipe." All I have to do is swipe my fingertip across the keyboard and it creates my message. However, like T9 word, the combination sometimes comes out all wrong.


Several times, I've texted "have a good day" only to find later that what I really sent to the person on the other end is "have a god day." I wonder if maybe that is not the message that was intended in the first place. After all, how can anyone have a bad day if they are having a "god day?"


God is creative, compassionate, omnipresent, forgiving, not to mention a host of other attributes.. If we are having a "god day," it is probably filled with joy, peace, patience, kindness, and  love. Who could ask for more than that?


The only thing that bothers me about the message is that I like to use a capital "G" when referring to God The capital letter doesn't make it into the message, but I think there is enough packed in to those four words to reflect the significance the message carries anyway.


Here's wishing all of you a God day! 


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Is God An Imaginary Friend?

A new billboard will soon be visible on the Interstate in Colorado Springs. It's message is this: "God is an imaginary friend. Choose reality: It will be better for all of us." The message with spark ire in some, fear in others, and indifference in many. Most folks probably won't even notice it as they zoom past it during the four weeks that it will be in place.

One of the members of the Boulder Atheists group that has paid for the sign hopes it will serve as a conversation starter, rather than being seen as controversial. I'm not surprised that such a message would appear on the highways of America. We do have the right to exercise free speech, but that's not the reason I am not shocked by this news. I heard a year ago that there is a message on buses in London that says “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

Our pastor has been preaching on truth these past couple of weeks and talking about Andy Anrews book entitled How Do You Kill 11 Million People?: The answer to that question is that you tell them lies, and you tell them with such skill that people mistake them for the truth. 

The great deceiver tells lies and he constantly recruits people who will listen to those lies and spread them to others. I don't believe the people who are erecting these billboards, one in Colorado Springs and two in Denver, are deceitful people. I believe they are people who have been deceived into believing a lie. I don't resent them, I don't hate them, and I don't fear them. 

I simply hope that their goal will be accomplished in that their message will generate conversation. I pray that through that conversation, people's curiosity will be piqued enough to motivate them to seek the truth.  

It is up to those of us who are members of the Christian community to meet the challenge and be sure they find it.

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Forgotten Places

Three bites into my carefully crafted turkey, ham and Swiss cheese sandwich, my husband pulls the four-step ladder my daughter had just returned over to the picture window, climbs up, and peers over the top of the vertical blinds. “We need to get the vacuum up here,” he says.


“Anything growing up there?” I respond around a bite of freshly sliced cucumber.


“Nothing would survive. It’s way too dusty.”


“I’m sure you’re right. I’ll get after it just as soon as I finish eating.”


“No, I’ll do it,” he replies. 


Sure, like he really needs to be balancing on a ladder with a vacuum in one hand a little over a month after open heart surgery.


Hubby descends the ladder and disappears into the spare bedroom, where I have stored all the boxes of Christmas decorations. He returns with the artificial Christmas tree box in tow. 


“Why didn’t you tape these boxes up?” he asks. 


“I thought I would do it tomorrow and get them out to the garage then.” That’s me, always the procrastinator. Heaven forbid I should get something done today that can wait until tomorrow!


Wordlessly, he retrieves a dispenser of packing tape. 


“Here, I’ll help you” I gaze longingly at the page of my book I’ve started to read.


“No, you go ahead and finish your sandwich.”


Yeah, right, like the guilt trip I’m on over the dusty sill and the untaped boxes have done anything for my appetite. I place the sandwich in the icebox on its paper plate and daydream about later.


We get the boxes taped and hubby proceeds to the garage with the first one. I know that when he goes to the garage he always finds something to do out there, so I don’t expect him back for at least a few minutes. OK, now that I’m up off the couch and my lunch is in cold storage anyway, I might as well do something, right?


I spend the next half hour vacuuming a quarter inch of dust and cob webs from the top of the blind, then for good measure, dust down the walls as well. Actually, accomplishing this seldom performed feat feels kind of good.


I’ve decided to attack some forgotten corner of my humble abode at least three times a week. I’d set a goal for every day, but I know how the every day thing works. Miss a day or two and I throw up my hands in frustration and declare myself a failure. Whether it’s cleaning finger prints off light switch plates or vacuuming under the bed, the little bit of satisfaction in completing small tasks will hopefully motivate me to greater accomplishments. 


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Friday the Thirteenth - Just Another Day?

The air is charged with excitement here on Patti's Porch as we anticipate our granddaughter's first basketball game of the season tomorrow.
"Are you coming to my game?" she messaged me.
"Of course we are!" I enthusiastically replied.
"We are so lucky because we get to play on the 14th instead of Friday the 13th," she observed. 
I responded with a chuckle, but then reassured her that I doubted the date would have anything to do with the outcome of the game. It is the skill of the team that will make the difference.
The brief interchange prompted me to speculate about the origin of the superstition surrounding Friday the Thirteenth. The conclusion I came to in my brief online search is that nobody seems to be able to attribute it to any one incident in history. I did learn that the fear of Friday the Thirteenth has its own special name: paraskevidekatriaphobia.  Let's hope no one ever draws that one in a Spelling Bee!
Whether you can pronounce the word, spell it, or read it without stumbling over it, the North Carolina Stress Management and Phobia Institute claims the date generates fear in the hearts of some estimated 21 million Americans. 
Yesterday, some people stayed home,  refused to go to work, or even spent the day in bed because of the date on their calendars.
I wonder how often we let our lives be ruled by a "Friday the Thirteenth" mentality.
It is easy to become victims of superstition, but I don't necessarily mean the "black cat walking in your path" or "breaking a mirror" kind. 
I'm talking about the beliefs that dominate our behavior. We refuse to travel the roads in life we would like to because we might end up going the wrong way or getting lost. We don't engage in the work we could be doing because we probably won't do it well enough. We stay in bed to avoid all the tasks we should be accomplishing because we don't get them all completed anyway. 
There are two more Friday the Thirteenths this year, but don't let a date on a calendar stifle your motivation, your participation, or your determination. Embrace each day and enjoy it to the fullest.
Oh, and if you do happen to be one of the 21 million who fear the date, take heart. In 2014, there's only one!
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Interview with Author Kathi Macias

Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. It is my pleasure to welcome Kathi Macias, an author who has tackled this grim subject with a compelling novel that grips her audience on page one and doesn't let go until the last word is read.

Kathi, welcome to Patti's Porch. Your first book in the New Freedom series, Deliver Me From Evil, deals with the intensely emotional issue of human trafficking. Why did you feel called to write on this subject?

Human trafficking is indeed a dark subject. It is also much more widespread than most people realize. With an estimated 27 million people in captivity around the world, the latest figures out of Washington claim approximately 100,000 to 300,000 minors are being held in sexual slavery right here in the United States. Some say that’s a conservative estimate, but even one is too many! My publisher and I discussed this some time ago and agreed that we wanted to do an entire series on the subject, following the life of a young girl sold into this horrific lifestyle. I feel strongly that the Church must be at the forefront of these issues in any way we can.

How did you conduct the research that enabled you to portray the slave trade of innocent children in a realistic manner?

I did a lot of online research, spoke to many in law enforcement, as well as those involved in ministries and outreaches to these victims around the world. I also spoke with survivors, which was heartbreaking but necessary. While maintaining tasteful boundaries, I wanted readers to step into the dark underworld where this hideous atrocity takes place. So many have written to me after reading Deliver Me From Evil to say they are getting involved, to one degree or another, in helping to set these victims free. That makes it all worthwhile!

Will the next two books in the New Freedom series speak to the same issue?

Yes, Special Delivery, releasing in March 2012, picks up a couple of years after Deliver Me From Evil, dealing with many of the same characters. The final book in the series, The Deliverer, begins about six months after book two ends, tying together all the loose ends of the three-book saga.

You have a long list of publishing credits. Which do you prefer to write, fiction or non-fiction, short or long work?

That’s a tough question, as I love writing just about anything. I do a lot of blogging (for free, of course), and also write short pieces regularly for several publications (mostly online). But I prefer book-length projects, particularly fiction, though I’ve also enjoyed the nonfiction books I’ve done, particularly my flagship book, BEYOND ME: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World.

What was your most memorable speaking engagement and why?

I’ve had so many of them, but though I’m always honored to do radio/TV shows/interviews and/or speak at large conferences or churches, my preferred place of ministry/speaking is homeless shelters and jails/prisons. I’ve led Bible studies of three or four women inmates in county jails and spoken in chapels at some of the most notorious prisons in the country. That’s where my heart is, I suppose, though I enjoy speaking to anyone who wants to hear what God has done in my life and can do in theirs, as it never ceases to amaze me.

What do you like best about the writing life? Least?

I’m a storyteller at heart—always have been. I’ve wanted to be a writer as long as I can remember, so I feel so blessed to be able to do what I love. I suppose I like the feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day when I realize I’ve reached my goal of 5,000 words (or whatever). It’s exciting to see stories take shape as characters develop lives of their own. As for what I like least—the absolute necessity of disciplined writing, even on days when I want to go outside and play in the sunshine. Every now and then I take short breaks and do that, but for the most part, turning out several books a year is long, hard work, even when you love it. I’m up really early (four or five in the morning), and rarely stop till evening. But when I finally type “The End,” I’m overjoyed at what God has allowed me to accomplish.

Thank you for visiting with us today, Kathi. I pray your series will make enough people aware of human trafficking so that someday, no child will have to suffer this atrocity.

My Review of Deliver Me From Evil:

In Deliver Me From Evil, Kathi Macias plunges her readers into the dark world of human trafficking and exploitation of young children. This story follows the broken and tortured lives of sexual slaves, including Mara, who is betrayed into prostitution by her own family at seven years old. Their innocence brutally torn from them, these young victims learn how to hide all emotion as they struggle for survival. 

The novel not only portrays the lives of these helpless hostages, but gives us a glimpse into the ruthless mindset and motives of their captors. 

Through the darkness and despair shines the light of hope sparked by the compassion of a teen who can't turn his back on the obvious abuse. He risks his safety, confides in his sister, and relies on God's direction to engineer Mara's rescue.

Realistic characterization and a compelling plot mesh to produce this heartrending story. Macias grips her readers with the impact of this degrading social issue and leaves a mark on the human conscience that is difficult to ignore. 

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I'm Praying For You - But Am I Really?

A couple of weeks ago, Patti's Porch was surrounded by beautiful white snow drifts. Today, after a few days of above freezing temperatures and sunshine, we are now engulfed in a sea of mud! Yuck!


Okay, on to today's subject.

How many times do those of us of the Christian faith say these words: "I'm praying for you" or "I"ll keep you in my prayers." Many times, I respond to a friend's email with a one word "Praying!" 

Yet, when I go to God in prayer, I often find myself drawing a blank as to who I promised to pray for. Sound familiar? I kind of hope so. I'd hate to think I'm the only one who does this!

Anyway, I have found a solution to the problem, if I can just follow through with it! When I receive an email from someone with a prayer need, I immediately access a spreadsheet file I have started. I log in that person's name and the need. I have the OCD tendency to make elaborate spreadsheets, but I'm trying to keep this simple. Sometimes a first name and a word or two about the problem, such as "Bob" "job interview" or "Janet" "back surgery" will suffice. 

If  I'm not near my computer, I always have my smart phone with me, where I have added a "prayer" memo. This allows me to have access to either prayer reminder several times a day. (Heaven knows I have the computer screen or the cell phone in front of me a dozen times a day at least!).

Not only do these tools remind me who I've promised to pray for. They also allow a means to keep track of answered prayers. I bet after a year, I'll be amazed at how many of them are, sometimes in totally unexpected ways!


This is one of many new habits I hope to develop in 2012.

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Welcome 2012

I hadn't been out of bed even an hour when an expletive I was not proud of escaped my lips, I had dropped something on the floor. No one was around to hear the offending word, for which I am grateful.

My husband and I went to church this morning.  I started yelling at him when the place he chose to park had me hemmed in between a snow bank and an ice-covered street. Thank goodness, he is slow to anger and brushed off my tongue-lashing with a chuckle.

So much for my good intentions to start off the New Year as an even-tempered, considerate person.

I've spent six decades looking forward to a new year with hopes for a new beginning, forming of new habits, and leaving negative behaviors behind. Somehow, though, it just doesn't work that way.

Even our pastor, during this morning's service, commented that "New Year's resolutions are made on January 1st and broken on January 2nd."

 Resolution embraces and encompasses change. Change requires a certain amount of planning, purpose, and perseverance.

Change also comes about as a result of necessity.

If the doctor tells me to lose weight to lengthen my life, I'll start paying serious attention to my diet. If my willy-nilly filing system prevents me from finding important papers I need repeatedly, I'll probably make a conscious effort to clean and organize my desk.

Last year, I tackled my OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) tendencies and abandoned one of my daily routines. I used to, methodically and obsessively, keep track of literally every penny I spent. If the balance on my Excel spread sheet didn't agree with the amount of cash I had on hand, I would sometimes spend hours looking for the discrepancy.

It was difficult for me to turn loose of that habitual task. I experienced a significant level of anxiety for about a week after I stopped keeping track of daily expenses.

That was over six months ago, and I see no major difference in my expenditures. I do see an increace in the amount of free time I have to pursue things I enjoy. I've learned that I need to weigh the balance of what is won and what is lost in giving up some long-standing habit or routine. We need to evaluate whether the change will improve or hinder our life-style, relationships, or attitude.

What would you like to change this year?

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