I have always loved the expression ‘Popcorn Thinking’. It’s when the thoughts and ideas in your head are popping around like popcorn being heated up to the point of bursting. That’s how I feel this morning. I have so many thoughts and ideas popping around in my head this morning that to put them all in one post would keep you here until Valentine’s Day.

The morning started out with me continuing to read 1 Thessalonians and of course reading the January 7th entry from A Daybook of Comfort and Joy. I was inspired by both with thoughts of possible blog posts popping noisily in my head. As I sat down at my computer I researched the availability of the book that  Sarah Ban Breathnach mentions in today’s entry A Life of One’s Own by Joanna Field. Payday is tomorrow and  half.com will be getting some more of my business (grin).

As I clicked off of half.com I moved on to my old posts from previous blogs. I am in the process of moving the old posts over to the category Archives from My Old Blogs. With this in mind I vaguely remembered that I had written a post titled ‘Popcorn Thinking’. Of course I could not locate that particular post but I did stumble on this one dated December 5, 2007:

I found this little gem on Writer’s Digest and I thought it would be fun to do:

Most of us set a New Year’s resolution that this was going to be the year we finished ____________ (fill in the blank) But once again, we neglected it. Write an apology in the comment section of this post to your ____________ (whatever you didn’t finish) explaining what happened and how you plan to make it up to _____________ (whatever you didn’t finish).

Here is my response to that post dated December 6, 2007:

My response to yesterday’s post is now completely different from the one I had formulated when I hit the ‘Publish’ tab less than twenty-four hours ago. While reading everyone’s comments I was inspired to take a look back in time to see where I have come from. The following is a post from The Whippoorwill Chronicles that I wrote on January 1, 2007:

From where I am sitting I am wondering why nothing comes easy for me. I have been pondering my post for the New Year since the day after Christmas…and was still at a loss for the words that would justly encompass my feelings about it, up until this morning. I have been reading these past few days, on many blogs, about people choosing their “Verse of the Year”. When I read this, I think to myself “Wow…how do they make this decision?” and more importantly, “How do they keep their focus on this one verse throughout the year?”

I have been praying on my anxieties and expectations for the New year…again, since the day after Christmas…and this morning, as Marbles licked my face in anticipation of me perhaps getting up to feed him his morning treat…I had that “aha” moment. As I was lying there, contemplating getting up, this is the thought that popped into my head “I want to be a light”. Of course, with nothing being easy or simple with me, I had to question ” A light? What kind of light?”…sigh.

You see, once I asked the question that only my analytical, critical thinking mind could ask, “What kind of light?” the following verse popped into my thought pattern (my head was beginning to sound like a bag of popcorn in the microwave for goodness sake aka Popcorn Thinking):

“You are the light of the world – like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all.” Matthew 5:14-15

All that reading of other people’s blogs resulted in this verse being hidden in my heart without me even realizing it. Our God is a mighty powerful God isn’t he?

I have been keeping a low profile this past year, ever since dismantling my business in January 2006. I have remained in the background of life, more as a spectator, gaining my strength and my trust in my God. Though in the beginning of 2006, I was not content in this place. I wanted to be the center of attention, I wanted to be in the limelight…I wanted…I wanted…I never thought that I would have wanted to be in second place…in the background…allowing others to take over what I thought would be my successes. But I grew this past year, I grew into a place of contentment. I have begun to find comfort in listening and not speaking, in being thankful and not asking. I have learned to be content and comfortable in my circumstances. Yet, as you know God does not allow us to linger long in our comfort zones…thus…all that popping in my head this morning.

So, as I tumbled out of bed, fed the dog, grabbed my Starbucks Frappucino from the fridge, and settled down to peruse my Bloglines, I began getting anxious about this ‘being a light’ thing. All the excuses possible came up to the surface…not me Lord…I am not trained in this, I haven’t studied enough, I will be consumed again with being in the limelight, etc…etc..and then I read the following verse over at 2d Cup of Coffee:

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is Thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

Thank you God for giving me a hope and a future. My hopes and dreams will be your hopes and dreams for me. My light will be your light. And I know that I will not be consumed by my own frailties in this, for you will be new to me every morning.

 

The preceding post was an excerpt from

The Whippoorwill Chronicle Archives

January 1, 2006

My response dated December 6, 2007:

Although I can’t say that I neglected the tasks this year that God put before me, I will admit that there were times when I was not a willing participant and I wanted to neglect what the Lord was asking me to do. Therefore my apology is not for what I neglected to do but for doubting and responding by saying “I don’t think I can do what you ask Lord”.

Stay tuned as I tackle the answer to that December 5, 2007 post from my January 2009 perspective.

On another note, while looking around at my old posts, I was reminded of something I used to do daily on my old blog The Whippoorwill Chronicles called ‘Around the Square’. This was always done at the end of my posts and provided an opportunity for me to introduce to you some fascinating blogs I have encountered. Although I intend to keep my monthly ‘You Keep Me Coming Back’ and ‘Well Said/Well Written’ posts, I thought it would be great to introduce some other great reads by re-introducing ‘Around the Square’.

Today’s’ Around the Square: I love it when Mennonite Girls Can Cook lights up on my Google Reader. I know that there is something there that will make it into my online recipe box. Here are some of the most recent recipes that I am looking forward to trying:

• Raspberry Slice 
• Kielke Noodles
• Corn and Cheese Bread

Today I am grateful for: rainy days that have no errands scheduled. We have a storm rolling in and Mr. John is going to pick up that can of carrots I need for tonight’s recipe so I can stay home today and sit out on that wonderful screened in porch and watch the rain fall and make a mudslide out of my backyard where the dogs have dog several holes to China or is that Australia?

Today I am going to simplify my life: by taking Cathy’s advice on this post and using those extra food storage bins to sort through and categorize those scrapbook embellishments that have been driving me insane when I have to search for one. Thanks Cathy!!!

How about you…..want to take a go at that apology? Check back for mine tomorrow and I’ll leave a Mr. Linky up for those that are interested.