No, this is not going to be an article about food. I am the one marinating, in my own sweat. As I sit here thinking about the love I have for this small fan I possess it reminds me of growing up in the projects having no air conditioner for at least most of my childhood life (till 17). You take a shower at night and then run jump in bed and try to go to sleep while the fan blows cool on your wet body. Then wake up in the middle of night stuck to your sheets with a damp pillow slowly suffocating you....
Yes the air conditioner is out on the ship again...But let me reassure I live no luxurious life. The galley (kitchen) I work in on board has an air flow system, blowers and exhaust, but no air conditioner. This ship is over 50 years old and when they finally installed the system in the ship they didn't run it to the kitchen(can I get a sane excuse for this error?!?!). So after sweating all day in the hot kitchen (I have drunk at least four liters of fluid already today and that was just at work) I have to start all over again after my shower.
This is usually not the case for my room. This last week has had problems with our generators (we are on emergency generator now), boiler (that means no hot water or steam kettles I can use in the kitchen, dishes, cleaning, or showers for that matter!), and my refrigerator and freezer units have not come down to the proper temperature for refilling them with food. And even if they do, it has taken way to long...That's not a good sign. We also have containers of food that have arrived but its hard to store what you already have in rented storage on the docks.
Oh, guess what? We are supposed to leave in two weeks!
But I'm not worried a bit...This is how it goes and how it is sometimes. You can only do all that you can do, and pray some more. God does things on His timing, if He ever does something right on time by your standards then that is all the more reason you should praise Him!
Then again, maybe I do live a luxurious life...I love it.
My Big Toe and other interesting things
As of lately I have been walking around with my sandal/flip flops on washing my big toe a couple of times every day, and wondering how many other people it will make flinch noticeably when they see it.
I had an ingrown toenail that was infected and had a kind of fungi in addition to other problems so in order to solve everything in one swoop...tada! No toenail! Nah, it doesn't hurt near as much as before and hopefully I won't bang it in to anything.
Its amazing how much pain you can be in every day and not even notice it. It comes to your attention one day that little by little the pain was growing stronger and stronger and you just realized by a stroke of genius that hey, maybe I ought to take care of this. OHHhhhh, the relief and happiness it brings from pain created to relieve the problem that has been constant...All worth it many times over.
Now the trick is to keep it clean and not let it get infected.
I wonder how many OTHER things in our life are like that? How long have we felt pain, put up with things, and/or ignored things so long that we didn't really know how much it was affecting us until we woke up one day and realized we had to take care of it. Yes sometimes things bring more pain in order to start the healing process but that pain should be nothing compared to the release/joy it should bring from being free of it.
Think about it. And remember the next step: Now the trick is to keep it clean and not let it get infected (again).
I had an ingrown toenail that was infected and had a kind of fungi in addition to other problems so in order to solve everything in one swoop...tada! No toenail! Nah, it doesn't hurt near as much as before and hopefully I won't bang it in to anything.
Its amazing how much pain you can be in every day and not even notice it. It comes to your attention one day that little by little the pain was growing stronger and stronger and you just realized by a stroke of genius that hey, maybe I ought to take care of this. OHHhhhh, the relief and happiness it brings from pain created to relieve the problem that has been constant...All worth it many times over.
Now the trick is to keep it clean and not let it get infected.
I wonder how many OTHER things in our life are like that? How long have we felt pain, put up with things, and/or ignored things so long that we didn't really know how much it was affecting us until we woke up one day and realized we had to take care of it. Yes sometimes things bring more pain in order to start the healing process but that pain should be nothing compared to the release/joy it should bring from being free of it.
Think about it. And remember the next step: Now the trick is to keep it clean and not let it get infected (again).
Happiness, let me tell you what it is!
Happiness, I have the definition all wrapped up...right here on board this ship with me!
Even though I am not going to be 'home' for Christmas I have received some real good mail and anticipate a little more...because I was told it was coming, and that in itself is making me happy thinking about it being on its way!
First I have received great mail from several people wishing me Holiday greetings. I have a new Emeril cookbook called 'Potluck' which I will endorse right now on the spot (It is a great recipe/cook book, ingredients should be easy to find in the store and he does such a good job at making it simple but still 'gourmet'...I also sense its got that 'Southern' feel that I really love, check it out!). I read it like a novel...we in the South are always 'up' for a good potluck dinner. Thats good eats!
In the same box I also received some cards from family, some Christmas Blend Starbucks Coffee (yeah baby yeah) and a December/Christmas addition Food & Wine Magazine...that I will be readin' while I am sippin' on some Starbucks!
But don't stop there! There's more! If I wait long enough there will be pictures of my niece and nephew (to go on the door beside the card) coming in the mail with some stollen bread! How about a nice piece of that with coffee and magazine?! That's right! Food stains on the magazine...I will pause here to give you a little culinary food lesson: Definition: [STOH-luhn; SHTOH-luhn] Germany's traditional Christmas yeast bread, stollen is a rich, dried fruit-filled loaf that's often topped with a confectioners' sugar icing and decorated with candied cherries. It's shaped like a folded oval and somewhat resembles a giant parker house roll. My sister's mother-in-law (or my Brother-in-law's mother) is from Germany, so this is the real authentic stuff!!! Thanks Ursula!
I have another friend who has sent me a CD that just came out in the states that was the second part of 2(and also some specialty coffee and 'other' things!). I already have the first CD so this completes it! SO now a little new Music for my enjoyment during Christmas.
I won't go on and on...but as you see it doesn't take much to please me if you know my heart.
True happiness will be in celebrating the birth of Jesus, and I can celebrate that and enjoy these things this Holiday Season. What a blessing!
Even though I am not going to be 'home' for Christmas I have received some real good mail and anticipate a little more...because I was told it was coming, and that in itself is making me happy thinking about it being on its way!
First I have received great mail from several people wishing me Holiday greetings. I have a new Emeril cookbook called 'Potluck' which I will endorse right now on the spot (It is a great recipe/cook book, ingredients should be easy to find in the store and he does such a good job at making it simple but still 'gourmet'...I also sense its got that 'Southern' feel that I really love, check it out!). I read it like a novel...we in the South are always 'up' for a good potluck dinner. Thats good eats!
In the same box I also received some cards from family, some Christmas Blend Starbucks Coffee (yeah baby yeah) and a December/Christmas addition Food & Wine Magazine...that I will be readin' while I am sippin' on some Starbucks!
But don't stop there! There's more! If I wait long enough there will be pictures of my niece and nephew (to go on the door beside the card) coming in the mail with some stollen bread! How about a nice piece of that with coffee and magazine?! That's right! Food stains on the magazine...I will pause here to give you a little culinary food lesson: Definition: [STOH-luhn; SHTOH-luhn] Germany's traditional Christmas yeast bread, stollen is a rich, dried fruit-filled loaf that's often topped with a confectioners' sugar icing and decorated with candied cherries. It's shaped like a folded oval and somewhat resembles a giant parker house roll. My sister's mother-in-law (or my Brother-in-law's mother) is from Germany, so this is the real authentic stuff!!! Thanks Ursula!
I have another friend who has sent me a CD that just came out in the states that was the second part of 2(and also some specialty coffee and 'other' things!). I already have the first CD so this completes it! SO now a little new Music for my enjoyment during Christmas.
I won't go on and on...but as you see it doesn't take much to please me if you know my heart.
True happiness will be in celebrating the birth of Jesus, and I can celebrate that and enjoy these things this Holiday Season. What a blessing!
Understand
Recently I have found a lot of frustrations between understanding leadership (my boss or bosses) and the people that I am responsible for. There are several aspects that make it a difficult chore. First I would think that it is because I work with people from so many different cultures, Secondly so many different ages and religious backgrounds, and Third...Ah who am I kidding? There are so many different factors to consider that I don't think I could list them all!!!
What is, or used to be part of Gateway and Segue training (which is like teaching people for work in missions with Mercy Ships) is a training class called '7 Habits of Highly Effective People' by Franklin Covey, but it is taught from a biblical standpoint. I even have my card with the 7 Habits on one side and the 'work' quadrants on the other side...Its been washed and dried a few time but it is fairly legible. (Work quadrants would be another topic for later) I just want to center my attention on one of the 7 Habits that I believe is the key to a lot of my frustration... Seeking first to understand, then to be understood.
Combine that Idea of thinking with the aspects I cited earlier...In my opinion most people do not have time to understand and conveniently assert their way of thinking and how to do things because they do not have the time or patience to hear your thoughts. Why? Because they already know how to do things, they have already heard what you are going to suggest and it doesn't work, and/or most of the time they have already refused to accept any new options. One reason is because it could change so much, and (everybody say it with me!) thats the way 'we' have always done it.
How do you over come this? Most of the time its a long road of prayer, finghting battles, hours and hours spent listening to lectures, attending meetings, and listening to ideas that you have heard over and over again because repetition wears people out, or convinces them. Does this make it right? No. Do most people surrender when they realize the long road they may have to travel to make a difference or change? I don't know...
You really want the answer to this now that I brought it up? This is my opinion: Stay close to the Lord(Jesus, God, Holy Spirit) thru prayer, scripture, praise and worship and let the Lord speak to your heart...It will come. Maybe just one answer at a time, or completely for a whole situation. But be ready for the answer, its not always the one YOU think of...And it may not come as fast as YOU think it should.
One day I will understand all this...And then maybe it won't be so imperative that I be understood. Confused?
What is, or used to be part of Gateway and Segue training (which is like teaching people for work in missions with Mercy Ships) is a training class called '7 Habits of Highly Effective People' by Franklin Covey, but it is taught from a biblical standpoint. I even have my card with the 7 Habits on one side and the 'work' quadrants on the other side...Its been washed and dried a few time but it is fairly legible. (Work quadrants would be another topic for later) I just want to center my attention on one of the 7 Habits that I believe is the key to a lot of my frustration... Seeking first to understand, then to be understood.
Combine that Idea of thinking with the aspects I cited earlier...In my opinion most people do not have time to understand and conveniently assert their way of thinking and how to do things because they do not have the time or patience to hear your thoughts. Why? Because they already know how to do things, they have already heard what you are going to suggest and it doesn't work, and/or most of the time they have already refused to accept any new options. One reason is because it could change so much, and (everybody say it with me!) thats the way 'we' have always done it.
How do you over come this? Most of the time its a long road of prayer, finghting battles, hours and hours spent listening to lectures, attending meetings, and listening to ideas that you have heard over and over again because repetition wears people out, or convinces them. Does this make it right? No. Do most people surrender when they realize the long road they may have to travel to make a difference or change? I don't know...
You really want the answer to this now that I brought it up? This is my opinion: Stay close to the Lord(Jesus, God, Holy Spirit) thru prayer, scripture, praise and worship and let the Lord speak to your heart...It will come. Maybe just one answer at a time, or completely for a whole situation. But be ready for the answer, its not always the one YOU think of...And it may not come as fast as YOU think it should.
One day I will understand all this...And then maybe it won't be so imperative that I be understood. Confused?
Comparison
As life rolls by me (or over me) at a speed that I can not slow down (or the aging process for that matter) I find myself looking around to see who has made it all the way, or if in fact, I am the one who is behind.
We are by nature (or is it habit?) comparing people. But by being this way we bring on a much greater stress than is realized...It is probably the foundation for most stress we have today. How? Why do we strive so hard at work unless we are afraid of the person that may be better than us and take that promotion or raise? Do we really worry about our weight problem or physical attributes because of health reasons or because of our perception of ourselves in comparison to what the 'world' excepts? Why is it I (me personally) have so many problems at work when everybody is getting paid the same (nothing, we are all volunteers in this organization)?
Comparison, it can be a great tool for evaluation and growth (thru God's word [Bible] and his plan for us and recognizing the areas we need to work on/grow in) or a nagging, whining, 'I'm not being treated fairly' road to dissension, depression, and misery (at this point the old saying seems to be true, 'misery loves company' and so a few more people have been brought down with this contagious selfish attitude).
Many people cannot just mind there own business and hold their selves accountable for the work that they say they are offering or doing for the Lord (God).
People will say that, many people will believe it, but MOST people fail in representation of that statement at one time or another. Am I here to judge? I don't think so...I have often been guilty of that myself from time to time.
Which brings me to the parable of Workers in the Vineyard.*
Indulge me by reading these verses of scripture from the Bible (Matthew 20:1-16 or just click on the link in the above sentence). When I read them I have conviction (feelings of guilt) for the way I must have given others many a headache by constantly droning on about my own unfair circumstances or situations and on the other hand, I have had many a headache by listening to the same complaints day in and day out...
They say (scholars, historians, etc...) that most men did not even live thru the beatings and/or lashes of a whip before crucifixion. But Jesus did. And he did it for us. How is that for a comparison?
*[Workers in the Vineyard - What is a Parable? Parables are true to life. When you hear the story, you can relate it to your own life. It conveys its message of truth through analogy, through comparison or contrast. The power of a parable comes from the fact that you recognize that "That's the way it is in real life." Parables are great because they tell a story that is easy to remember.]
We are by nature (or is it habit?) comparing people. But by being this way we bring on a much greater stress than is realized...It is probably the foundation for most stress we have today. How? Why do we strive so hard at work unless we are afraid of the person that may be better than us and take that promotion or raise? Do we really worry about our weight problem or physical attributes because of health reasons or because of our perception of ourselves in comparison to what the 'world' excepts? Why is it I (me personally) have so many problems at work when everybody is getting paid the same (nothing, we are all volunteers in this organization)?
Comparison, it can be a great tool for evaluation and growth (thru God's word [Bible] and his plan for us and recognizing the areas we need to work on/grow in) or a nagging, whining, 'I'm not being treated fairly' road to dissension, depression, and misery (at this point the old saying seems to be true, 'misery loves company' and so a few more people have been brought down with this contagious selfish attitude).
Many people cannot just mind there own business and hold their selves accountable for the work that they say they are offering or doing for the Lord (God).
People will say that, many people will believe it, but MOST people fail in representation of that statement at one time or another. Am I here to judge? I don't think so...I have often been guilty of that myself from time to time.
Which brings me to the parable of Workers in the Vineyard.*
Indulge me by reading these verses of scripture from the Bible (Matthew 20:1-16 or just click on the link in the above sentence). When I read them I have conviction (feelings of guilt) for the way I must have given others many a headache by constantly droning on about my own unfair circumstances or situations and on the other hand, I have had many a headache by listening to the same complaints day in and day out...
They say (scholars, historians, etc...) that most men did not even live thru the beatings and/or lashes of a whip before crucifixion. But Jesus did. And he did it for us. How is that for a comparison?
*[Workers in the Vineyard - What is a Parable? Parables are true to life. When you hear the story, you can relate it to your own life. It conveys its message of truth through analogy, through comparison or contrast. The power of a parable comes from the fact that you recognize that "That's the way it is in real life." Parables are great because they tell a story that is easy to remember.]
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