When and how do we set down our roots?

What do I mean by that?

Well, many of us come from different countries and different states. I was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, but I also lived in Sweden when I was a teenager, and then moved to Los Angeles, California. My mother was born in Istanbul, but her parents and grandparents came from other parts of Europe. My dad was born in Albania, but lived in Turkey most of his adult life. So, at what point do you identify yourself with the country or State you live in? I am an American citizen, and yet I have to always explain to people where I come from 'originally'.

Four years ago we bought a house on Loch Lomond Lake, in Bella Vista, NWA . After driving back and forth from California to Arkansas several times, we decided to sell our home and move to Bella Vista for good. Since I lived in California for fifty years (and thirty five years in the same house), do I call myself Californian when people ask us where we are from? We have met hundreds of people who have lived in Bella Vista anywhere from three years to twenty five years, and yet they tell us they are from Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin, California, Minnesota, Iowa, Arizona, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and many other beautiful States. They all love Bella Vista and they are so happy to be here, and I never heard anyone say they long to go back to where they came from, and yet, they don't identify themselves as "Arkansans". So, it made me wonder, since we now live in Arkansas permanently, how long would it take to think of ourselves as "Arkansans". When do we shift from saying "I am Californian to I am "Arkansan"?  Maybe never! In my case, will I still have to explain my origins and all the places I have lived in? What difference does it make anyway?

At some point we find what we really love. The climate we like; cool, hot, dry, wet. The amenities we like; restaurants, theaters, art centers, museums, natural trails, shopping malls and hiking places. The locations we like; living on a lake, by the ocean, in the desert, in the forest or in metropolitan areas. The most important thing is finding the right people to call friends. Relationships are important and a church or any worship place, you feel at home with is very important. Roots get deeper and deeper, as it is with trees, and they hold us in place. We finally start to settle down and feel at "home". Or maybe, no matter how long you have been living in a city, or a country, you will always be identified as "I am from (fill in the blank)...and I suppose that is OK too. I came to the conclusion that as long as you are happy where you are and with whom you are, it doesn't matter what place you identify with. Your roots are deep and strong.

I loved being in Los Angeles. There were so many things to do and so many places to see. The weather was great, except summers being a little too hot for me.The ocean, the mountains, the desert...all within 2 hours drive (well when there are no accidents on the freeway). But now this is home and I love being here. Population thirty thousand vs millions..We have four seasons, the people are nice, our neighbors are awesome. We like our small church vs our Mega church, and the friendships we have made. Many things are different, but with time we learn to adjust. We become accustomed to the new way...as the saying goes, "home is where your heart is", or something to that effect. Enjoy the moment and be thankful for the people God brings your way. 

Have a great day!

Is your Umbrella Open?

 We just return from an awesome six day trip to Williamstown, Kentucky.  We went to see the "Ark Encounter (A complete replica of Noah's Ark) and the Creation Bible Museum, among other things. It was really awe inspiring. I bought an umbrella at the gift shop (it depicts the six days of creation, and it is a HUGE umbrella, perfect for our terrential rains here!).....It reminded me of a story I read not too long ago, and I would like to share it with you! We all have something to learn from this little girl in the story!

Do you carry your umbrella?  

As a drought continued for what seemed an eternity, a small community of farmers was in a quandry as to what to do. Rain was important to keep their crops healthy and sustain the towns people's way of life.

As the problem became more acute, a local pastor called a prayer meeting to ask for rain. Many people arrived. The pastor greeted most of them as they filed in. As he walked to the front of the church to officially start the meeting, he noticed most people were chatting across the aisles and socializing with friends. When he reached the front his thoughts were on quieting the attendees and starting the meeting.

His eyes scanned the crowd as he asked for quiet. He noticed an eleven year old girl sitting quietly in the front row. Her face was beaming with excitement. Next to her, poised and ready for use, was a bright red umbrella. The little girl's beauty and innocense made the pastor smile as he realized how much faith she possessed. No one else in the congregation had brought an umbrella.

They all came to pray for rain, BUT the little girl had come expecting God to answer.

How many of us pray for something to happen, and yet we don't truly believe that our prayer will be answered? God wants us to pray and believe. The Bible says: Ask and it will be given to you,  seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to you...Matthew 7:7.....One of my favorite verses, and I keep it on my desk, as a reminder (7/7 is also my birthday, so it is easy to remember).

Let's be like the little girl and have high expectations. If our prayer is according to God's will, he hears us, and it will be answered...Romans 8:28

Have a Great Day!

Happy Fall

It is so beautiful outside. The weather is cooling off and the leaves on the trees are changing their colors. Fall is here. How appropriate to look at some of the things we do, that we don't like, and work on changing them. New season, new attitudes.

 Here are some Fall Resolutions----Author Unknown.........

Give up complaining......Focus on gratittude

Give up harsh judgments........Think kind thoughts

Give up discouragement....Be full of hope

Give up bitterness........Turn to forgiveness

Give up hatred.....Return good for evil

Give up negativism......Be positive

Give up anger......Practice patience

Give up pettiness.....Put on maturity

Give up worry.....Trust divine providence

Give up pessimism.......Become an optimist

You may look at some of these and think that they are easy to say, but difficult to do..Right?

Maybe if we focused on one of these at a time and practice it daily, it will become such a habit that after a while we will not think about it. Like driving a car. When we first learn to drive we think of every step, but after a while it becomes so automatic that we get in the car and just drive. 

If we try to change and practice these "resolutions", it will make us feel better and when we do feel better, we will not want to go back to our old ways. When we complain, judge others, hate everything, talk negative, blow up at everything and are impatient with everybody, we are very Unattractive. Not many people want  to be around us.  Do YOU like to be around people who are demonstate these traits?Probably not. Give people a chance, maybe they are going thru a bad hairday. If the food at the restaurant is not warm enough or to your liking, don't make such a big fuss. If you find fault with everything, remember that you are not perfect either...You get the idea. If we adopt an attitude of gratitude, miraculously things will start getting better.

Have a great month and a great Fall..