I Wanna Be An Ace Of Hope And A Joker Of Humor...K, Jack? Be A Queen Of Hearts Because He's The King Of Possibles

In your deck of life, ever feel lost in the shuffle?  The cards you need are always turned down? Maybe you get flushed? Maybe things aren’t always dealt to you straight. Maybe you feel like a diamond in the rough. You know? Not part of “the club”. You feel more like the fool in that house than a full house of hearts. But, no matter how it stacks up, face up! You may need to stack the deck in your favor. A King’s favor.  Maybe a joker or two. Faith in God and humor go a long way. They make the shuffle dealable and the game playable.  Now, that’s a big deal, JackI  So, I try to do mind puzzles and play Spider Solitaire every day until I win to keep my mind an Ace and a Joker, cuz I wanna be the Queen of hope and humor. And, heart.   Ummm, I should say...hearts! Got that, Jack? PIMP LOL. Thing is…when the cards start out falling into place too easy…I lose. But, when I’m down to the last hand and it seems impossible to win, I win. From the hands I’ve been dealt in Spider and life, I’ve learned nothing’s impossible. When you’re ready to throw in the cards? It’s all in the cards to win. Experiencing impossibles enables us to experience faith.  Which makes anything possible. The King Of Possibles, The King Of Hearts…has dealt us a hand of love.  Let’s play!  Oh, and one more thought?  I started out with easy puzzles and playing Spider on Easy and as time went on and I succeeded, just like in life, I kicked it up a notch to Medium and even to Hard some days.  When I think of God telling us that where much is given, much is expected.  I think that it means we grow from the strength He gives us to go through the Easy puzzles in life.  He gives us what we need to make us able to move on to the Medium and Hard and expects us to trust Him.  I know, Easy to say.  I expect He knows that!   Have a fun day.  Go ahead!  Be a card!  Face it!  I am!  Oh, and go ahead and click on the photo.  For what?  Why, the bigger picture, of course.  Trace

Talkin' 'Bout Train Wrecks And Kaboose Kickin'. He is The God of Wreck'nciles

This week, I’ve listened as five separate friends, all very dear to me, shared about being in a train wrecks either now or at sometime in their life. Four different wrecks and myself being the fifth. So what else would I write about? What's in my heart. I know you know what I mean, right? A train wreck on the tracks of life? Where they become the tracks of our tears? We get off track and have to kick the caboose to get us chugging along again. Or, we lose track and get excess baggage or freight. Or, maybe lose some, right? God was trying to switch us onto a different route and we missed it or ignored the flashing lights.  Or, maybe even, the train had a malfunction that we did not see coming.  There was nothing we could do, but ride it out.  Another passenger pulled the emergency switch or bailed out on us.  Maybe even, us.  Or, maybe the tracks were missing a few ties.  We all need ties.  You know?  Our family and accountability friends?  Connections!  So, back to the wreck!  Can you hear the screeching? Bam! Crash! Derailment! But, when the dust settles?  There is good news.  The Good News!  There’s a junction up ahead called Hope.  Throw some coals of faith in that engine. Kick the caboose and jump on.  Remember the little engine that could?  You can.  We can!  You’re not alone on that train.  And, on that train?  Is a mercy car.  A forgiveness car.  A grace car.  A perseverence car.  Even, an empty car...where hurting hobos like me can jump on.  And, many more.  That is the Good News.  The Good News Train.  So, come on, come on and do…the locomotion with me.  You know, I’ve been in a train wreck or two and I’ve been THE train wreck.  Where every car represented an area of my life.  It’s a scary event.  And, it is an event!  It takes a bit to put them back together again.  But, eventually you do.  With His help and others.  You can share the scare!  PIMP LOL. Maybe, not in the same order.  Maybe missing a few parts…like me.  But, the train keeps rolling…   And, there’s a station we’ll all be pulling in one day…where there won’t be any more wrecks.  Until then?  I “wreck”on I will put my hope in Him.  Prayer, bible, life, love, music and forgiveness…my “train”ing for life’s wrecks.  Talking to God, reading my bible, persevering everyday life with joy, loving and being loved, forgiving and being forgiven, and music.  That's what I do, and yes!  Sometimes, it is very tough.  I really do know that.  So, I'm gonna put a "wreck"ord on and listen to some good music, read some Good News and get back on track.  How 'bout you?   All aboard!!!   Cuz, it's His train.   Oh!  And, thanks for stopping by my place.  I have lots of other stories I call "Sojourneyalizings".  Or, as some might pronouce it?  Sojoyneyalizing!!!  Just some of my hope and humor that I journal about. My sojourns and journeys in my crazy life.   Find the joy...  Because God can do anything.  Nothing is impossible!  He is the God of wreck'nciles, I wreck'n!  Because He is so forgiving.  He forgives us all and helps us get back on track.  Yep! All of us!  Sometimes, we do get reckless and end up in wrecks. I guess that would make us reckless, but not wreck-less! PIMP LOL! My last thought?  If it's not you in the wreck?  Help by being loyal and loving, I wreck'n!  Cuz love covers a multitude of sins.  If you didn't cause the wreck, but saw it coming?  Or you didn't cause it, see it, or hear it coming, but you ended up on the scene?   Forgiveness, love and prayer are the "wreckage cleanup".  Even train cars aren't reckless enough to go down the tracks alone.  The are hooked up.  Hope you day is too.  Trace

Humor And Hope Sneak In While Embarrassment Announces Itself (Turning Red Beats Seeing Red)

So, last night it was raining hard and we drove past, and through, a huge puddle, noticing it a little too late.  And, we splashed this man sitting along the road with a grocery cart and what seemed to be all of his belongings stacked high. Guess what he yelled out at us? “You lousy bum!” What? You’re kiddin’, right? Oh, no, he didn’t...just bum us out. Cracked us up so bad. Not saying he was a bum.  Was just ironically hilarious.  I have had  someone dear to me live on the streets, so God knows my heart.  Just finding humor in this.  Anyway, back to the story before I bum you out.  We parked, ran in and shopped for food for the week, which by the way, is where I have gone forever and I know everyone there and always see a million people I know.  Can't ever sneak in and out.  So, we got to the checkout and our debit card wouldn’t work...as we stood there with a full cart of groceries.  I know…bummer, right? And, right now in our lives we don't have that luxury of  other cash just laying around or other cards to use.  So, I told the customers behind us, “Don't be bummed.  We'll be right back with the $.  Honestly we are not bums.”  I couldn't tell if they were laughing or moaning.  For some odd reason, the card worked in the other machine out front (maybe because there was cash in the account), but not before I had a natural orange red glow about me.  Humorous how God made our bodies.  I mean, who wants to announce embarrassment and panic!  Blow the trumpet!  All eyes look at the red-faced girl.  Something humiliating is happening to her.  And, I knew I had money in the account and we were not in the red, but for that moment?  I doubted! And, I was the one in red!  Beet red!  Turning red...beats...seeing red!  PIMP LOL.  Just because you turn red?  You don't have to see red!  Humor is colorful!  We had to pull our cart aside and go out in the storm.  Another reason I almost always use cash.  Other than just freaking the cashiers out.  They don’t see cash often.  But, then, neither do I.  Maybe the odd reason these two events happened was just to learn these two lessons in a funny way.  The two lessons?  You can’t judge a book…I mean you know how many times you’ve been in line and someone swears they have money, right?  Do you believe ‘em?  Well, it happened to me. Or judge someone by the way they dress or the way they accidentally splash you.  We all do it.  First impressions, right? First impressions only last until the second you get to know someone.  And, if you still aren't impressed?  See them through God's eyes.  And, that goes for those that only cross our paths once in life.  You just never know what's underneath that first impression.  I mean sometimes you just know.  But, then sometimes? Well, like the saying goes. You just never know!!!  I'm not sure if the people behind us in the store thought we were bums, but I made them laugh.  And, the guy along the road?  Well, he just used a rather funny choice of words when he got soaked because we did not see him at first.  Until it was too late.  His first impression and ours seemed to be the same.  And now for the other lesson? Well, trusting instead of panicking.  I almost panicked, but I knew that I knew that I had money and no matter how it looked to everyone else and what the machine said?  I knew.  God knew.  That’s just how life is.  He knows...  I know that!  Now, let me impress upon you...don’t be bummed!  Oh, and the photo at the top?  That's how I looked when the debit card wouldn't work...  Can you see the color rising?   The second photo?  Umm...just for fun.   Have a colorful and impressive evening.  Find humor and hope in the red...stuff!   You'll have less bummers.   Trace

When Does A Whisper Scream? And Math... Add It up!

So, I had gotten a beautiful yellow purse awhile back as a gift.  She said it screamed me.  And, as I was looking at it this morning when I awoke, I was thinking of other things that scream!  I was thinking of words and actions.  And, how sometimes they just don’t add up.  So, just a couple little home-made thoughts about it.  A little math mixed with humor and hope.  That’s the way I do it.  So, the value of our words are often subtracted by the actions that speak a different equation.  What should be your common denominator?  Truth.  It adds up.  Action and words should have the same square root, I mean “care” root, right? Truth!  And, the value of words spoken is often diminished when actions whisper a different truth. That screams at me.  And, by the same token, the value of actions are often diminished when the whispering of words speak a different truth.  That screams at me, too. PIMP LOL. When can a whisper scream?  When, we hear good words from someone, but their actions make us doubt the love.  Which does our heart hear and remember?  Or when someone does something incredible, but whispers gossip.  Which do we hear louder and remember?  That goes for us also. Think of it as a fraction.  With truth over our mouth and truth over our hearts/actions.  Each representing a half.  Then add them up.  We are whole. What is the “care” root of love?  Truth.  Have a fun day filled with truth, no division, and maybe a little math?  PIMP LOL.  Yep!  I love math.  It adds up in my brain.   And, so you see?  That a whisper that screams and math do have something in common.  Hope your day screams with truth.  Trace

Napkins, Lapkins, Crumbs And M&M's!

As I was watching my daughter eat some M&M’s, my mind wondered and I got to thinking…and I pictured myself trying to organize M&M's since I can't eat them anymore.  You  know it’s gonna be a rough day when trying to put your M&M’s in alphabetical order is a difficult task…PIMP LOL.  That’s me today.  So, today’s very short article is about what?  Yep!  You guessed it!  Food!  For thought!  So, I was eating my little breakfast and looking at my napkin, and I got to thinking….  Why aren’t napkins called lapkins?  Just sayin’!  They are more akin to our laps and the crumbs that fall there than our kin that eat the crumbs and then nap!  You know?  They are “nap kins” who use “lap kins”? PIMP LOL. Whatever crumbs may fall into your lap today?  Or come from your kin?  Be thankful!  For both the crumbs and the kin...and the kin that act like crumbs. If you get fed up because someone is full of it?  Remember...the Bread of Life!  You'd be surprised what you can do with a napkin.  I've got many napkins from memorable occasions or doodlings and even poems and songs.   Also, like to shape them into beautiful flowers like roses and tulips.  Kind of like He does with us.   And even more?  What God can do with crumbs!  The people kind and the life and food kind.   Anything is possible.  I know what He did and does with my crumbs...and when I'm a crumb!  Look at what Jesus did with the fish and the loaf of bread, right?   If you are crumbling or have to deal with a crumb...or, maybe even you have been the crumb, call on the Bread of Life.  Hungry for help?  Just ask Him.  Fed up because someones full of it?  Be filled...with the Bread of Life.  Don't go away hungry!  Now, I'm going to try to put my M&M's in alphabetical order again, so have  a fun day.  Mmmm...have a delicious day!   Trace

Eye'm Clocking In To Say: If You Get Tic'd? Toc To God!

So, eye’m clocking in to Trace's Place for a minute. Was thinking about work ethic and putting out our best always.  At home, work, even play, and yes, even at church, we're on a clock and we all have our moments when things hit us in the face and we get tic’d.  Face it!  Ultimately, we work for God.  If we have that work ethic, whether getting paid or not, whether the boss or not, and even like it or not, we do it with excellence, hands down, right?  Always our best!  Even when you feel like cleaning someone's clock and things aren't going exactly perfect.  If you get tic’d, toc to God. The Keeper of our clock!  Face Him and you can face anything.  Give Him your best.  Keep your eyes on Him and you will see that anything is possible if you strive for excellence.  And leave perfection to Him.  He has His eyes on us.  Eye’m clocking out before you clean my clock. PIMP LOL.  I got my eyes on you...  Trace

All Up In Arms About Hands And Elbows. Use Some Elbow Grease On That Funny Bone! Hope And Humor And Hands! Bear Arms Because We Are The Body

So, I have been having some spinning and dizziness and feeling bad again for a few days…and I was starting to get all up in arms about it.  Felt like giving up, but I could never do that.  You know?  Faith and all...  It's not in me to quit.  After a little worry and frustration…you know, all up in arms? I got my arms all up to God.  Took it to Him.  I just can't ever give up, right?  That's me.  That's all of us.  Never give up.  Well, that got me thinking about how we get all up in arms about things, so here’s a little more humor and hope on that subject.  Well, I AM all up in arms alright…about hands and elbows.  Why?  Cuz we are the body!  So, today, I’m using some elbow grease on my funny bone while I reach out to someone. You know?  Give someone a hand? And, I got my feelings on my sleeves right above my fingerless gloves. Gonna use those arms to take the weight of the world off both of our shoulders. A hug! Some humor!  Some hope!  For my girl.  Going to tackle some spackle.  And paint her bathroom this week.  With God's strength and lots of perseverence and faith.  Ought to be a hardworking, humorous, hopeful week and summer, huh? Get all up in arms about hugging and helping someone. Use some elbow grease on your funny bone. And, make someone laugh.  Bear arms.  Because we are the body…  Remember, we all get up in arms about things at times.  Just remember?  While you’re up in arms?  Lend them and extend them to someone.  Use some elbow grease to give a hand or share a funny bone! PIMP LOL.  From one body member to another? Hope you have a day that is all up in arms.  Because we are the body.  Oh, and stop by some of my others articles for rest and jest! PIMP LOL.  Oh, and click on the picture...for ummm...the bigger picture?  And, never...and I mean, never, give up!  Trace