The First Pancake Rule

Things are happening.

I found out last week that my new website may be finished soon. I’m excited, but nervous. 

I’ve been waiting to get my new speaking/writing ministry Extreme Joy Ministries up and running, but there’s something about gazing at the starting line and anticipating the sound of the gun going off to begin. Yes, I’m excited—and nervous—about placing my foot on the line and preparing to move forward.

A couple of weeks I was listening to a podcast by Ann Kroeker who is a Writing Coach and she was talking about the First Pancake Rule.

The First Pancake Rule.

Ann Kroeker said that when you begin making pancakes the first few usually don’t look very good. After pouring the batter they may end up shaped funny, too thick or too thin, and over or under cooked. But you keep pouring the batter and making pancakes.

After awhile you begin to get the hang of it. The batter has settled into the right consistency, you have figured out just how much batter to use and how long to leave it on the griddle before you flip it over. After awhile things begin to fall into place and you are making yummy round pancakes. (All right, she didn’t use the word yummy, but yummy works for me when it comes to hot

pancakes covered with hot maple syrup. But I digress.)

 Ann says it’s the same way when you start or re-start something. You have to just start and expect the first few things (or times you do it, whatever it is) to not be perfect. Start, keep pouring, and you will get better. 

That’s where I am at the moment. I’m beginning to pour the batter: 

• My new website will be up and running so I will be blogging and sending out a newsletter. 
• I'm continuing to be the guest Bible Study teacher at a church in my area.
• The first week of December I’m scheduled to speak at a Women's Conference in Charleston, SC.
• I’m submitting proposals to teach workshops on speaking and speaking tips to a few Writers’ Conferences.
• A Writers' Spiritual Retreat is in the planning stages.
• I’m working on presentations, book ideas, and blog ideas.

My pancakes may not come out perfect, but I’m going to mix the batter and start pouring.

What about you? Is there something you are waiting to start? What about something you want to re-start? Have you set goals but are fearful to step up to the starting line and begin?

Start.

 

Give yourself permission to make a few ugly pancakes.

The more you keep pouring, the better you will get.

And where can you find me? I’ll be standing over the griddle pouring . . . 

 " . . . being confident of this very thing, 

that He who has begun a good work in you will complete 

it until the day of Jesus Christ;" (Eph. 1:6 NKJV).

Scripture from New King James Version of the Bible

Pictures courtesy of www.pixabay.com

Good-bye for now Miss Ruby . . .

What did she dream about, 

this dear one who we would find asleep

while sitting up in her chair?

• Playing on the back of buckboard wagons or giggling in the school yard in the 1930's?
• Growing up with her brothers and sisters?
• Singing at church with her friends and family and worshipping her Lord and Saviour?
• Working with her friends in the pattern making department of the local manufacturing company?
• Missing her family, her home?

From the doorway of her room in the health care facility that she called home, my husband would whisper, "Miss Ruby, Miss Ruby, it's Pastor Greg and Beth."

Lifting her head towards his voice, she would open her eyes and give us the most beautiful smile. She didn't have much to say, but her eyes would dance with life as we spent time with her.

I think of these things as I remove her name from the church contact list, the first of many lists that her name will be removed from since she passed away last week.

But there's a place her name was etched long ago that will never be removed  . . . 

The Lamb's Book of Life, "I will not erase his (her) name from the book of life" (Rev. 3:5 NSAB).

She's in her new home now, no longer asleep while sitting up in her chair, but more alive and free than she has ever been.

Now she lifts her head towards her Master's voice who whispers her new name, the name written on the white stone He gave her, ". . . I will give him (her) a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he (she) who receives it" (Rev. 2:17 NASB).

I know she gives Him the same beautiful smile she gave us, but with Him I'm sure she has much to say. And not only does her eyes dance with life, but she can now dance for eternity.

Good-bye for now Miss Ruby . . . 

Until we meet again.

Ruby Amelia McDougle

(1919 - 2014)

photos courtesy of www.morguefile.com

Lemons, Cantaloupes, Watermelons . . . Oh My!

Most of us have heard the saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Well that's fine and good when it's lemons. Lemons are small, easy to slice and clean up. But what if life gives you something else?





Life gave me a great big cantaloupe recently. It was bad enough that I got thrown this big melon, but before I could make anything out of it, like cute little melon balls or crisp rectangular slices, life threw something else at me.




What?


A watermelon. Matter of fact, it came flying through my house within thirty minutes of the cantaloupe.

And what did I do with my watermelon?

Let me tell you what I didn't do with my watermelon. I didn't carve it into a tea cup and fill it with fresh fruit and crown it with Tinkerbell, or carve it in the shape of a sand bucket and fill it with starfish shaped melons. Nor did I carve out a pirate ship adorned with pirate flags, a crow's nest holding a pirate Lego man, and sails made out of watermelon rind. (Yes, I looked at Pinterest. Where else would I get these crazy ideas?!!!).



I didn't make a watermelon smoothie either. But what I did was grab the watermelon and hold on for dear life. God knew I needed something large to take hold of as I tried to make sense of what was going on in my life.



Sound familiar? Do you sometimes wonder why the big things like watermelons hit you and your family while other people only get a few lemons, or maybe a grape or two thrown their way?



I have to honestly say I didn't get around to asking this question. The reason being is I was too busy carting around my own heavy watermelon. It was so heavy I had to rely on others to help me. And they did help . . . most of the time. But when I was alone at night, cuddled up to my watermelon during sleepless nights, that's when God made His presence known to me. Not only did He make His presence known . . .

• He gave me rest when I couldn't put another foot in front of the other. 

• He gave me peace when decisions, responsibilities, and fear of the unknown overwhelmed me.

• He gave me understanding when the "WHY?" questions would crowd my thoughts.

• He gave me hope when days and nights ran together.

• He gave me strength when I was at my weakest.

• He gave me love that held me in a way no one else could.

What was my cantaloupe you ask?

My husband having to have out-patient neck/spine surgery after weeks at home in the bed while experiencing great pain.

Oh, and my watermelon? 

Bringing him home from the out-patient neck/spine surgery only for him to have a heart attack within thirty minutes of getting him settled. That watermelon came flying through my house before I could even get settled with the cantaloupe.

After a ride in an ambulance, hours of waiting in the ER, 10 days in the hospital, a heart cath and then quadruple by-pass surgery we came home again . . . watermelon in tow, as we prepared for weeks of recovery.

But we're doing it. Neither the cantaloupe nor watermelon caught God by surprise. He has been faithful to see us through the most difficult days and nights. And, with each day the watermelon is getting lighter, for I'm learning to let God carry the weight of my troubles.

So the next time life gives you lemons, cantaloupes, or watermelons and they come spiralling through your kitchen window, remember God is in control. He knew what was coming and will help you.



My prayer is that you will allow God to be your helper, for He "is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psa. 46:1 NASB).

Now, where did I see that cute watermelon carving of a flower pot with cute little flowers made out of pineapples, grapes and strawberries. I hope I didn't forget to pin it . . .

all photos courtesy of morguefile.com

No Onions Please

As he walked through the door, he knew all the locals were checking him out. While cruising timber for a new client in a remote part of the state, my brother was hungry and decided to stop at a roadside diner for lunch.

Once inside he saw men lined up sitting on stools at the counter eating hot dogs and only hot dogs, for that was all they served. 

Beyond the counter and through an open window the cook called out from the kitchen, “How ya want ya hot dog?”

“Mustard, no onions. Make that two please.”

Standing behind the men seated at the counter my brother tried to keep his eyes forward while all other eyes were on him. He knew these men probably meet everyday, whether they wanted a hot dog or not, to fill an uneventful day with uneventful talk. He was an outsider and knew he would end up the topic of conversation as soon as he left.

To be less of a distraction he decided not to move and kept his place behind the men at the counter as they went back to eating and talking. While he stood he watched through the open window as the cook assembled the hot dogs—bun, chili, mustard, and onions.

He didn’t want onions. Before the cook could begin adding onions to his second hot dog he felt he needed to remind him of his order.

“Sir, no onions please.”

Without acknowledging the correction, the cook kept on making the hot dogs—bun, chili, mustard, and onions. The men at the counter raised their heads and watched as my brother tried to get the attention of the cook. The next time he spoke it was a little louder and with more authority.

 “Sir . . . I said no onions please.”

Still, there was no acknowledgement from the busy cook on the other side of the window. He kept on preparing the hot dogs lined up in his large hand—bun, chili, mustard, and onions.

With his back straight and feet planted, my brother did the only thing he knew to do at that point to get the cooks attention. He yelled,

 “I said NO ONIONS!”

The diner went quite, the men’s mouths flew open, and for a moment all that could be heard was the clicking of the ceiling fan. Then a booming voice forced it’s way through the window from the kitchen as the cook yelled back,

 “IT’S  NOT  YOUR  HOT DOG!”

Oh, I can’t even imagine the look that was probably on my brother’s face as the cook leaned his head out the window and yelled back. No, he didn’t tuck tail and run, but it was all he could do to stay in that small diner waiting for his lunch. With brown paper bag in hand that held his two hotdogs—bun, chili, mustard, and no onions—he paid and attempted to walk back out the door with some dignity.

As I'm reminded of this story, I wonder how many times we stand behind the counter, yelling over the heads of others telling God how to do something when He knows perfectly well what He is doing and how it needs to be done.

The next time we find ourselves trying to correct God, we need to take into consideration that He may not be working in our lives at the moment but in the life of another. In other words, we may need to remember, 

“It’s not our hot dog!” 

photos courtesy of morgueFile.com

Rest At Noon?

"Tell me  . . .  where you feed your flock, 
where you make it rest at noon"  

(Song of Solomon 1:7 NKJV).

We are busy people, so busy that we have a difficult time resting. Why the thought of resting at noon, as this scripture alludes to, is unheard of to most of us. 

We can't just lie down and take a nap in the park after lunch 



or . . .

lie down on the floor of our office, for a power nap . . .

Oh, wait . . . I guess some people can take a nap at the park after lunch.

Maybe so, but most of us have to spend our days going from 

one responsibility to the next. 

Rest at noon – no way. 

What about resting at other times during the day?  

I'm not talking about sleep that may or may not come at night, but rest in our heart, soul, and mind.

If you need rest today then consider doing three things:

Go to Jesus, for He tells us to "Come . . ., all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28).

Cast "all you care upon Him for He cares for you" (I Peter 5:7).

Be "still, and know that I am God" (Psa. 46:10).

I try to remember to do these when I feel tired and need rest, especially rest from stress and worry. 

But I have to admit . . .

     the thought of taking a nap 

          in a hammock 

               with a comfy pillow 

                    in a garden 

                         does cross my mind sometimes!

photos courtesy of morguefile.com

Staying Focused

On my writing/speaking journey, I've had the pleasure of meeting and being under the teaching of some wonderful mentors. One such mentor, Carolyn, recently opened my eyes to the Purpose Board. What began as a solid black board eventually became a visual tool to keep me on track to what I feel is my purpose at this moment.

I began by thinking of the things that are important to me or that I enjoy . . .

• Living Life (my marriage, my family, my friends, my writing, my speaking ministry)
• My faith and God's Word
• Health
• Fitness
• Gardening . . .

My desire is to use writing (articles, stories, books, greeting cards), speaking, blogging, teaching, and mentoring to encourage others.

The words I placed on my Purpose Board keep me focused as I weave in and out of each day -- words I want to remember as I try to always be an encouragement to others.

• It's Never too late
• Reaching Your Potential
• Friendships
• You Can Do It!
• Feeling God's Love
• Direction
• Grow
• Branch Out
• Encouragement
• Cultivating
• Count it all Joy
• Hope
• Healing
• Connect
• Significance
• Doing Life Together

What's your purpose as you weave through each day? Would you like something visual to help you stay focused? Try making your own Purpose Board. Take those magazines you have around the house, purchase a board or poster, and start cutting out pictures and words that have meaning to you. Before you know it, you will have your own board. And . . . what began as a visual tool to keep you on track will actually end up being . . . a snapshot of the desires of your heart.