I'm not here.....

And yet here you are. Maybe it's been some time since you stopped by to see me or maybe you clicked a new comment and it sent you here. Some comments just don't allow me the choice to put in the new address -- so I have to send you around the world to find me.

I hope you'll make one more click and drop in at the new place. http://maryrsnyder.com

I'm over here.....

One more try -- if you're still struggling to get to the new blog site...... try this link. It will take you directly to a post and then you can navigate from there. Good luck

http://www.maryrsnyder.com/welcome-to-my-new-home/

Finding me......

If you've had trouble getting to my new spot on the web, it's a cookie thing. If you've gotten a page that reads "Coming Soon." You just need to delete your cookies, not the chocolate chip kind, don't delete those. Just delete your web cookies and that should do the trick. Or delete your Internet Temporary files.... honestly, I'm not sure which one does it. I just know that it's one of these.....

www.MaryRSnyder.com

My New Home on the Web

Hey all -- it's me and I've moved.... to

www.maryrsnyder.com

come check out my new place..... see you there

It's a Meme ......Top Nine Things that Made me Smile today

All That Naz: 9 on the 9th


Angela at All that Naz has tapped me to take part in this meme All That Naz: 9 on the 9th

Don't ask me what a meme is -- I thought it was a cute name for a grandmother, but it appears to be some type of blogging thing.

{a big pause for research on meme}

Okay, I'm back from google world where I tried to find out just what a meme is -- this is what my research has uncovered a meme (which is pronounced meem or mem and apparently not Me Me like I thought) is an idea that, like a gene, can relicate and can evolve.

It comes from some 1976 Richard Dawkins book -- isn't he the guy on Family Feud? Oh, wait, that's Richard Dawson.

So there you have it the background on the meme (which I think should be pronounced Me Me, it's just sounds more fun).

Now, for my meme

Nine Things that made me Smile today:

9. Sleeping until 8am (this would be higher on the list, but I didn't get in bed until almost 3am -- I'm in deadline week)

8. Eating lunch out with a friend

7. Reading Jen's Zippity Blog -- geez, that lady makes me laugh

6. Honking my horn at Kim this morning -- she always makes me smile (see, I'm smiling now, oh, wait, you can't see, well, trust me. Kim's just the kind of person who makes you smile)

5. A text message from Stephanie (who's at the beach..... not that I'm jealous or anything)

4. An email from my friend Mimi (who's name sounds like ME ME)

3. Getting my nails done -- (My Chihuahua bites is the color -- goofy name I know, but cute color)

2. Getting to see my oldest daughter -- she works at the same salon (and she's only been married and out of the house for 6 weeks)

1. Spending some time with my sweet hubby

And there you have it people -- my very first meme.

High Horses

I can’t stand high horses, so why do I consistently climb up on mine? Maybe I just like the view? Who knows.

My latest high horse adventure was just the other day when a dear girlfriend mentioned she’d run into a mutual friend – we’ll call him J. And J’s not just any mutual friend, but one who’d been at the center of a church scandal. I won’t go into details, but J left the ministry over this.

When my girlfriend told me about running into J and how they’d talked, I huffed (as you can only do when you’re up on that high horse) and reminded her of all his failures. She went on to tell me about what was happening in J’s life and I huffed again and said “can’t believe you’re so gracious after everything that happened.” And then she said “well, I’m not one to judge after all we’ve been through.”

WHAMO! that hit me right between the eyes. My girlfriend was quick to say “not that you’re being judgmental.” But I was being judgmental, she was just being kind I was right up on top of my high horse thinking that because J’s sin was on display for all to see and hear and talk about that made him worse than me. It doesn’t. It just makes him a better target.

I don’t know J’s heart, but I sure know mine. I was acting proud and arrogant. I was thinking that deadly thought “Lord, at least I’m not as bad as J (or K or L or whatever letter your person is.)” I was full of pride and ego, I was minimizing my sins and maximizing the sins of others. Sin is sin. And I’m definitely not one to judge anyone – kind of like the pot calling the kettle black.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:23

All have sinned – that includes me why up here on my high horse. The Lord used the humble heart of my girlfriend to speak volumes to my spirit. I've prayed for a humble spirit and I've asked the Lord to make me realize when I'm being proud. He did.

Over the last many months, I’ve claimed several verses and worked to apply them to my life. One of these is

Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up.

James 4:10

This past year has been a blast –it’s been one amazing adventure with the Lord and it comes on the heels of one of the most difficult times I’ve experienced in my Christian life. I’m just humbled that the Lord has blessed me in so very many ways and He just continues to do so while I’m acting all self –righteous up on that high horse.

Why is it so very easy to see the sins of others and not the ones that I commit? Believe it’s a full time job just asking for forgiveness from all of my mistakes – and I’ve made some big ones!

So for now, I’ll stay off the high horse and work on humbling myself before the Lord. He’s my joy and my strength. And when J comes to mind again (or up in conversation), I’ll remember to pray for him – and pray that the Lord is as gracious to him as he has been to me.

And I hope to put that high horse out to pasture -- for good.

Sufficient Grace (aka the would be Rollercoaster)

Many of you have popped in from the Internet Cafe -- welcome. For you regular readers, all seven of you, I'm a contributor writer with the Christian Women Online's Internet Cafe-- pop over there today and take a look. It's a wonderful community and I'm honored to be among this talented group.

If you’ve come from the Internet Café today, you’ve read my devotion on turning away from being a “sort of” sold out Christian. I’m still a work in progress, but the Lord is good and He’s worthy of all the praise I can give (I don’t give enough, but that’s a blog for another day).

As I struggled to put together a witty, charming and deeply spiritual blog, I hit a brick wall. I don’t mean just bumped into it, I slammed into it doing about 90 mph. I wrote some really cute stuff – an analogy of my life as a rollercoaster (wooden and clunky, not the smooth steel one), but it wasn’t right. I wrote about joy in my life (and I have the joy of the Lord), but that wasn’t right. I wrote about something else (I’ve completely forgotten that one, but I think it was good, let’s hope so). None of these were right, but I thought they were fun and witty, but they weren’t the words that the Lord would have me to write. I deleted them, but not until after some whining.

I’m trying so hard to listen to Him and follow Him, but I must tell you I really wanted to share that cute rollercoaster thing – I liked it. I even had a bit of rebellion with the Lord, but He quickly reminded me that He is in charge. And that’s so true. Whenever I drive this …..rollercoaster (it’s okay here)… I manage to crash completely or at least get one wheel off the track – not a good ride. We’re much better off when He’s at the wheel.

My grace is sufficient for you for power is perfected in weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:9

My grace is sufficient for you – wow! that’s an amazing statement, when you think about it. God’s grace is sufficient. It’s enough. It’s all that I need. I can definitely understand that grace today – I live under it. It’s His grace that gets me through the day. In the last few months I’ve struggled with being over scheduled, overstressed and, at times, overwhelmed, but His grace is sufficient.

It’s when I’m at my wit’s end that I realize just how sufficient His grace is. It’s when the deadline is looming, the job is overwhelming, and the checkbook is low that I realize just how sufficient His grace is. And not only do I realize His grace, but I also realize that He cares for me. He picks me up – repeatedly – and forgives me when I lose sight of Him and neglect my time with Him.

I’ll continue to be a work in progress, but I know that the Lord delights in me and I in Him. I know that He is my strength and my joy. I know that in Him I will find grace, forgiveness and love.

So, I’m off to soak in His grace – I need a measure (or two) of it. I’m just days away from a book deadline, but I know that the Lord has the words for me and I’m trusting Him – of course, He’s telling me that I need to plant myself at the keyboard and stay away from blogs, email, and news feeds. Focus. That’s my prayer today – focus.

In his grip