My opinion is that in the land of the free, I should be able to decide if I want to wear a seatbelt or not. I have never really liked the idea that the government has decided to "protect" me from myself.  If a person decides they want to drive without a seatbelt, or drive a motorcyle without a helmet... and IF.... in SO DOING they end their lives tragically, and early, that's THEIR personal decision. Obviously, a bad decision, but their bad decision to make.    The government isn't supposed to keep us from making bad decisions.  That's what mothers are for.  Isn't it?  

I don't have a problem with parents being required to buckle their children up in car seats.  I think that's a GOOD idea, because a child isn't old enough to make wise decisions.   And sometimes their parents aren't smart enough to protect their own kids.   BUT.. if an adult doesn't want to wear a seatbelt, they shouldn't be forced to do so by the government. 

My smoking friends will try to jump on this bandwagon with me, but I always kick them off.  It's not the same thing.  Smoking is NOT a PERSONAL DECISION.  When you smoke, everyone around you smokes with you.  I have chosen to NOT SMOKE.. . and if someone next to me is forcing me to breathe THEIR smoke.. then... my FREEDOM is being infringed upon. (As you may guess, I don't have many friends who smoke because my position is not popular with smokers)

One day, as I got in the car and DID NOT BUCKLE MY SEAT BELT again... a very gentle voice whispered in my head,  "Submit to every authority.".   HUH???  Who said that????   The seatbelt issue was a submission thing.   Submission isn't about deciding if the rule is fair - submission is about trusting that GOD is fair.   My job is to submit to the law of the land, and God will, in the end judge whether or not I've been treated fairly.  Peter was living under an emperor who thought it was good sport to kill Christians when he admonished us to submit to EVERY authority.   It applies to the government and it applies to husbands, bosses, and parents.   Jesus did not return INSULT for INSULT, the Bible says, because He trusted Himself to "Him who judges fairly."  In the end... everything will be fair.  In the end, God will decide and DEAL with anyone who is unfair to me, His precious daughter.  (and you, too)  In the meantime,  I keep buckling my seatbelt......because I'm supposed to. Period.   End of Story.  Amen. 

I have a friend who was abandoned by her husband.   Fifteen years ago, he left her, and her son and just took off with another woman.  Got on a plane one day, and he never came back. The End. And that was that. Needless to say, when you love someone with all your heart and that person decides they don't love you or WANT YOU anymore, it does more than ruin your week - it ruins your heart.   And when someone decides to end a relationship, it causes people in their circle to have to choose sides.  Some people chose HIS side, and some people chose HER side.   It was a difficult time for her, for many years.  

Her heart wasn't bitter, it was broken.  She continued to raise her son.  He grew in to an exemplary human being, a successful business executive, married to a beautiful woman and they have beautiful, adorable children.  My friend has grandkids, and joy, and fulfillment and a successful career.  God's grace and blessing has been on her life all these years.  She is SUCCESSFUL with a capital "S".   In the past six months or so, she's been running in to people in town who took HIS side years ago.  And these people have been apologizing to her.  And she has been forgiving them.  He got on a plane one day and never came back....until... two days ago.  He called some of their mutual friends....to ask her if she would be willing to meet with him because he needed to apologize to her.  And  I have a friend who said "yes".   I have a friend who sat down to dinner with a man who destroyed her life 15 years ago.  I have a friend who listened to what he had to say and who said...."I forgive you."  I am honored to say I have a friend like her.  Evidently, good things still happen to good people. 

Can't explain it......won't even try.  JOY... JOY... JOY...  I can't explain it.   I love Jesus.  He loves me.  A supernatural thing that happens - and no one can take it away.  NOT ONE PERSON can take it away. 

It's not like my life is perfect.. although... I must admit.. it's pretty blessed.  And being blessed is not something I deserve.  Nope.  I've done and said some pretty stupid things in my life.   Without God's mercy and INTERVENTION, I would have destroyed myself 50 times over in my lifetime.

There really isn't anything in the world to get excited about.  No - it's falling apart as we watch.   And people can expect TOO MUCH and give too little back.  Anyway... I just want to  take a moment to acknowledge before all of heaven and all of earth and all of the inter-planetary inhabitants of the Universe that I appreciate the JOY that comes from being God's child.  Thank YOU God.  Thank you.   Thank you.  Thank you... I praise you Lord, and I give you honor, because You alone deserve HONOR and PRAISE and WORSHIP.  And so, in front of whoever reads this silly little blog.. I want to say... You have been more than merciful to a silly little being named Marie.

I'm shallow.  Vain and shallow.  Yes, I shamefully admit it.  Yesterday I had a routine Dr's. appt.   The receptionist took out my chart and was looking at it and then she looked at me and said, "Wow.  I'm blown away.  When you walked in I noticed your hair  and it's just such beautiful hair, and your skin is so young looking and now I'm looking at your chart and I'm shocked that you're over 50.  You look, like, only 40!  Girl, whatever you're doing - keep doing it!!!"   Now.. I want to be a  woman of God who isn't concerned with outward beauty.. or if I'm aging or not... but.... I don't always get what I want.  So, ok...seriously, it made my morning, my day, and my evening.  One person who doesn't know me said three sentences of affirmation about my appearance and it lifted my spirit.   And true to form, I have to think about it from every angle.  Every angle.

My first thought was how happy I am to have someone say I look "40".. but when I was 40 it would have hurt my feelings. When I was 40, I wanted to look 25.  Time changes everything, doesn't it?  Everything's relative.... I'm THRILLED TO LOOK 40 to someone.. anyone.  So in 14 years when I'm almost 70..... I'll be so thrilled to hear someone say I look 54.  So, today, I'll be happy with who I am and how I look.

Next, I realized that SAYING nice things to other people is VERY IMPORTANT and as women, we need to comment to our sisters in the Lord in a positive way about every thing we can.  Not only sisters in the Lord, but every woman.   Tell your co-worker something GOOD about her.  Be willing to be honest.  Be willing to NOT be jealous of other women, and if they can do something excellently, then SAY SO.  If it's the truth, it's gonna set everybody free. And think about all the women in your life:  your mom, your daughter, your mother-in-law, your daughter-in law, your grandmother, aunt, neighbor, cousin. 

Today...if your mom is still alive, think of something GOOD about her and say it to her. Moms,say something GOOD to your daughters about something you ADMIRE about her.  Tell  your mother-in-law something you admire about her (even if it's about what a great son she raised) and vice-versa mothers-in-law.  Tell your pastor's wife that you love her, tell her something about her that is good.  Tell her that she dresses nicely if she does, tell her that her children are well-behaved, if they are.   Sometimes, especially to those who are close -(prophets without honor in their own home)  we don't need any prodding to let them know what we don't like about them. Today, just for one day, say something nice to someone you see every day. Say something true.   It could change someone's day....and that may not seem like a big deal.....but to the person who's day was changed......it's HUGE.

(oh....thanks for the emails.  They're wonderful and great.  Because I've been away I haven't had the time to post them.  I'm thinking about having a blog site where you can post your comments directly to the website.  Won't that be fun????  And.. yes.. I went to the gym yesterday.  My gym backsliding days are over... except.. for.. I won't get there today.. because.. uh.. I have a hair appointment.)

A week away babysitting for friends and the day after we got back home we learned of Phil's father's passing.  So there was a day or two of preparation, then a few days there and then back home.  Getting home after being "gone" for two weeks meant a few days of catching up on sleep, on bills, on laundry, and getting our taxes done.   All that to say, it's been THREE SOLID weeks since I saw the inside of the gym.   Part of me is tempted to say, "It's too long.  You've quit going and you should just accept that you are a Gym Failure."   BUT.. It's 7:28 AM here, and I'm getting dressed as soon as I finish writing this and going to the gym. It couldn't hurt, and it will actually help.

As with all things, I always "see" a spiritual side. And I notice all through the Bible that people who really got OFF TRACK (great pun.. huh?) with God found themselves in a mess. And IF they called out to Him, He forgave and restored them.   He didn't say.. "You've been out of touch with Me for years, out of shape spiritually, and now that you're in trouble you expect Me to rescue you??  You've got some nerve!".   Nope.  His heart was touched by their cry and he saved them.   No matter how far gone we are, as long as we continue to hope in the Lord, and cry out to Him for mercy... He will answer.    The only time He doesn't help us is when we don't ask.