Friday, July 28, 2017

Making the Connection

Shopping has never been my cup of tea.  I can picture the men reading this falling on the floor right now with shock and unbelief.   

It’s true though and as my husband used to say before we were married, “She’s a cheap date.” Of course I strongly encouraged him to change his wording … okay, I told him not to say that anymore. 

What I mean is that I’ve never been a “window shopper” going from store to store to look at things I can’t afford or long for things someone else may have.  I plan to shop and then shop the plan.  It’s my way of dealing with reality and not having to say to an item, “I’ll be back” for something when you have to return it to the shelf because it’s not in the budget. 

I don’t like going to the store unless I really plan on a “good shop” with hubby.  To me, a good shop is being able to stuff your cart with the necessities and a few not so “have to have” items.  So this cuts down on my shopping outings to about once a month and I’m perfectly fine with that, because my working hours are normally later than his. 

This leaves all those short runs to the store up to my husband, which he really doesn’t mind (that much anyway).  Even though I love the fact that he is willing to do me a favor by running all household errands leaving me to do other things, there’s something he does that frustrates the socks off me!

Invite new friends to Daily Favor so they can be added to this section in the future!  

Besides being my best friend since high school, he is also my “bestest” boyfriend and girlfriend (because he is willing to do “girly things with me like shopping, taking me to tea rooms and carries my purse in public without being asked). 
 
This behavior actually made him more manly and appealing, because he wasn’t trying to impress anyone else but me.   

Things have changed though … not that he doesn’t do those things because he does and even more.  It’s something else. 

Having eight operations these past two years has kept hubby home more, which has him poking about the house and limited on what he’s permitted to do by his doctors.  He’s become more “aware” of his emotions and at any given moment could break out in tears or cheers.  It’s a whole new world of medical side effects that we’re discovering. 

With it just being the two of us the connection between my husband and I has always been extremely close, and is even more so without family living nearby anymore.  How can I frame this out for you to envision? 

 
Reverently my husband has no problem following the instructions God gave from the beginning of mankind. 

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother,
 and shall be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.”
 (Genesis 2:24 AMP) 

A mother and her newborn still attached by the umbilical cord couldn’t be more connected if you get the picture.  A child fastened to his mother by one of those bungee leashes couldn’t be more attached than this guy is to me these days, and he’s not even retired!   

If I need to inhale he’s right there to exhale for me … that’s how connected we’ve been since his illness.  With us being “in each other’s face” more than normal, we actually love seeing one another throughout day … but there’s still that one thing.  

Rambling … 

I’ve never been bored in my life with all the things I put my hand to when it comes to interests.  You name it I always have several projects of some sort in the works.   Somewhere along the line I'm sure this stems back to being part of a large family and us not being under mom's feet all day.

Hubby - an only child on the other hand, has never been one for “hobbies” like me, that is except when it comes to cooking, which he loves. He has the bread maker and is the one that orders those gadgets in the middle of the night.  I often said that I’d like a second kitchen so I could work in mine! 

Back to how this relates to our story. 

I Don’t Care … Make a Decision! 

Almost every decision that is made in our household is collaborated on between the two of us; that is until it comes to groceries.  This frustrates and baffles me at the same time, because hubby does almost all the cooking these days.   

He’s taken over the kitchen and the cupboards.  When I asked which soup of mine had the oldest date on it he said, “Tomato.”  He knew what it was!   

Folks, are you still praying for him?  Remember … he’s a master builder?  I’d think redesigning the kitchen or fumbling around in the shed would be more up his alley.  He’d get no arguments from me. 

I can’t find a thing in our freezer anymore since he reorganized it.  I’d complain, but seriously … he’s doing the cooking!  Knowing this you would think he is pretty much aware of what we eat and which brands we use right?   

Here’s the kicker … I kid you not. 
 
Whenever my husband has to run an errand that involves food it doesn’t take him two minutes after he’s left the driveway to re-connect with me on his phone.  By the time he reaches the store five minutes from the house, I’ve received at least six to eight calls from him.   

When he’s walking the aisles of the store he makes a dozen more calls, and by the time he reaches home we’ve connected twenty-seven times!  I know, because I counted.
 
This is for only one time that we’re apart.  If he is running errands or working we’ve probably connected with one another almost fifty times. 

Hubby says that he calls because he doesn’t want to make a mistake and hear about it later, but I think I’ve busted his justification. True, true … I could believe part of that “may” be correct, but here’s what I think is behind “Mister Tough Guy’s” behavior. 

At home the connections continue in different ways, that's right … texting! 
 
Yesterday he was working in one room of the house and hubby texted me to come see him – true story! 
 
The thing is, we’re not often apart other than work hours, and even then we find a way to stay connected.   

Why is it so important that we stay in contact and on the same page in our thinking?  Love … love is what drives the relationship, and love wants us to keep connected as much as possible even if it seems strange or silly to others. 

Now to set the record straight, my husband could call me a thousand times a day and I’d answer every time with joy. The thing that frustrates the socks off me is the same thing that he said frustrates him a few weeks ago on this very site. One of us has to make another decision that day… this would be 35,001!  

How You Connected 

While preparing for this unit of study, the Holy Spirit directed my attention to the lengths people go to in order to stay connected to the things they like or the people they love.  The phone, internet and regular mail are a few of those methods. 

Looking through the statistics that I’ve collected over the course of five years on Daily Favor, I’ve become aware of how people have stayed connected with us.  Didn’t everyone use Google?  It never dawned on me until my friend from Trinidad, Jahmadar told me how he and his wife stayed connected through his phone.

This is how people like you connected to Daily Favor 

Visitors browsed through: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, Samsung Browser, Mobile/Mobile Safari, Bing Preview, GSA, Opera, Dragon, Iron, Qt or RockMelt. 

They did their viewing through operating systems such as: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Android, iPhone, iPad, Unix or other compatible programs. 

Of course there are loads more, but the point is that people want to be connected to something or someone and are willing to go to great lengths to do so just like my husband does with me. 

Did you know that God did the same thing, and still wants to connect with you?  As a matter of fact, the first relationship connection ever to be made was without cell phones, the internet or even the USPS.  It all began in the “Garden of Favor.” 

We’re Ready to Begin 

For the past few weeks we’ve sown seeds of anticipation for our next project and I’m pleased to say, “We’re Ready” … and hope you are excited as much as we are to see where the Lord will take us on this part of our journey with Jesus. 

Starting next week we begin our series on Daily Favor Relationships.  We’ll take a look at topics such as:
 

Why people needed to be connected.

How do we connect to people?

What makes us connect at all?

What draws us to a relationship?

What favor has to do with relationships? 
 

I look forward to your joining us as we dig into the truth about God’s favor, and how it was planned from the beginning for mankind in our relationship with the Lord and others. 

If this article has encouraged or helped you, please consider sharing it by using the social media icons provided at the end of this post. 

Until next time, make a connection with someone about Daily Favor.

 
Next time on Daily Favor: The Garden of Favor” 

*Unless noted, the names in articles are changed to protect the individual(s) privacy. 

Note: Emphasis is given in some scriptures to show clarity or understanding and is not to take away from the inspirited Word of God. 

When used, the words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives. 

Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness. 

Follow Favored1 on Facebook, TwitterYou Tube, Pinterest and Hub Pages Articles.  

Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.  Click on the above tab “Tell Me” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior. 

Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
Scripture references provided by Gateway Bible in the New King James Bible Version or as noted.
Image credit: Google Images Creative Common License if not specified.
 
Window Shopper, Google, Internet, Making the Connection, Daily Favor Relationships, Daily Favor Blog, Favored1, LG Cell Phones, Journey with Jesus, Decision Making, Favor of God, Teaching Series, Hubby Update, Inspiration, Christian Living

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Happy 5th Anniversary Daily Favor!

Celebrating 5 Years!
 
Happy Anniversary Daily Favor! 

Leave a comment or share how Daily Favor has been a part of your life journey over the years. 
 
"This was the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes."
(Psalm 118:23 NKJV)

Read and share this week’s blog post: Meet & Greet.

Follow Favored1 on Facebook, TwitterYou Tube, Pinterest and Hub Pages Articles.  

Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.  Click on the above tab “Tell Me” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior. 

Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy. 
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.

Scripture references provided by Gateway Bible in the New King James Bible Version or as noted.
Image credit: Google Images Creative Common License if not specified.

Friday, July 21, 2017

Meet and Greet

While standing in the check-out line at JC Penney’s, I heard a voice repeatedly calling out my name.  Looking all around I tried to locate the echo through the crowd.   

Target identified … it was a pastor’s wife that we haven’t seen in about three or four years.  Finishing my business at the counter I stepped aside as Nina approached me with delight radiating from her face.  

As we talked Nina explained that she didn’t know why she came into Penney’s that day, but felt drawn there by God.  I could think of a few reasons to go shopping that certainly wouldn’t include “being drawn there by God, however, my conscience would feel a whole lot better if I could say “God sent me to bargain hunt!” 

The conversation began to deepen when Nina explained that she didn’t need anything, but before coming inside the store asked the Lord why he had brought her there.  Right then a flag went up in my thinking … a lady, at a department store and she didn’t need anything?  Is she for real? 

Upon seeing me Nina conveyed she immediately knew the reason for God sending her to the store, and that was to get in touch with my wife again.  That’s right, this is me … hubby. 

Ending a sentence with the word “again” should have given it away; Fay would never have done that!  Right here should be the part she welcomes all of you ...

A Greater Force 

My next stop was Walmart.  I was in a bit of a hurry to get home since it was our wedding anniversary, plus I had some frozen items in my cart.   Okay, let me be honest since Fay’s blog is always about transparency (something that goes against the very fiber of a man). 

I was on a mission to pick up a cheesecake my wife ordered especially for our anniversary. (How ironic, because this will be posted on National Cheesecake Day, which isn’t our anniversary but we like to celebrate it anyway. Sorry, I’ve taken a rabbit trail as my wife likes to say.) 

“Check the balance” resounded through my brain reminding me to visit the bank inside the store before starting to shop.  Of course being a man I forgot to do it until I had already finished shopping, but in my defense although my timing was off I did do it.  Walking over to the ATM (Automated Teller Machine) Don and Essie greeted me as they were departing the store. 

We spoke for a few minutes and talked about getting together soon but would leave the details up to Fay.  Standing behind my friends I noticed a lady waving to me from the customer service line as if she was trying to flag down a taxi.  Now what?  

What was this … “national get me in trouble with my wife day" because I’m running so late? Don’t they realize I have a greater force to deal with if I don’t get home a.s.a.p.?  Plus, there’s the cheesecake to consider, come on now what else could be more important? 

Good News in Waiting

It was the groomer from the vet clinic calling out from the slow moving customer service line she was waiting in to return something.  “Don’t leave. I need to talk to you!”   

Recognizing that I was being summoned Don and Essie left and I walked over to see what the woman in the customer service area wanted.  When Alise (the groomer) was finished she shared the good news about two rescue kitties that she had adopted from us in December 2016.  It was a favored report and well worth the wait to hear. 

Value of Relationships 

Now I really had to get going, so  I hurried to the self-check-out line.  Thank you Lord … no waiting, this should be quick. 
Scanning the items I hear a familiar voice calling out from behind me.  With his long drawn out country boy accent I heard: 

“Heyyyyyy, you ain’t got nearly enough in that there cart”. 

It was Ray-Ray ... molasses on two feet!  He is one of the nicest people you ever want to meet, but takes forever and a day to pour out the details of a story.  He always goes out of his way to say hello, and I never want to devalue our relationship by not spending a few moments with him.   

Initiation of Friendships 

Thinking back on the encounters of that day I thought about how these relationships had developed over the years.  What caused them to turn from acquaintances into actual friendships?  It was the prayers and interaction of my wife who initiated the majority of them. 

I can’t tell you how most of our adult friendships began, but do know that Fay had something to do with it.  Whether it started with telling someone she liked their hair or shirt, to saying “excuse me” in the aisle of a store, “Favored1” isn’t shy about meeting and greeting. 
To her, she’s never met a stranger and everyone that comes into her life becomes a friend of sorts.  I'm living proof of that, she initiated our first conversation back in 9th grade of high school.  In my grief she offered words of comfort.

Growing up in a large household as my wife did, left each child fending for their own relationships outside of the immediate family.  Being an only child it’s something that I never encountered until I met her.  She was never the center of attention, and I always was (and still am … with her). 

Wanting to make friends or even talk to people is work, and frankly I didn’t want to invest that kind of time with anyone else but her.  For a Christian, this is about the most ungodly act we can do.  Jesus is all about bringing people into the fold, not keeping them at arms-length.  

Favored Comments 

Relationships are important to Fay, making good ones, leaving bad ones behind and knowing when to let them grow in their own course of time.  Then there are those special ones she cherishes or cultivates like the ones here on Daily Favor. 

Over the past five years I’ve watched some of her relationships take a nose dive, while others have blossomed into the most loving friendships.  No matter what is going on in our lives, you beloved friends have been there and we thank God mentioning you in prayer. 

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.  
Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 
for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.
(Philippians 1:3-5 NLT) 


We have gained strength from your prayers, comments and good wishes during my hospital stays and recovery.  When discouraged, you were there through prayer and leaving words of encouragement.   
Whether it was through comments on blogs, social media or emails, your words often lift us up in hope, reminding us that God is in all of this and that you have favored us with your precious time. 

Many of your comments reflected something you received in your heart from the post, while others reach us on a more intimate level.  The thing here is that we appreciate all of them, as do so many others that visit over the course of the year. 

You Are Highly Favored 

When my wife began Daily Favor I couldn’t imagine what would compel her to write on a topic week after week, let alone year after year.  I mean, how much is there to say about one thing right? 

However as it unfolded I began to understand that being favored by God is more than just a few words or a concept. It’s something we can take hold of that touches every aspect of a believer’s life through salvation. 

“Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You have toward Your people.
Oh, visit me with Your salvation.” (Psalm 106:4 NKJV) 

In scripture the Apostle Paul learned the value of relationships throughout the course of his ministry.  He didn’t have a problem pointing out the ones that failed exposing the flaw in others, which I somehow doubt God looked favorably on when he did that. 

Then again, Paul was quick to tell us to extend favor to those who have helped him through the years whether it was in housing, food, material gifts and letters of encouragement or in prayer.  He highly favored his friendship and relationship with the church, and presented the Saints before the Lord in gratitude through prayer. (Philippians 4)  

It’s true, the Lord inspires my wife in her writing, but it’s a heart for souls that keeps her going and enthused about sharing the gift of God’s favor with anyone who is willing to receive it.  Your unfailing love, support and extreme patience are food for her soul to walk out the call of God on her life with joy. 

I can attest that when mamma’s happy, pappa’s happy, and as Ray-Ray would say, “Ain’t no getting around that! 

Receiving Daily Favor 

What I’ve learned and take away each week from reading Daily Favor is that even though I don’t always receive the fullness of the favor of God, there is hope that I can.  God isn’t holding anything back from me, but is waiting with arms wide open for me to get my act together so I can enjoy the abundant life that Jesus died to give me. 

Favor is something that I come to expect from the promises of God, not because I deserve any of it but because of His unconditional love.  More than ever I can see God’s favor in my life on the little things, not just the obvious. 

Fay expects God to be faithful in answering prayer and blessing her because of who she is in Christ – favored!  Being her husband I share in her receiving favor daily and extend it to others more than ever, because I think differently about why we receive it in the first place. 

The weekly challenges are exhausting. They tug on my heart, cause me change when I don’t want to, and even more … they force me to think when my mind wants to stay in null mode.  I still can’t get past the “Making Favored Decisions” one! 

Over and over I see my wife receive favor when no one else does in certain situations.   When I ask her about it she reminds me that she “asked” and received.  God grants her requests because she continually seeks His face, not His hand(outs) so that she can bless someone else.  The purpose of receiving Daily Favor isn’t for keeping, but for giving. 

Meet and Greet 

This week I have had the pleasure of sharing a few things from my heart concerning the time and love Fay puts into Daily Favor as she uplifts you in prayer.  You mean more to us than just a few snippets on a post here and there. 

Although we haven’t had the pleasure of a meet and greet yet, Fay and I look forward to when that will change whether it is here on Earth or in our Holy reunion in Heaven with Jesus.  

If you aren't sure about salvation you can change that by reading "Tell Me." 

So for now, it is my sincere desire that you join us as we venture into God’s favor in relationships for our next series.  By the way, don’t think we’ll get out of doing the challenges.  Have you even known an instructor not to give homework?  Try living with one! 

Little side note here ... saying a few extra prayers wouldn’t hurt since she’s asked me to co-pilot this part of the journey, which she’ll no doubt edit and change anyway to make it interesting.

Thank you for journeying with us through the years, and I pray that God will continue to extend His gracious favor to each of you for your faithfulness.

Happy Anniversary Daily Favor, and congratulations Sweetheart.  May God continue to anoint your work as we learn to walk in the blessings of His Daily Favor!
If this article has encouraged or helped you, please consider sharing it by using the social media icons provided at the end of this post. 

Until next time, the grace (favor) of the Lord our God be with you all. 

P.S. I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I miss the challenge globe, don't you?  No worries, Fay will have us working again soon no doubt!

Reference: Philippians 4:23 NKJV 

*Unless noted, the names in articles are changed to protect the individual(s) privacy. 
Note: Emphasis is given in some scriptures to show clarity or understanding and is not to take away from the inspirited Word of God. 

When used, the words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives. 

Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness. 

Follow Favored1 on Facebook, TwitterYou Tube, Pinterest and Articles 

Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.  Click on the above tab “Tell Me” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior. 

Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy. 

Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
Scripture references provided by Gateway Bible in the New King James Bible Version or as noted. 

Image credit: Google Images Creative Common License if not specified.
Image:  JC Penney  National Cheesecake Day  Value  Comments Psalm 106:4 Highly Favored  Jesus and Heaven  

Meet and Greet, Daily Favor Relationships, Daily Favor Blog, Favored1, Christian Living, Weekly Challenge, Inspiration, Anniversary, National Cheesecake Day, Friendship, Hubby Update, God's Love, Salvation