Spatulas, Sisters, and the Red Panda

SPATULA

Giving good gifts is an art.  On one of the only TV shows I watch- Parks and Rec-perky  Leslie Knope  gives thoughtful, meaningful and well planned gifts to her friends and co- workers. Who knew that chic from 2^nd City could be sooo perky and not be irritating? But I digress.  My husband is an expert gift giver- especially to his little hunny.  He has given me many amazing gifts over the years, and this Christmas he outdid himself.  While waiting for a fab hand carved necklace to arrive from Canada where he had ordered it- he got nervous about its imminent arrival- and went out a few days before Christmas shopping.  What showed up under the tree was a 6 foot spatula:)  You might say: WOW!  You might say: What in the cat hair?  I said both of these things while scratching my head: then I thanked him and Pier One.   All of the gifts he gives me are surprising and awesome- and to be truthful they are perfect. When the necklace arrived after Christmas it was perfect too:)

Bud showing off the FABULOUS gift he helped his Dad choose:)

GIFTEDNESS & NON

Giving gifts and being gifted are two entirely different things. While in traffic school a few years ago (Ok I admit it) the officer droning on in a monotone voice for 6 hours that day was definitely NOT GIFTED as a teacher.  Shamika and Sharee, my two new best friends sitting behind me that day were doing the same thing I was- struggling to stay awake.  At the break they went to the snack machine and came back with $25 worth of snacks.  They shared one with me and I was grateful- but I could not help thinking I did not need snacks- and either did Shamika and Sharee- believe me.   What we needed was a teacher who could at least keep us awake.  To be fair- the subject matter was not the most compelling- but Shamika, Sharee and I all agreed the DMV could have done a little better job getting someone a little more gifted at teaching. By the end of the class Shamika and Sharee were constantly saying under their breath “help me jesus”.  I concurred.

I have 4 fabulous sisters who are all greatly gifted in many ways.  They are all beautiful, and hugely successful in their careers. They are either raising or have raised great kids.  While I have the greatest kids(ha) my sisters inspire me in so many ways. I admire them all very much, and what they have accomplished in their lives.

From L-R:  Me, Mom, Janice, Mary Ellen, Kathy, Nancy

To be truthful- we are ALL gifted in some way.  It would take me a LONG time to enumerate the ways my husband and kids are gifted- so I will save that for another blog…  I am pretty good at planning events- I am getting better at working with/training autistic folks. I am/was a pretty good missionary.  I like to teach bible studies.  I am trying to be a better writer- but I have a ways to go on that.

THE RED PANDA

Over Christmas Tim and I went to a Charlotte Bobcats basketball game.  While the Cats were fairly un-inspiring, the halftime show was great. An Asian woman about 40 years old came out on a 15 foot unicycle balancing a dish on a stick on her head.  She was pretty darn gifted.  They kept throwing more dishes up to her- and she just kept putting them up there until she was balancing about 10 of them.  We kept thinking at any moment she would drop them but she did not. It was a pretty cat hair moment.

Where is your giftedness?  If you don’t know -get on it and find out!  What in the cat hair are you good at? What in the cat hair are you waiting for? Throw those dishes up on a stick and GET MOVING! Scripture teaches us to USE our gifts.  If we sit on our hands, or just lay around on the couch watching the Kardashians that really stinks to high heaven.

It goes without saying that Jesus was the greatest gift of all- His sacrifice on the cross was once for all-finished.  But He longs for us to use our giftedness to honor Him. What will you do today to honor Him? Are we in danger of losing our gifts/crowns in Heaven if we don’t get going on this Earth?  Hmmmmm…. Maybe.

2 Corinthians 5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one of us may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”