Later on when the kids came home from Youth Group I had switched to a Contemporary Christian playlist.  Juliana was the first to notice. ”Thanks, Mom, for filling our home with sounds of joy!”

Music to praise and worship our Lord is the best of all.

What’s your favorite music?

Pslam 98 1, 4 (ESV)   Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done  marvelous things!   Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;     break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

In our new book, 10 Best Decisions a Graduate Can Make, we help young people make wise choice for their futures — but often these are timeless tips we all could benefit from. Here are a few tips to becoming social media savvy. 

Blessed means “happy.” When using social media, you and your relationships will remain happy if you follow a few simple considerations to protect your love and life:

Blessed are those that tweet unto others as you would have tweeted unto you.   Do to others as you would have them do to you.  (Luke 6:31) Before you post, put yourself in the other person’s shoes.

Blessed are those who use an inner GPS. God promises to bless those who walk in integrity (Ps. 84:11). We encourage people to create an inner GPS and ask three questions before saying or doing anything.

Does this decision show respect for:

• God?
• People?
• Self?

Blessed are those that converse in real time what they want said and posted in cyberspace. Have a conversation with those you love about what posts, photos, and content they are comfortable having you share on your account or posting to their’s. Everyone’s comfort level and privacy level is different.

Blessed are those that learn the tools of the trade. Pictures posted should be ones that would protect and honor another’s image. From the moment a post or photo goes viral, it is live and it may never be recoverable no matter how quickly you delete it. I like to say,”To err is human, but to hit delete is divine.” If you do make a mistake, quickly delete, and let others know who might be impacted.

Blessed are those who are savvy, “If it looks like a hack, moves like a hack, it must be a hack.” If you happen to click on something you think is from a friend or trusted source and it is not, quickly change your password, then alert those that were impacted.

Blessed are those that use discernment and Direct Message: If you are going to say anything at all private, use the “off the public path” Direct Message on Twitter, Send a Message on Facebook, or better yet, text to his or her phone, email or call. The general rule: The more important, volatile or intimate the message, the more it should be given in person or at least with a phone call, voice to voice. The nuances of emotions are not carried well through electronic methodology.

Blessed are those that build and bless with words. 1 Thes 5:11 enlightens us to the type of words to select: encourage one another and build up one another. Erin Bury, Sprouter community manager, advises, “Don’t say anything online that you wouldn’t want plastered on a billboard with your face on it.” [i]

Blessed are those who bring good news. Isaiah 52:7 reminds us,“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”

Blessed are those who are “iron sharpening iron.”  Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Social media is the new “talk radio” or public square of opinion.

Blessed are those that post using icons and characters reasonably. DO NOT POST EVERYTHING IN ALL CAPS OR PEOPLE WILL THINK YOU ARE YELLING. And every statement you make does not need a “:)” after it.

Blessed are those that share humor and levity. Proverbs 17:22 reminds us, “A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing . . .” To give a blessing in the Old Testament meant to give a set of words “to speak well of another person” or “to provide with power for success or prosperity.” Be a blessing on and offline.

© Abbreviated from 10 Best Decisions a Graduate Can Make by Pam and Bill Farrel (Harvest House), Released date March 2012. Order at www.Love-Wise.com

Trouble started at Barnes & Noble on Friday afternoon.  I met Rob for a coffee (water for me).  I stopped by ChikFilA first for a bowl of soup since I hadn’t eaten all day and took my soup into B&N, excited to get a few minutes alone with my man.  The B&N Barista must have been watching me like a hawk because the second I sat down next to Rob, she approached our table and in a LOUD voice ordered me to take my soup and leave the building.  ChickFilA soup is not permitted.  It was “against the rules.”  I was embarrassed to have other customers looking at me.  I apologized, took my soup and ate it outside.

Later that afternoon, I was verbally attacked LOUDLY by an elderly woman at Harris Teeter who insisted that I cut in front of her in the check out line.  I promise I didn’t see anyone in line when I entered checkout lane #1.  Neither did my daughter.  How did my cart end up at the register ahead of hers?  I don’t know.  But I apologized, moved my cart to the side and let this angry (and LOUD) elderly woman go in front of me.

And if that wasn’t enough, I was stopped by a truck blocking the road in my neighborhood.  A neighbor got out of the truck, walked over to my car and LOUDLY announced that my driving had disturbed her horse.  As far as I could see there were no horses around.  But again, I apologized.

I was very bothered by these 3 LOUD scenes and disturbed that so many were irritated with me.  Since Juliana was with me when I was confronted by two of  these LOUD accusations, I certainly didn’t want her to learn rude behavior from me, her mother.

But it was Juliana who pointed out that my response to each accuser was soft and gentle.  I hope it was.  I did notice that each time I apologized, it seemed to take the accuser by surprise and “soften” their demeaner, especially the older woman who was quite shocked that I insisted she go ahead of me.  In fact, she hesitated as if she were waiting for a fight.  Was it my apology?  Maybe.  Who knows?  I was glad no fights broke out.  

The Bible does tell us in Proverbs 15:1 that a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  And I hope that I will rely on God’s strength for a gentle response and for self-control the next time I am approached with a LOUD attack.

The new office is a dream come true.  I’ve wanted a new office for a long time.  But for the past few years, God has closed the doors to each new possibility that has come my way.  This time and this space have been different.  Not only has God kept the doors wide open, but He has also brought an incredible team to pull everything together with experience and details I would not have considered on my own.  I’ll keep you “posted” as we get closer to opening day!

I may never know exactly why God closed so many doors for my office in the past.  But I am thankful I waited on His place and for His time.  This much I know to be true:   Isaiah 55:9 (ESV)  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

How I thank God for His ways and His thoughts!

Keith shared some thoughts which provoked some deep conversation on the drive home. One thing he said was:

*** The successful concentrate all their energy and efforts on the attainment of a singular purpose with an intensity that borders on a magnificent obsession. ***

I know how that impacts my purpose as a chiropractor. I am obsessed with helping people reach their highest health potential naturally through chiropractic care — and yes, that is a magnificent obsession!

But after hearing Pastor Rob’s UPGRADE sermons the past two Sundays, I haven been seeking God’s will for my “magnificent spiritual obsession.”

Asking questions like:
“What is my spiritual purpose?”
“What was I born to do that by God’s design, only I can do?”

These have been terrific questions to take to God in my personal prayer time.

Then I was reminded of Pastor Matt Chandler’s words to us on Friday:
God chases me… He captured my heart for His Glory… He saved me to make much of Him… So my magnificent obsession must bring glory to the name of Jesus Christ!

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV)

How about you? What is your magnificent obsession?

We love rock hopping so the muddy creek and a few exposed rocks were very enticing. Nathan blazed the rock hoppin’ trail and I went second — and fell in! Nathan pulled out his phone for some rather wet pictures of me and Juliana laughed so hard I just knew she would fall in too! But I was wrong. Instead, she blazed a new trail of here own over some less muddy and more stable rocks.

We went back and forth over the creek several times until we came to a ravine with two fallen trees that crossed the creek about 8 feet above the water. Nathan insisted on crossing the creek via the fallen trees. I wasn’t so sure but I wasn’t about to be left behind so I followed Nathan. I didn’t fall in the creek this time and no one laughed, although I did have a close call when I stepped on a branch that gave way. And Juliana followed me with her usual grace and “Ta-Da!”

Another perfect day with my kids and certainly one of the things I treasure most. In fact, I was reading Psalm 100 just yesterday in my quiet time with God. I started jotting down things I was most thankful for. It didn’t take any time for me to list well over 100 blessings for which I thanked God… Among the things at the top of my “thankful list” were moments like this with Nathan and Juliana.

Again, I thank you, God, for blessing me with hiking time with my children.

Here is a look at our hiking adventure:

 In case you missed his quote, here it is in its entirety:

Rob took Juliana to breakfast and then joined up with Nathsn and me a little later. We voted unanimously to see WAR HORSE, a true epic film which we all enjoyed and then headed to a steakhouse to discuss the movie and more of that really great conversation with my men. Home for ice cream and more good conversation… Ahhhh! The perfect ending for a perfect day with my men.

Thank you, Jesus, for the two men in my life, and for blessing me with a day where I did not have to share them with anyone else!

 Happy New Year!

“Oh, thank you.  What did you pray for me?”

“Mom, I saw you were wearing really high heels and that you would have to walk over the guitar cords so I prayed you would not trip.”

We both busted out in laughter.  What a sight that would have been to see her mother fall flat out on my face on my way to meet Rob on our Southbrook stage!

I’m so glad God did answer Juliana’s prayer for me.  And I’m glad that Juliana knows she can talk to God about anything… even her concerns about her mother tripping in front of the whole church.