http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxOytYLlhiQ

First click on the link in the title page and listen to an amazing diamond in the rough. Then come back to read the blog. I know we have heard several people like Paul Potts lately who have incredible voices however have been judged by what is seen on the outside. I tell the ladies I mentor that the real person is the one on the inside when they close the door of their home to outsiders. When we hear these talents we are thrilled with their abilities and quite amazed and yet perplexed because we find ourselves asking the question, "where have you been all your life?" It seems some of these hidden talents tend to be older, yet I admit some have been younger, but it is the older ones we marvel most about. Because news spreads fast, venues like youtube and others quickly alert us when these talents are discovered. Yet on the outside and until they open their mouth, judgement is still persistent. Even after the talent is exposed a makeover becomes one of the first priorities, oh not necessarily by the talent themselves but by the important people looking on. Why is that? Actually truth be known it helps to remove the judgement about the person. In real estate the first impression known as 'curb appeal' sells the house. Anyway, much like these new found talents God is looking for the person on the inside. He isn't much concerned with what you look like on the outside. Are you a diamond in the rough waiting for your talent to be exposed? Perhaps you say "I can't sing!" Well neither can I. In fact I am accused of being tone deaf, but that is another story. Or you might have said, "I do not have a talent." Ouch! Ask God to show you His talent that He created you to share with the world. It is there. Don't judge yourself by the outward appearance. Ask God to help you look deep inside. What is your passion? The talent is probably submerged there. The world needs the diamond you might have had hidden all these years. Take a deep breath and step on stage.....

Value of Life

On this early Saturday morning in the heat of an August summer in Phoenix Arizona I began to muse on the value of life. The air-conditioning vent just quite blowing the cool air over my body and small beads of tiny moisture has begun to settle on my forehead. The house is quiet, my husband off to his usual Saturday early morning golf game. His robe is found thrown over a chair in the family room so not to disturb me as he quickly dressed in the faint light of the dawn. My coffee is cooling down as it sits beside my laptop. I am too busy typing to drink from the cup. God has reminded me of my value. An often overlooked and underestimated value. As much as I try, I fight the fact I have no clue what my value is to me or to God. Sometimes I think I have great value and other times, especially when I am looking in the mirror, I can not find value at all. The words that come to mind: too fat, loose skin, eyes wrinkly, skin sagging, age creeping. Why I can wave with the skin that hangs from my underarm! Can't you? What am I saying? Am I crazy to type this out and acutally let the world read my insecurities? I must be! But in spite of all of my ineffeciencies, I am valuable. God loves me. He says so. The price that was paid for me was beyond my understanding and yet this price is my hope. I am working on what I say when I look in a mirror. I want those thoughts to match the words I read about me in the Bible. What words do you think on when you look in the mirror? Do they reflect the words that God says about You? Do you know what God says about You? If not read the book of John in the New Testament. This book will give you more understanding of who this person was that gave everything for you and me. Regardless of what we think or believe.

Twitter

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Life

It is late and I am tired. The land deal is still moving forward but now the Buyer wants the Seller to reduce the price. And so goes the way of real estate deals. It is too early to tell if the Buyer will go away if the Seller does not throw them a bone. Or if the bone is really a crumb and it is not enough. Reality check....I have been out of town in the mountains of northern Arizona in our little cabin for several weeks. When we left to come home it was a cool 72 and by the time we hit the valley two hours later it was a very hot 111. I really would like to stay at the cabin! How can I amass riches and live in the mountains??? Any ideas?

Family

I can not think of a better way to celebrate the Lord's day than with my family. There is much blessing with family but there is also tears. My family is very important. Today we celebrated two of my grandchildren's birthdays. Calli who is one and Trevin who turned three. They are so cute and sweet and very important to our clan. There are eight grandchildren and one on the way. Today we talked about the effect of accountability in family. The oldest grandson who is a football star at his highschool was caught drinking in his freshman year. As a family we all got together and sat him in the middle of us. We talked to him about how his actions speak to the family and how his choice hurt us. It has been two years and he is doing great. Family is like coarse sandpaper and yet it is the glue that keeps me on solid ground. We need each other, not to be in each of our business, but to get our backs when the going gets tough.

Praise God! The church land sold. Now I am looking for a building for them.

Land Sale

Today I worked on a land sale in a small town on the border of Phoenix. It is an 11 acre mixed use site that sits in the midst of major development. The Seller is struggling with the loan and I am looking for an investor to pick it up and close quickly. Perhaps you know an investor who would like more information. It is dissapointing that the Seller, a church, got themselves in this situation. I know there is a bigger picture for all of us to learn. As I sat in a meeting with the leaders of the church my heart went out to them. I want so much to help them. I listed the property at $9.00 p/s/f and will sell it for much less.

Maybe one of the people I spoke to today will be the Buyer. Hope so!

Weary today

Today I am a little weary and tired. Drained might be a better word. I have been writing all day and that sure makes the eyes tired. I made a little french coffee earlier and that picked me up some but then like a dud dropped me off somewhere in the afternoon. Tonight we go to church but I think I would like to wait and go tomorrow. It seems so not right to go on Saturday night instead of Sunday but I gues that is relative to whether or not a person grew up going on Saturday or Sunday.

I am glad I go. Church has become a huge part of my life. I like the community it brings into my life. Webster Dict says community is a place where people can meet with common goals and ideas. I like that. This is what my church is for me. I say my church but I can find this community in almost any church I would attend. I just finished the book, Blue Like Jazz and I love the way he talks about community and its neccessity in each persons life. We were created for community.

So perhaps tonight or maybe tomorrow which ever it becomes I will go into my community and worship God with all my heart. Perhaps I will see you there?