Inside and Out

Friday again! I have had a somewhat hectic week with much travel and little family time. The only good in that is I can get some major studying done as my final in NT approaches.

Mrs. CC has spent a good part of her week in the chiropractor's office getting "adjusted" and her problem I spoke of last week doesn't seem to be a major medical concern. The chirco. said that a major contributor to her pain was stress. Can you believe it? STRESS!!!!!!! Three kids (plus babysitting two others) all of which want her attention every second of the day, mountains of laundry, meals to prepare and clean up after (I help when I'm there) and a husband that wants all of her attemtion, too! WHADDYA MEAN STRESS? SHE DOESN'T HAVE ANY STRESS!!!! WHAT ABOUT ME??? (no more caps). I mean, I work (most of the time), bring home the proverbial bacon, wear nice clothes everyday, eat out for lunch almost every day (sometimes I pay), and get to have somewhat meaningful conversations with grown up people. I've got it tough too, buddy!

Anyhoo, I'm filling the pulpit at a local church that has decided to sell their building and meet at the the local "Y". Their pastor asked a while back and I gladly accepted. This will mean that I won't be at Home church this weekend at all (a good thing), not beacause I don't love the people there, it's just nice to get out a bit.

Rambling... In my job, there are evaluation sheets filled out after every session I teach. Most of them are positive and helpful. As a matter of fact, I don't put a tremendous amount of stock in the responses, because people just fill them out and want to go home because they're typically filled out at the end of each session. I got an Email from a boss yesterday saying that two of his people had participated in a recent session of mine and had some "concerns". Now, I haven't dug into this yet, but when I read something like that, I automatically interpret it as criticism of me- directly into the heart and soul of me!!! I succedeed in letting that one little comment nearly ruin my day yesterday! How in the world could someone have that much power over me?

A prayer...
Lord, why do I feel so inadequate when other people offer constructive criticism?
Help me today to accept the wholenees that you have offered me through Christ.
You have fashioned me in the image of your son, inside and out. I may appear to have it all together from the outside, but I can only feel that way on the inside when I trust and rest in you.

Cappy