Midweek Morsel: A Missed Opportunity’s Blessing

March 6, 2014 by 2 Comments

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From time to time, I’ve been known to break one of the cardinal rules of any self-respecting photo-taking enthusiast—keep your camera battery charged at all times. None of us wants to be caught with a dead camera when a photo opp presents itself, but alas, I’ve found myself in that very position at times.

I’ve reached for my camera to try to capture a photo of a neat backyard bird sighting and have immediately discovered my oversight. Darn. Dad-gum-it. I failed to charge the battery during the night. And then I proceed to mentally kick myself until I see that that’s not going to change a thing.

But you know what? In the midst of one of my missed photo opportunities, I realized a different kind of blessing awaited. Since I wasn’t busy snapping photos of the birds, I had the chance to simply watch them. Instead of focusing on taking photos, I fully savored the moment and reveled in the beauty of the scene.

So next time we mess up and miss an opportunity, let’s remember to look for a different blessing that might be right in front of us. Let’s take advantage of the new opportunity.

“Be joyful always . . . give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18

*When have you discovered a different kind of blessing in the midst of a missed opportunity?

*My photo

Filed Under: blessing, disappointment, hope, joy, mistake, opportunity, photo fun, surprise

Day Before Wedding Tip: Preview Flowers

February 13, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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Mother of the Bride, do you and your daughter want to avoid one potential for big disappointment on Wedding Day? Make arrangements with your florist to preview the wedding flowers the day before the big event.

You don’t want to arrive at the church just a few hours before the wedding and find that a mistake has been made on the type of flowers requested for the bridal bouquet or that the florist completely missed your vision for the altar flowers. You don’t want to be short on corsages or boutonnieres.

Previewing the flowers may not be convenient on the already jam-packed decorating day prior to the wedding, but it’s a safeguard you need to make time for. You may not be able to avoid some things that go wrong on Wedding Day, but disappointment with the flowers is one thing you can fix before it happens.

I didn’t know to do a preview when Kristin, our first daughter, got married, and she ended up unhappy with her bridal bouquet. She had requested a white rose bouquet with a few little yellow touches in it. But when we got to the church and saw the bouquet, we discovered that the florist had gone overboard with yellow. Kristin was so disappointed. I know now it could have been altered if we’d seen the bouquet the afternoon before.

Even when planning our second daughter’s wedding, I still didn’t realize that previewing the flowers the day before the wedding was done in the floral business, but Kelli’s florist himself asked that we come by and give final approval, even if some of the flowers might not be finished. This is when you know you’ve got a good florist, MOB. A good florist doesn’t want any misunderstanding. He or she wants everyone happy on Wedding Day.

So go ahead and add a quick preview of the flowers to your day-before-wedding schedule now, Mother of the Bride. You’ll be glad you did.

*So tell me, what kind of flowers has your daughter chosen for her bridal bouquet? There are some gorgeous ones out there!

*Photo by Will Flowers

*The current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, came out Feb. 3rd. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right!

Filed Under: advice, disappointment, flowers, mistake, Mother of the Bride, preparation, protection

When Danger Lurks Beneath

August 26, 2013 by 4 Comments

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Tragedy struck again this summer along our local river. Two teenaged boys drowned.

I won’t try to recount the details because I really don’t know them. I just know that the river’s currents are notoriously dangerous in a certain area and several have drowned as a result over the years.

I haven’t gone to this unforgiving section of the river to see for myself, but I’ve heard that it can look calm and appealing, that it can look safe. But beneath the surface the currents wait to grab anyone unlucky enough or unwise enough to tangle with them. These currents won’t let go. They bring death. They bring sorrow.

Some of the victims have acted carelessly and not taken warnings seriously. Others have bravely risked—and lost—their lives while trying to save another. And still others found themselves at the mercy of the currents purely by accident, from a fall or from being unfamiliar with the area. 

Today we may not be planning to test a dangerous river, but some of us may be entering life situations where an activity or an attitude or a relationship looks appealing, where on the surface it looks harmless. We might think it’s no big deal. It’s okay. It’s safe.

Let’s be wise. Let’s watch for caution signs. Let’s heed warnings of those who have traveled the road before us. Let’s educate ourselves before heading into unfamiliar territory.

We must remember that danger may be lurking beneath. Let’s not tangle with currents that are sure to grab us and not let us go until they wreak havoc—until they bring sorrow or even death. Let’s be on guard.

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” 1 Corinthians 10:12

*What can we do to stay alert to dangers?

*Flickr photo by Mohammed Alnaser (he has some amazing photos of African wildlife on his page)

*Don’t miss out on the “Back At It” Giveaway. Deadline to enter is 6 p.m. Aug. 28. Details are in my Aug. 15 post.

Filed Under: accident, disaster, enemy, mistake, nature, protection, signs, surprise

Gift Yourself and Take the Easy Route

July 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment

8084060025_74eca9b582_zMother of the Bride, if you’re like I was, you’re all about saving a dollar or two (or ten!) every chance you get, right? Your mental calculator runs non-stop, causing you to continually feel the pressure of mounting expenses. You begin to look for every way you can to save a little money. But you know what? Sometimes it’s not worth it.

My first time around the MOB block, I decided we should forgo the pre-cut tulle circles that we wanted to use for making the favors—little bags of chocolate candies tied with pretty ribbon. In an attempt to save some dollars, I decided we could cut our own circles of tulle.

Big mistake. At a time when both the bride and I had more to do than we had time, we had to push ourselves even more. Believe it or not, the tulle circle-cutting fairies did not show up at nighttime to cut the circles for us.

My decision to cut costs ended up costing us in other ways—in time, in stress, and in weariness. The dollars saved were definitely not worth it.

Learn from my mistake, dear MOB. Carefully weigh all the costs before making more work for yourself. Sometimes the best thing you can do is gift yourself and take the easy route.

*What wedding line item do you need to spend a bit more on to make life easier for you and/or the bride?

*Flickr photo by FutUnBeidl, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: advice, Gift, mistake, Mother of the Bride

Midweek Morsel: Missed Opportunities, Silver Linings

June 20, 2013 by 4 Comments

Sometimes we let opportunities pass right by us. A few weeks ago, I wrote about seizing opportunities God sends our way, and I’m a firm believer in trying to do just that. However, for whatever reason, sometimes we miss out on them. And if you’re like me, you kick yourself over and over again for your goof up.

Instead of dwelling on what we missed, let’s find and focus on a silver lining to the botched opportunity. For example, I’ve failed to have my camera battery charged at times when I could have captured some awesome photos of unusual bird sightings in my back yard. When this happens, I try to remind myself that there can be a silver lining. Instead of focusing on taking photos, I’m now free to simply enjoy the sight and revel in the beauty of the moment.

Let’s not wallow in regret–even when the consequences of our failures are more serious than missed photos. Let’s choose to look for the positive. Spotting the silver linings can keep us looking up and moving forward.

“. . . if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 3:8

*What silver lining have you noticed after a missed opportunity? You might also like to read other perspectives on missed opportunities and foul-ups.

*Flickr photo by ninja gecko

Filed Under: blessing, disappointment, frustration, mistake, opportunity
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