WHAT ARE WE?

My husband is a TRUE 'baby boomer', and my Skoot is a 'generation iY' for sure (anything Apple gets her attention as well as many new movies...the technology and the sights intrigue her generation to the maximum).
 


Knowing I was on the 'twilight' of the 'baby boom'...and knowing I had given birth to an IY'er, I was curious as to WHAT my generation had become known as.  (I'm sure this probably shows my ignorance of reading a lot of newsprint) so I googled. 

Yes, my generation does 'google'...there is 'lots of information' at our fingertips now.  However, one must remain steadfast and check references because of the 'false writers' placing many untruths onto the net as facts.

While scanning the voluminous writings about the 'babies of 1957-1965,' I found statisticians are calling us "Generation Jones".  Jones because of our trying to accomplish and gather as much or more than the Joneses...you know...that pie-in-the-sky couple who 'want it all' 'wear it all', 'travel to it all' and 'show it to everyone' along the way.

They say we're the "high-spending, influential adults who were raised on television, with our likes and dislikes being heavily defined by the 1970s and early 1980s.  (this explains why my hubs doesn't like 'my' music; he's specifically into 50's/60's).

There are apparently three main groups of us: Mainstream, Conservative and Radical.

Members of Mainstream Jones, 65% largely influenced by The Godfather and Blondie; favourite magazines--Radio Times and Good Housekeeping.  (well, what do you know, I do get Good Housekeeping monthly)

The Conservative Joneses, 20% influenced by The Waltons, glam rock, Saturday Night Fever and Wings.  Favourite magazines--Woman's Own and Sainsbury's Magazine.  MTV was a preferred channel.  (I watched the Waltons a lot...jes sayin')

The Radical Jones element, 15% influenced by Apocalypse Now, Rock Against Racism and punk, particularly the Sex Pistols. Favorite programs include The Office, the Rugby World Cup and the news.  Celebrity Radical Joneses are headed by Madonna, Nick Hornby, Sting, and Bono. (I still enjoy Sting)

The Joneses were promised an easier life by the advent of electronic technology but were scarred by the economic crises and mass unemployment of the 1970s and 1980s. (I was deeply involved in the technology birthing into the telephone industry...I started working there at the age of 20 and saw MANY new technologies brought online while learning just WHAT a computer was.)

 I had been raised using a correcting IBM Selectric...iYers won't know what that means (it was my ELECTRIC typewriter that had a 'correcting' feature built into it...it stood alone and didn't connect to any network or web)

Pieces of all the sub-types describe me, I think, so I'm not going to definitively choose which one is me...(guess that would be that old "having it all" kicking in again, guess once a Jones always a Jones).  Where do you fall into these generational schematics? 

ANYONE feel like sitting with me tonight, sipping decaf cinnamon-bun latte and sharing some reruns of the WALTONS? 
It's almost Christmas and I'm feeling the need to say GOOD NIGHT, JOHN BOY--sweetly bringing some sweet memories back into this 50-something body. 

Blessings,

TRY-T0-AVOID DAY!

Are there things you just don't like to do...other than your regular "have to's" like going to work, washing dishes?


I've not been looking forward to today...which I know is terrible to say. Every day is a blessing and a GOOD DAY...hence the cartoon to the left.



However...I must do one of my "try-to-avoid" chores...I'll be "steam cleaning" my first-floor carpets...and next week will be the second-floor's turn.

So, changing my attitude is my next step ...immerse myself in those scriptures to uphold my spirit...look to my "how to" book, b/c His Word will give me strength...the strength and perseverance I need to get through the next few hours of moving furniture, pushing, pulling, pouring, re-filling, and finally sanitizing the sink.


1 Corinthians 4:12 "...we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure..."



Psalm 28:7 "The LORD is my strength and my shield;My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;Therefore my heart exults,And with my song I shall thank Him."



1 Corinthians 3:8Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.?



Thank you, Lord, for giving me health to be able to clean my carpets. Your strength will uphold me through my labor today...remind me of your Words as I labor. I rejoice in knowing I will look upon my reward once my labor is completed, my clean floors that will be hosting about 40 teenagers later this week for Your glory. Amen and Amen

How are you being challenged in your "laboring" this week?

DIG the ROOTS -- Part 4 of 6 Parts

Are you digging your roots in the Lord deeply?
Do you ponder?...read?... and re-read your Scriptures daily to see what new nutrients He wants to give your roots?

Our obedience to His wooing will richly bless us when we put our day to the side while we absorb His Word. It's only through our study that we will "know the truth" of His Word and be able to compare it to what the world is trying to put in our minds through movies, tv, music and the written press or internet.

Our senses are blasted day and night with ad after ad in today's society; and sometimes the ads touch on subjects so gingerly and subtly, we don't catch the undertone.

One ad that kinda "gets my goat" is one from Staples. It's called "the easy button"...highlighting in various stressful situations they just hit "the easy" button...and handle the situations..."that was easy!" they say. You can even download their Easy Button, http://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/easybutton/index.html onto your computer for easy access to Staples.

It sounds nice, doesn't it?! Yet a certain part of me cringes. I remember when working hard for something was not a far- away concept like it seems to be today. Am I alone in believing there must be sweat, which sometimes feels like blood, to achieve your higher goals? You, then in turn, are extremely thankful for the end product, the achievement, or His guidance in getting you there.
In Acts 20:35 we're reminded by Paul, "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "


Working hard and giving of ourselves in study, giving of ourselves in mission, giving of ourselves in attitude, giving of ourselves for someone else's sake IS NOT EASY but IS what we are called to do. This kind of giving establishes us in love and grows long, deep-reaching roots, so we can associate with the deep love He had/has for each of us.
(Ephes. 3:17 “your being rooted and established in love may have power to grasp how long, high, wide, deep is the love of Christ.)

Lord, thank you for wooing us to You for rest, peace, learning, and love.

May we want to start every day at your feet,

being still and listening for Your input.

We don't want to be captured by the world's expectations or tricks

to lure us into thinking Your ways are too hard.

I pray we lay everything before You everyday

and depend on You and Your yoke,

which has already triumphed!

Amen

Colossians 2:6-8
" You received Christ Jesus as Lord. So keep on living in him. Have your roots in him. Build yourselves up in him. Grow strong in what you believe, just as you were taught. Be more thankful than ever before. Make sure no one captures you. They will try to capture you by using false reasoning that has no meaning. Their ideas depend on human teachings. They also depend on the basic things the people of this world believe. They don't depend on Christ."

Thing that made me go "AAAWWW"

Often times we only hear about all the bad headlines involving teens. Tonight I was at a local high school play getting to watch and listen to several of them who are extremely talented with their voices and dance moves. While standing outside the stage door to hug the entertainers, another young man was catching up with me about his upcoming weekend (usually they will be "hangin'" with friends, working a part-time job or sharing excitement about seeing one of the latest movies).

But this gentleman excitedly told me he will be doing yard work for his Mom, his early Mother's Day gift to her. AAAAAWWW! Isn't that sweet...and his dancing eyes and wide smile spoke even more than his words. I love these kids...there are GOOD ones out there, we just don't get to hear about them very often. : )