Moved to a New Site

A Thought in Time has been renamed Influenced and Influencing. You may find it at http://gloudermilk.wordpress.com

Thanks for been a faithful reader.

Gary

Updating

(If computer analogies are just not your cup of tea, you might want to get a real cup of tea and skip the reading of this entry. Just saying . . .)

I spent about thirty minutes this morning downloading updates for one of my computer programs. The first three of those updates were downloaded and installed in a matter of seconds. I credit my new computer with its faster speed and better memory for the fast processing.

The fourth download (and the last) took the remaining twenty-nine minutes and thirty seconds. I blame the slowness on the software company, the size of the update, and the speed of the internet. I believe that my new computer was as frustrated as I was that this download was so slow to be installed.

Well, it is obvious that I am not a computer genius, but I know enough to understand that software requires updates periodically. I understand that these updates may be for the purpose of fixing a glitch (a technical computer term) in the existing software, adding a new element to the software's functions, simplifying a process, or changing the appearance of the program. It doesn't really matter to me what the update is designed to do, I just accept as a needed change.

While I can easily accept the need for updates on my computer, I have a much more difficult time accepting a needed update for me personally. Some of these may take years to install. Updates related to my eating habits are usually the hardest to install unless they are fried and covered with gravy - those go in fairly rapidly.

My personal updates are mainly supplied from four strategic sources - my wife, office staff, doctor, and God. Those first three sources certainly have my best interests at heart and really do care that I update. Their suggestions carry varied degrees of importance and intensity. The update categories include relational issues, organizational agendas, and diagnostics. Surprisingly, each of those updates that I have eventually downloaded, installed, and utilized have really made a positive difference in my life.

When an update notification comes from the fourth source - God - it is always marked "Urgent," "High Importance," and "Critical." I wish that I could honestly say that I immediately take note, download, install, and begin using the new update. Unfortunately, just like my response to updates from my other main sources, I procrastinate and continue using an older versiion until all support for the old version is withdrawn. Then, and only then, I begin to recognize the real significance of this latest update.

Why did I write this particular entry? Maybe seeing it in print will cause me to become more punctual in keeping my life updated. If I can do that with my computer, I should be able to do it for me even more so. After all, I am a top-of-the-line model created by the Creator who made me in His Image. I should take care of myself because God has placed a high value on me by demonstrating His love for me. Oh, you are also a top-of-the-line model, and He loves you too! Do you happen to have some updates that need to be downloaded and installed? Today might be a good day for it.

High Hopes

Another hot day in North Texas and yet I have a lot of ourside yard work that I need to get done. If I let the circumstances of weather discourage me, the yard will never get done. I need some encouragement. Music helps - I often listen to my iPod while working. My playlist is mainly, well, totally, either country or The Eagles. However, this song poppped into my head this morning and I can't get rid of it. Frank Sinatra made it popular.



I have hopes that are higher than just yard work. I still have hopes and prayers for our children, their spouses, and our grandchildren. I have hopes about a better world, peace, a lack of hunger and disease, and love among all people. I have hopes about seeing a great movement of God that will sweep around our planet making a difference in the way we relate to each other and reshaping the eternal destiny of billions of people.

High hopes - for them to become reality rather than just dreams, a great deal of prayer and hard work will be required. I am betting that you have some high hopes also. Just like my yard, they won't get done if all we do is sit around and think about them. I am going to pray for some shade and a cool breeze for this evening and in the morning, but I still must start the mower and push. I am going to pray for God to make a God-sized change in the lives of people worldwide, but I am also going to make myself available for Him to use me anyway His wishes to make that high hope a reality. What about you?

Making Changes

For the past hour, I have been updating the appearance and information on this blog. It was just time for a change. Some changes are easier for us to make than others. The changes on this site were fairly easy to make. Except for deleting an old picture of my grandchildren, the changes were made without much emotional attachment.

There are some changes that we must make from time to time that come with a high level of attachment. A change in one's family structure - birth of a child; marriage of child; or the death of a loved one - require deep, emotional and physical changes as one adjusts to a new set of relationships. Likewise, moving from one home to another carries a high level of change with it.

Some changes would seem to be simple because they would be so beneficial, but some of those changes are the most difficult. When one's doctor suggests a weight loss or an exercise program would result in greatly improved health, it seems like a simple decision because we all desire good health. But the lure of an extra hour's sleep or a cheeseburger with fries makes the actual change more difficult.

I have just experienced another birthday. Despite all the well wishers and delicious cake, changes are coming. While some people are gracious to lie to me that I still look quite young, the truth is that I can get down on the floor to play with my grandchildren, but I really could use some assistance when it is time to return to the world of adults. I know why older people eat dinner so early in the evening (or mid afternoon). We older adults now go to bed (or at least fall asleep in our chairs) at the time we used to eat dinner. I have noticed that the hair in my ears grows faster and thicker than the hair on top of my head.

I am certainly no expert on making changes, but I have noted a few things that might be helpful to someone else besides me. It is good to have those who truly love you and care about you to be your supporters when making changes. It is necessary to persevere - change doesn't happen easily. If you mess up, start again. To make really lasting change, our reliance cannot be on just ourselves, family, and friends. Lasting change only happens in our lives when we allow God to provide the strength and empowerment that none of us has on our own.

Interpreting the Words of Another

One of the hottest You Tube videos around features a set of twins who seem to be intent in conversation. Because of their age, their speech is babbling to most of us, but they seem to have a sense of what they are trying to say.

While their antics and conversation are fun to watch, it has also become quite fun to listen to people interpret the conversation. Some have said that the discussion is all about socks and fashion. The mismatched socks on one twin and the single sock on the other certainly could lead to that conclusion. Others have said it is about the refrigerator and perhaps what great snack might be hiding behind closed doors. Still others have supposed that it is nothing more than the mimicking of conversations that they have observed in adults or even their parents.

While we may never know what they were discussing, we are reminded that we all have conversations from time to time that require interpretation. This can happen because we use different definitions of the same word. Confusion in conversation is sometimes the result of culture differences. There are other times that we are just looking at opposite sides of the same problem or discussion point while believing that we are looking at the same side. And of course, sometimes we do just speak different languages.

Talking and communicating are not synonomous terms. For communication to take place, listening, understanding, clarifying, and interpreting may all need to take place. Today, I was just wondering how many domestic and even international incidents might be prevented if our real intent was to communicate rather than talk. As for me - well, I think they were discussing an obvious wardrobe malfunction!