By definition...

Accident: An unexpected and undesirable event, especially one that results in damage or harm; an unforeseen incident.

Yesterday business unit managers were "invited" to a big pow-wow (conference call) to discuss the increasing number of accidents at work. Believe you me, I don't want anyone getting hurt at work, or anywhere else for that matter. That's the very first consideration. But I especially don't like it when employees get hurt on my watch. But there seems to be some unreasonable expectations - we're supposed to foresee and correct any potential for an accident. If I were omniscient I can guarantee I wouldn't be working for a living. How am I supposed to perform this superhuman feat?

The last three incidents at work have been in the category of Slip/Trip/Fall. Two employees tripped over each other while rushing to the time clock. An employee was trying to unstop a toilet and slipped on a wet floor. Two employees were going to their work stations and one tripped over the other employee's cane. In all three cases, the potential was there for an accident, but how do you stop these accidents before they happen?

By definition, an accident is unexpected, undesireable, or unforeseen. If you asked the people involved in the incidents described above, all of them would tell you they did not plan the accident; nor did they want it to happen. So how do we eliminate accidents? Because, yes, as the responsible person at our facility I'm being held accountable and responsible. It's a huge stressor and burden.

So when I go back to work Monday staff will do a walk-through and try with all our human might to see the potentials for accidents. But if we correct every single possibility for an accident, we might as well close the doors and go home. What to do? What to do?

Can you hear the laughing and fussing and encouraging? And can you see me smiling? My 3 girls and oldest granddaughter and oldest grandson are having a craft-y morning here at our house. They saw some "picture frames" at the Mistletoe Merchant Event in Memphis earalier this month and decided they could do that very thing for very little money.

And now Laurie is making a white chicken pizza for lunch, along w/ some sort of chocolate/peanut butter concoction that's already making my mouth water. I hear Katelee outside hammering on sheetmetal and they're still discussing the pros and cons of certain colors and decorations for the frames.

We all spent a few minutes congratulating Molly on a job well-done. Scores are in for teachers in the Desoto County school system and Southaven Middle School 6th graders scored very high marks. Out of 54 6th grade teachers county-wide, all six of the 6th grade teachers from last year scored in the top ten. And Molly is #5 overall. Yea! Molly! See..what you do matters for a lifetime.

We'll eat lunch and all go our separate ways - Katey to a State game, Laurie to Ole Miss, Molly to her in-laws, Katelee & Tucker to a fall party and me to the BBC Fall Festival - but it's been a wonderful morning. It's been a blessing to have all my girls here.

It's usually a riot at the Phillips Phamility abode. When you have six children and you homeschool, they're always there to provide entertainment. Laurie posted this on fb today:

My 3yo daughter asked my 4yo son, "Marcus, you think I pretty?" My son replies,"I guess so." My daughter tilts her head a little, smiles, and begins to bat her eyelashes. "Ok, Marcus...NOW you think I pretty?" He says, "Yeah Marlee...you're real pretty!" (He was sincere!). When I find out who taught this little "move"... to my daughter, I'm going to hurt you. Then lock her in her room until she's 30.

Reminds me of the saying... She's payin' for her raisin'.

Yesterday was Katelee's 12th birthday. Gracious! We went over last night for a pizza/cake/ice cream supper for friends and family. She's growing up fast, as are all our kidlesttes. Before you know it, Harris (almost 7 months old) will be crawling, then walking; and I won't have a lap baby anymore. Hey, MOLLY!!!

All the negative things I anticipated happening today didn't. I told Terry this morning that he was being mean to make me go to work, but it didn't sway him. He brought me right on up to the end of the sidewalk and told me to get out. Well, actually he said, "OK, I love you; bye-bye; have a good day," all in one breath. It's not that I don't like to work; I do. But I've been coming to the same place for 29 years next Tuesday and a body gets tired of the sameness. Or maybe I'm just tired of dealing with folks who don't appear to be grateful for a job in this stinking economy. And besides, what would I do at home by myself all day, every day? I'd last 2 weeks, max!

On a brighter note, we had a wonderful, unusual, beautifuly worship experience yesterday at Belden. One of our members is from Central America and some of her family, not conversant in English, has been visiting Belden. Yesterday when Bro. Jim got up to preach, Margie went to the pulpit with him. Hmmmm..what's going on? She stood right up there with a microphone and translated the entire sermon. You could tell it was an effort for both of them, but it was beautiful and not distracting at all. One of the men told the congregation, through Margie, that he could really feel the presence of God in that place. He was very appreciative of the love and acceptance he felt from our congregation. Looks like we have a mission field closer than we knew as our area has a large population of Hispanics and Latin Americans.

It's hard to believe, but Katelee will be 12 years old tomorrow. Seems like only yesterday we were welcoming a tiny 3lb/12oz girl into our lives. Now she sings at church and school and has started running cross-country. I wonder if Katey feels any older?

It's been a while - about 2 years - since I've posted here. First was the move to xanga; then the move to Facebook. fb is the fast-food of networking, but I've felt the need lately to write in more detail about my daily life. A few friends and family might be interested enough to read occasionally, but that's okay.

A lot has happened in 2 years. Terry & I have another grandson - Harris. He's our miracle baby and his mommy is a walking miracle, too, after a harrowing Easter Sunday afternoon birth. We're thankful every day to have both of them with us. Another momentous event (2 of them, actually) is reconnecting with dear friends from high school. We got together in October '09 and again in October this year. We're going to make it a more regular meeting and try to include some others.

One more thing that has happened, and probably the reason I feel the need to post here, is the rapid decrease in my visual acuity. Over the last 2 years I've lost more peripheral and central vision. And recently there have been several times when everything has gone very dim. It won't surprise you if I say this is scary. A friend asked me recently how I kept from getting mad about going blind. As I told her, I got over mad a long time ago; I can still throw a fairly dismal pity party from time to time, but I'm not mad. I believe God is sovereign, working in all events through His directive will or His permissive will. Blindness didn't happen to me without His permission so I have to believe He has lessons for me to learn through this. No, it's not a pleasant process, and I pray I'll continue to learn the lessons God has for me. And I'll continue to post here occasionally to vent, to praise God and to record what I'm going through.

Truth is, God has graced me with so many wonderful blessings, that it's hard to be mad about one little inconvenience.

A few weeks ago in SS we were discussing the difference between joy and happiness. It seems Christians have a different perspective on these two emotions. We decided that happiness is dependent on happenings. If I lose two pounds I’m happy; if I gain one pound I’m not. This produces a rollercoaster effect on our emotions. Other people can make us happy or unhappy, leaving us with little control of our feelings.

Joy, on the other hand, is something very different. While Webster’s gives similar definitions for joy and happiness, using them almost interchangeably, to a Christian, there’s a huge difference. Joy is something God gives us. It isn’t dependent on people or happenings; it’s dependent on our dependence on God.

Try to explain joy to someone; it’s an almost indescribable peacefulness deep inside. True joy from God is not an up-and-down feeling. Even when I’m not on top of the world, even when I’m struggling with challenges that seem to overwhelm, even when my heart is heavy, I can feel joy. It’s not worldly giddiness; it’s peace in the midst of the storm.

Joy is knowing that our Heavenly Father is in control and that Jesus is seated at His right hand to intercede for us. Joy is waiting for the Father to heal the hurt and knowing that He will. Joy is deep inside where others can’t see, but it produces outward calmness, wisdom and peace. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit and comes directly from having a relationship with God. As Peter the Apostle says in 1 Peter 1:6–9,

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

It’s time to start a new church year. Our class has just wrapped up a study of The Acts of the Apostles. It’s my favorite book in the Bible! (Inside joke: Every time we start studying a new book I say it’s my favorite.)

The study of Acts has given me a renewed awe regarding the power of the Holy Spirit to impact our world. The writers of our SS literature do a very good job of putting together lessons that build on each other each week. From Acts we learned that there are some things that only God can do through His power. But we also saw Him at work in individuals – Paul, Peter, Stephen, Philip – using their unique personalities in the work of Kingdom growth. We also studied different cities/towns where churches were planted and we saw that many of the challenges we face today are the same as they faced in the first century.

As I read through the first chapter of Acts last week (one more time before we closed out the study), I could just see the apostles and other Christ-followers trudging up the stairs to the place where they had been staying. After Jesus’ ascension, don’t you know they were confused, frustrated, concerned, downcast? As they sat in that upper room I can imagine that Bartholomew was asking himself, “Why did I run away that night in the garden? What’s going to happen to me now? What did He mean, ‘…the gift the Father promised?’” And wouldn’t Peter have been beating himself up over the fact that he had verbally, and very publicly, denied even knowing Jesus? Not once, but three times? The silence in that room must have been deafening.

But then, maybe in a back corner, Matthew stood up and started praying. He sat down and after a time, Philip stood up to pray. Slowly their moods began to lighten as they turned their focus to the Father and stopped thinking about their shortcomings. Maybe in painful honesty Peter admitted his sin and others began to do the same. And then there was more of peace than of a pall.

And then they heard it…the sound as of a mighty rushing wind. And it was inside, not outside; but nothing stirred. As they held their collective breaths the appearance of the fire flaming over each of them is a sight I hope to see on God’s heavenly TiVo some day.

These same people who trudged up those stairs in despondency would now trek down those same stairs in determination. The change was not of their making; it could only have been the power of the Spirit. And that power would change the world. Today I can give thanks that those 120 men and women waited in obedience for God to indwell them, then moved in obedience to the Spirit’s leading. The church was born that day and nothing can ever destroy it. How fortunate we are that they obeyed. It’s time for us to do the same. My prayer is for a fresh indwelling and working of the Spirit in my life. And may I be faithful in obedience to His leading.