Day 196

Today was  Day 196 of  The Red Shoe Project.  It was also my day of rest.  I got up early, popped on my RED shoes, and headed out to church.

While there, I bumped into my friend Jody.  She glows.  No really... she glows.  She's like a lighthouse in a storm.  She has the biggest, brightest, most beautiful smile, not to mention,  the warmest heart.  When she talks... well, she just bubbles over with joy.  She's so happy!  And it shows.  I would imagine that anyone coming near her would just have to inquire about what makes her so happy.
I know the answer.  It's  JESUS.  
She's in love with Jesus!
How awesome is that?

It just goes to show you that Relationship

speaks so much louder that Religion.

Lighthouses specialize in shining a bright light so that boaters who are in darkness - especially in a storm - can find their way home.  It's my prayer that many will be drawn to Jody's light, find their way out of difficulty and darkness, and home to God.

Well, I'm  off to rest and relax.  Today will be a day of reading for me and maybe a nice prayer walk later.

In RED shoes, 
 Gail

Day 195

Day 195  of  The Red Shoe Project has me around the house in my RED socks studying the Bible.  A few friends were asking me questions the other day about "Judgement Day."

They were reading some scripture in the Bible and confessed that they are a little confused and would like some clarification.  I responded by promising them a study in one of my upcoming classes on what the Bible says about God's judgements.

It's been thirty years since I gave my life to God.  Way back in those early days, I had a great Bible that had a study on judgements that I've taught from on several occasions.  Last night, I was wondering where that old Bible could possibly be.  I found it!  This book was my first real study Bible.  I purchased it, as a brand new believer, at my friend, Aldo's store, The Bible House, located in Providence, Rhode Island.  As I flipped through it quickly, there -- right in the center -- was the study I was looking for. 

I am having a ball going through this study and searching the scriptures for answers.  I'm thankful for the people who originally put this study together.  They have made it easy for me to understand clearly what the Bible has to say about this topic. 

Nowadays, I've noticed that people don't even carry Bibles.  The young people just take out their phones, press the Bible Ap and "Woolah!"  up pops their Bible.  In a matter of seconds they can type in part of a scripture and "Bingo!"  the entire scripture appears with the reference, in several translations.  A dear friend of mine plugs some ear buds in her phone, clicks on the ap, and listens to the Bible throughout the night as she sleeps.  All that is so incredible!

I love the fact that it's so easy these days to research and read God's Word.  But I have to admit, right now, I am loving my old Bible, looking up scriptures in the concordance, and flipping here, there and everywhere, finding the the material I'm looking for! As much as I want to embrace all the new technology, I love the whole Bible study process that I've been brought up on.  I love the feel of the pages.  Looking up all those scriptures is what helps me to memorize where they are at.  Flipping from one book to another and another has sharpened my awareness as to where things are in this power-packed book that I sometimes call my sword!

Either way, I truly do love the Bible.  I love the words.  I love the lessons.  I love the stories.  I love the characters.  I love it from beginning to end. 
John 1:1 says

In the beginning was the Word 

and the Word was with God 

and the Word was God.

Sometimes I think of God's Word as the written manifestation of Jesus Christ.  Maybe that's why I love it so much... because it's all about Him!

Now with all this said, like many of you, I must confess I don't read it nearly as much as I think I should or even as much as I'd like to.  I am endeavoring to change that.  I had it easy, (although it didn't seem easy at the time), in my earlier years.  We attended church at least three times a week.  

(1) On Sunday morning, we arrived early for an hour Sunday School class that was a topical Bible Study.  That was followed by Sunday Morning Service in which the pastor always delivered a power packed Bible message.

(2) We were back in the House of God at 7 p.m. on Sunday evening.  Sometimes these services were reserved for water baptisms,  testimony services, missionary speakers and special events.  Even still, I'd always leave filled with Bible scriptures, a good Bible study or a powerfully preached message.  I was full to the gills with spiritual fuel for the week ahead.

(3)  Right around Wednesday, I would begin to feel a bit spiritually depleted or defeated!  It was back to God's House for the mid-week Bible study.  At that time, we'd usually study a specific book of the Bible.  

Even with all that, we were encouraged to read our Bible's during the week.  I remember always trying to have a morning Bible devotion, even if it was just a three minute reading in "The Daily Bread."

Let me say this... everyone's church experiences are different.  Some are great!  Some are good.  Some are not so good.  I never ever felt that I had to read the Bible continually or that I had to go to church all the time in order to be a better Christian.  Personally, I just loved being in church and in His word.  It made me feel good.  I could never get enough.  It was spiritual nourishment that I thrived on!

I am slowly opening up to the new technological wave of today and it's impact on my spiritual growth. I can't deny its significance.  I can research in one day what used to take me a week or longer.  And if I am to move ahead in business and in ministry, it is mandatory!   In their spare time, some people like to watch t.v.  Others like to look at magazines.  Some bask in the sun.   I choose to flip though my Bible, manually... all while wearing RED shoes.

Gail

Day 194

For most of  Day 194  of  The Red Shoe Project, I could be found in RED heels, behind closed doors, at an all day hospital board retreat.  As we all went around the room giving a quick introduction of ourselves, the chairman of the board asked,

"Are you still wearing 

your RED shoes, Gail?"  

"Of course, 

I answered,  

"It's day 194!"  

The facilitator was new to our group and quite intrigued.  He  pulled me off to the side and asked, "What is it about the RED shoes?"  

Of course,  I told him, "I'm  sporting RED shoes everyday as a visual reminder to look for God."  I even glanced down at my RUBY REDS and repositioned my left foot to show them off, kind of like how Dorothy did in the movie.   Talk about catching someone off guard.  I don't think he was expecting that particular answer .  He didn't know how to respond.  LOL.

I don't mind catching people off guard.  And it's okay if they don't know what to say, or if they're just not interested.  But I'm finding that many people are interested, and when they respond affirmatively, I ask them to friend me on facebook and follow The Red Shoe Project blog.  Many do just that!

When the board meeting was finally over, my head was spinning.  I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself.  I found myself driving home in a little big of a fog.  It was late afternoon, but it was a still quite beautiful outside.  Instead of flopping in a chair, I decided to throw on my gym clothes and do my prayer walk.  Off I went!  I found it difficult to focus today. And right then, something popped in my mind.

 I thought about how sometimes 

I have to reset the JOY switch.

In Florida, I tend to keep our home comfortably cool during these hot summer months.  The thermostat is set at 74 degrees.  Every once in a while, the switch will flip.  Slowly the temperature starts to rise.  It doesn't take long for me to figure out what's happened.  I go to the garage, open the circuit box and reset the switch back to "ON."

Have you ever caught yourself looking  "blank" - expressionless - unresponsive?  Every once in a while, I will catch myself like that.  One time I noticed something interesting.  When I'm "blank"  I can tend to look angry.  Well, perhaps that's too harsh.  Let's just say, I don't look happy.  When I don't look happy, people often jump to conclusions and assume that something's bothering me.  Truth be told, I'm not mad at all.  I'm not bothered.  I'm not sad.  I'm not anything.   I'm nothing.

I don't like to be nothing.  Nothing leans towards negative.  I'd rather be something... something positive.  Perhaps nothing reflects "empty."  I don't want to be empty.  I want to be full... full of something... full of something good.  As I thought about that today, the song popped in my mind, 

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. 

Where?  Down in my heart.

Where?  Down in my heart.

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. 

Down in my heart to stay.

And I'm so happy, so very happy.

I've got the joy of Jesus in my heart.

And I'm so happy, so very happy.

I've got the joy of Jesus in my heart!

Yes I know that  it sounds silly.  It is a bit of a camp song, isn't it?  But I did sing it... out loud for that matter.  And there it was:

A big beautiful

SMILE

right on my face.

I really do that... sing songs.  What can I say?  I'm guilty.  The words pop in my head, I remember the tune, and I just have to sing it.   Sometimes I even clap.  Then came another...

I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart.

I will enter His courts with praise!

I will say this is the day that the Lord has made.

I will rejoice, for He has made me glad!

He has made me glad.  He has made me glad.

I will rejoice, for He has made me glad, so glad.

He has made me glad.  He has made me glad.

I will rejoice, for He has made me glad. 

You know... just singing about:   joy,  rejoicing, and  being glad,  stirred up my "blank" spirit.  Within seconds, my countenance began to shine as my heart filled up.  My JOY switch has been reset.  If it flips off again, I know right where to go to fix it.

In RED shoes, 

Gail

Day 193

I started Day 193 of  The Red Shoe Project walking three miles in my RED sneakers, talking to God.  What a gorgeous day for a prayer walk!  I sang a little, prayed for the needs of people, and then just chatted with God about life.  It was such an interesting conversation.  As I think about it even now, a smile comes to my face.  That's because we talked about Pauly.  Pauly's my english bulldog.

One of the things I love about my first book, The Yellow Brick Road: A Woman's Journey to the Edge and Back,  is its cover.  It's a photograph

of me, wearing RED shoes, on a beat up brick road, that's slightly yellowed.  I wanted a real picture because my story is a real story.  In writing it, I strived to be brutally honest, so that people would be able to identify with me and the difficulties I faced.

We live in the day of "reality shows."  You're getting the scoop as it happens.  It's not scripted in advance.  There's no one famous playing the part of someone else.  Regular people are just being themselves.  That's how I view my writing.  I'm a regular person, just like you, only I'm living my life right out in front of you.  What you read, is how it actually happens.  When The Red Shoe Project is completed, it will be a "real-life"  journal depicting "My Year in Red Shoes."   All this said, I began to wonder, 

"What will the cover of my new book look like?"

The Lord suggested that it be a picture of me, in my RED shoes, with Pauly.  Really?  What's with that?  Why Pauly?  Are you ready for this?  The Lord said, 

"Because you're my Pauly!"

"Everyday, there you are in your RED shoes waiting for me, looking for me, eager to hang out with me."

Yeah... Pauly's just like that with me.  Wherever I go, he follows me around, from one room to the other.  When I go out, he sits at the window and waits for me to return.

"You just love me whole-heartedly and I love that about you!"

Yeah... One of the things I love about Pauly is that he just loves me unconditionally. He gets so excited when he sees me.  He just runs at me, wagging his tail.

"You pour out your praise and worship to me generously."

Yeah... Pauly loves to jump on me and lavish me with dog kisses, (also known as licks).  But Pauly's kisses are wet, slobbery and slimy.  I suppose I can be a bit wet, slobbery and slimy in my worship at times.  But God knows my heart and receives my affection, regardless.

"You're eager to rest by me, even when the lights go out and it's time to sleep."

Yeah...  Pauly jumps up on the king size bed every night.  Even when he sleeps, he wants to be near me.

"You trust me to take care of your every need."

Yeah... Pauly knows that I will take him out everyday for his walks.  He trusts that I'll fill his bowls with fresh water and nourishing food.  When he's sick, I make sure he's tended to.  He worries about nothing.

This whole conversation got me to thinking... I do love my dog, but he's my dog.  I don't expect all my friends to love everything about Pauly, because he's not their dog.  I mean, after all, he can be stinky and drooly and overly playful.  Sometimes he barks and barks.  Sometimes he even jumps up on me.  It's not uncommon for me to walk out of the house and realize I'm covered in fur, drool, or both.  What do I do about that?  I go back in the house and wipe myself down with a damp cloth, or I keep a sticky roller in my car so that I can clean the fur off my clothes when needed.   When he barks, I take a moment to give him my attention.  He's just a dog...  but he loves me so much, I overlook some things.  I don't want to quench his joyful spirit.

It's not that difficult a stretch to realize that sometimes I can be stinky, drooly and overly playful around God.  Ya know?  Sometimes I bark and bark.   But He overlooks some of these things because He doesn't want to quench my joyful spirit.  He sees my love and my human attempt at presenting that to Him and responds by pouring his love out on me!

Okay... so I realize that some of you may not be pet owners or dog lovers.  This analogy may be totally off the wall for you.  And I do realize that I can't parallel everything about my dog with how God deals with me.  However,  somehow, in this stupid, silly example, God saw to it, that I received a better understanding of His love for me.   

Pauly is a dog and I am his master. 

I am human and God is my Master.  

It's so funny how God can use the craziest things to speak words of truth to me.  I'm thankful that He  presents things in a variety of ways... some of which are fun and easy for me to grasp ahold of.  

In Red Shoes,

Gail