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Month: August 2015

TODAY THE WORDS are HOW TO QUIT WITHOUT QUITTING




TODAY THE WORDS are HOW TO QUIT WITHOUT QUITTING.  I heard a well known minister give a message on how pastors are not to quit when the circumstances in their churches become negative or the going gets rough.  He gave a wonderful encouraging rendition if Paul had given up or quit what a difference our lives would be. As I was listening, not as a messenger, but an average person; this blog message came to me and the title is a tad intriguing to say the least. How do we quit without quitting? Let’s dive in for the purpose for us to ponder.
quit 1   kwit / verb
gerund or present participle: quitting
1.leave (a place), usually permanently.”he was ordered to quit the cabin immediately”
synonyms:
leave, vacate, exit, depart from, withdraw from; More abandon, desert 
“she quit work at 12:30”


informal
resign from (a job).”she quit her job in a pizza restaurant”
synonyms:
resign from, leave, give up, hand in one’s notice, stand down from, relinquish, vacate, walk out on, retire from; More 
informal chuck, pack in; 
pack it in, call it quits 
“he’s decided to quit his job”


NORTH AMERICAN informal
stop or discontinue (an action or activity).”quit moaning!”
synonyms:
give up, stop, cease, discontinue, drop, break off, abandon, abstain from, desist from, refrain from, avoid, forgo “quit living in the past”

Source: Google Search

After reviewing the definition of quitting we find ourselves finding a way out for complicated situations, and difficult times (maybe even difficult people) but the message is quite the opposite.
If I see an alternative, it may be encouraging and also easier than throwing in the towel. Giving up relationships or occupations; church; or friendships when they become difficult usually produces more complicated side effects. For example: Your parents do not agree with something you are doing. Maybe their reasoning comes from a prior experience in their lives and they understand the pitfalls of your situation. Without their experience, it may seem like bad advice and you resist their advice and maybe resent what you perceive as being judgmental. This may cause a rift between all of you. Out the window goes all of the years of love and care; in comes the awkwardness which develops due to the dissension. Many people are affected by this action and it can even fester into more disagreement. Why not “quit” standing your ground or do what I like to say, “Agree to disagree”. We are never going to agree with everyone. As a matter of fact, I don’t remember one person that agreed with me or that I even agreed with them. Do you? By quitting arguing when each party is never going to agree, we can accomplish a neutral ground of love.
Now for the deeper thought….Quitting isn’t always a bad thing. I like to think if we quit the things we can stop to prevent quitting or giving up on relationships, jobs, faith, etc., life can be more rewarding. If it is due to us wanting to stand our ground; make sure you are comfortable in what else may occur. You may find yourself quitting going to visit someone; quitting counting on companionship or friendship; quitting fellowship at a church; or quitting a job or career after spending numerous years of giving it your all. LIVE LIFE; LOVE LIFE; LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST BY QUITTING THE PERILOUS ACTIVITY WITHOUT QUITTING SHOWING LOVE TO ALL.

DAILY FEATURED BIBLE VERSE:

Galatians 6:9 ESV 
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

(C) Copyright 2012-2015 Property of Arline Miller with all rights reserved.

Sipping Cups of Inspiration adds Brunei for a Total of 76 Countries

Zimbabwe newest country to join Sipping Cups of Inspiration!
Sipping Cups of Inspiration is happy to announce viewing in 76 Countries as of today.
76 Countries 08/23/2015
Brunei, joins Zimbabwe, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Laos, Slovakia, Guyana, United Arab Emirates, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Denmark, Algeria, Papua New Guinea.  Belarus, Belgium, Paraguay, Lebanon, Bahamas, Croatia, Finland, Lithuania, Nigeria, Moldova, Sri Lanka, Iceland, Austria, Iraq, Egypt, South Africa, Kuwait, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Chile, Serbia, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Hungary, Australia, Morocco, Thailand, Japan, France and Bulgaria, Malaysia, Israel, Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Sweden, Netherlands, Brazil, Indonesia, Poland, Vietnam, Romania, USA, India, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, China, Philippines, United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, South Korea and Saudi Arabia! 

Arline Miller, blog author for Sipping Cups of Inspiration 
extends a huge gratitude for all readers.
Thanks World!


TODAY THE WORDS are WHAT IS AND WHAT’S NOT


TODAY THE WORDS are WHAT IS AND WHAT’S NOT.  Sometimes a thought comes through and I post it on my Facebook page. With me heavy into writing the second book in my series, ‘Reflections of Love‘, I have to depend on my imagination since it is a fiction based novel as the first book ‘A Mistress, A Wife‘. I posted the following message and it inspired me to use this idea as the focus for the blog:
Evening Thought: When my mind enters the magical world of imagination, all of the normal day to day obstacles, stress, road blocks, imperfections, and limitations disappear from reality. Anyone can be anything at anytime without hesitancy. This is a marvel concept. Is it our mind which limits our abilities or is imagination the trap door to escape our limitations? Written by Arline Miller


My mind traveled back in time when I first saw Peter Pan. For those of you who know me; I have a fear of open heights, but not of closed heights and several people have assured me my fear is directed toward a fear of falling from a high place and to me this is what makes my experience of seeing Peter Pan more ludicrous. When I saw the children fly with Peter Pan; I thought how wonderful it would be to fly. To soar above the houses and see things from a bird’s view had to be something I could do. This mental drive became a desire to try it. The first attempt was to go from the big gas tank in our yard which was approximately only 4 foot. Okay, you are starting to see the fear was in my mind even though my imagination was countering my fear somewhat. Up on the tank, with my friends we climbed and each one jumped off with no flying results. 

It would be an okay story but what made it a great story was our imagination won over the fear and we figured out how to climb up on the roof to get more momentum going. It was not a consideration we could break something if the flight was not successful. What saved us was an unexpected entrance of Mom, who immediately ordered us down from the roof. No, we didn’t fly but we also didn’t have an accident either. This brings me back to how imagination is a trap door which allows us to escape our limitations. One of the reasons why I love to write fiction, or as I like to say I write imagination, is my writing allows me to actually jump from the roof of the house and fly among the stars.


Now for the deeper thought…..A gospel hymn which I love is ‘I Can Only Imagine‘ and through imagination or better yet, FAITH and HOPE, we can envision HEAVEN and even HELL. Sometimes it is better to hope what we will actually see through the faith of believing we will fly in the skies with Our Maker when this life is through. I know Peter Pan was a figment of our imagination but I have faith, ONE DAY I WILL FLY! Live Life; Love Life; and Live Life to the Fullest by living by Faith and Hope of Flying through Eternity in Heaven.


DAILY FEATURED BIBLE VERSE:

Isaiah 60:8 ESV

Who are these that fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows?

(C) COPYRIGHT 2012-2015 Property of Arline Miller and permission is required with all rights reserved.


Sipping Cups of Inspiration MAKES IT TO 75 COUNTRIES VIEWING

Zimbabwe newest country to join Sipping Cups of Inspiration!
Sipping Cups of Inspiration is happy to announce viewing in 75 Countries as of today.
75 Countries 08/23/2015
Zimbabwe joins Fiji, Marshall Islands, Laos, Slovakia, Guyana, United Arab Emirates, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Denmark, Algeria, Papua New Guinea.  Belarus, Belgium, Paraguay, Lebanon, Bahamas, Croatia, Finland, Lithuania, Nigeria, Moldova, Sri Lanka, Iceland, Austria, Iraq, Egypt, South Africa, Kuwait, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Chile, Serbia, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Hungary, Australia, Morocco, Thailand, Japan, France and Bulgaria, Malaysia, Israel, Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Sweden, Netherlands, Brazil, Indonesia, Poland, Vietnam, Romania, USA, India, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, China, Philippines, United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, South Korea and Saudi Arabia! 

Arline Miller, blog author for Sipping Cups of Inspiration 
extends a huge gratitude for all readers.
Thanks World!

TODAY THE WORDS are STEP FORWARD BY STEPPING BACK


TODAY THE WORDS are STEP FORWARD BY STEPPING BACK. This past week I was privy to a much needed vacation and a time to work on my second book at the beach. The first couple of days I was alone and at the onset, it was wonderfully serene. I wrote and as my writing allows me a great escape into the fictional world, I accomplished movement in my storyline and I recognized what other authors talk about being a recluse. I laughed as I was already counting down the hours until my daughter who lives in California could join me. I found myself stepping back on my need to have quiet time to write to step forward to the best time sharing the beach with my biggest gift in life, my daughter! It brings me to the focus of this post. When we feel we need to: Relax, have fun, get things done, lose weight, get in better shape, accomplish more, stress less, etc., etc., etc.; Step back to the time and people who are important in our lives and we will end up doing those things to allow us to step forward in all of our goals.

Most line dances require a “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back” and I thought this was a great comparison to life. Any goal is somewhat a dance step. We have a need to do a step forward and usually two steps back (one to retrace our steps/evaluate; second one is to make appropriate changes before we move forward again). It may seem as if we are not making progress, but we are. Changes are sometimes necessary to successfully complete a task or to reach the final goal.
I will turn this to a very familiar topic with me. I write. With my writing, it goes like this. I write my thoughts or my “story” and it flows fairly fast. It is sometimes comical when my daughter starts the first “suggestive” edits and she recognizes when I “get on my roll”. I find myself not writing in short sentences but lengthy repertoires. I laugh and have to take two steps back in order to step forward. Many times during the writing of a book, I rewrite. This is edited and I rewrite again. Do you see the process of a few steps forward and many steps back?

Now for the deeper thought…. While at the beach, I observed my daughter and her “almost” sister as they both are only children and have been as close as any sisters since college. They laughed; they giggled as they looked for shells; they recalled old stories of concerts; they traded ideas and philosophies; and the biggest part is they stepped back into the younger days and left the current world of being grown ups with all of the responsibilities and even though they would not trade anything it was the stepping back to step forward to the next phases in their lives. Again, they stepped backward to step forward. All of us in life could use some stepping back to step forward. It is perfectly okay to share times with good friends from the past; okay to remember when life was simpler; okay to act like a silly teenager; and very okay to accept that life is what we make it and how we have made it. Once More Life Requires One Step Forward and Two Steps Back! Live Life; Love Life; and Live Life to the Fullest by Loving Each Step Backward and Forward!

DAILY FEATURED BIBLE VERSE:

Psalm 16:9 ESV Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.




(C) COPYRIGHT 2012-2015 Arline Miller Property  All rights reserved.

TODAY THE WORD is WILLINGNESS


TODAY THE WORD is WILLINGNESS. I find myself questioning if I am always in a willing state of mind. Sometimes in our lives, we face decisions in which we are willing to accept changes, responsibilities, jobs, life partnerships with our spouse, becoming parents, etc. Are we filled with a willing spirit or do we resist participating in life’s activities?
 I remember when I was in the second grade in Chicago. We walked to school (no, not 10 miles as most stories go) and it was not wise to walk alone. There were four of us Lott children so we were not easy targets for the thugs that lived nearby. However, a girl that was younger, in the first grade, was an only child had to walk alone and that bothered her parents. I gladly and willingly said Pattie could walk with me. Her Mother would not hear of not paying me a dollar a week to do this so that she would not have to walk Patti to school herself. I don’t recall this memory to show callousness on my part; remember I was willing to do it free. I have used this memory to speak on how it never hurts for children to learn responsibility and if it coincides with making money, that can teach financial responsibility. 
Now, for the deeper thought…….Is our heart willing to accept the fact when we become willing to open our hearts and our love for others, we receive gifts of love in return? God will open doors for us and if we are willing to give to others; we learn, we grow, we feel good that we were able to help and most importantly, we have been willing when we had the opportunity to give back to God. Or……..do we do things begrudgingly? I say this only to allow us to think of how we give to others as sometimes, it is human nature to think, “if they had only done this or if they hadn’t done this, I wouldn’t have to help them”. I say this as there was a time in my life when I felt this selfish thought and God forgive me for thinking it. It is hard to speak my failures, but if someone reading this can realize we are human in nature and saved only by the grace of God, then I have expressed a “willingness” to admit my human failures. I realize after some pondering, God taught me to have a willing spirit and I try with all my heart to resist any “unwilling” temptation to be less than God wants me to be. Be willing to be willing to live life, love life and love to live!

DAILY FEATURED BIBLE VERSE:
2 Corinthians 8:12
For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
(c) copyright 2012-2015 Arline Lott Miller. The material here copyrighted, use only by permission.? 

TODAY THE WORDS are SHINING STAR



TODAY THE WORDS are SHINING STAR. Years ago, my daughter and I would ride around in my little sports car with the T-tops out and would listen to music. We would sing along to a lot of the songs and it was a great bonding time and fun. One song, and it became “my” song was “You are my shining star” by the Manhattans (okay by now, some link to my age should be showing). This song has somehow stayed “my song” and my daughter loves it too. She sent it in a link not too long ago. This morning, this song was in my head and it brought my thoughts to how we should be a shining star to our spouse but also we should shine to our other loved ones. When life becomes difficult, we can be a beacon in the dark, a star to guide our partners in life to safety, and a light of love that is so brilliant it will fascinate our spouse. Some of the lyrics are “I will never leave you lonely” and this is the plan God had in mind; a lifetime together building and nourishing a family.

Over the years, this song has become a special symbol for me and my daughter. When we are together and it starts playing; we smile at each other. Our bond is a very strong bond and we make the most of our “star” time. We use our time to be there for each other, taking the time and making it shine as a beautiful memory. We support each other and cheer each other when we are reaching for the stars. She is definitely my shining star and I look forward to seeing her soon.





Now, for the deeper thought……God is Our Eternal Shining Star……if we look toward the heavens and seek Him, He will never leave us lonely!. I believe, and in my life I know the difference, if God is in our lives, our relationships become fascinating lights or starlight nights. The bad doesn’t seem so bad, the difficult seems easier, and the joys more joyous. If we turn our heads, hearts and souls upward to Our Master, we have the love as the lyrics, “So many have tried to find a love like yours and mine”. We will have this love with our spouses, our families, and with God. What a brilliant life we will have on this earth and in eternity. Songs sometimes have a message in them and even though this song is not a gospel song and is reflecting love between two people, I can find a spiritual message in the lyrics. We can be a shining star to our children, grandchildren, friends, neighbors and co-workers. May we glow with the brilliance of God with love, truth, charity and forgiveness!



DAILY FEATURED BIBLE VERSE:

Isaiah 40:26 ESV     


Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.

(c) copyright 2012-2015

Arline Lott Miller. The material here copyrighted, use only by permission.

TODAY THE WORDS are PLAYING DEFENSE


TODAY THE WORDS are PLAYING DEFENSE. Over this past weekend, I saw most of our football fans starting to rev up for the upcoming football season and I thought of this post I had posted back in 2012 and it seems appropriate to repost it. Before I start GO DAWGS!

For those of you that know me, you know that Greg and I are huge Georgia Bulldogs’ fans and when it is football season, we re-arrange our weekend schedules to make sure we can watch all of the televised games and even work out watching the others through my computer. One of the things we always are watching during the games is how our defense plays. We understand that we can have a great offensive team; without a great defense we cannot stop the other team from scoring. We need both offensive and defensive strategies to be successful. We yell Defense! Defense! when the other team starts moving down the field and getting in scoring range. We love a good sack of the other team’s quarterback or if our defense stops a potential pass and we jump to our feet with an interception. Yes, we love our Defense as much as we love our Offense and that brings me to my thought on playing defense in life. 
As our soldiers in the field defend our country and most of us understand the danger, the risks of life, and the total sacrifice they sometimes make for us; a soldier is usually honored for their offensive moves of destroying the enemy; saving another life, etc. Should they not be honored for “defending our country?” When a child is being bullied and a friend steps up to defend the child that is being bullied, is that not a time for honoring the child who steps up in “defense of the other”? When a person down on their luck is laughed at and a good samaritan stops and helps them out in “defense of their plight in life, is that not a great gesture? When we defend our rights to freedom of religion, constitutional rights, freedom of speech, and our family structure, is that not a reason to stand up and defend what we believe to be right and just. When we defend our founding fathers and what they thought to be worthy of defending or protecting, is that not a good defense strategy? 

Now for the deeper thought…..When we defend our belief in God and His existence and our desire to pray for God defending us and keeping us safe, is that not worthy of a good tackle and interception from those who do not believe? A strong defense is very important and there is no place on the field of life to shy away from tackling the opponents that would keep us from scoring an eternal touchdown. I love the Dawgs but I love God the best! Go God!
DAILY FEATURED BIBLE VERSE:
2 Timothy 4:7
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;”
(c) copyright 2012-2015 Arline Lott Miller. The material here copyrighted, use only by permission.

TODAY THE WORDS are SOUTHERNERS TAKE OUR FOOD SERIOUSLY

TODAY THE WORDS are SOUTHERNERS TAKE OUR FOOD SERIOUSLY. If you want to get into a spitting match, tell a Southerner “Southern food is not tasty”. Boy, have you stepped on our toes! You might can say, “It may not be healthy” and get away with it. Yesterday I heard my husband say he had an errand to run by the location of where a local business, Hardy Farms, sells Hot Boiled Peanuts. Immediately, I asked him to pick up some boiled peanuts and he laughed. I didn’t ask for a rich, gooey ice cream dessert or cake or pie but boiled peanuts to satisfy my good ole southern heart. During the last couple of years, I have had to change my southern roots eating habits so trust me, when I think of a treat or cheat; I think Southern cooking.

Let me list a few of our Southern delights:
Good ole garden tomato sandwiches…..soft bread with your choice of mayo, salt and pepper, and only garden acidic tomatoes cut either thin or thick to cater to your individual taste. We call them fondly “Mater sammies”.
Grits and eggs…..I remember when we moved to Chicago when I was little and Mom went looking for grits only to find hominy. If you ask a true southerner; hominy doesn’t replace our grits. We have to have them with our eggs mixed together and a true connoisseur will tell you to break your bacon or sausage into pieces and add to your grits. Slow and steady is how we cook our grits!
Fried chicken, fried pork chops, fried fish, fried cube steak, fried taters, fried pickles, fried okra….In other words if you can think it; you can fry it. I can remember the first time I ate “grilled” meat and wondered where the crust went.
Watermelon, peaches, cantaloupes, grapes (picked of the vine), strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, figs and any thing else on a vine or bush we can pick. We get a thrill out of picking our own and we love to can it so we can admire our handiwork from our labors.
Sweet tea….Sweet lemonade….Sweet, Sweet, Sweet is how we like our drinks and our desserts. If is not sweet, we look for the sugar bowl. I had to change my thinking and I gave up my sweet tea but I will say this. If for some reason when we are at a restaurant and they accidentally give me my husband’s sweet tea I become a bee drawn to honey. 
More sweets in our desserts….Ask any Southerner how he or she feels about desserts and unless they are like me, restricted; they will say “Gotta have dessert or the meal isn’t over”. Banana pudding, pound cakes, regular cakes, cookies, special concoctions Grandma made, etc, etc, etc. In other words, Southerners will figure out a way to slap sugar on anything edible.
I have given you a “taste” of how we Southerners are addicted to our way of life and especially our way of eating. For those of you who haven’t tried Southern cooking, grab your fork and spoon and come on down South. Life is composed of a lot of things; some good and some bad. This is where a good ole meal comes into play. You can’t be unhappy when you have a spoonful of Nanna Puddin’ in your mouth. You have to smile at least for as long as the pudding lasts.
LIVE LIFE; LOVE LIFE; and LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST by enjoying your most favorite delights. Make it better by sharing it with friends.
DAILY FEATURED BIBLE VERSE:
Genesis 1:29 ESV 
And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food”

(C) Copyright 2012-2015 Arline Miller. All rights reserved.

TODAY THE WORDS are A GIVER OR A TAKER, WHICH ARE YOU?

‘

TODAY THE WORDS are A GIVER OR A TAKER, WHICH ARE YOU? Every so often, I have a thought which may not be a popular one to some but I feel obligated to put it out there and as people say, “Let the chips fall where they may.” I see people who fall in both categories sometimes in a give and take position and that is not all bad. As long as there is some giving and not all taking; it can be a win-win situation. Let us ponder this thought….Which category do you see yourself falling into? Do you give and give and others take and take?
King James Bible  2 Corinthians 9:7

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 

Are we cheerful givers? Do we give willingly? Do we love to see others achieve and succeed? Do we give when it hurts to give or do we only give when it is convenient or something we no longer want?
As much as I have a distaste for people who only use others and never give back, I have seen the begrudgingly givers. My philosophy is if I give; let me give it with my heart without expectation of anything in return. I love to give and it has been a blessing each and every time when I see the person’s expression. That is my “return” gift and reward enough.
However, I have seen the takers come and go in my life and in others’ lives too. It is hard to watch how they disregard people who love them and want to help them out of a difficult situation. They keep taking and taking without taking into account, they need to help themselves. When does a taker feel a need to stop taking; stop abusing their families with hurt; and in other words as this ole gal will say…..Get off your selfish hind end and do something with your life. Life doesn’t owe you a living; neither do I. This may sound like I am a grudgingly giver; not! I love helping people who help themselves and who still give when they can. That brings me to the next focal point of this message.
Why do people who are down on their luck or their efforts feel the only thing they have to focus on is feeling sorry for themselves? How many of my readers have been to the bottom? I have, most of you have at one time or other in your life. There is nothing wrong with this situation. It is what we do when we are at the bottom. You can figure out ways to pay others back as this develops pride and integrity. If you borrow $20 and if you have never had to borrow money, drop to your knees and Thank God; but if you do and if you know you will never pay it back. If you can mop a floor; clean out a cabinet; babysit; cook a meal; BUT DO SOMETHING IN RETURN…In other words become a giver!
Now for the deeper thought…..I am a sinner saved by Grace of God. I sin and have to repent. I have to ask forgiveness and I have found myself unworthy so many times. I am not saying this message like I am a perfect person by no means. We are all humans but sometimes a preacher has to knock us beside our heads to get our attention. What I am saying in a nutshell is Give when you can give freely but if someone has given to you and even though they don’t expect anything in return….Return the gift by appreciating and giving back of your spirit and do what you can to repay it. You are the one who will feel great and Life will start to change.


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