Rings, dings and other obnoxious things!

The buzzer on my oven went off and it never even registered with my brain that my cookies were done.  The truth is, the noise sounded like all the other 'dings' that I hear all day long so I had tuned it out thinking it was just my phone. But the most alarming thing to me (pun intended) about this was the fact that I didn't even register the sound of the timer in my brain. This could have cost me my precious chocolate chip cookies!

Now this wouldn't be the first hazardous mistake in my kitchen.  I have burned bacon so badly that even my pan was fried.  Sheds new meaning on the term 'pan fried'. The bacon was like black powder.  I pitched the pan and the ashes.

Here's the thing about 'dings':

My phone dings when I get a facebook message, a text, an e-mail, a follower on twitter....

My phone dings telling me to start walking for 5 minutes and then dings to tell me to start running for 1 minute.   (I like my 5K app.  It's helping me train for a 5K).

Ding.  "Slow down and walk".
Ding.  "You're doing great runner!"
Ding.  "Time to walk for 5 minutes and cool down."

My iPad dings too.

My husband's phone vibrates.  We sit and smile as our electronic gadgets communicate. Ding, beep, pop, boom.

I share an office with a co-worker and her phone vibrates when she gets a text....or at least I think it's a text.

My phone dings in the office too.  It's part of office life.

We have a cool app at work called 'slack' and so I get dings when anyone is using slack...making them a 'slacker'...we joke.

My phone dings with a slack message and my desktop computer dings too. I get dings at home when someone 'slacks' so I can keep up with the conversation at work, even though I'm at home.

Ding, ding, ding.

I've tried using different ring tones for various friends. One friend has been assigned the sound of a dog barking. My husband's ring sounds like a motorcycle revving.

One night I was working at the church all alone and heard a dog barking and it spooked the spooks right out of me.  How did a dog get in the church anyway?  Finally, I realized it was my phone barking.

I decided it had gone too far.

I've finally learned how to turn that stuff off and not be notified about every little thing.  But I think the damage is already done and I could have had burnt cookies to prove it!

When I no longer hear the alarm of the oven telling me to check my cookies because I've learned to tune out all the rings, dings and other obnoxious things, I begin to wonder what other things in my life I've been starting to 'tune out' because I take in too much?  There are things that are much more important than cookies.  Like the voice of the Spirit. Does His voice get lost in the crowd? Has He lost His distinction?

I hope not!

Ding.........sorry...gotta go.

The Cycle of The Edge

  1.  My coach has a vision for what I can do.
  2.  He shows me the first step toward accomplishing it. (I record it so I can study it).
  3.  I try to do what he shows me.
  4.  I fail and feel like a klutz.
  5.  He shows me again.
  6.  I try again and fail.
  7.  He shows me why I'm failing.
  8.  I adjust and keep trying.
  9.  Next day, I keep trying.
10.  Next day, I keep trying.
11.  Next day I start to get it.
12.  I start to get it and then fall and hurt myself.
13.  Next day more improvement, though I'm sore from the day before with complimentary bruises.
14.  He shows me the next step.
15.  The cycle starts all over again.

Little by little it starts coming together. Every step I learn helps build a foundation for the next step and soon I have improved on the very first step he gave me in the beginning.  As I begin to master each step, everything improves.

And so that's how it goes in the cycle the edge.

I want to be changed on the inside by renewing my mind because that's the only way I can change.  The Spirit tells me that I can be transformed by renewing my mind. Rom. 12:2

1.  I sense His vision of change for me.
2.  I study how to do it.
3.  He shows me a negative thought that I continually entertain.  ("God doesn't really love me")
4.  I ask Him to help me change it.
5.  He gives me a new thought to think in its place.  (God loves the world, God is love, etc.)
6.  I start to say the new thought out loud. (Thank You for loving me, You are love, I receive Your love)
7.  When left to my natural tendencies, the old thought persists.  (Nah....He doesn't love you..see how awful you feel?)
8.  I keep fighting it and replacing it with the new thought.  (Yes He does, God loves the world, God is love, etc.)
9.  Transformation begins.

This process will probably take as long as learning to skate.  But it will be worth it.

And so that's how it goes in the cycle of the edge.

For more information on changing your thoughts, I recommend this book.