Evaluation

Saturday question--Am I making a better tomorrow?  SusieQ says--It's easy to think that when everything is going your way. 

Many of my acquaintances and friends have flew the coop.  They are out of here (i.e. AZ).  Come around April 1, many snowbirds are leaving or have left a.k.a. the great snowbird migration).  All I can say to them is--Happy trails to you until we see you again next winter (i.e. hopefully next winter but stuff happens folks).  I called some friends and asked when they were leaving for home--Jan told me and then said--I'm ready.  Ready to get home in my own house and see my children and grandchildren.  BUT every body's situation is different.  A pickleball buddy said to me--Last year we played pickleball until we only had 3 to play.  It was time to go home! 

Well, we are in CO with James, Heather, Erin and little Jimmer.  Now we are doing what grandparents do!  That driving time gave me much time (i.e. 13 hours+) to evaluate myself and also evaluate our time in AZ.  I have many thoughts and ideas.  I wonder if my evaluation of myself is always correct.  I wonder if someone else would evaluate me, if they would think the same.  I wonder.  I bet not.  'Cause folks don't completely know my situation and many times have their own concerns and thoughts to deal with. 

MissPerfect says--I have warts that you don't see; I cover most of them up.  And further more, I don't want you to see my warts.  They are really ugly.  As my mentor use to say--Things are never as good as they look and never as bad as they look.  Don't feel bad MissPerfect, my mentor also said--we all have warts.  Our son had warts on his hand as a kid.  We tried over the counter stuff but it didn't do the trick soooo we had them burnt off.  It hurt he said.  Ya, getting rid of warts can be hard and painful alright.  A lot of folks don't deal with their warts until "something just has to be done"!  And then many some still don't do anything.  Such is life.

When I evaluate myself, I have to ask myself:  What is my motive for my action.  That motive tells me what I really am and not just an outward appearance.  DuaneTheWorm does everything for an outward appearance to make himself look good (i.e. that is his motive).  One day at pickleball PK said she had to go home to iron.  Another gale said IRON, who does that.  PK said she irons everything, even the pillow cases.  I asked her if she was a perfectionist--maybe she said.  Sooooo did your mother iron everything tooooo?  Ya she did.  Dick then said--My father made my mom iron everything of his, even his boxer shorts!  Then PK said--I said I never wanted to be like my mom but am more like her every day.  Soooo what is PK's motive in ironing everything do you think?  Such is life.

I think I get into attitude slumps (i.e. I just had one this last week).  Then I have something happens and I snap out of my attitude slump (i.e. I get back on the path).  Change for me is good.  I get bored quite easily and need new stuff.  As the song goes:  After you've been having steaks for a long time, beans beans taste fine.  For me, if I have been doing the same ol' same ol' over and over again, no matter how good it is, it becomes boring to me.  It has lost it's newness.  It's not impressive anymore.  I need a new challenge, a new adventure, a new excitement.  It doesn't have to be something grand or costly, but just something different and refreshing.  Are you that way or do you like things to stay the same more?  I think churches can get boring (i.e. maybe just for me).  But flip the pancake, it's a lot easier to just leave everything the same than to change.  To really have a dynamic church, it takes a lot of work and imagination.  Now that is my opinion.  Goggle has changed gmail.  Why do you think they do that?  Da!  Even that to me is a form of excitement.  To others--it's CHANGE again!!

I'm reading a book about George Washington.  It was at a low point that his political enemies chose to hatch a plot to dislodge him as Commander.  Even his friends and followers were part of the plot.  Of course it did not happen.  It is an everlasting tribute to Washington's generosity that he never allowed the memory of this plot against him to affect his subsequent relations with the men involved.  Abe Lincoln was very good at this toooooo.  Are you this type of person?  A very smart friend said this-- If you can do something about it then do that something and no need to worry. If you can't do anything about then also no need to worry. In other words...should never worry about it!

Have you every been out of character (i.e. at least you think soooo--your personal evaluation). I played my last round with the Linksters before heading on out of AZ with my buddies John and Ken (i.e. we miss Wayne).  It felt like it was really bad but my score wasn't much different than what I usually shoot. It felt scratchy! I was maybe a little off but that little off felt like a huge amount (i.e. it doesn't take much in golf).  I like to watch the NCAA Tournament. Some teams win "out of character" and other win being "in character". I heard Bobby Knight say--A pat on the back gets some things done but a kick in the ass does a lot more. Soooo what do you think of that (i.e. your evaluation)?  Maybe I need to kick myself in the ass.  Have you ever been knocked off your horse?  Now that is a change alright.  I have many times and continue to have it happen.  A guy has to get back up, evaluate the situation, make adjustments and get back on and try again.  Sometimes it's my fault and sometimes it doesn't seem to be.  Sometimes I still think my head is tooooo big for my hat.  Ego is hard to evaluate some times.  Such is life.

GlitzyMolly says--I love my dog!  woof woof woof!  In fact, I think my dog is sometimes as smart as my husband!  ItchieBitche says--When you evaluate yourself or have someone else do an evaluation of you, you should always get a second opinion.  Always!  Henry is getting some good advice from Mabel I think.  And what's more...The cost of raising a medium sized dog to eleven is $16,400. Now that's a lot of burgers let me tell ya!  And expensive advice!  Yabut, you get what you pay for!  Yabut, you can always find someone who agrees with you other than MabelTheDog (i.e. Mabel weighs 80lbs...def a large dog!!!--soooo the $16,400 will have to be raised some folks)!  AverageJoe says--Ya just gotta look around.  There are other folks and dogs out there who will agree with you.   

ItchieBitchie says-- Suppose you were exactly the same now as you were ten years ago?  I mean both physically and mentally?  Suppose you had not grown or degrown?  What would you look like?  CadillacJack says--Good change is good. When we cease to change we stagnate.  When we fail to realize that we all need change, we become self-righteous and blind to our own errant ways.  Soooooo the Saturday question is:  Have you changed and are you constantly changing or have you just become a stagnate person?  How about your church? 

We were in In-N-Out for burger before we left this week.  I saw maybe a 10 year old kid ahead of me that had this on his tee shirt--...no, I won't fix your computer!  Now that is a fitting statement with all the senior snowbirds down in Sun Valley.  It made me laugh. 

SusieQ says--I have been evaluating my situation and I want some changes.  I wrote them down and am going to start praying for them.  SusieQ, be careful what you wish for! Often when we get something we hoped for, perhaps even prayed for, it doesn't turn out to be quite what we expected.  Soooo you want to be important (i.e. being important has consequences).  Sooooo you want to be rich (i.e. being rich has consequences).  Soooo you want to be a good parent (i.e. being a better parent has consequences).  Sooooo you want more talent (i.e. being talented has consequences).  Sooooo you want better health (i.e. obtaining better health has consequences).  You get it SusieQ?  That's why many think it's easier to just sit on the couch and eat chips.  Such is life.

I asked a friend who is a leader of a group of folks--Soooo how are they going to react?  He gave me his opinion and then said--BUT I've learned that I'm wrong about 50% or more of the time!  Now that is learning by experience now isn't it.  Folks don't always think the way we think now do they.  Are they different or are we different?  That makes it hard to evaluate the situation now doesn't it.  ItchieBitchie says--You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.  But my friend said--Yabut you can put a little salt in his oats!!!!   Such is life.

Water finds its level?  Soooo what does than mean in our lives anyway?  Sooooo in evaluating ourselves or others, water finds its level?  LuckieEddie says--Yabut, maybe we can raise the water level.  Ya think so LuckieEddie?  We maybe can get better with practice and a desire.  Maybe we can raise the water level.  I think sooooo folks.  I really think sooooo.  Maybe if we are bold and relentless and be reckless abandon a.k.a. having a passionate attitude we can raise the water level.  There has to be varying degrees of water levels.  Lets give it the litmus test before and after. 

Evaluate yourself using the litmus test--Sometimes we bring on misery upon ourselves through foolishness, unbelief and refusal to repent.  Ouchy ouchy!  Have you ever fooled yourself?  Or tried to fool yourself?  Are you easy to fool?  More ouchy ouchy!

Joesixpack says this about self-evaluation--Introspection in the long run does not get you very far because every time you draw back to look at yourself, you are seeing everything except for the part that drew back, and when you draw back to look at the part that drew back to look at yourself, you see again everything except what you are really looking for! 

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyFriendJean says--Worry is interest paid on trouble before it is due.