A TRIBUTE

I was  thinking a few days ago, that it was about this time of year that I started up at Spaces.  It was just before the New Year 3 years ago.  I had started fooling around with the place a few months prior to that, but I had my permissions all closed up because I was afraid of cyberstalkers.  I had heard all the usual horror stories about all the nightmarish things that had happened to people who had met people on line, and I was some pretty nervous about being on a networking sight of any kind.  I found the place quite by accident, or so I thought, and I had to put it in my Favorites to find my way back.  But I felt that the Lord was telling me I needed to open it  up and let people in.  I questioned as to weather it was really the Lord, and when I finally decided it was I took my permissions off of private and within 24 hours I met my first friend - Robyn.  Robyn is an animal lover like myself,  and a very kind lady and we have been friends ever since.  I didn't realize that you could meet 'nice' people.  It wasn't too long after that that I met a beautiful Christian lady name Nita,  from way across the pond.  I've been truly blessed and inspired by her relationship with her Lord, and it has driven me to make not the odd adjustment in my own walk with Him.  Not long after that I met another lovely and gifted lady named Lisa.  She takes some of the most breathtaking photographs I have ever seen.  And she lives not terribly far from where I live, just a couple hundred miles or so.  From Lisa I learned to see the beauty that is around me if I just open my eyes.  If any of these people ever found out where I live, which wouldn't be that hard, and I found them on my doorstep sometime knocking on my door I would be overjoyed.  *hinthint*  I'd probably be too excited to open the door.

Since then I have met lot's of nice people on Spaces.  And then one spring morning - early - I couldn't sleep, so I thought to myself that I might as well get up and not sleep as lay there and not sleep, so I got up and went on the computer.  I found there an invitation from another Spaces friend named Amanda - Nita's daughter - to join her on Face book.  Face book.  I had heard of Face book, but didn't really know what it was.  So I did.  She must have just sent the invite, because right away she sent me a message - "That was fast".  I immediately started looking around on Face book to try to figure out what it was all about and I found a lady I knew.  My President/Manager.  A very nice lady named Norma.  I said hello to her and before the day was over she had confirmed me as her friend.  It does take me a while to figure things out sometimes, and it was the beginning of December before I really got into the swing of Facebookism.  But I found lot's of my Spaces friends, and I have made many new friends too.  

So I salute my Friends - the people the Lord knew would make my life a richer place.  His year end/year beginning gifts to me.

Now here it is, December again,  just before the New Year, and here I am trying to figure out Blogger.  I wonder what is in store for me here.  I'm finding it quite different from either Spaces or Facebook.  And I'm still working at getting it figured out, but as I reflect on my past experiences in cyberworld, I think this must be a good place for me to be.

I think of how far I've come - from being afraid of what might be out there, to looking for what is out there.  From being a computer illiterate that didn't want to use a computer because I was afraid I was too dumb to learn to sitting down on purpose and staying with it until I get it figured out.

And what strikes me even more, is that 3 years ago, when the Lord was trying to get me to open up my permissions on Spaces He saw today as clearly I saw yesterday.  He saw the friends that were out there in the wings while I was keeping the permissions locked on private.  He saw the things I would learn that would make my life better while I was afraid to step out and take the chance.  Should I dare to trust Him with a brand new year? with what's left of this one?  with tomorrow?  Maybe that's why all these things have been coming to my mind.  In this thing called life, there is new territory to take, to boldly go where I've never been before.  Sometimes it just looks like one big black hole.  Sometimes it's hard to see where you're going one step at a time.  Until enough time passes and you look back.  And I didn't even know I was going anywhere.

Have a great weekend.



Much love to you ...