Luke 6
This chapter is so rich, so full. I want to eat it, digest it. I want it to become part of me.
“You're blessed when you've lost it all.
God's kingdom is there for the finding.
You're blessed when you're ravenously hungry.
Then you're ready for the Messianic meal.
You're blessed when the tears flow freely.
Joy comes with the morning.”
I feel like this is where I’m at. I’m empty, I’m dry, I’m lost, I’m hungry. I’m ready to be filled, quenched, found and I’m ready for the Messianic Meal.
“But it's trouble ahead if you think you have it made.
What you have is all you'll ever get.
And it's trouble ahead if you're satisfied with yourself.
Your self will not satisfy you for long.
And it's trouble ahead if you think life's all fun and games.
There's suffering to be met, and you're going to meet it.”
I’ve rested on my laurels for too long. My family faith, my Christian experiences (missions, church career, leadership positions, Biblical knowledge, Christian school.) Those things aren’t wrong or wasted, but they aren’t fresh and vital. They are meaningless though without true relationship with my Saviour. So where do I go from here? I’m weary of formulas. What do I know? I know that I need to be in the Word of God. It’s how He communicates primarily. His Word is rich and fresh and challenging. I’m going to write my thoughts and share them with others in honesty and vulnerability. I’m going to read books that challenge and heal. I’m going to love in practical ways. I’m going to speak to God. I’m going to listen for his voice.
I’ve been a Christian for more than 30 years, I come from an amazing, faith-filled family, I’ve served God and His church for many years and in many ways. I’ve experienced seasons fo incredible passion and vitality in my relationship with God. All these things are part of the fabric of my life, but they are not enough to sustain me now. After years of faith and service, I feel like it’s time to find God again, to come like a child, to love and be loved.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Living With Intent - January 2010
People are pretty divided on the whole issue of New Year’s Resolutions. Strong opinions on both sides. Some people think that they are a great idea, an opportunity to make changes, set goals, make a fresh start. Other people think that they are a waste of time or that goals can be set and changes made at any time.
I do know that it’s easy to make resolutions and set new goals, but it’s not always east to stick with them. They seem like such a great idea at the end of the year, but on January 1st, they just seem like hard work.
Whatever time of year you choose, it’s good to take stock, evaluate and look ahead. It can even be good to do this more than once a year.
My parents have made a practice of this for many years and call it a mini retreat. My husband and I love to take the time together to look at our lives.
It is important to look back at where you’ve been, the good, the bad and the ugly. What can you learn about yourself, your habits, behavior patterns, what has brought you joy and what has caused you pain?
It’s important to look at where you are now. What’s working well? What isn’t?
And then there is the future. The wide-open, unknown future. What are your hopes and dreams? Are there habits that need to be broken or formed?
It’s great to take the time to ask yourself these questions as an individual and as a family. Life gets so busy, so loud, so cluttered that if we don’t get intentional and purposeful about life, it will sweep us along in a flood of circumstances and the everyday bustle of life.
I’ve been inspired recently by women that I know who are going back to school, who are taking charge of their health, who are branching out creatively, all the while still caring for their families.
It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed and to think that we’ll never find the time. However, a wise man once told me that people find the time to do what they want to do. What do you want to do? It may be something as small and practical as doing some painting or cooking from a recipe once a week. It might be going back to school or saving money to go on a missions trip.
Whatever it is, I encourage you to take a look at your life, to dream, to plan and to live intentionally.
I do know that it’s easy to make resolutions and set new goals, but it’s not always east to stick with them. They seem like such a great idea at the end of the year, but on January 1st, they just seem like hard work.
Whatever time of year you choose, it’s good to take stock, evaluate and look ahead. It can even be good to do this more than once a year.
My parents have made a practice of this for many years and call it a mini retreat. My husband and I love to take the time together to look at our lives.
It is important to look back at where you’ve been, the good, the bad and the ugly. What can you learn about yourself, your habits, behavior patterns, what has brought you joy and what has caused you pain?
It’s important to look at where you are now. What’s working well? What isn’t?
And then there is the future. The wide-open, unknown future. What are your hopes and dreams? Are there habits that need to be broken or formed?
It’s great to take the time to ask yourself these questions as an individual and as a family. Life gets so busy, so loud, so cluttered that if we don’t get intentional and purposeful about life, it will sweep us along in a flood of circumstances and the everyday bustle of life.
I’ve been inspired recently by women that I know who are going back to school, who are taking charge of their health, who are branching out creatively, all the while still caring for their families.
It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed and to think that we’ll never find the time. However, a wise man once told me that people find the time to do what they want to do. What do you want to do? It may be something as small and practical as doing some painting or cooking from a recipe once a week. It might be going back to school or saving money to go on a missions trip.
Whatever it is, I encourage you to take a look at your life, to dream, to plan and to live intentionally.
In The Moment and Thankful - November 2009
In the Moment
I was talking to my Dad recently about some things that he is thinking about and exploring. He is the wisest man that I know. I hope that when I am 66 I will still be seeking and learning like he is. Anyway, he was talking about learning to be in the moment. He said that he has to stop himself regularly and make himself be in a moment, not in the past, not in the future.
This is a concept that sounds wonderful to me, but pretty darn tough in practice. I spend a tremendous amount of time wishing I could change the past and day dreaming about the future. As a woman, I’m almost always multi-tasking as well. I’ve always got something in mind that I need to be doing or planning or finding. (I have a list in my “notebook” of things that I’ve lost and that I’m always looking for, sad, I know.)
But I want to be IN the moments of my life. I want to be present in the moment when Jude tells me that Jesus loves me. I want to be present in the moment when Zane laughs with abandon as only a baby can do. I want to be present in the moment when Colin is talking to me about his hopes and dreams. I also want to be present in my own moments, when it’s just me, whether I’m reading a book or listening to music or creating something, I want to experience it and not be worried about a To Do List or wishing I had a bigger house or regretting a choice that I made earlier.
I’ve got a long way to go, I know. But I’ll take the small steps and each one will be a victory for me.
Thankful
I love Thanksgiving for so many reasons. Family is the biggest reason. Every year we get together and celebrate each other and the many blessings in our lives.
One of our traditions is that we pick a country or region each year and make our Thanksgiving meal in that style. We’ve done Jamaica, Cajun, Southern, Mexican, Italian to name a few. This year we are doing a French theme - yummy! Oui, oui!
I always look forward to the reminder that Thanksgiving is of all we have to be thankful for - as a nation and as individuals. I want to be an example of gratefulness to my children.
I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving and encourage you to stay thankful all year long and to express your love to those that you are grateful for!
I was talking to my Dad recently about some things that he is thinking about and exploring. He is the wisest man that I know. I hope that when I am 66 I will still be seeking and learning like he is. Anyway, he was talking about learning to be in the moment. He said that he has to stop himself regularly and make himself be in a moment, not in the past, not in the future.
This is a concept that sounds wonderful to me, but pretty darn tough in practice. I spend a tremendous amount of time wishing I could change the past and day dreaming about the future. As a woman, I’m almost always multi-tasking as well. I’ve always got something in mind that I need to be doing or planning or finding. (I have a list in my “notebook” of things that I’ve lost and that I’m always looking for, sad, I know.)
But I want to be IN the moments of my life. I want to be present in the moment when Jude tells me that Jesus loves me. I want to be present in the moment when Zane laughs with abandon as only a baby can do. I want to be present in the moment when Colin is talking to me about his hopes and dreams. I also want to be present in my own moments, when it’s just me, whether I’m reading a book or listening to music or creating something, I want to experience it and not be worried about a To Do List or wishing I had a bigger house or regretting a choice that I made earlier.
I’ve got a long way to go, I know. But I’ll take the small steps and each one will be a victory for me.
Thankful
I love Thanksgiving for so many reasons. Family is the biggest reason. Every year we get together and celebrate each other and the many blessings in our lives.
One of our traditions is that we pick a country or region each year and make our Thanksgiving meal in that style. We’ve done Jamaica, Cajun, Southern, Mexican, Italian to name a few. This year we are doing a French theme - yummy! Oui, oui!
I always look forward to the reminder that Thanksgiving is of all we have to be thankful for - as a nation and as individuals. I want to be an example of gratefulness to my children.
I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving and encourage you to stay thankful all year long and to express your love to those that you are grateful for!
Kids Say (and do) the Darndest Things - October 2009
Jude just hauled the giant copy of "What to Expect the Toddler Years" downstairs & presented it to me. Is he warning me about something?
This was one of my Tweets/Facebook status updates a couple of days ago.
When Jude was younger, he did lots of cute and amazing things. Now that he’s more mobile and communicative, he does and says some really funny things. I love it and I never want to forget these moments. I know I will forget though, unless I make the effort to record the memories. I also want lots of great stories to share with the boy’s girlfriends in a few years!
I struggled for a while with recording though - it seemed to never happen! I always intended to write it down, but the moment would pass and I would forget.
Then I got into Facebook and then Twitter. I loved being able to share these family moments with my friends and family. The cute, funny, scary and outrageous things that my kids do.
I was actually trying to remember a particular situation and couldn’t recall the details, but I remembered that I “Tweeted” it. So I was looking back through the Tweets and found what I was looking for. In the process, I realized that I had an amazing record of many of our precious family moments.
I decided then, that I would go back to when I began on Facebook in September of 2007and embark on the tedious task of cutting and pasting all those status updates into a Word document. It took a bit of time, but I eventually got it done. I called the document “Family Moments” and I keep it handy on my computer these days. About once a week I go and copy all my status updates into this document. I sometimes add other things that don’t go on Facebook or I’ll expand on something that I briefly updated on Facebook.
I also love to see the updates of my friends and family around the world. I laugh, empathize and sympathize. It’s also great to read the comments on my own updates. I feel like I am sharing this journey with other Moms and families. And it’s not just the cute and funny moments, it’s the struggles and the fears. Having children is an overwhelming thing and it’s so good to know that we aren’t alone in our doubts, our frustrations and fears.
Whether you Tweet, blog, Facebook, keep a journal or scribble those family moments on scraps of paper - keep it up. Tell those cute stories to friends and family, tell them to me, I love to hear family stories, mom stories, kid stories! The moments pass quickly and will be forgotten if we don’t record them. If we record them, we can share them for years to come.
If you aren’t recording your family moments or sharing your family moments, I would encourage you to do so. Figure out what works best for you and just do it! You won’t ever regret it.
I leave you with this gem that I Tweeted in May of this year: “Jude just came over to me and stood there - I asked what he wanted and he said “hugs” - happy me!
This was one of my Tweets/Facebook status updates a couple of days ago.
When Jude was younger, he did lots of cute and amazing things. Now that he’s more mobile and communicative, he does and says some really funny things. I love it and I never want to forget these moments. I know I will forget though, unless I make the effort to record the memories. I also want lots of great stories to share with the boy’s girlfriends in a few years!
I struggled for a while with recording though - it seemed to never happen! I always intended to write it down, but the moment would pass and I would forget.
Then I got into Facebook and then Twitter. I loved being able to share these family moments with my friends and family. The cute, funny, scary and outrageous things that my kids do.
I was actually trying to remember a particular situation and couldn’t recall the details, but I remembered that I “Tweeted” it. So I was looking back through the Tweets and found what I was looking for. In the process, I realized that I had an amazing record of many of our precious family moments.
I decided then, that I would go back to when I began on Facebook in September of 2007and embark on the tedious task of cutting and pasting all those status updates into a Word document. It took a bit of time, but I eventually got it done. I called the document “Family Moments” and I keep it handy on my computer these days. About once a week I go and copy all my status updates into this document. I sometimes add other things that don’t go on Facebook or I’ll expand on something that I briefly updated on Facebook.
I also love to see the updates of my friends and family around the world. I laugh, empathize and sympathize. It’s also great to read the comments on my own updates. I feel like I am sharing this journey with other Moms and families. And it’s not just the cute and funny moments, it’s the struggles and the fears. Having children is an overwhelming thing and it’s so good to know that we aren’t alone in our doubts, our frustrations and fears.
Whether you Tweet, blog, Facebook, keep a journal or scribble those family moments on scraps of paper - keep it up. Tell those cute stories to friends and family, tell them to me, I love to hear family stories, mom stories, kid stories! The moments pass quickly and will be forgotten if we don’t record them. If we record them, we can share them for years to come.
If you aren’t recording your family moments or sharing your family moments, I would encourage you to do so. Figure out what works best for you and just do it! You won’t ever regret it.
I leave you with this gem that I Tweeted in May of this year: “Jude just came over to me and stood there - I asked what he wanted and he said “hugs” - happy me!
Are You Falling for Fall? September 2009
Welcome to Westside MOPS! We’re so glad that you are with us this year. We’ve got some exciting plans in store and look forward to sharing life together.
Can you believe that it’s September already? I love September, Fall is arriving. To me, Fall is as much about new beginnings as January or Spring. There’s excitement in the air, anticipation. I love it!
That being said, Summer was an interesting time for me this year. I gave birth to my second son, Zane. Nothing like a having baby around to get you thinking about new beginnings. While I am awake at 4 o’clock in the morning, I’m not always thinking happy new beginning thoughts, but when my sleep deprived fog clears at times, I think about new life and the future.
I didn’t have a terribly easy pregnancy, not as bad as many, but it was tough. I was sick pretty much from start to finish and I feel like I let things slide during that time. Jude watched a lot of “Baby Einstein”. That’s another reason I’m looking forward to this Fall season, it’s a chance to get back on track and to blaze new trails.
I’ve been thinking about the kind of people I hope my boys grow up to be. I’ve been thinking about the kind of memories that I hope they have when they are my age. While I don’t think that we can orchestrate every aspect of our lives, nor can we manufacture memories, we can set the stage, we can make space to create life, rather than just having life happen to us.
For me that has meant creating a schedule of sorts for our family. Setting aside time to exercise together, to be creative, to play, as well as the not so fun, but just as necessary things like chores. It’s too easy for me to just drift and not take the time to enjoy what life together means. I get caught up in tv, making sure we watch our Netflix dvds, and just “coping”. I want to be more deliberate in my life.
So that’s what’s been on my mind lately. I’m looking forward to this new season - both naturally and metaphorically. How about you? Are you excited about what’s ahead? Have you made time and space in your life to explore, to create, to experience? If life is happening too fast, how can you and your family put the brakes on a little and slow down?
Let me know your creative ideas for carving out time with family and what you do with that time. I’m always open to new ideas!
Can you believe that it’s September already? I love September, Fall is arriving. To me, Fall is as much about new beginnings as January or Spring. There’s excitement in the air, anticipation. I love it!
That being said, Summer was an interesting time for me this year. I gave birth to my second son, Zane. Nothing like a having baby around to get you thinking about new beginnings. While I am awake at 4 o’clock in the morning, I’m not always thinking happy new beginning thoughts, but when my sleep deprived fog clears at times, I think about new life and the future.
I didn’t have a terribly easy pregnancy, not as bad as many, but it was tough. I was sick pretty much from start to finish and I feel like I let things slide during that time. Jude watched a lot of “Baby Einstein”. That’s another reason I’m looking forward to this Fall season, it’s a chance to get back on track and to blaze new trails.
I’ve been thinking about the kind of people I hope my boys grow up to be. I’ve been thinking about the kind of memories that I hope they have when they are my age. While I don’t think that we can orchestrate every aspect of our lives, nor can we manufacture memories, we can set the stage, we can make space to create life, rather than just having life happen to us.
For me that has meant creating a schedule of sorts for our family. Setting aside time to exercise together, to be creative, to play, as well as the not so fun, but just as necessary things like chores. It’s too easy for me to just drift and not take the time to enjoy what life together means. I get caught up in tv, making sure we watch our Netflix dvds, and just “coping”. I want to be more deliberate in my life.
So that’s what’s been on my mind lately. I’m looking forward to this new season - both naturally and metaphorically. How about you? Are you excited about what’s ahead? Have you made time and space in your life to explore, to create, to experience? If life is happening too fast, how can you and your family put the brakes on a little and slow down?
Let me know your creative ideas for carving out time with family and what you do with that time. I’m always open to new ideas!
Catching up
I've gotten behind on adding my MOPS newsletter articles to my blog. So here's a catch up as well as some new stuff.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Making Memories
I love to talk about memories. I often wonder if I really remember events from my childhood, or if we’ve just talked about them so much that I am remembering the tale and not the original happening. Of course, I don’t really care, I still have the memory.
When I look back on my childhood, it was good. As an adult, I hear about some of the circumstances that our family faced, and while I had some knowledge of those circumstances as a child, I didn’t always know how dire things were at times.
When I look back, I don’t remember the financial struggles for the most part. I remember the rides around town with Mom and Dad in the front of the truck, Stephanie, me and Bo the Wonder Dog in the back of the truck with a Big Gulp for the front and one for the back. I remember eating entire meals out of the garden, thinking it was adventurous, not realizing it was because money was short. We didn’t go on vacations to resorts and theme parks, but we did go camping and went on missions trips. I remember hours spent in the yard on amazing adventures to fantastic places, riding my horse (a saw horse with saddle and reins).
Now I look around at all that I have to offer to my sons and I hope that I don’t give them so much that their only memories consist of toys and ready made activities. I hope we can create memories together in every circumstance and stage of life that will continue to give them joy when they are my age. I hope that I can give them enough freedom from “stuff” that they can create their own adventures.
I don’t think it’s wrong to give your children good things or to go on trips and I know that I want to always be able to provide for them. But whatever circumstances we are facing - whether we have little or plenty, I want to make lifelong memories for my children that they will treasure.
Have you told your own children stories about your childhood? Have you told them your treasured memories? I think it’s a good thing to tell those stories often so that we will remember them and they won’t be lost. Write them down, record them, celebrate them. Thank those that helped you to make those memories.
Some of you don’t have many good memories from your childhood. How can you make sure that your kids do?
Summer is upon us soon (hopefully). Take time this summer to create memories with your children. Establish some fun traditions. Do something that you loved to do as a child and introduce your child to something new. Tell your stories to friends and family. Read a favorite book from your childhood. Relax. Help your children find ways to explore their world and venture into the worlds of their imaginations.
Remember.
When I look back on my childhood, it was good. As an adult, I hear about some of the circumstances that our family faced, and while I had some knowledge of those circumstances as a child, I didn’t always know how dire things were at times.
When I look back, I don’t remember the financial struggles for the most part. I remember the rides around town with Mom and Dad in the front of the truck, Stephanie, me and Bo the Wonder Dog in the back of the truck with a Big Gulp for the front and one for the back. I remember eating entire meals out of the garden, thinking it was adventurous, not realizing it was because money was short. We didn’t go on vacations to resorts and theme parks, but we did go camping and went on missions trips. I remember hours spent in the yard on amazing adventures to fantastic places, riding my horse (a saw horse with saddle and reins).
Now I look around at all that I have to offer to my sons and I hope that I don’t give them so much that their only memories consist of toys and ready made activities. I hope we can create memories together in every circumstance and stage of life that will continue to give them joy when they are my age. I hope that I can give them enough freedom from “stuff” that they can create their own adventures.
I don’t think it’s wrong to give your children good things or to go on trips and I know that I want to always be able to provide for them. But whatever circumstances we are facing - whether we have little or plenty, I want to make lifelong memories for my children that they will treasure.
Have you told your own children stories about your childhood? Have you told them your treasured memories? I think it’s a good thing to tell those stories often so that we will remember them and they won’t be lost. Write them down, record them, celebrate them. Thank those that helped you to make those memories.
Some of you don’t have many good memories from your childhood. How can you make sure that your kids do?
Summer is upon us soon (hopefully). Take time this summer to create memories with your children. Establish some fun traditions. Do something that you loved to do as a child and introduce your child to something new. Tell your stories to friends and family. Read a favorite book from your childhood. Relax. Help your children find ways to explore their world and venture into the worlds of their imaginations.
Remember.
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