He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of his free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2:7
There is the darkness of nature when the days are short and there is darkness of spirit when negative thoughts and depression settle into your spirit. Sometimes, when the days get brighter, your spirits lift and sometimes it doesn't without prayer and help from others. This time of year is difficult and I find myself teetering on the brink of darkness waiting for the days to lift and lighten so that my mood might also.
I took the opportunity to go away for the weekend to try and lift my spirits and it worked even if temporarily. Coming back, I realized that I had not given thought to my devotional book and here it is nearly three days later and I have just gotten around to looking for the next one. Ironically, it was all about getting rid of negativity to be open to God's blessings. It's an ironic contradiction that I can intellectually realize how blessed I am at the same time feeling pulled toward a black hole. I think it's what keeps me from falling in. The ability to see that reality in the third person makes it manageable.
This morning, I looked out my daughter's window and realized that we have turned the corner. The sun was just coming up over the horizon as I was waking her for school when it seems like just last week it was dark at the same time of day and perhaps it was. We might still have a long stretch of winter to live through and more snow and ice to contend with but the sun and the Son are coming! We just have to hang in there.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Reach Out By Faith
"For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well." but Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." Matthew 9:21-22
Some people are eternal optimists, you know them. They always find the good in everything or see the blessing. You know too the pessimists. They see the glass half-empty all the time. They find fault when there is so much more good than bad. Sometimes it's in the guise of "helping" but you leave their company feeling like nothing is ever good enough. It's a little different than the perfectionist who seems to critique themselves more than they do anyone else.
So while I have said for many years that I am a recovering perfectionist, I also have to admit that in my early 20s, I was definitely more critical (in the critiquing sense) of life than I am now. Somewhere around age 26, I realized that my attitude had to change or nothing in life was ever going to make me happy. It hasn't been easy. Asking someone who naturally wants to find the fault to see the good is hard but after 20 years, I can say that I am making progress. I don't know if I'll ever get to the point of a eternal optimist but my life is so much happier when I focus on the good and not the bad or the ugly. It's still there but so much more manageable when it's covered in good stuff!
Yesterday, I learned that 50% of happiness is genetic. So for those of us that didn't get that gene, the rest must be learned. Surrounding myself with naturally happy people has really helped. Knowing that how happy my children are can be influenced by my own happiness "state" is important. Having faith that God has something great in store for me also keeps me focused on the positive. Sunlight does a lot as does the beautiful snow that I see outside my window today.
Now how does one find happiness is cleaning the bathrooms?
Have a "happy" Best Life day!
Some people are eternal optimists, you know them. They always find the good in everything or see the blessing. You know too the pessimists. They see the glass half-empty all the time. They find fault when there is so much more good than bad. Sometimes it's in the guise of "helping" but you leave their company feeling like nothing is ever good enough. It's a little different than the perfectionist who seems to critique themselves more than they do anyone else.
So while I have said for many years that I am a recovering perfectionist, I also have to admit that in my early 20s, I was definitely more critical (in the critiquing sense) of life than I am now. Somewhere around age 26, I realized that my attitude had to change or nothing in life was ever going to make me happy. It hasn't been easy. Asking someone who naturally wants to find the fault to see the good is hard but after 20 years, I can say that I am making progress. I don't know if I'll ever get to the point of a eternal optimist but my life is so much happier when I focus on the good and not the bad or the ugly. It's still there but so much more manageable when it's covered in good stuff!
Yesterday, I learned that 50% of happiness is genetic. So for those of us that didn't get that gene, the rest must be learned. Surrounding myself with naturally happy people has really helped. Knowing that how happy my children are can be influenced by my own happiness "state" is important. Having faith that God has something great in store for me also keeps me focused on the positive. Sunlight does a lot as does the beautiful snow that I see outside my window today.
Now how does one find happiness is cleaning the bathrooms?
Have a "happy" Best Life day!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Renew Your Attitude
"Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins and both are preserved." Matthew 9:17
It's amazing and sometimes sad to watch the progression of childhood to adulthood. We stop laughing as often. We're told to "act your age". It gets harder to find the joy in the little things as we sweat not just the little stuff but the big stuff too. No wonder we all need to renew our attitudes once in a while. Disney World is one way that I can renew my attitude and get in touch with that inner child. Snow Days are another way.
Living in a part of the country that can get several snow storms a year, I am always renewed by the beauty of the snow on the trees, the warmth that I am grateful for when I am inside protected from the cold outside and the sense of contentment that I feel when we are home bound and have all of our obligations canceled. I think I look forward to those "snow days" now just as much as I did when I was a child! I realize that I am blessed to be at home with my children in a way that allows me to take those snow days off. These snow days are truly "best life days" for me.
So as the Northeast part of the country braces itself for what seems to be a significant storm, I am grateful that today gets to be a "best life day"!
Have a best life day today!
It's amazing and sometimes sad to watch the progression of childhood to adulthood. We stop laughing as often. We're told to "act your age". It gets harder to find the joy in the little things as we sweat not just the little stuff but the big stuff too. No wonder we all need to renew our attitudes once in a while. Disney World is one way that I can renew my attitude and get in touch with that inner child. Snow Days are another way.
Living in a part of the country that can get several snow storms a year, I am always renewed by the beauty of the snow on the trees, the warmth that I am grateful for when I am inside protected from the cold outside and the sense of contentment that I feel when we are home bound and have all of our obligations canceled. I think I look forward to those "snow days" now just as much as I did when I was a child! I realize that I am blessed to be at home with my children in a way that allows me to take those snow days off. These snow days are truly "best life days" for me.
So as the Northeast part of the country braces itself for what seems to be a significant storm, I am grateful that today gets to be a "best life day"!
Have a best life day today!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Keep God's Word Visible
These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sita t home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up...Write them on the doorframes of our houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:6-8,9
I have to admit, having gone through Catholic school, bible study wasn't a big part of our school life or our home life. Did I learn the Hail Mary, the Our Father, the ten commandments and most of the Baltimore catechism? Sure, and I have been blessed to have much of that sustain me throughout my life. But as my daughters have attended a Christian school, I have seen the blessing that learning and thinking about verses from the Bible has been for them and in turn, it has become a bigger part of my life. I would love to be able to call upon the bible "chapter and verse" as so many can do but not in the vigilante way that the media presents to us but in a way that guides and strengthens me. Anyone can take a verse from the Bible and use it to illustrate their point but I believe that God should use it to illustrate His point.
So when a verse really speaks to me, I try to pay attention more than I have in the past. My memory isn't as good as it used to be and it sure does take a lot more to get things from short term to long term memory but every now and then , something clicks. Recently, I wrote three verses down that will probably make it to my vision board. I'll share them with you today.
Proverbs 15:22 (New International Version, ©2010) 22 Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.
Luke 11:9-10 (New International Version, ©2010) 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Romans 15:13 (New International Version, ©2010) 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Have a Best Life Day!
I have to admit, having gone through Catholic school, bible study wasn't a big part of our school life or our home life. Did I learn the Hail Mary, the Our Father, the ten commandments and most of the Baltimore catechism? Sure, and I have been blessed to have much of that sustain me throughout my life. But as my daughters have attended a Christian school, I have seen the blessing that learning and thinking about verses from the Bible has been for them and in turn, it has become a bigger part of my life. I would love to be able to call upon the bible "chapter and verse" as so many can do but not in the vigilante way that the media presents to us but in a way that guides and strengthens me. Anyone can take a verse from the Bible and use it to illustrate their point but I believe that God should use it to illustrate His point.
So when a verse really speaks to me, I try to pay attention more than I have in the past. My memory isn't as good as it used to be and it sure does take a lot more to get things from short term to long term memory but every now and then , something clicks. Recently, I wrote three verses down that will probably make it to my vision board. I'll share them with you today.
Proverbs 15:22 (New International Version, ©2010) 22 Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.
Luke 11:9-10 (New International Version, ©2010) 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Romans 15:13 (New International Version, ©2010) 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Have a Best Life Day!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
The Value Of Memories
"When you see the tassels, you will remember and obey all the commands of the Lord instead of following your own desires and defiling yourselves, as you are prone to do." Numbers 15:39
Wow! I am continually blown away at how God is using things in my life to really focus on these devotions. The other day, I mentioned a photograph in a magazine that I was thinking of posting on a vision board. So today, what does the devotion talk about? "I suggest you consider putting things up in your home or office that build your faith - perhaps photos that bring back good memories or show you living life to the full." Okay, I get it!
We don't lack for photos around here. The girls' lives are well documented. My life since we had the girls? Not so much. You might think I hadn't done anything since having them for the lack of photos of me that aren't with my husband or my children or me behind the camera but there have been lots of things. I've been running my own home business for over ten years. I've worked outside my home part time doing things that were additive to our family's life like my job in childcare at the YMCA or substitute teaching at the girls' school. So I can't say that I haven't done anything while I've been technically a "stay at home mom".
But I don't think that's what the author is trying to say. I think he's really talking about this idea of creating a vision from examples when you were living life to the fullest and also where you see yourself going. So, as best I can, I'm going to start pulling pictures and clippings and whatever else I think might work for me and put them on this new vision board. Who knows where this is heading?
Wow! I am continually blown away at how God is using things in my life to really focus on these devotions. The other day, I mentioned a photograph in a magazine that I was thinking of posting on a vision board. So today, what does the devotion talk about? "I suggest you consider putting things up in your home or office that build your faith - perhaps photos that bring back good memories or show you living life to the full." Okay, I get it!
We don't lack for photos around here. The girls' lives are well documented. My life since we had the girls? Not so much. You might think I hadn't done anything since having them for the lack of photos of me that aren't with my husband or my children or me behind the camera but there have been lots of things. I've been running my own home business for over ten years. I've worked outside my home part time doing things that were additive to our family's life like my job in childcare at the YMCA or substitute teaching at the girls' school. So I can't say that I haven't done anything while I've been technically a "stay at home mom".
But I don't think that's what the author is trying to say. I think he's really talking about this idea of creating a vision from examples when you were living life to the fullest and also where you see yourself going. So, as best I can, I'm going to start pulling pictures and clippings and whatever else I think might work for me and put them on this new vision board. Who knows where this is heading?
Friday, January 21, 2011
Break The Curse
So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on the pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived." Numbers 21:9
Lots of people say they believe in luck. I prefer Oprah's definition, "preparation meets opportunity". You need both of those things. It makes sense to me to prepare for something while you're waiting for the opportunity to be successful. God's blessing allows for those two things to meet at precisely His right time. I also believe that God allows for the "law of attraction". What you put out to the "universe" or God, comes back to you sometimes 10-fold. Put out goodness and love, get goodness and love in return. I think that's what the author is talking about in today's meditation as he tells the reader to break the cycle by changing the image or vision you have of yourself.
I treated myself to a pedicure this morning so that I could "give myself permission" to read the only magazine I subscribe to on a regular basis. There's a great photo in there that I came across of a women climbing between two giant Sequoia trees in her bare feet with a remarkable quote, "No great thing is created suddenly. There must be time. Give you best and always be kind." by Epictetus a Greek philosopher. Across the top of the page was "Live Your Best Life". Again, as in days prior, it is not lost on me that these visual clues are coming at me as I work my way through this "Best Life" year.
I think I'll tear the page out of the magazine and frame it for my office. Maybe I should start one of those vision boards and see what theme evolves. In the meantime, though, I'll just enjoy how good my feet feel!
Have a "Best Life" Day!
Lots of people say they believe in luck. I prefer Oprah's definition, "preparation meets opportunity". You need both of those things. It makes sense to me to prepare for something while you're waiting for the opportunity to be successful. God's blessing allows for those two things to meet at precisely His right time. I also believe that God allows for the "law of attraction". What you put out to the "universe" or God, comes back to you sometimes 10-fold. Put out goodness and love, get goodness and love in return. I think that's what the author is talking about in today's meditation as he tells the reader to break the cycle by changing the image or vision you have of yourself.
I treated myself to a pedicure this morning so that I could "give myself permission" to read the only magazine I subscribe to on a regular basis. There's a great photo in there that I came across of a women climbing between two giant Sequoia trees in her bare feet with a remarkable quote, "No great thing is created suddenly. There must be time. Give you best and always be kind." by Epictetus a Greek philosopher. Across the top of the page was "Live Your Best Life". Again, as in days prior, it is not lost on me that these visual clues are coming at me as I work my way through this "Best Life" year.
I think I'll tear the page out of the magazine and frame it for my office. Maybe I should start one of those vision boards and see what theme evolves. In the meantime, though, I'll just enjoy how good my feet feel!
Have a "Best Life" Day!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Eyes Of Faith
"Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, "Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That's how many descendants you will have!" Genesis 15:5
Talk about big dreams! For a man who thought he was too old to have children, it must have been incredibly difficult to believe that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. He had faith and let God dream the big dreams for him.
"Change what you are seeing, and you will change what you're producing," says the author of today's devotion. My perception about my life changes from day to day and it does affect how I view my life at any one given moment. When the laundry is piling up and the girls aren't getting along and my husband's been away doing what he does, sometimes it's hard to see just how blessed I am. When life is sunny, it's so much easier to count the blessings. Those with strong faith are such role models for me because I can see it in them when times are toughest and it just shines through.
I had the pleasure of teaching some 7th grade girls for a week at the beginning of the quarter in their elective, "How to be a Godly woman". They called it "manners class". I thought of it more as a chance for them to see just how wonderful God had made them and because of that, understand that they needed to set the bar high for how people treat them especially young men. It was a pleasure to spend that week with them and today I've been invited to attend their final field trip, a high tea. It's easy to see just how many stars in the sky await these young women. Getting them to see it is a little bit tougher. Hopefully, I said something that week that they can keep in their hearts. It reminds me of a plaque someone gave me that we have hanging in our home.
Talk about big dreams! For a man who thought he was too old to have children, it must have been incredibly difficult to believe that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. He had faith and let God dream the big dreams for him.
"Change what you are seeing, and you will change what you're producing," says the author of today's devotion. My perception about my life changes from day to day and it does affect how I view my life at any one given moment. When the laundry is piling up and the girls aren't getting along and my husband's been away doing what he does, sometimes it's hard to see just how blessed I am. When life is sunny, it's so much easier to count the blessings. Those with strong faith are such role models for me because I can see it in them when times are toughest and it just shines through.
I had the pleasure of teaching some 7th grade girls for a week at the beginning of the quarter in their elective, "How to be a Godly woman". They called it "manners class". I thought of it more as a chance for them to see just how wonderful God had made them and because of that, understand that they needed to set the bar high for how people treat them especially young men. It was a pleasure to spend that week with them and today I've been invited to attend their final field trip, a high tea. It's easy to see just how many stars in the sky await these young women. Getting them to see it is a little bit tougher. Hopefully, I said something that week that they can keep in their hearts. It reminds me of a plaque someone gave me that we have hanging in our home.
A hundred years from now no one will remember
How much money I had in the bank
what kind of car I drove
or what kind of job I had.
How much money I had in the bank
what kind of car I drove
or what kind of job I had.
But I will be remembered
as someone special
because I made a difference
in the life of a child.
as someone special
because I made a difference
in the life of a child.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Focus On Your Goals
"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn." Isaiah 51:1
It's not lost on me today that I was watching the christening of the Disney Dream cruise ship while I was thinking about today's devotion. The ceremonial champagne bottle was filled not with champagne but with dreams of adventure and friendship and all the things I want for my own life. I could feel the excitement of all the people who are aboard the maiden voyage and as a self-proclaimed Disney addict, I wanted to be on board with them. There's something about the Disney brand of magic that keeps me entranced and going back time after time. Everything seems possible there.
So it shouldn't surprise anyone that one of the few things remaining on my bucket list is to work at Disney World even if it's just for a few weeks once in my life. I want to make people's dreams there come true just as other cast members have done for me. That might not happen this year or next but "a dream is a wish your heart makes" and my heart has kept that one for a long time. In the meantime, I keep trying to work toward that goal.
But even that doesn't seem like it's "big enough" or is it? How big should dreams be? How lofty should your goals be to honor and bring glory to God? Not everyone can be Mother Theresa or Martin Luther King. Since Monday's quote about service by Martin Luther King was posted, I've been trying to look at whether or not there's one act of service each day in my life or one way in which I've paid forward the blessings that I have received. It might be as small as preparing a nice meal for my family or making sure my daughter has clean basketball socks for the game but those count, right?
So maybe it's time to find a quiet moment and really think about the goals and vision I have set forth for myself or need to dream. I don't want to be limited by my own imagination if God can dream so much bigger for me.
If you want to watch the christening, here's a link: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/01/disney-dream-christening-webcast/
It's not lost on me today that I was watching the christening of the Disney Dream cruise ship while I was thinking about today's devotion. The ceremonial champagne bottle was filled not with champagne but with dreams of adventure and friendship and all the things I want for my own life. I could feel the excitement of all the people who are aboard the maiden voyage and as a self-proclaimed Disney addict, I wanted to be on board with them. There's something about the Disney brand of magic that keeps me entranced and going back time after time. Everything seems possible there.
So it shouldn't surprise anyone that one of the few things remaining on my bucket list is to work at Disney World even if it's just for a few weeks once in my life. I want to make people's dreams there come true just as other cast members have done for me. That might not happen this year or next but "a dream is a wish your heart makes" and my heart has kept that one for a long time. In the meantime, I keep trying to work toward that goal.
But even that doesn't seem like it's "big enough" or is it? How big should dreams be? How lofty should your goals be to honor and bring glory to God? Not everyone can be Mother Theresa or Martin Luther King. Since Monday's quote about service by Martin Luther King was posted, I've been trying to look at whether or not there's one act of service each day in my life or one way in which I've paid forward the blessings that I have received. It might be as small as preparing a nice meal for my family or making sure my daughter has clean basketball socks for the game but those count, right?
So maybe it's time to find a quiet moment and really think about the goals and vision I have set forth for myself or need to dream. I don't want to be limited by my own imagination if God can dream so much bigger for me.
If you want to watch the christening, here's a link: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/01/disney-dream-christening-webcast/
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
See Yourself Rising
"The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in your is darkness, how great is the darkness!" Matthew 6:22-23
This time of year has gotten difficult for me the last few years. I love the fall and winter but the dark days don't love me back. Add in a very hectic schedule and some other things and I find myself fighting to stay in the light physically and metaphorically. It doesn't take much stress to send me into a weeping heap or looking to hide myself under the covers. One of the few things that helps is exercise. This is one thing in which I have learned that I have to put myself first but don't always resolve to do it. Sometimes I still resort to the proverbial "taking to her bed".
So then, to see yourself rising can have multiple meanings here. Rising out of bed, rising to new levels or even raising your own self image, the effect can have a great impact on your life. If as the author suggests, you can never rise higher than the image you have of yourself, it behooves me to start working on the image in my mind of myself. What do I really think of myself? Do I hold myself to the same esteem (or higher or lower) than others do? In this best life I want for myself, do I have a higher image of myself?
Instead of looking outward with my eyes maybe it's time to look inward in my mind's eye through the darkness to see what lies beyond.
This time of year has gotten difficult for me the last few years. I love the fall and winter but the dark days don't love me back. Add in a very hectic schedule and some other things and I find myself fighting to stay in the light physically and metaphorically. It doesn't take much stress to send me into a weeping heap or looking to hide myself under the covers. One of the few things that helps is exercise. This is one thing in which I have learned that I have to put myself first but don't always resolve to do it. Sometimes I still resort to the proverbial "taking to her bed".
So then, to see yourself rising can have multiple meanings here. Rising out of bed, rising to new levels or even raising your own self image, the effect can have a great impact on your life. If as the author suggests, you can never rise higher than the image you have of yourself, it behooves me to start working on the image in my mind of myself. What do I really think of myself? Do I hold myself to the same esteem (or higher or lower) than others do? In this best life I want for myself, do I have a higher image of myself?
Instead of looking outward with my eyes maybe it's time to look inward in my mind's eye through the darkness to see what lies beyond.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Get A New Vision
"Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? --Mark 8:18
Today's devotion seems particularly appropriate for a day honoring Martin Luther King. This man had an amazing vision of a world which we are still trying to achieve. He saw what the world could be, trusted God to lead him where he needed to go and took people on the journey with him. He was such an amazing individual.
A friend posted a quote from Martin Luther King this morning on her Facebook page. "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: "What are you doing for others?"" Without care and concern for one another, I don't really think we can consider ourselves human. In light of the recent tragedy in Arizona, I often wonder if we'll ever get it right but the stories of heroes shine through as examples of the good that can come from tragedy.
It's a good day to be thinking about a new vision.
Today's devotion seems particularly appropriate for a day honoring Martin Luther King. This man had an amazing vision of a world which we are still trying to achieve. He saw what the world could be, trusted God to lead him where he needed to go and took people on the journey with him. He was such an amazing individual.
A friend posted a quote from Martin Luther King this morning on her Facebook page. "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: "What are you doing for others?"" Without care and concern for one another, I don't really think we can consider ourselves human. In light of the recent tragedy in Arizona, I often wonder if we'll ever get it right but the stories of heroes shine through as examples of the good that can come from tragedy.
It's a good day to be thinking about a new vision.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Expand Your Horizons
"Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord." --Psalm 31:24
"Look yourself in the mirror and say, "I am not going to settle for mediocrity,"" the author tells us today. This seems counter-intuitive to the perfectionist who is always trying to find that place of good enough. Somewhere in there is a balance. Balance is a word that comes up a lot for me.
It's very easy for me to take on too much and say yes to too many things and then resent the fact that I don't have time to do the things I want to do. This year, I am resolved to stop saying "yes" to the things I don't want to do and start saying "yes" to the things I do want to do. My youngest daughter asked about having dinner with one of our favorite families this weekend and instead of thinking "Oh, they're probably too busy" or "There's too much to do around here", I took a chance and sent a text. Tonight we're having dinner out! She's thrilled. I'm happy and I said "yes" to something I wanted to do for a change instead of talking myself out of it.
Who knows what else the day might bring?
"Look yourself in the mirror and say, "I am not going to settle for mediocrity,"" the author tells us today. This seems counter-intuitive to the perfectionist who is always trying to find that place of good enough. Somewhere in there is a balance. Balance is a word that comes up a lot for me.
It's very easy for me to take on too much and say yes to too many things and then resent the fact that I don't have time to do the things I want to do. This year, I am resolved to stop saying "yes" to the things I don't want to do and start saying "yes" to the things I do want to do. My youngest daughter asked about having dinner with one of our favorite families this weekend and instead of thinking "Oh, they're probably too busy" or "There's too much to do around here", I took a chance and sent a text. Tonight we're having dinner out! She's thrilled. I'm happy and I said "yes" to something I wanted to do for a change instead of talking myself out of it.
Who knows what else the day might bring?
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Don't Stop Now
Terah took his son Abram, ...and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan, But when they came to Haran, they settled there. --Genesis 11:31
The author challenges the reader to 'pull up your stakes, pack your tents, get your belongings, and start moving forward.' I suppose it would be easy to interpret this as, "Get your stuff! We're going to Africa!" as you may have read about so many others doing. Fortunately, the author then goes on to say that this is just a metaphor and we're not leaving on a jet plane in the morning. Moving forward, I suppose, doesn't have to mean moving out. Does it?
Today, my daughter asked me to take her to the mall. Not exactly an average request from a fourteen year old girl but on a Saturday where she might be seen by friends in a mall that doesn't allow parents to abandon their kids on Fridays or Saturdays, it was a surprising one because it meant she was stuck with me for the duration of the shopping trip. Oddly enough, she didn't seem to mind.
Even more surprising was the fact that on the walk from the car to the mall, she held my hand and chatted all about....well, something. I couldn't get over the fact that she was holding my hand and not looking over her shoulder to make sure that no one was looking. We walked into FYE and she showed me what had prompted the request. A set of DVDs for an anime show that she likes. She went through all of the racks and talked on and on about this show and that show. Once she had made her decision, we continued to talk as we walked to the front and she actually asked if I wanted to go to another store with her. What? Spend more time with you and not argue? I was thrilled. She mentioned some store named Hot Topics but was sure I would want to walk right out which sounded to me like, "I dare you to like something that teenagers like" but was surprised when I started noticing all of the cute and funny tshirts they had there. This brought on more chatter and a few smiles!
A soft pretzel and a lemonade completed the trip and we were on our way home. I think I saw a small glimmer of a best life in that shopping trip today.
The author challenges the reader to 'pull up your stakes, pack your tents, get your belongings, and start moving forward.' I suppose it would be easy to interpret this as, "Get your stuff! We're going to Africa!" as you may have read about so many others doing. Fortunately, the author then goes on to say that this is just a metaphor and we're not leaving on a jet plane in the morning. Moving forward, I suppose, doesn't have to mean moving out. Does it?
Today, my daughter asked me to take her to the mall. Not exactly an average request from a fourteen year old girl but on a Saturday where she might be seen by friends in a mall that doesn't allow parents to abandon their kids on Fridays or Saturdays, it was a surprising one because it meant she was stuck with me for the duration of the shopping trip. Oddly enough, she didn't seem to mind.
Even more surprising was the fact that on the walk from the car to the mall, she held my hand and chatted all about....well, something. I couldn't get over the fact that she was holding my hand and not looking over her shoulder to make sure that no one was looking. We walked into FYE and she showed me what had prompted the request. A set of DVDs for an anime show that she likes. She went through all of the racks and talked on and on about this show and that show. Once she had made her decision, we continued to talk as we walked to the front and she actually asked if I wanted to go to another store with her. What? Spend more time with you and not argue? I was thrilled. She mentioned some store named Hot Topics but was sure I would want to walk right out which sounded to me like, "I dare you to like something that teenagers like" but was surprised when I started noticing all of the cute and funny tshirts they had there. This brought on more chatter and a few smiles!
A soft pretzel and a lemonade completed the trip and we were on our way home. I think I saw a small glimmer of a best life in that shopping trip today.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Step out of Your Comfort Zone
"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." --Hebrews 11:8
"It doesn't take any more effort to stay filled with faith than it takes to develop a negative attitude." I don't know. I have a real tendency to be a glass half empty person. If you're reading this and thinking, "Wait, I know her. She's not a negative person," then you didn't know me in my early 20s. It was a conscious decision to really work toward finding the positive, the good in every day life and I still struggle with it as my husband will be happy to tell you. That recovering perfectionist comes out quite often. How do you decide when "good enough" really is and when you should step outside that comfort zone and really push yourself toward God's perfection for you?
There have definitely been times in my life where I have pushed myself and reaped the rewards. Trying to live a life with no regrets means that sometimes you do have to say, "What the heck" and go for it. I want my girls to live their lives that way and yet it pains me to see when they are afraid to take a risk. I'll never forget the time I decided it was time to face my fear and sing solo in church. I walked up to the ambo and looked out among the congregation having convinced myself that no one there would ever tell me if I messed up (they all love me, right?) and I saw the face of a good friend that I wasn't expecting to see. All of a sudden, I had a swarm of butterflies in my stomach. She was no less likely to critique my performance than anyone else but it was a moment of shear panic. There was no turning back.
So where do I need to stretch now? What am I afraid will happen if I decide to go for something I've always wanted or pursue a new dream?
I've been trying to get a handle on this "putting me first" thing that people keep talking about. Not in the selfish negative way but in the take care of me so I can take care of everyone else kind of way. I put it off but don't deny myself the occasional pedicure. Spending $10 to get my eyebrows waxed doesn't seem like a guilt-inducing pleasure. I even looked up another mom's blog (http://www.blogher.com/putting-me-mom) to see what she had to say about it. The minor things aren't hard. This "lives changing" new direction could definitely mean sacrifice on more than just my part and I think that's what makes it so hard to decide what to pursue.
So yesterday I did a little retail therapy at Bed, Bath & Beyond and I'll probably make an appointment for a pedicure instead. Sure, let's put this off for another day. Maybe I can think about my life's pursuits while my feet are soaking.
"It doesn't take any more effort to stay filled with faith than it takes to develop a negative attitude." I don't know. I have a real tendency to be a glass half empty person. If you're reading this and thinking, "Wait, I know her. She's not a negative person," then you didn't know me in my early 20s. It was a conscious decision to really work toward finding the positive, the good in every day life and I still struggle with it as my husband will be happy to tell you. That recovering perfectionist comes out quite often. How do you decide when "good enough" really is and when you should step outside that comfort zone and really push yourself toward God's perfection for you?
There have definitely been times in my life where I have pushed myself and reaped the rewards. Trying to live a life with no regrets means that sometimes you do have to say, "What the heck" and go for it. I want my girls to live their lives that way and yet it pains me to see when they are afraid to take a risk. I'll never forget the time I decided it was time to face my fear and sing solo in church. I walked up to the ambo and looked out among the congregation having convinced myself that no one there would ever tell me if I messed up (they all love me, right?) and I saw the face of a good friend that I wasn't expecting to see. All of a sudden, I had a swarm of butterflies in my stomach. She was no less likely to critique my performance than anyone else but it was a moment of shear panic. There was no turning back.
So where do I need to stretch now? What am I afraid will happen if I decide to go for something I've always wanted or pursue a new dream?
I've been trying to get a handle on this "putting me first" thing that people keep talking about. Not in the selfish negative way but in the take care of me so I can take care of everyone else kind of way. I put it off but don't deny myself the occasional pedicure. Spending $10 to get my eyebrows waxed doesn't seem like a guilt-inducing pleasure. I even looked up another mom's blog (http://www.blogher.com/putting-me-mom) to see what she had to say about it. The minor things aren't hard. This "lives changing" new direction could definitely mean sacrifice on more than just my part and I think that's what makes it so hard to decide what to pursue.
So yesterday I did a little retail therapy at Bed, Bath & Beyond and I'll probably make an appointment for a pedicure instead. Sure, let's put this off for another day. Maybe I can think about my life's pursuits while my feet are soaking.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Stretch Your Faith
"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith." --Romans 1:17
I had a hard time with this devotion today. "Maybe you've been coasting lately, thinking that perhaps you've reached your limits. You're not stretching your faith." The author is talking about a goal that you've been trying to reach and just haven't gotten all the way there yet like losing weight or paying off credit cards. My issue is really more one of not knowing what goals to strive to reach. I know my fitness goal has gotten a little lax but I've been back at the gym this week and feeling better about it. Healthier eating....well, yes, that could use some work too.
There's just nothing motivating me to strive at the moment. Nothing on the horizon that looks like I want to go after it. That's what I've been praying about and looking to see. In a way, that is coasting. Just living life, status quo and focusing on everyone else. Maybe God is giving me this time to look around and be open to whatever is in store for me.
I'm always blown away by episodes on "Oprah" when someone has seen a previous episode and then you find out that they've gone and done something truly amazing because they were so inspired. I can just imagine the feeling they had that they were so compelled to act on their feeling, they let nothing stand in their way. It has to be an amazing thing to experience.
Something to think about.
I had a hard time with this devotion today. "Maybe you've been coasting lately, thinking that perhaps you've reached your limits. You're not stretching your faith." The author is talking about a goal that you've been trying to reach and just haven't gotten all the way there yet like losing weight or paying off credit cards. My issue is really more one of not knowing what goals to strive to reach. I know my fitness goal has gotten a little lax but I've been back at the gym this week and feeling better about it. Healthier eating....well, yes, that could use some work too.
There's just nothing motivating me to strive at the moment. Nothing on the horizon that looks like I want to go after it. That's what I've been praying about and looking to see. In a way, that is coasting. Just living life, status quo and focusing on everyone else. Maybe God is giving me this time to look around and be open to whatever is in store for me.
I'm always blown away by episodes on "Oprah" when someone has seen a previous episode and then you find out that they've gone and done something truly amazing because they were so inspired. I can just imagine the feeling they had that they were so compelled to act on their feeling, they let nothing stand in their way. It has to be an amazing thing to experience.
Something to think about.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
With God On Your Side
"What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spared his own Son, but gave up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" --Romans 8:31-32
Today's devotion suggests that we should never allow negative thinking to keep us from God's best. He can cause you to be at the right place at the right time. This I know for sure. It's happened several times in my life. When you look back at how many things had to happen for that one moment to be precisely what it was, you can't help but believe that something greater than yourself was at work. I feel that way about meeting my husband. This blog would we way too long if I took the time to explain all the things that happened to make that meeting a reality.
So why not trust God to show me what he wants me to do isn't really the question. I do trust Him. In fact, I count on him to show me something, anything. I've put it out there to the universe and waited. I'm still waiting. But maybe by waiting, I'm not doing enough to make what He wants a reality. Or perhaps, I think I've put it out there but He knows that I'm really afraid of taking a "next step" for the first time in my life.
There's something about this next stage in my life as my girls finish middle school and go off to high school that has made me feel differently. It's not an empty nest syndrome. In actuality, I feel more like I've got one more shot to do things right in these "later years" whether they be 1 year, 10 years or 30 years+. How do I make them as meaningful as possible? How do I do something purposeful that has the least effect on my family?
Sounds a bit like a mid-life crisis, doesn't it?
Today's devotion suggests that we should never allow negative thinking to keep us from God's best. He can cause you to be at the right place at the right time. This I know for sure. It's happened several times in my life. When you look back at how many things had to happen for that one moment to be precisely what it was, you can't help but believe that something greater than yourself was at work. I feel that way about meeting my husband. This blog would we way too long if I took the time to explain all the things that happened to make that meeting a reality.
So why not trust God to show me what he wants me to do isn't really the question. I do trust Him. In fact, I count on him to show me something, anything. I've put it out there to the universe and waited. I'm still waiting. But maybe by waiting, I'm not doing enough to make what He wants a reality. Or perhaps, I think I've put it out there but He knows that I'm really afraid of taking a "next step" for the first time in my life.
There's something about this next stage in my life as my girls finish middle school and go off to high school that has made me feel differently. It's not an empty nest syndrome. In actuality, I feel more like I've got one more shot to do things right in these "later years" whether they be 1 year, 10 years or 30 years+. How do I make them as meaningful as possible? How do I do something purposeful that has the least effect on my family?
Sounds a bit like a mid-life crisis, doesn't it?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
We Serve A Great God
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." --Jeremiah 29:11
Today's devotion suggested that perhaps I had experienced adversity or trials in my past or had more than my fair share of setbacks and heartaches. It also suggested that it is time to break out of the "barely get by" mentality and become the best you can be, not merely average or ordinary. This got me thinking.
Quite the contrary, I feel like my life has been pretty blessed. Have there been trials? Of course, watching my mother deal with her strokes last year was heart wrenching to say the least and the idea of losing her was torture. Have their been heartaches? I can definitely think of one in particular that took two years to recover from but have I had more trials or adversity than anyone else? Definitely not. I am amazed by the strength some of my friends show me on a daily basis who are going through things much worse than I could imagine.
I laughingly say that I am a "recovering perfectionist". "Barely getting by" hasn't been a part of my vocabulary except for the few battles I have had with depression. Maybe it was cocky to think that I wasn't ever average or ordinary. What has changed though is that I don't feel like I'm putting that to the purpose I should be. If I take something on, it gets 100% of my effort. Sometimes that makes it difficult to focus on more than one thing at a time. But ultimately, what fulfillment do I get from it? Maybe it's time to start thinking about the things I do that give me the most fulfillment and focus on those and get rid of some others. Or maybe it's time to find something new to put my efforts behind.
I hope that through this effort I get some insight into why I'm here and what God has planned for me. Hopefully, I haven't been looking in the wrong places so far!
Today's devotion suggested that perhaps I had experienced adversity or trials in my past or had more than my fair share of setbacks and heartaches. It also suggested that it is time to break out of the "barely get by" mentality and become the best you can be, not merely average or ordinary. This got me thinking.
Quite the contrary, I feel like my life has been pretty blessed. Have there been trials? Of course, watching my mother deal with her strokes last year was heart wrenching to say the least and the idea of losing her was torture. Have their been heartaches? I can definitely think of one in particular that took two years to recover from but have I had more trials or adversity than anyone else? Definitely not. I am amazed by the strength some of my friends show me on a daily basis who are going through things much worse than I could imagine.
I laughingly say that I am a "recovering perfectionist". "Barely getting by" hasn't been a part of my vocabulary except for the few battles I have had with depression. Maybe it was cocky to think that I wasn't ever average or ordinary. What has changed though is that I don't feel like I'm putting that to the purpose I should be. If I take something on, it gets 100% of my effort. Sometimes that makes it difficult to focus on more than one thing at a time. But ultimately, what fulfillment do I get from it? Maybe it's time to start thinking about the things I do that give me the most fulfillment and focus on those and get rid of some others. Or maybe it's time to find something new to put my efforts behind.
I hope that through this effort I get some insight into why I'm here and what God has planned for me. Hopefully, I haven't been looking in the wrong places so far!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Unpack Your Dreams
"For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland." --Isaiah 43:19NLT
Oh, this is going to be more difficult than I thought. Dreams? I've completely lost track of my dreams. I used to have them, I think. I don't think dreaming about new living room furniture is exactly what the author had in mind. "He wants to pour out His far and beyond favor on you" - Ephesians 2:7 surely can't be about upgrading the bathrooms. I can remember dreaming about getting married and having children. I even remember dreaming about my first home. Sometimes, I feel a little dream bubbling up inside and then I think of all the reasons why I can't go after it. Who would take care of the kids while my husband is pursuing his dream? Or, that's too big a dream. Try to dream of a decluttered home that gives me peace? Why should everyone in the house be forced to live the way I want if the clutter doesn't bother them?
I should be dreaming bigger. If I'm looking for my best life in the one that I have then there have to be big dreams that I could still reach. Well adjusted, self-confident children? There's still time. Rejuvenating my marriage? A strong possibility. There still has to be something that I could dream of for myself.
This is going to take some work.
Oh, this is going to be more difficult than I thought. Dreams? I've completely lost track of my dreams. I used to have them, I think. I don't think dreaming about new living room furniture is exactly what the author had in mind. "He wants to pour out His far and beyond favor on you" - Ephesians 2:7 surely can't be about upgrading the bathrooms. I can remember dreaming about getting married and having children. I even remember dreaming about my first home. Sometimes, I feel a little dream bubbling up inside and then I think of all the reasons why I can't go after it. Who would take care of the kids while my husband is pursuing his dream? Or, that's too big a dream. Try to dream of a decluttered home that gives me peace? Why should everyone in the house be forced to live the way I want if the clutter doesn't bother them?
I should be dreaming bigger. If I'm looking for my best life in the one that I have then there have to be big dreams that I could still reach. Well adjusted, self-confident children? There's still time. Rejuvenating my marriage? A strong possibility. There still has to be something that I could dream of for myself.
This is going to take some work.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
My Best Life Is Here Somewhere
I freely admit that I'm a goal driven person. I always have been and I probably always will be. What I've always struggled with though, is what is beyond the goals and that is purpose - the thing that is supposed to drive the goals. Give me an end point and I can get there. Ask me why I'm doing it and I probably can't answer you. As 2011 approached, I realized that I didn't have anything that I thought worthy of being a "goal" for this year. There were the persistent "lose weight", "get organized" type of things but even those seemed superficial at best and not very life changing at this stage of my life.
My husband gave me a devotional book for Christmas this year and I realized that it was the third such book that I'd received in the last few years each of which has found its way into my nightstand black hole or the book case in my living room bound for a life of dust bunnies before being donated to a "worthy cause". Maybe God is trying to tell me something? Maybe I should finally be the "worthy cause" I donate too? But how likely am I to really take the time to read each one for 365 days, think about it and then act on it? If I'm such a goal driven person, I need something to keep me on task, especially since they all start on January 1st and here it is already January 9th.
This morning, after church, I mentioned to someone that I need to start saying "no" to the things that I don't want to do, and start saying "yes" to the things that I do want to do. Why not start with this?
So tomorrow, January 10th, I begin finding "My Best Life" in the one I already have through a series of daily devotionals written by Joel Osteen in "Your Best Life Begins Each Morning". Will you help me stay on track?
My husband gave me a devotional book for Christmas this year and I realized that it was the third such book that I'd received in the last few years each of which has found its way into my nightstand black hole or the book case in my living room bound for a life of dust bunnies before being donated to a "worthy cause". Maybe God is trying to tell me something? Maybe I should finally be the "worthy cause" I donate too? But how likely am I to really take the time to read each one for 365 days, think about it and then act on it? If I'm such a goal driven person, I need something to keep me on task, especially since they all start on January 1st and here it is already January 9th.
This morning, after church, I mentioned to someone that I need to start saying "no" to the things that I don't want to do, and start saying "yes" to the things that I do want to do. Why not start with this?
So tomorrow, January 10th, I begin finding "My Best Life" in the one I already have through a series of daily devotionals written by Joel Osteen in "Your Best Life Begins Each Morning". Will you help me stay on track?
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