Centered?

   

   I had an interesting revelation the other day.  I had been finding myself saying, "I need to find balance in this area, or that area."  I had heard other moms say the same thing for different situations in their lives. 

   Then as I sat in a service I heard someone say that they were "centered in Christ".  I've heard that term before, and it is a great Christian term, but I never really understood it, until that night.  I actually got a picture of a teeter-totter in my head and realized how easy it is to get off balance.  A little too far left or right and that teeter is going to totter.  

   A teeter-totter usually has a very small fulcrum in the middle which allows it to teeter, and as you know, the further out you go, the easier it is to get off balance.  But, when we become centered in Christ, as our relationship with Him grows and we allow Him more place in our lives, our fulcrum becomes bigger and wider.  So, in those times when we don't know how to deal with a situation, when we don't know the right answer, when we feel far out on the edge of the teeter-totter, since our fulcrum is so big, since our relationship with Christ is completely solid, we will not get off balance.  He will direct us.  He will guide us.  He will hold us up.  

   There is no reason to try to get to the center to find the balance, because life is going to continue and situations will arise which will push us to the edge.  But if our center is Big and Strong, we will remain balanced knowing that Jesus is our support.   

Conversations with Kylia

I had an interesting conversation with my middle daughter, Kylia, the other day.  She recently turned eight years old, and the wheels have been turning in her mind.  She asked a question that made me stop and really think, and pray, before answering.  “Mommy, is it hard to love Jesus in high school?” 

How was I to answer this?  We talked for a while, but the next day I didn’t feel we had really dealt with the heart of the issue.  After further questioning, I discovered that her reason for asking the question was because, “It seems like boys might distract you from Jesus.” 

Kylia is a thinker.  She is observing, reflecting, and questioning constantly.  She has a heart for the Lord and at the age of eight is already seeing areas that need to be fortified in order to remain steadfast for Jesus.  Can boys distract you from Jesus?  Yes, Sweety, they can.  But as daddy mentioned after hearing of this conversation, “The RIGHT boy will point you to Him.”  

Show Your Excitement!!

Her smile says it all. :)

     Kylia just turned eight, and this year we chose to have a small party for her.  She invited three girls and chose a spa theme for her special day.  Prior to her party she was acting a little sad and I inquired as to why.  Her response, "My friend doesn't seem excited about my party."  Without really thinking I replied that I was sure she was excited but just hadn't shown it.  With sadness in her voice Kylia said, "If she is excited, mom, she should show it." 

     That comment got me thinking, a lot.  How much has the Lord done for us that we just accept as commonplace?  How much sadness have we brought to Him because of our lack of enthusiasm over a blessing bestowed, a miracle given, or beauty being brought from the ashes?  How often do we forget the greatest gift ever given, and instead choose to wallow in the woes of today?  (I shared my own wallowing a few posts back.)

     It's time to show our excitement!  It's time to stand up and cheer because of the greatness of our God!  It's time to be an excited follower of Jesus Christ!  Let's shine like stars.  (Phillipians 2:14-16)

     Will you join me?

     

Keeping the Flame Alive

    Seth and I attended a marriage conference that stated healthy couples dated once a week.  Up to that point, we may have been dating once a quarter, maybe.  So, we found a great program for our kiddos (Awanas, it's amazing!) and decided while the girls were being filled up with Jesus, we would be filled up with each other.  And that is how Wednesday night date night began.  Many a night we would be dressed casually, just excited to get out for a bit, but this night I decided to look nice for my man.  So, I brushed my teeth and hair, freshened up my make-up, and got a little dressy.  As I walked out of the bedroom, Seth's mouth dropped open and with awe in his voice he stated, "You look like an angel!"  All I could do was giggle.

    Five words.  Five simple words. But they meant more to me than Seth will ever know.  That night I felt beautiful.  I felt loved.  And I knew that I was cherished.  The flame that had been lit so long ago was fanned ever brighter, our marriage strengthened by a word.  
    Can I challenge you-Speak the word.  Whatever it needs to be.  "I love you."  "I'm sorry."  "You are beautiful."  "I need you."  Keep your flame alive. 

Living in the Moment

     Walking down the street with our church clothes still on, Zoie did not want to be walking.  She was lagging behind, dragging her feet, wishing there was a short-cut home.  Her sister tried to encourage her by reminding her of the park at the end, and the chocolate cake awaiting her back at home.
     Isn't this the mindset of so many of us.  Focus on the goal!  Just wait till you get to the end.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel.  But what I know, after having the same mindset at times, is that it's not about the goal, but the journey.  If we are always focused on the goal, we will miss out on life.  We will miss out on joy.  But, if we can focus on today, what God is doing in this moment, we will KNOW how blessed we are, we will see Him all around, and we will experience a joy that is amazing!

     I paraphrased this to Zoie by asking her what she could find to be happy about in this moment, and a few cracks in the sidewalk later she turned around and said, "I'm with my family!"  The park and the cake were still ahead, but now there was skipping, laughter, holding hands, and smiles.  Zoie chose to see the joy in the now.

"Glorious Things"

I woke up grumpy.
I had a choice to make.
Then a song rang through my mind.
"This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!"
(Oh, Sunday School, you keep ringing in my ears.)

If this was true, and I knew it was, the choice was simple (not easy, but simple).
I must rejoice!
Called my girls.
We read the Bible.
And then we began a list:
"Glorious Things"
1. Our Home
2. Big Turkey Dinners
3. Toys . . .

We got to #30 and the paper ended.
Maybe tomorrow we will flip it over and keep going. :)

We remembered the goodness of the Lord.
My grumpiness disappeared. 

Perseverance

     Adalie was at the dining room table engrossed in a math test.  She was struggling with a particularly difficult division problem.  With each check, she realized the problem was wrong and had to start again.  She completed her test after much chagrin.
     The Lord instantly showed me a moment of teaching.  I took her in my arms and praised her for her perseverance.  I shared Romans 5:3-4 with her about perseverance producing character.  And told her that God was pleased with her.  I told her she was like her daddy, a man who has persevered since the day I met him, to accomplish that which the Lord has called him to.  Just like her, daddy has experienced times of frustration and discouragement, but he hasn't given up, and because of that the Lord has blessed him.
     Well done Adalie!  Your perseverance is a blessing to the Lord and to me.

The Search is On!

Zoie and Joy the Bunny

     My girls were playing Hide-and-Seek with their stuffed animals.  They hid Spots the dog, Joy the bunny, and a number of other much loved "pets".  Then they began searching.  What I heard made me stop and think.  It went like this, "Joy!  Where are you?  Joy, where did you go?"  
     I began to wonder.  Are there days that I have chosen to search for joy?  Or, do I simply choose to live in my sadness?  I remember one such day, that I chose to stay in my mood.  God revealed my attitude to me early on, but instead of searching out joy, I wallowed.  It wasn't until late in the afternoon that I finally chose to ask the Lord for forgiveness and then began the search.  He poured out His joy quickly and I wondered to myself, "Why did I wait so long?"  
     So, on those days that sadness seems to reign, I have remembered the girls game and I too begin to search for joy.
     
     Nehemiah 8: 9&10, "This day is holy to the Lord your God.  Do not mourn or weep. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
     Psalm 65:8, "The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy."

A Daddy's Love

While kneading pizza dough in the middle of the day, Kylia ran in with a request. "Momma, can you text daddy and ask him to come home so he can help us fly kites?"  The question made me smile and the answer of course was, "Sure."

I believe that is what God meant when He asked us to come to Him having faith like a child.  The girls' daddy was in the middle of his work day, and things are getting busy, but instead of wondering if he could come home, instead of worrying if they would bother him, or simply not asking, they decided help was needed and dad was the man to call.

God wants us to bring our desires to Him, great or small, they are all important to Him.  We are important to Him.  He's our Daddy.

Birds Still Sing in the Rain

As I was walking yesterday morning, I wrote this poem.  It is the unedited, rough version, but I wanted to post it because I thought it may give a little perspective for those of us in the Northwest who tend to get gloomy when the rains keep coming.

Birds Still Sing in the Rain
            by Me :)

I lift my head and peak outside,
   rain's falling from the sky.
I lay back down and slightly frown,
   "No walk now", I sigh.
But something calls, I rise from bed,
   and bundle up so snug.
With coat and hood and earmuffs too,
   I walk out with a shrug.
As I saunter down the street,
   I begin to pray.
I ask the Lord for this and that,
   what else should I say?
But then I stop, and realize
   I haven't said hello.
"Good Morning, Lord!" I  say aloud.
   "Forgive my mood so mello."
Now I give thanks for rain, and green,
    for flowers blooming bright.
I count the snails, 1,2,3,
   Their crossing, what a sight!
I am so blessed, I realize,
   For this day I'm given.
I praise His name and slightly smile,
   Praise Him I'm forgiven.
My ears are open, I hear the sounds,
   Birds chirping beautifully.
Although the rain keeps falling down,
   Their songs I hear so clearly.
And then I realize all at once,
   Birds still sing in the Rain.

Rediscover the Simple.

It was Super Bowl Sunday.  The game hadn't yet begun and the sun was shining!  That's right!  The sun was shining on the west coast!!  So, out we went to enjoy the beauty.  We sat on the front porch soaking in the rays and began to observe the beauty around us.  Grass was growing, the sky was blue, the wind non-existent and there at our feet was a black tube.  Come to find out it was the sewage cleanout.  So, in curiosity, Seth opened it up and looked inside, and asked his dad about all that flows through the tube (which is exactly what one would guess). We then began talking about different races we could have with toilet paper, rubber duckies, etc.to see whose would make it to the street first.  It continued in this manner for a while.

With laughter bubbling, the sun beating down and actually warming our skin, I realized how much I love the little things in life.  There is so much to distract in this life, but I love that we can set aside all distractions and enjoy something so simple.  Gross, possibly, but it wasn't really about the sewage, it was about the time together, the creativity that flowed from something so basic, and the joy that reigned.  Since then, I have found myself thinking back to that day and giggling.  We can be so weird, but it is those times of weirdness that I treasure, those times that are remembered because they are out of the ordinary.

So, this is my challenge to you, rediscover the simple, and see what creativity, laughter, and relationship flows out of it.  I think you may be surprised.

Happy Birthday, Seth!

My husband just celebrated his 34th birthday.  We didn't have any big plans, simply a picnic and a hike, which were disrupted by the weather.  And so, at 4:00 Seth said, "Let's round 'em up!  I know what I want to do."  Off we went.  We landed at the mall where Seth walked us in to Starbucks and purchased a peppermint, white hot chocolate for me, and a java chip frapacinno for him, telling the girls their treat was to come.  We then sauntered over to Gymboree where we were greeted by the saleslady and asked if there was anything we needed.  Seth shared that he would like to purchase one outfit for each of his daughters.  Long flowing skirts which could be worn while running through a field of wildflowers were purchased.  He then took us to the Olive Garden where we enjoyed an amazing dinner complete with bread sticks, soup, salad, pasta yumminess, and a scrumptious dessert!  It was a wonderful birthday for us all! :)

Our girls were blessed beyond words and wore their new outfits for the next two days, removing them, only to be washed, so they could be worn again on Sunday.  What struck me most were the words Adalie shared the following day, "Momma, I don't want to receive gifts for my birthday, I want to give them away."

I immediately ran into the bedroom and shared this with Seth saying, "Well done, honey!  Because of your example our daughters were not only blessed, but taught such an important lesson from the Word of God, "It is better to give, then to receive.  Well done!"

Happy New Year!

A New Year Indeed!!  We squeaked out of 2011 and were overjoyed when 2012 came blazing in fresh and new.  Have you felt it?  Do you sense a newness this year?

With two months almost gone, I realize that this year is a treasure.  God is up to new things!

Already, I've seen Him moving in our business, bringing alongside an amazing board who has helped our business develop to a place where we now see movement and productivity, bringing a man to partner with Seth who is like-minded, loves to communicate as much as Seth does and who is working hard at fundraising for our company, and creativity flowing in abundance!  I've seen Him moving in my own life as I am growing and becoming more and more the woman He's created me to be.  I'm watching our children mature in the love of the Lord.  Our friendships are deepening, and God is strengthening us all.

This is an amazing year, God is on the move, and I am excited!  Happy New Year!!