Tuesday, February 5, 2008
How to spot a mom
You know you are a mom when the only bandaid you can find is a Dora the Explorer bandaid! I had a small cut on my finger and the only bandaid I had that would fit and stay on the cut was a Dora bandaid. So, even though I felt a little silly wearing it today...I knew I would be spotted by other moms who would probably silently say to themselves..."I've been there." So, next time you see a woman with snot rubbed on her shirt, eating a package of fruit snacks, looking like she needs a shower, or wearing a kid bandaid...give her a smile and say, "Hey, I've been there!"
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
A Personal Day
One day last week I had the opportunity for 6 hours all to myself. As a stay-at-home mom that doesn't happen very often. So, I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish with high hopes of getting all of them done. Of course, that didn't happen, but I did have a full day! Every year in January I go through our past photos and pick about 30 of our favorites from the year and place them in a collage frame. I have bought the same frame for the past 5 years from Michaels. Then throughout the year, I keep a special envelope of photos that I think will work in those particular spots in the frame. I had such a good time going through and placing the photos and reminiscing over our vacation photos, birthday photos, family gatherings, and just plain silliness. It was such a perfect day for me to spend alone in my own thoughts. I realized how blessed I truly am. What do you do to keep your family memories preserved? The kids were so excited to see which photos made the frame this year. They loved talking about each photo and what we were doing at the time. We have just finished our basement, so I have the perfect hallway that all of these collage frames are going to be placed to share with others. My "day off" didn't give me time to catch up on my reading, or time to take a nap, but it did fill me full of joy and laughter and reminded me of all the blessings in my life.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Holding a grudge
In December I let go of a grudge that I had been holding for 15 years. I ran into the person and just decided I was going to forgive him and let it go. I can not tell you how good that felt. I instantly felt so much lighter. I have no idea if he was holding a grudge against me, but I needed to let go of that resentment and hate that I had been holding in. We had a nice conversation and I just feel I can release that part of my past. In Proverbs 4:25 it says. "Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you." What a great verse to start the new year. Only looking ahead and not in your past where you are reliving your mistakes, misfortunes, the "what-ifs". Letting yourself forgive and release the past and instead look forward for focus on what is ahead of you. God has a great future planned, so make sure you are looking ahead and moving forward. Consider forgiving someone today. Consider releasing that grudge and resentment. Reconsider getting revenge on someone. Just let it go. Give it up to God and start your life looking ahead.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Our Purpose
As I look back on 2007 and look forward to 2008, I think this quote from Oswald Spengler says it all. May you find purpose in your life and use it for good.
"This is our purpose:
to make as meaningful as possible
this life that has been bestowed upon us,
...to live in such a way
that we may be proud of ourselves,
to act in such a way
that some part of us lives on.
"This is our purpose:
to make as meaningful as possible
this life that has been bestowed upon us,
...to live in such a way
that we may be proud of ourselves,
to act in such a way
that some part of us lives on.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Time
"Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations." Faith Baldwin
You may look at your life right now and think, this isn't really what I had in mind. Or maybe your life is better than you could have ever imagined. I think this quote says a lot about how each of us adjusts to what life throws at us. Sometimes we have to alter our original plans and move forward with a new plan. This can be hard for someone like me who likes to have life planned out. So, maybe we have to take life in here a little bit and let an inch out there and add a collar or a hem. Whatever happens, roll with it and as we say in our family...Let Go and Let God!
You may look at your life right now and think, this isn't really what I had in mind. Or maybe your life is better than you could have ever imagined. I think this quote says a lot about how each of us adjusts to what life throws at us. Sometimes we have to alter our original plans and move forward with a new plan. This can be hard for someone like me who likes to have life planned out. So, maybe we have to take life in here a little bit and let an inch out there and add a collar or a hem. Whatever happens, roll with it and as we say in our family...Let Go and Let God!
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Quotes from the Great Mysterious
I recently read the book "Welcome to the Great Mysterious" by Lorna Landvik. There were some parts of the book that I loved so much, I wanted to rewrite them here.
From "Welcome to the Great Mysterious"...
There are many kinds of love and many kinds of true love. Above all and what should be the truest love, is the love of God. Next is the love a mother feels for a child. This love is stronger than any other kind of love because it is a love she would die for. This is not to say true love between a man and a woman is a weaker love; it is only different. There is more choice, free will involved. A mother has no choice when it comes to her children; she loves them, no matter what. The love for a brother, sister, parent, friend can also be true in that feeling of affection and kindheartedness and goodwill and a wish for the best is no lie.
From "Welcome to the Great Mysterious"...
The things that let us see the world also let people see the world in us.
How do people see you? Are you giving them a positive view of the world? Is the world around you glowing? Are your eyes smiling?
Purchase WELCOME TO THE GREAT MYSTERIOUS by clicking the photo below:
From "Welcome to the Great Mysterious"...
There are many kinds of love and many kinds of true love. Above all and what should be the truest love, is the love of God. Next is the love a mother feels for a child. This love is stronger than any other kind of love because it is a love she would die for. This is not to say true love between a man and a woman is a weaker love; it is only different. There is more choice, free will involved. A mother has no choice when it comes to her children; she loves them, no matter what. The love for a brother, sister, parent, friend can also be true in that feeling of affection and kindheartedness and goodwill and a wish for the best is no lie.
From "Welcome to the Great Mysterious"...
The things that let us see the world also let people see the world in us.
How do people see you? Are you giving them a positive view of the world? Is the world around you glowing? Are your eyes smiling?
Purchase WELCOME TO THE GREAT MYSTERIOUS by clicking the photo below:
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Mary, Mother of Jesus
As our family has been thinking of Christmas and reading the Christmas story, I began thinking more and more about Mary and her very important role in the Christmas story. I wanted to share some of my thoughts with you and how Mary and Joseph’s faith applies to each one of us.
The following is a lesson I gave at my church circle on Mary, mother of Jesus.
Mary, as the mother of Jesus Christ, stands apart from all women in history. She is known as the most blessed among all women. She has become all that is fine and noble. No woman in the entire history of the world has been so honored and revered. Yet, Mary had a very humble beginning. She was a peasant girl living in Nazareth. Mary was probably in her early twenties or even younger at the time of the conception. Mary was told she was to give birth to a son and he was to be conceived through the Holy Spirit. Mary had to choose to make God’s will a priority over her relationship with Joseph. She had to put Joseph in God’s hands and trust that God would help him understand what was happening to her.
Before this, Mary and Joseph had been betrothed, which is a legally binding relationship, but is not sexually binding. The betrothal in these times usually preceded the wedding by about a year. Mary’s faith through this period was stronger than I can imagine. She had to have been scared of what Joseph would say when she told him an angel came to her and told her she would give birth to God’s son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. She also had to have been very concerned for what her family and friends would say about her pregnancy when she and Joseph were not married. She, of course, was extremely concerned about her future with Joseph and whether he would stand by her. At this time, Mary went quietly to her old and more experienced cousin, Elizabeth to tell of the angels visit. In these times such a journey, requiring three days, presented many problems but Mary surmounted all of them, thinking not of the difficulties, but only of the urgency of her visit. Elisabeth was already 6 months pregnant with the future John the Baptist and blessed the “fruit of thy womb” and called Mary “the mother of my Lord”. After approximately 3 months with Elisabeth, she returned to Joseph in Nazareth. Even though she was faced with serious problems of her coming marriage and the social implications of her pregnancy, there is no reference to her unwillingness to give herself to her Creator.
Joseph by this time had also had a visit by an angel in a dream. Joseph is caught between his love for Mary and his righteous unwillingness to expose her to public disgrace. Joseph agreed to follow his faith and take care of Mary and their coming child. Their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was some 90 miles by donkey up and down hill. The nights were likely cold and rainy and many nights were likely spent under a large tree. Then once they entered Bethlehem and finding no place to stay, having to sleep in a barn and give birth there just shows their incredible faith and perseverance in following God’s plan for them.
Do you have this same faith and perseverance? What is God asking you to do for him today? Are you listening? Is he telling you to spread His word to your friend who doesn’t have a relationship with God? Is he telling you to stop at the homeless shelter you drive by every day and offer to volunteer your time? Is he telling you stop holding that grudge and forgive the person who wronged you? Is he reminding you to go to Him each day in prayer? Mary’s divine mission of being the mother of the only begotten Son of God never faltered from the manger to the cross on Calvary. What is God’s mission for you and are you listening?
The following is a lesson I gave at my church circle on Mary, mother of Jesus.
Mary, as the mother of Jesus Christ, stands apart from all women in history. She is known as the most blessed among all women. She has become all that is fine and noble. No woman in the entire history of the world has been so honored and revered. Yet, Mary had a very humble beginning. She was a peasant girl living in Nazareth. Mary was probably in her early twenties or even younger at the time of the conception. Mary was told she was to give birth to a son and he was to be conceived through the Holy Spirit. Mary had to choose to make God’s will a priority over her relationship with Joseph. She had to put Joseph in God’s hands and trust that God would help him understand what was happening to her.
Before this, Mary and Joseph had been betrothed, which is a legally binding relationship, but is not sexually binding. The betrothal in these times usually preceded the wedding by about a year. Mary’s faith through this period was stronger than I can imagine. She had to have been scared of what Joseph would say when she told him an angel came to her and told her she would give birth to God’s son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. She also had to have been very concerned for what her family and friends would say about her pregnancy when she and Joseph were not married. She, of course, was extremely concerned about her future with Joseph and whether he would stand by her. At this time, Mary went quietly to her old and more experienced cousin, Elizabeth to tell of the angels visit. In these times such a journey, requiring three days, presented many problems but Mary surmounted all of them, thinking not of the difficulties, but only of the urgency of her visit. Elisabeth was already 6 months pregnant with the future John the Baptist and blessed the “fruit of thy womb” and called Mary “the mother of my Lord”. After approximately 3 months with Elisabeth, she returned to Joseph in Nazareth. Even though she was faced with serious problems of her coming marriage and the social implications of her pregnancy, there is no reference to her unwillingness to give herself to her Creator.
Joseph by this time had also had a visit by an angel in a dream. Joseph is caught between his love for Mary and his righteous unwillingness to expose her to public disgrace. Joseph agreed to follow his faith and take care of Mary and their coming child. Their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was some 90 miles by donkey up and down hill. The nights were likely cold and rainy and many nights were likely spent under a large tree. Then once they entered Bethlehem and finding no place to stay, having to sleep in a barn and give birth there just shows their incredible faith and perseverance in following God’s plan for them.
Do you have this same faith and perseverance? What is God asking you to do for him today? Are you listening? Is he telling you to spread His word to your friend who doesn’t have a relationship with God? Is he telling you to stop at the homeless shelter you drive by every day and offer to volunteer your time? Is he telling you stop holding that grudge and forgive the person who wronged you? Is he reminding you to go to Him each day in prayer? Mary’s divine mission of being the mother of the only begotten Son of God never faltered from the manger to the cross on Calvary. What is God’s mission for you and are you listening?
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