Hello friends! Today I am starting this post by asking you a question. Have you ever heard or said any of the following when you have lost touch with family and friends?
* I am SO busy. * I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch. * Things have been just crazy! * I don’t know when I can come by but I will try soon. * I meant to call/come by, but things just got real busy. * With the family and kids, it is just hard to make it over there. (You put in the “over there). * I just started this new deal/job/ class and it has kept me pretty swamped!
I have felt this message heavy on my heart over the last few months as I have listened to all of the above and more, for the reasons for not being in available. We all think family is important but then we fail to keep in touch. We think we are more busy than others. Many of us have elderly people in our family, and we make the above excuses for not being there, and go on. Maybe if you are younger, you might feel that your elders are not relevant or they don’t understand. But if you spend time with them, you discover they are a wealth of information and have lived some of the same things, sometimes worse, than you have. So what keeps you from keeping in touch with others that you think about, but yet don’t follow up with? You know what? You may even carry some guilt for not following up when you get that niggling feeling. That is how the Holy Spirit works…He nudges you, drops a thought into your heart, or an action you should take. Do you listen? Do you take a moment to send that greeting text or make the call or just drop by on the way home from work just to check in?
Our grandparents and parents have given up so much. They have sacrificed much to raise us and give the best they could provide for us. We owe them that love and respect. Don’t leave them sitting in their chair wondering how you are or what you are doing. Take a few minutes to call. You will make their day. The Bible talks about, and even commands us, to honor, respect, and physically or even financially provide for our parents and family members. The Bible verse I think about is: Honor our father and mother that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God has given you; and that it may go well with you and you will enjoy a good life.
This applies to anyone that might be in need. It may be a friend in need and you can help. It may be your presence someone needs so they aren’t alone during a time of upset. God will bless you, that I know. He says you will have a good life. We have so many ways now to stay in touch and we have phones that we spend a lot of time on. Make it worth something. Don’t scroll all night. Share some of that time with someone instead with a text, a meme, or a picture, but stay in touch! You may be a distance away, but to hear your voice will certainly have the ability to lift their spirit!
It’s hard for me to hear so many talk about feeling alone and abandoned by friends and family. As I have said many times, we are not guaranteed a tomorrow. Neither are your family members or your friends. Some are fighting hard to keep their head above water and just need to know someone cares. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be more aware of how you can improve in this area of your life. Don’t be so busy that you don’t live each moment, but instead, live a wild a crazy schedule trying to do everything. Make the most of every moment you have while they are still here with you. Pray about what changes you can make so you won’t feel so rushed and not have some time to give back. Don’t be so busy just because you think that means you look like you are successful. Slow the pace and let those around know they are important in your life. It will change you. I can guarantee that.
Hello again friends! I came across a couple treasure finds that triggered some memories for me, and I thoughts I would share them with you. The Lord put this on my heart in the several days and so it seems like I need to sharing them. I hope you find these thoughts as helpful to you as they were to me.
As I picked out my coffee cup a couple of days ago, I have many, many of them,I thought about a particularly special cup that was given to me by my youngest son. I had just gone through a second around of Mohs surgery for skin cancer on my nose. It was a tough time. But his gift to me was a very meaningful gift. It was a broken then repaired cup that was the most beautiful cup that I had seen in a very long time. It is a Japanese tradition of broken pieces being repaired, not to its’ original beauty, but something much more beautiful! It is put back together with gold on the broken pieces. It is a process called Kintsugi. So you don’t see the cracks anymore, but instead you see the gold which covers the brokenness with gold. You can look it up and read more about it.
So this is how our lives can be sometimes. Why we expect that we won’t have trials and troubles, I don’t know. We are told in the Bible that it will come to visit us. We see our heart break at the things we are experiencing every day and wonder how we can put it all back together. But God reminded me that it isn’t my job to worry about it because God has a plan to put it all back together and make it even more beautiful than it was before it became broken. My face looked really bad and it isn’t a thing to show so I won’t. But I can tell you that I really had to lean on God to heal my cancer, to give me a great cosmetic surgeon who did great work making my nose look somewhat the same as it did before. Just as the broken pieces of my face represented my broken heart during the cancer and what was required to rid myself of the cancer, God brought it all back together because He was in control in the first place. He used people to discover it and a surgeons that made it look almost like nothing has happened.
So it is with life. We have to turn it all over. We need to trust Him with it all. A broken piece, like us, can be made even more beautiful when we allow God to put it back together. I hope the image above gives you a beautiful example to you today for whatever you may be going through.
The second thing that happened was to find a beautiful statue of two eagles in flight. The story goes clear back to 2000 when I worked at Joyce Meyer Ministries and she shared a teaching on eagles and their habits and life. When eagles find their mate, it is for life. The male eagle finds the female eagle that he chooses and he will chase after her. She makes him work for it! They will play like acrobats in the air. He will chase her around and up and down all over the sky. He pursues her. If she finds that the male eagle is to her liking, she will then turn upside down with her wings spread out and go into a free-fall upside down. The male eagle must extend his talons to her extended talons and he must catch her before she will fall to the ground. She must fully trust this male eagle and trust him to catch her. As he catches her, this is her mate for life, as he is her mate for life. There are so many areas about the eagles that are fascinating regarding their life and how it can easily apply to us and our trust in God. I have this statue now and sharing it with you in hopes that you can see the correlation. We too have to decide whether we will totally trust God with ALL of our areas of our lives. He wants us to let go and let Him catch us and carry us through our early lives and into a life of eternity in heaven with Him. You may be experiencing the chase as He pursues you. Are you running away from Him, or are you opening your arms to Him and what He has for you? I want to be like the female eagle and hold my hands out for Him to take a hold of me and never let go and help me live the best life I can for Him.
We have many distractions that keep us from thinking clearly or taking a few minutes to ponder this. But I hope with this post, it will give you a couple moments to apply these thoughts to your life today. Let the pieces be put back together by the One who can make the broken pieces beautiful. Be like the female eagle and let go of the hard times and give it up to Him, the One who knows how to work it all out. This is as much for me today as it may be for you. I hope you find it helpful and encouraging.
Greetings! I’m sorry to be so long in posting! I have been having some trouble with my blog settings and posting updates. Not sure of the issues, but I am finally able to post here again, and I hope you will let me know if you actually get to read this either on Facebook or through email. Thank you.
There is so much to tell you about but I wanted to get this out there, because if you remember, I like to pray over a word for the year and I also make a list of goals for the year. I have a big God and He tells me to trust in Him in all things. So I do.
My word for the year goes back about six months ago while reading a book called Blue Mind. It is a very interesting book with some technical reading in places but very mind opening in the way water in particular, and the color blue works in and through our brain and body. I believe I even made a post here where I talked about that. As I was reading that book, I had a drop download in my heart that I was to make an email using that word and the vision that came with it. So I will explain the word in some detail and why I believe God put that in my heart for 2025.
Word for 2025
It is both interesting and exciting to me that once I wrote this word down, and also the started my goals list, I felt that little tingle of excitement and expectation come back. Here is the premise. If we throw a stone into a pond, the ripples will immediately go out from the point of entry in the water. Here are a few Bible verses I would like to share:
Ps 147:15 His command ripples across the earth. II Tim 1:5 The Rock that makes the Ripple. Romans 5:8 …the ripple effect of God’s grace and holy character. Read those again. Think about what that means. Ripples give us a visual of something that happens as we throw the rock, and as we do, the water is no longer the same. So a stone dropped in the water disturbs the still water and disrupts it. So I have felt that the beginning of the year will be like that for me.
I want to be more like the rock that leaves a ripple in life. I might drop in softly or maybe plop in with a splash, as I encounter others to lift them up. lt may be just to listen. I want to let them know I care for them because they are important to me. It may be that I am the only one who speaks kindly to them that day. Let me stone throw ripple out into their day. It may be that I splash around for a while and them God guides and directs me as to what is needed. Don’t be afraid in your own life to share what your needs may be. It is always beneficial to be able to share with someone who is willing to be there with you.
Ripples represents the influence I can have to love and to care. It will affect my heart and mind, as well as, the hearts and minds of others. We never know how a kind word or gesture will speak to the hearts of those we share that with. Positive actions radiate out to others like a ripple in a pond. It can have great impact. So… I am disrupting the status quo of my life this next year. There have been many reasons for the previous status quo, and I may post some about that later this next year. For now, I have been challenged. I accept the challenge.
I think with all that is going on in the world around us, most are seeking some quiet, both outside themselves and especially on the inside of themselves. I am one of those. I have realized that my gifting has not been used as in the past years and I don’t see that as negative…it is just me dealing with the changes in life. But I know that when I put my efforts and time forward, and drop a stone in the water, the ripples WILL go out. No doubt. How? It may be something they remember, or experienced, or that touches the deep part of their hearts because of your interaction. I can make a difference if I am open to what I am sensing I should do. It’s kind of like when we stand on the ferry decks or sit in a boat and we enjoy looking at the wake of the boat as we go through the water. It draws us in. Just like those waves, our actions and interactions will go out way further than the immediate place we see right at that moment. The ripples can be gentle and even nurturing to us, but they can be more turbulent; even destructive at times. Why? Because our actions have consequences that can extend beyond where we currently are and can influence the present for generations to come. Read that again. I personally want to leave a legacy that encourages generations to come. I want my children and grandchildren to remember the ripples I have created in my life and let it resonate in their lives. I have dropped countless prayers, and to me that is the very best stone I can throw. I know those ripples of prayers go out further than my life time. Our prayers are never lost. Now that is a great throw!
With social media being as crazy as it is, let’s use it to reach out and touch a life. Don’t say you are so busy. We should never be THAT busy that we can’t take a moment. If you are that busy, it’s maybe more than that. It is could be something you are not dealing with that is bringing YOU down. You don’t feel qualified to look out to encourage others. However, you know what lifts YOUR spirits, do that. It can then reverberate way beyond your current feelings, comment or picture or your post. However, sometimes we do that and we won’t see the results or know about the results. Never give up in well-doing, as God says. We need it. Today in our world as we see less of moral and spiritual qualities of leadership and upbringing, it is plain to see. Don’t let satan convince you that you have nothing to offer because you do. Kick that thought to the curb! Throw the stone of love into the water and pray for the shores that the ripples will reach!
I hope this has encouraged you for your 2025 year. I know I hope to leave behind as many ripples as I can. I also want my ripples of action and commitment to flow upwards to God. That is why I love looking over my goals for last year and see all that God has done. You see, when something gets accomplished on my list, I highlight it. At the end of the year I can clearly see what God has been doing and accomplishing in my life. I am ready to hit the road with my list come January 1, 2025! No they are not resolutions. I write down anything and everything no matter or big or small. At my age, I am coming to appreciate that more than ever! Some have become hard, but I want to see them through. I know God can orchestrate miracles to make things happen, so my gratitude jar will be full this year!
Let me leave you with this…where will you drop your stones this year? I urge you to go to the water some time soon, and drop a stone in, quiet yourself and watch the ripples spread out. Then, think of an area where you want to be that stone that causes ripples to go out in the lives of those around you. It may be in some area of your own life that will radiate out to others, or it might be in a person, family, or whoever comes to mind. But what ever comes to mind, reach down and throw your stone, and then take the next stone home to remind you of your commitment to be a ripple in the water of life to those around you. Remember, even big things that are in the way of the ripples can’t stop the ripples from going outward!
I would love to hear from you and your response to ripples. Please use this email address: js.ripplesonthewater@gmail.com because I would love to hear about your thoughts and experiences as you consider this post. You can also post comments by scrolling down below this post using the journeysofmyheart@gmail.com.
This post is my first ripple toward the new year. Have fun throwing it out there!
The last several days have been quite the adventure! I have watched our home be scraped and sanded, and scraped and sanded some more. You know, a house takes pretty good care of us if we take good care of it. Show it a little love. But when we don’t, things happen to it like the weather along with the way it hits and batters our home. How easy it can be for leaves and twigs to gather in our gutters and down spouts. Heat can cause our home’s glory to fade and/or blister over time. So even as the previous owners may not have wanted to, or just couldn’t take care of this home, and any repairs were less than stellar, it is still standing and hopefully, we will bring some beauty back to its outside cedar walls. So… what has that got to do with changes and cover-ups? Let me share a few thoughts with you about what came to mind as I did a walk-around and took a picture of the pre-finished prep and painting.
First came the bath. Power washing an older home with cedar wood siding can bring surprises. BIG surprises…such as wood needing replacement. Then after house drying, came the listening to the drone of a scraper going across our walls and the sander sanding down the rough spots. It was rather painful to me. There were some warped areas even that need to be straightened out by extra support. However, it made me think of how my life has had many rough patches, splinters and chips that have needed to be taken off by the Carpenter Himself. When our contractor did this for the house, it was for the better and longer life of the home. He was cleaning it, smoothing out the wood as much as possible for the age of the cedar, and preparing it for the next step. The next step was to fill anything that might need filling, priming spots that needed it to accept the paint that was coming. But what if you had to change the color scheme completely? Roll baby roll with it. We had to just that, from blues to green with off white trim.
But…let’s pause and think about that. What would happen if he just would have come here and just started painting? The paint would have looked ok for a while maybe, but in a not too distant future, the paint would have shed off the old cedar and we would have a multi-colored home with bleeding of old paint. The paint would not have adhered to the wood given how dusty it was and the problem areas of the siding. All the work and money would be for not.
So… do you ever carry your bad experiences or anger, and have a few chips and splinters and rough patches that you refuse to allow to be cared for? You know you need it, but may not willing to deal with it or do the work required, along with God’s help, to see where it may need some extra attention for you to let it all go? Oh we can try to cover it up with a life style we show everyone in person or on social media, or by the clothes we wear, or the house or car have, or purse we carry. We can even hide the sadness on my face with makeup so we look good for others. However, we could be crying inside, or be lonely even among many people. We could purchase “things” so that we feel better, or have a glass of wine thinking that will do the trick. But it won’t. We still have to live with ourselves. We know what we think and feel like…like an old house needing attention. That is why God tells us to know Him more and more, and He will guide and direct us. He helps us shed what needs to be shed.
I believe God was reminding me today that it isn’t about all that. It is about what I am willing to let go of, and how much excavating I am willing to do to smooth out the rough areas. That IS my responsibility. God will help me if I am willing. However, I have to be willing to do the work. It is work to do what the contractor did for the house prep. He knows the value of getting that all accomplished before painting. And even though all that work is done, it will still carry some of those rough spots…the scars of living. I have plenty of those and they show and give testimony to how I have made it through with God’s help. I don’t like them, but they remind me of what God has brought me through. Ask God to be your sandpaper and rub off the things He needs to work on, or chip off what needs to be chipped off. It is a process that will sting a little, but He is faithful to help us. And.. IF you think you don’t have areas to work on, you are in some kind of denial. Why?? Because we all have them. We just have gotten good at hiding them from ourselves and others. It will come out at some point. Better to do the work before that happens. It is my hope at some point to add a little Norwegian flair to the peaks of the home. But that it a day from my oldest son to add to our personal touches.
This house was a legacy to someone before us. Mark Batterson says, “Legacy is not what you accomplish. Legacy is what others accomplish because of you.” God has given us a house…it is our desire to make it a home where others feel something different in its presence. So as I walk around it today with the front of it being done without the trim painting, I can see progress to loving on a home with all its issues as a way to give back to God the joy of caring for what He has graciously given us. We will continue to be faithful to that end. Even when there will be areas that continue to remind us of the value you a few scars…it means we have lived.
Doesn’t your life scream for that also? Mine does. I want to leave a legacy to those around me, and who love and care for me. Don’t you see how God cares for you each day you wake up to breathe the fresh air? Because, if you have taken that for granted and just think you deserve to live here and do what you do, then I hope you see the value of this lesson about life differently after reading this. You were given a life, and many haven’t had that privilege of a long life. You have the opportunity to build a legacy with your freedom; to make it what you would you desire and leave that legacy behind. Start where you can, with what you have, and keep stepping forward. He is faithful to guide us if we don’t think we are so smart that we don’t need Him. We do now more than ever. I know I do and I’m sure if you are honest with yourselves, you could admit there are areas of your life you need do something about. Are you covering it up to try and hide it, or letting God work with you to prepare you for what is next? That’s the rub, isn’t it? Letting Him in to do the work. It might take some time and hurt for a while. However, the end result is pretty amazing. Lessons are not always easy or fun, but you can feel grateful for the grace given for the journey you are on.
Let Him do a little remodeling in your heart and in your thinking. We will have a home to remind us of just that. We still have to do the maintenance on the house to keep it in good condition. We have to do the same thing in our daily lives. Our home is still not done, but we will have a better version of our home when it is complete. And…I did get my red door still!
Remember the seeing the picture of the Jesus knocking at the door? We have heard that verse about Jesus standing at the door of your heart, but WE must open the door. Do you know why that says that? Because if you look at the picture of the original, you will find there is no handle on the outside of the door. That is because we have to open it from the inside to allow Him entry.
Until next time…
~JoAnn
P.S. I have decided through prayer, that my weekly posts may have been more me than Him, so I chosen not to continue that part of this blog. Given my blog is what this site is for, I will stay with that. Thank you so much for being faithful in your readership. I appreciate all of you! Enjoy the sunshine.
Sometimes, it is one simple thing that can make all the difference. What is that one thing for you today?
I am sorry I missed this last Friday’s post, but I was on the road. But maybe it was just so I could take this picture to explain my thought for the week! Who knows? Well…God does. You know He is always there!
This is a short post just to let you know about something new coming from Journeys of My Heart. I have always enjoyed giving a name to my homes, we have had many moves, and names for things that are important in my life. It is a fun little detail about me. This includes my office spaces I have had. A few weeks ago, God gave me a nudge about a name for my bedroom and office space. In this home, it is above the garage and has ample space in which to have a bedroom with sitting area, and a separate space across from it for my creative and office space. The name He gave me was The Loft. Fitting since it is like my High Tower and quiet space. I loved the name. So I made a logo for that to use in different creative projects.
Fast forward to yesterday. I was having my quiet time, and because I enjoy sharing encouraging ideas, thoughts, questions, and general fun, God laid it on my heart to use that name and create posts “From the Loft” and share them two or so times a week. Then…also to share them here. Because many of you are email subscribers, you would not see them, so I will post them here with my other blog posts. My hope is that you will find them thought provoking, maybe change making, but most of all, a reason to evaluate how we live our lives. So watch for the posts “From the Loft” in the future. They will be different in that they will probably be a photo I take that may ask for your involvement to share your thoughts, or it may be a thought I thought was worth sharing with you that day.
I hope you find it enjoyable and something that will move you forward in some area of your life that day. God always has a plan for us, even with little nudges here and there, so that, we can be encouraged in our spirit.
Have you ever found yourself lost in an activity and not realizing how much time has passed you by? A week or so ago, I worked on a project that brought back lots of memories forward to my present. I love those journeys of the heart! Have you ever had that happen? Something you see, or hear, or a smell from something you love to eating, and boom! You are right back there. We all have a story and it is fun to share them with others as a way to bring nostalgic moments and memories into the life of another. So let me share one with you from my life’s archive.
A week or so ago, as I said, I stepped back in time as I went through my grandma’s button jar. I found out quite by accident as I was looking for a certain button, that even though the buttons were in a great jar with a good lid, that it seemed dampness had gathered at some point, either in moving or from storage for a short, or some other way, but it was evident on the buttons. I took them all out and sorted them, washed or cleaned them, and then put them on towels to dry. Then I polished them and put them back into a clean jar. As I did this, I found buttons that were used on sweaters my grandma made, Norwegian buttons that may have come from a Norwegian sweater, and so many more buttons that had always caught my eye. I remember her cutting buttons off of everything when the article could no longer be worn. There are many different designs that are no longer made. These intrigue me now just as they did as a child. I love looking at the different styles and designs.
There is one that right away connected me to a coat my grand wore. It is shown in a picture below. It was a heavy coat worn when she went out to the store and this button was the top button of the coat collar that was offset on the coat.
I have taken a picture of some of my favorites. There are so many I like that it was hard choose just a few. But I’m sure you see some that maybe you might recognize or at least bring back memories of your grandma’s buttons. I remember looking through her jar often just for the fun and pleasure of it.
The buttons our grandma’s and mothers used were just as individual as they were. There are used for function, but they were also used to enhance the look of the clothing being worn. Several years ago, I took a few of her buttons and made a book mark with them for a few friends when we were together so that they could have a fun memory of the time spend together. I still mine as you can see in the photo.
Life is a bit like that. We get so busy collecting things we think will make things better and all we do is keeping filling our life up with activities, buying things, keeping busy, and we forget the simple thing…like the simple pleasure of looking through buttons. Each of those buttons has a story just like we have; a story of individual experiences. I found myself lost in the button project and it called me to simpler times. It is like when we get away for a stay in a cabin or hotel getaway and dial down. Without the frenzy of life, we just enjoy being and living. We are drawn away from a life that pulls us in several directions, and also can be discouraging at times. But with some times of simpler pleasures, we can really our life and those simple times and activities. When we do that, we can hear that still small voice speak to our hearts.
This simple time of going through the buttons, and cleaning each one…I really enjoyed their color, their little diamond in the center, the ones that look like flowers, or wooden buttons, or tiny ones and big ones, but all had a story. It didn’t matter what was going on around me. I had a big table and spread them out like a puzzle. It hugged my heart back in to yesterday where I also remembered her sewing room, her sewing machine, which I now have, and seeing in my mind’s eye the button jar, her scissors, material on top of the machine and in the drawers of her machine, and sweaters made that had some of these buttons on them. It all came flooding back. The purpose we know was to save money by saving buttons from items to be used on other sewing projects. Very practical, and yet years later, it made me grateful for those thoughts and times, and the story the buttons tell even today.
When God talks about digging out nuggets from the Word, it like this button adventure…a hunt for treasure found in a book (also written a long time ago), instead of the jar. But oh, if we could just look at it in the same way, it would be buttons like no other! Don’t ever get too busy to enjoy those simple things. I think my grandma would be very happy to see that after all these years, that I am still enjoying her button message as I look through them. Now, they are kind of sorted as I put them back in the jar so their beauty can be seen, even with a few favorites along the side of the jar to be seen and remembered by the one gazing at them…me. I found this item pictured here on the left and it really got me wondering. I have no idea what it is unless it might have been a lapel pin. But so unusual!
Below to the right, you will see some fun buttons and the top one is one of the buttons I remember from my grandma’s coat. So unusual and the rest of the buttons on the coat were simple. Just this top button was accented. Funny the things you remember.
It is my hope that just like these buttons still tell me a story years later, that it will speak to you. It is my prayer that those who follow after me will see my story that has stood the test of time, and those who find my “treasures” will remember my story. What story will my buttons or life tell? Even though the buttons went through the depression, they are precious still today and have not lost their value, monetarily, as well as, the memories of a life well lived. I hope others can see the fun “buttons” in my life; the flowers, the colors, the look of diamonds and reflections, the sturdiness of wood, the shiny fun, and even some of the corrosion that hit some areas but where the beauty still shows itself. I pray that is seen in me.
Do you have a button jar from your mom or grandma? Go have some fun and look through them. Maybe it can be an activity with your kids or grand kids. Tell the stories. Take the time. You won’t regret it. Someday they may be sitting around the table remembering the stories of the buttons in your life.
Today, I was thinking about where I am…oh, not just in the physical sense of where I live or what room I’m in, but where I am in life. Where do I want to be? What is my vision of what I would like my life to look like? What brings me comfort and happiness? I have found that asking questions in my daily life has been one thing that has helped me the most through the years. Why? Because it keeps me honest with myself. We can make ourselves believe almost anything if we allow justification and excuses, or even blame, to enter into our thinking. AND… if we tell ourselves that long enough, we will believe it. Questions keeps me honest with myself if I answer myself with the truth. Of course, I have a great “Truth Agent” in my life who helps me, if I am willing to ask, and sometimes He tells me even if I don’t want to know. We need to face things head on with all honesty if we truly want to be living the way God wants us to live. We need to be following His lead, and not leading our own selves and then asking Him to bless that.
I think in many ways, these times we are living in has made many of us re-evaluate what we want in life and how we want to live. Where do we land with our priorities? We have been forced to slow down; to not get to do things our way. Many of these new guidelines have not been fun at all. Even hurtful to some of us. Changes are good and often times the best for us, but it goes back to our questions. Do we listen to them, or ignore them by justifying why we do the old things in the first place? Are you getting a picture of where I am going with this? Let’s look deeper…
As many of you know if you follow me, I am a BIG proponent of a slower life style. Now… many say, “You can do that because your retired.” However, I have found that retirement doesn’t mean my life stops. I’m very busy. I’m just busy with different things. I also deal with a retired hubby and that in itself makes a difference because they are with you all the time, and it can make it difficult to get done what you need to get done. That said, I had years of going 90 per. I didn’t like it then, and I don’t like it even more now. I would have loved to have been a stay at home mom and wife. But given my circumstances, and yes, my decisions at the time, I allowed outside influences to determine what I should do. But even in that time of my life, I was active with my walk with the Lord and studying. In this day, we have so much information to help us make better decisions, that it comes down to how much we are doing things our way, or God’s way. I have discovered through asking questions of myself, that in those days, I let outside influences determine what I did instead of listening to my heart where God was speaking. I cared about what others thought of me in ways that weren’t healthy for me. That happened in many circumstances. So… it has led me to begin asking myself the hard questions and then answering those as honest as I can. Now when we have different schedules, let’s take the time to ask ourselves the hard questions, as well as the fun questions. Let’s stop living lives that compare ourselves to others in life, homes, cars, clothes, and achievements. It leads us into wrong thinking and decisions.
We often keep ourselves busy so we don’t HAVE to think about where we are and what we are doing. Maybe… we aren’t trusting God to take care of us and since we don’t feel He is, we go about doing something about it oursleves. Boy can THAT get us into trouble!! But God didn’t ask us to be another person’s project manager. He asked us to live has He lived, and love like He loved. We are to be an example for other to watch, so that, they see the way we live and want to live that way. That means, we need to put our priorities in right order and live a life that others see and want to have. We particularly need to do that within our families because our kids will see our way of life and the way we handle things, and most of the time, carry that into their lives and relationships as well. THAT is rather scary to think about, but so true. It is worth us asking ourselves the hard questions and answer them so that we can let others see how living our life this way, can bring about a great life.
So…let’s get back to one of the questions I started with…”What brings comfort into your life?” As an example, I have previously shared of my life, I love a cozy atmosphere in my home. I like soft light of a lamp or candles, I enjoy cozy clothes at home, a loaf of bread baking in the oven, a good book/magazine in my hand with an afghan wrapped around me, and a mocha in my hand. I love to have time to play my instruments and sing along. My favorite place also is my studio area at my desk with a favorite hot or cold drink, my lamp lit on “relax”, a glassybaby lit, and a study that I’m learning from, which is how I am right now today as I write this. I enjoy reading before I go to sleep, so I also make time for that. For you, it may be coffee with a friend.I love to sit outside with my hands warmed to a fire. I know these activities are important for me to keep me on the right track. I know that about myself. It is not just good for me, I choose them because I know I NEED them.
Have you ever stopped long enough to ask yourself what brings you joy and comfort? Because many times we don’t. We just keep pressing on, maybe even afraid to ask oursleves that because we know it will require something of us. Changing something, stopping something, or beginning a new habit. But promise me you will ask yourself, “What brings comfort in my life?” and leave it in the comments. I would love to hear. Each of you will choose so differently. But that is the fun of it! It might be family time over a puzzle or game, or an outting together. Please feel free to share.
It is my prayer that as we have had to slow down, we have learned something about ourselves, become more aware of our thoughts, and take the time to answer the hard questions that I’m sure have also come up for you. Our life is meant to live, not just endure. The way we live today determines our tomorrow. Before your next step, ask yourself as Andy Stanley talks about in his book, Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets, “What is the wise thing to do?” or this one is a real nailer…”Given my past, and my present circumstances, what would be the wise decision to make?”. I have found that to be a great book and made me think again about asking myself the important questions and being honest about my thinking and answers in that process. What I have discovered is, when I answer, I find I have not always been willing to shed the light into all the dark corners of my life’s story. THAT in itself, will lead me to make the wrong decisions because I end up taking it with me into my future again.
Do the things that bring you joy and don’t feel guilty if you aren’t running around doing everything. We were not meant to live such busy lives that lead us to less time for ourselves and family. We WILL pay the price for that some day if you aren’t careful with our daily lives and choices. Pause…have a cup, read something you enjoy, just sit in the chair and listen to your music for a while, call a friend, sending a snail mail note, take some pictures, cuddle up in something warm, lean back and close your eyes for a few mintues and just say “thank you” that you have this moment or two in time. You don’t get them back. We wear busy like a badge and we have seen that come to a hault in many ways, and many have had a hard time knowing what to do with themselves when required to be at home day in and day out. Take away what you can to make this learning time something that changes you for moving forward. Those around you will thank you. Looking forward to your comments!
Today I once again realized how much of my life story is in photos; not just a click of a camera or phone camera, but of setting up the photo so it conveys a message. At least that is my hope. I take photos every day from various parts of my day. Don’t get me wrong, that isn’t ALL I do, but it certainly is a part of all that I do. But it sure helps me be present in the moment!
You might say, “What’s the big deal?” Well, in my experience, I have found that often times our kids don’t really hear what we have to say. That isn’t just in this present day either. I often times wish I would have listened more to my elders, asked questions to see if on the right day I would get the answers. I didn’t think about it then. I do now. So I hope at some point when I am not a round to wait until they ask the questions, they will one day see them in my story of photos. We are more of a light to others by how we live than talking or pushing them in a direction. I so agree with that. So my photos will be a legacy to them at some point in their lives and I hope that they will come to know me even better through that legacy of photos.
Let’s think about that for a moment. What can we offer to those who are around us in our sphere of influence? Are we walking in the fruit of the Spirit, or are we walking to impress someone, be known, or be in the middle of the crowd for attention? Is it really about the house we live in, the car we drive, the sports our kids are a part of, how good they are in those sports, our clothes, our looks? Really? Is that what we want others to see? Or do we want to invite others into our home to share hospitality with them, use our car to help get someone to a place they need to go, allow SOME sports for their education and teach team efforts, or look at our closets and see if we can share some of what we have, or let the beauty from within shine from within? I am learning that lesson everyday given all the surgery on my nose and face. I believe that more than ever before, we need to exercise our spiritual muscles now, so that, we can carry what God has for us to carry later on. We never know when that heavier load will come upon us.
So today as I think about these things, I have my “YES” glassybaby burning on my desk to remind myself to say “yes” to God again at the beginning of each of my days here on earth. I want to say yes to where He wants to take me, say yes to His teaching through His word, say yes to the nature around me and say yes to get on track to put myself in the best position I can to do what He asks of me. Simple? Well…yes it can be. We just need to say, “I surrender”, to God on every level of my life. Empty every room of our spiritual house. Simple? Maybe not so simple if you have been living for yourself more than living from a place of surrender each day to His will. I choose to wake up with a good morning to God, with a surrender of my day on my lips, and a request for Him to lead and guide me this day. What joy can come from those simple steps. I am committed. I’m even changing my sign off here on the blog this year! I believe that each moment in life is precious. So catch a hold of it it and use it for change for His purposes, and He will use it for yours!
I’m saying a resounding YES to Him today! Are you? Can you? I’m cheering you on!
Family…a circle of individuals, that even if you grew up together and experienced the same family unit, are all different. Their perceptions of experiences are unique to them, and unique in how they see it. I know for me, when I talk to my kids about their time growing up, I sometimes ask myself, “What house did they grow up in?!?!?!??”
View from her mother’s sleeping room.
So in the last week or so as I have read letters that my mother wrote to relatives in Norway, I found myself learning about things I didn’t know. Things she protected her children from…such as the grief she felt after losing her brother. We kids knew that it was hard for her, and we all felt anger towards the irresponsibility of the driver that was driving a large work truck while drunk, and crossed into the oncoming traffic. Even though he was in a line of five cars and the third one back, he was killed instantly. I went on to read in her letters about how she lost her dad only about eleven or so months after losing her brother and the difficulty she was having to even get a letter out to the person she was writing to. I feel bad that I was less attentive to what she was going through. I remember those life moments, but as kids, we don’t always get all the ramifications. We are in school and/or working a job, keep ourselves busy because that is our life at the time. It can also be that we don’t know how to deal with it or want to replay the emotions of losing someone special ourselves, so we in turn, aren’t prepared to give the comfort where we could to someone who needs it. As I’m my case, where although I was old enough to understand my uncle wasn’t coming back, I wasn’t mature enough to understand how deeply that would affect my mother. When I read about her struggle almost a year later from losing her brother and then her father, my heart hurts for what she felt. And…I wish I had realized. Sometimes, we think our parents are so invincible that nothing can take them down. However, that isn’t true. They are hurting and yet have to press on in life. When she is home alone, and writing a letter, safety permits a peek into the honesty of her heart as she writes the letter. The door of the heart is opened a bit.
Why am I sharing this with you? Well…a couple of reasons. One of them is that we need to be open to share our lives and feelings with our kids and grandkids. Tell your story at the age level they can understand. Let them know when you hurt so they can better understand their own hurt and know they can trust you with their hurts. We don’t want to be the one who says, “Man! I wish I would have asked more questions of my mom and dad to know and understand their life and how it was for them!” Ask the questions. Get the story. Otherwise all you have are fragments of their lives and more questions than answers sometimes. I know in my case, I asked some questions. With my grandparents, most of the answers never came. It may have been difficult for them to talk about too given what they experienced in their lives before coming here and then the hardship of making a life for themselves once they arrived. Then again, it seems to be kind of a Norwegian trait to keep those things to themselves.
Her mother’s house that she grew up in.
The valley where her mother’s house first sat.
The second reason is this. Regrets can paralyze you. We all have a few that we think we can handle. But it’s better to live without them. Mom never drove. That was her choice. However, it isolated her from doing things she could have done to enjoy her life even more. I was her chauffeur, but she had to wait 15 1/2 years for that to happen. I think she would have enjoyed her life a bit more freely if she had been willing to learn to drive. Many offered. It can be a bit lonely. So I would say to you, show interest in the stories you hear now. Record them telling the stories while they are here to share them. One day you won’t be able to say, “Hey Mom/Dad…or Hey Grandma/Grandpa…” or whoever it may be. I read these letters where my mom talks about wanting so much to go to Norway and see relatives. She wanted to see where her parents grew up and what they did for a living there. Wow! Wouldn’t I love a little bit of time with my parents and grandparents to share what I saw and learned while I visited Norway. Your story is all a part of you. Tell your story…write your story…put together a picture story. Whatever works for you, but share it. One day, you may come to understand yourself better because of it.
I know. You are busy. But your parents, grandparents, and their siblings did a lot for you. Slow down. Put down the phone. Shut off the TV. Shut down the computer. Tell their story. Tell your story. It’s the next best seller book you can read with your family. I have a treasure box for my grandson that I made when he was little. It has all kinds of things in there that tell about myself and my parents and grandparents. Each time he came, something was added, and he would want to go through it. It is a very fun way to share your life story with them. They love stories…especially when it is about someone they know and love. And if you love your parents and grandparents and family, even though, as in Ethan’s case where he never meant them in person, he knows about them and the kind of people they were. That blesses me, and someday, I think he will be very glad grandma shared it with him.
This is another wake up call for me. Live well. Live long…as the Lord allows. Life is full of lessons. Listen to those who have learned them, so that, you can better share your legacy.
JoAnn Shiley 