Monthly Archives: November 2017

Savor the Season!

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  November and December usher in wonderful opportunities to reflect on the blessings in our lives as well as the people who make our lives richer!  But as our calendars fill up and our wallets empty, the season seems to slip by much too quickly and on January 2nd, we look in our rearview mirror wondering how it flew by in the blink of an eye!

It feels this way each year for me…  so, I’ve been contemplating…  what can I do, or not do, to treasure the days, value the moments, and capture the pleasure instead of haphazardly racing through the season.

Savor… I’ve decided to purposely savor… savor the preparations, savor the time invested, savor the opportunities, savor the finds, savor the people!

Savoring involves using the 5 senses to experience and appreciate the world around us.

Tasting…  so easy this time of year!  Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa… each involves deliciously prepared foods that we anticipate each year.  But there’s so much more to tasting!  The preparation time and effort going into our food can involve times of cooking together, whipping up cookies with a promising baker, sharing a special recipe with a new family member, inviting the input of someone who usually doesn’t offer it.  Savor the moments of food preparation as well as the food.

Smelling…. Ahhh, at this moment, there’s a caramel pecan candle filling my home with a sense of warmth and delight.  Cinnamon, pine, favorite perfumes, honeyed-ham, all evoking images that bring delight… or maybe not.  Our sense of smell is uniquely connected to our memory.  Sometimes memories can be painful or remind us of loss.  But even those moments have value.  They remind us of past blessings, victories over pain, and anticipation of new memories being made.  Savor the smells and the memories that come with them.

Feeling… Feelings of the heart and feelings of touch are precious opportunities to savor the season!  Whether you live alone or in a houseful of chaos, look for opportunities to encourage others with kind words, thoughtful actions, and genuine affection.  Give to those who don’t expect it and can’t give in return.  Hug instead of shaking hands. Offer soft answers to those whose stress levels push yours.  Savor the opportunities to be a blessing.

Seeing…  We see with our eyes and envision with our mind.  Savor the people in your life with both!  See who they are and who they are destined to be.  Understand that our loved ones do not always show us their kindest moments yet love embraces the person for who they are not for what they do!  Savor the delight on your loved one’s face as they open a gift from you.  Capture a mental snapshot of an unexpected, serene moment. Delight in the splashes of color uniquely displayed during the holidays.  Savor the sights of your eyes and heart.

Hearing… Close your eyes and hone in on the sounds… the laughter, the music, the greetings, the bells.  Choose to tune out the demands on you that seem so urgent—but can wait.  Sift through the must dos and set them aside for some things you choose to do that bring you joy.  Listen to the words of Christmas Carols, focus on the silly stories your children share, laugh at the joke you’ve heard 10 times before, hear the heart of your loved ones, even if their words don’t match.  Listen carefully, hear with your heart and savor the tune.

Savor the Season! Embrace the moments!  

The new year will come with its demanding schedule, list of responsibilities, and new challenges.  But for now, pause with me to enjoy this season of celebration!  Enjoy the reminder that God loved you so much that He sent Jesus to earth to bring His Kingdom into our hopeless situation.  Thank Him for the blessings of breath in your lungs, food on your table, and sunshine each day. He’s a good, good Father!

Live Loved,

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Life Happens

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As my daughter and I snuggled together for a bedtime chat, she shared some of her “adulting” struggles, needs, and frustrations.  My silent tears filtered into her hair as I said, “I wish I could make things easier for you.”  Her response was so quintessentially her… “If life was easy, then I wouldn’t be the strong person I need to be.  But (insert a sigh here) I wish things could be easier too.”  I heard the tears in her voice. I did what my Mama’s heart knew to do, held her tight and whispered encouragement. Together, we laid our burdens at the feet of the One who told us not to worry about tomorrow.  But still, my heart ached for all she was facing.

Do you ever feel like that blow-up boxing toy that gets hit and keeps coming back for more? Sometimes life is just hard.  There’s no pat answers; pretty platitudes don’t make it better.  Easy fixes are a rarity and it’s a lot easier to plop down and whine than stand strong and throw some smack talk at your circumstances!  It’s in those turn-tail-and-run moments that I need to be held… Held by the One who could take away my struggles, but knows that enduring them will make me stronger.

 

The Lord takes no delight in watching us struggle with life.  His heart breaks when we reap pain from the choices we make or others make for us.  He grieves with us when the blows of circumstances sideswipe normalcy.  How He longs to draw us into His embrace and allow His peace and comfort to flow into all the rough and hurting places in our heart.   Matthew 11:28 encourages us, “So everyone, come to me! Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis.” (TPT)

The Lord, however, does take delight in watching us grow and thrive as a result of being willing to journey through those difficult places.  He will hold us and allow His tears to mingle with ours as we press on.  When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is there and His light will lead us out!  It’s not easy; but it will be worth it.

You might feel tired, depleted, and on the verge of knockout.  But…

Don’t stay in the valley~~~~keep walking!

Don’t plop down in despair~~~~rise in determination!

Don’t journey alone~~~~align yourself for success!

Life happens… sometimes it’s amazing and sometimes it’s not.  So, if it’s not, take heart… you’re not in the final chapter.  My Father says that all the events of my life will work together for good because I love Him and He has a purpose for me! (Romans 8:28) The same goes for you… So, if It’s not good, it’s not over yet!

 

Stand strong!  Throw some smack talk back at your circumstances!  Remind them that God has good plans for you!  He treasures you! He likes you, He really likes you!

Dear Father, Bless this reader, I pray.  Strengthen them where they feel weak, guide them where they feel unsure, heal their hurting places.  Restore and refresh them with the joy of knowing they are deeply loved and created for amazing purposes!  Be their Daddy, their Champion, their Counselor, their Provider, their Healer, and the Keeper of their heart.  Thank You, Faithful Father!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Dive Deeper: Psalm 37:3-9, Psalm 103, Ephesians 3:14-21

Live Loved,

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Dare to be Different!

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Going against the flow is intimidating for most people.  It’s much easier to ride the waves of the norm and “fit in” with what’s expected. But rarely do we grow… or shine… when we’re in that mode.  Stretching ourselves is a challenge, yet it can bring great rewards!  Not only will we find that doors of opportunity open but we blaze pathways of confidence for our future selves and those who watch our lives.

That’s not to say that there won’t be failures.  Sometimes taking risks causes painful results.  It’s part of the journey.  Speaking up against a bully, literally or figuratively, can result in a sock to the nose!  Yet, if we don’t take a stand for what we believe, we risk living a wishy-washy whiny existence that’s wrapped in dissatisfaction.

How can you stretch yourself… just a bit today or this week?

For me, it was entering a chili competition. This was out of character for me as I generally avoid anything that smacks of competition (aside from a good game of Dominoes!).  Though I enjoy cooking, I don’t consider myself a “foodie.”  But since this was a church event and we were raising money for the youth, I threw myself into it.

The result: I won!

 

I created my own version of chili and called it “Pittsburgh Comfort Chili.”  I stretched my creative muscles and came up with a unique black and gold dish that was hearty and satisfying!  I have to admit that winning my cute little Chili Cook-off trophy and hearing the compliments was rather exciting!  (Side note: Kudos to all the entrants at Freedom International Church as there were many unique yummy ones and the youth definitely benefitted!)   This risk paid off!

What about you?  How do you see yourself going against the norm for the good?  Could it be speaking up when your co-workers are trashing a peer?  Maybe it’s speaking out against an intense book that your middle schooler is expected to read. Possibly, your risk might be encouraging someone who is consistently rude to you.  How about buying the lunch of someone who is behind you in a line?  Today, I watched a 3rd grader share something with another student who had been tormenting him just an hour before.  Doing the unexpected or unprecedented is not an easy choice.  But it may be one that brings success, confidence, and a deep satisfaction that you stepped out and stepped up your game.  It may lead to the extraordinary!

My beliefs about who I am impact how I choose to live.  I Corinthians 2:16 reminds me that I have the mind of Christ.  Genesis 1:26 declares that I’m made in the likeness of God.  I’m wonderfully and uniquely created according to Psalm 139:14. I Peter 2:9 in The Passion Translation says this: “But you are God’s chosen treasure—priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience His marvelous light, and now He claims you as His very own. He did this so that you would broadcast His glorious wonders throughout the world.”

I’ve been designed to stand up and stand out!  Not to attract attention to myself, but to impact the world around me for good!  When the air feels heavy with death, I will speak life.  When darkness feels pervasive, I will shine light.  When best intentions drag from discouragement, I will build confidence.  I will go against the status quo to make my world a better place.  The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the extra we put into it!  I hope my kids are watching… I want them to be trail blazers too!

Dive Deeper: Psalm 139, Ephesians 2:10

Recipe: Pittsburgh Comfort Chili

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Live Loved,