My 5 year old often says things that make me laugh ... it's amazing how profound he can be without even knowing it. Last week, he stopped coloring, looked up and asked, "Jen, do you know what Thanksgiving means?" He thought for a moment and his eyes narrowed and his little eyebrows met. "Well ... hmm ... it means having a lot of stuff on your plate!"
I can't believe it is mid-November. Everywhere I turn, I see Christmas decorations, pre-black Friday sales, the stores extending their hours to "holiday hours" ... Each year, it starts earlier and the stress levels increase. Even this little, 5-year old boy notices that stores have "pushed" aside Thanksgiving in an effort to increase their own profits before year-end. Stores even open on Thanksgiving to make sure they get their "piece of the pie."
When I look ahead toward the holidays, it makes me tired ... just thinking about all of the things that have to be done. Sam said it best when he used the phrase ... "having a lot of stuff on your plate." Each year, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep "all of those plates spinning" and the focus in the right place.
While others get sucked into and dragged down by the craziness of "the holidays," while people fight over the last "bargain," I find myself grateful in an ungrateful world ... giving thanks when no one around me is thankful. I am counting my blessings, when others around me feel less than blessed.
I have learned (the hard way) that the "stuff on my plate" just doesn't matter. I can't let it "fill me up." I have to be selective about what I place "on my plate, be careful what I 'eat' " and look past it to the Giver of all good things. I am so immensely thankful for all that HE has provided ... not the world. That fact that God has blessed me beyond anything I could have ever hoped or imagined is ever present before me.
What's on your plate this holiday season? I personally don't want to look back at Thanksgiving and Christmas with regret that I wasn't focused on giving thanks for all He has given me or celebrating the birth of my personal Savior.
So during this Thanksgiving and Christmas season, I am going to be very selective of what I "put on my plate" and start a new year with no regrets ... I hope you will too!
"I am too blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed." - anonymous
Monday, November 14, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Border Collies Rule!
I've been away from my blog for awhile. Life just seems to consume my time more than it used to. Especially this week...there has been a slight unraveling in the "household fabric." One of the "threads" is missing.
My husband is on a business trip ... he boarded a flight on Tuesday and returns Thursday evening. While he is just away for a few days ... part of me is missing and I just don't do as well without my other half. He is our constant ... the father, the bride groom, an illustration of the Heavenly Father's role in all of our lives.
Right now, I feel like a "border collie" at best ... running in circles trying to move the flock this way and that. There's craziness at work, kids needing to be different places, picked up, dropped off and oh, I can't forget to feed them! There are birthday cakes to be made, pumpkins to be carved, parent-teacher conferences ... oh my! So, in my quest to be super mom this week, I made enough beef stew for an army ... for the three of us that are at home. Yes, the border collie (me) just keeps circling the flock, making sure we are all, at the very least, safe and moving in the same direction (and fed!).
I will say one thing ... in our family and in our lives, it's a good thing there's a shepherd ... THE Shepherd who cares for His sheep much better than I ... the one who laid down His life for His sheep. He keeps reminding me this week to turn "the flock" over to Him and let Him lift the heavy burdens and the worry ... because He can and He will.
I look up to Him and realize that if I turn things over to Him, the "border collie" expends less energy running in circles ... my load becomes lighter and my "way" brighter. Thank you Lord, that the children are in bed, the dishes are done and I can put my feet up and write some thoughts and reflections about You, as the stars come out and the moon shines brightly in the window, again reminding me that you are the Creator. Lord, give me the strength to handle my blessings and thank you, Father, that tomorrow I get to do it all over again!
My husband is on a business trip ... he boarded a flight on Tuesday and returns Thursday evening. While he is just away for a few days ... part of me is missing and I just don't do as well without my other half. He is our constant ... the father, the bride groom, an illustration of the Heavenly Father's role in all of our lives.
Right now, I feel like a "border collie" at best ... running in circles trying to move the flock this way and that. There's craziness at work, kids needing to be different places, picked up, dropped off and oh, I can't forget to feed them! There are birthday cakes to be made, pumpkins to be carved, parent-teacher conferences ... oh my! So, in my quest to be super mom this week, I made enough beef stew for an army ... for the three of us that are at home. Yes, the border collie (me) just keeps circling the flock, making sure we are all, at the very least, safe and moving in the same direction (and fed!).
I will say one thing ... in our family and in our lives, it's a good thing there's a shepherd ... THE Shepherd who cares for His sheep much better than I ... the one who laid down His life for His sheep. He keeps reminding me this week to turn "the flock" over to Him and let Him lift the heavy burdens and the worry ... because He can and He will.
I look up to Him and realize that if I turn things over to Him, the "border collie" expends less energy running in circles ... my load becomes lighter and my "way" brighter. Thank you Lord, that the children are in bed, the dishes are done and I can put my feet up and write some thoughts and reflections about You, as the stars come out and the moon shines brightly in the window, again reminding me that you are the Creator. Lord, give me the strength to handle my blessings and thank you, Father, that tomorrow I get to do it all over again!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Hope
I was driving down I-80 this morning, on my way to work, listening to the radio. They were taking about hope.
An interview had been done with a middle eastern man whose father had been kidnapped by the government of his country over 20 years ago. He stated that living with hope can make your life miserable. He still has "hope" that his father is alive, but holding onto that hope has taken a toll on his life.
There is a great difference between "living with hope" and "THE Living Hope." You can live with hope that is "empty" or you can trust in the Living Hope that is Christ. Much like love without Christ is incomplete ... hope without Christ is devoid of "substance." It is not fruitful.
When you examine grace, peace, mercy and forgiveness ... without Christ they are just "labels." There is no action. With Christ, there is "life" in grace, peace, mercy and forgiveness ... complete, not lacking action or fulfillment.
Like this man, we have all experienced some sort of loss, some more difficult than others. I have seen individuals who are much like this man. They hold on to unspeakable sorrow and let it define who they are... or, they can revel in the Living Hope that is Christ Jesus and turn it all over to Him, living a life of real hope, peace and mercy.
Who are you and what defines you? Are you a child of the King? Do you have hope? Is it fruitless hope or hope in the Living Hope that is Christ?
I Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
An interview had been done with a middle eastern man whose father had been kidnapped by the government of his country over 20 years ago. He stated that living with hope can make your life miserable. He still has "hope" that his father is alive, but holding onto that hope has taken a toll on his life.
There is a great difference between "living with hope" and "THE Living Hope." You can live with hope that is "empty" or you can trust in the Living Hope that is Christ. Much like love without Christ is incomplete ... hope without Christ is devoid of "substance." It is not fruitful.
When you examine grace, peace, mercy and forgiveness ... without Christ they are just "labels." There is no action. With Christ, there is "life" in grace, peace, mercy and forgiveness ... complete, not lacking action or fulfillment.
Like this man, we have all experienced some sort of loss, some more difficult than others. I have seen individuals who are much like this man. They hold on to unspeakable sorrow and let it define who they are... or, they can revel in the Living Hope that is Christ Jesus and turn it all over to Him, living a life of real hope, peace and mercy.
Who are you and what defines you? Are you a child of the King? Do you have hope? Is it fruitless hope or hope in the Living Hope that is Christ?
I Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
Monday, August 29, 2011
"Error ... please reboot ... "
What a difference a week makes! The second week of school was much better than the first. The kids have settled into a routine with practices, games, homework ... "the parents" like the routine!
This year is different for us. The school provided Mac Books to each student in middle school and high school. This changes the dynamic in our home. The kids sit on the sofa, noses pressed to the screens of their laptops, furiously facebooking or i-chatting with their friends. They take these "precious communication devices" everywhere with them. It's their social connection to the world. They rush through meals, inhaling the wonderful meal their Dad has prepared just to get back to the laptop.
It's not just about the kids, oddly enough. While they are "Mac-booking," their dad or I are usually on our laptop, tablet or Android phones "doing OUR thing ... emailing, fantasy football, etc." I picture what it would look like if someone walked in and saw us all sitting in the same room, not speaking or interacting with each other ... how silly we must look. Even I will admit, it has changed the style of communication and drawn attention away from things that are more important.
While technology has made our lives easier (we use the cell phones for shopping lists, GPS, texting the children), in some respects, it has made them more difficult. It has changed the way our children write and speak to others. They feel like they cannot function without the internet and now, they NEED their laptops to accomplish their classwork at school and their homework.
Many things have come along through the years that have affected the way we worship and interact with the Lord. These new technologies and types of worship have almost become a distraction. My own cell phone rang during church a few weeks ago ... I was embarrassed.
People now attend church and expect to be entertained ... they tweet during the service! You can find a tab on church websites called "media" and download a podcast of the sermon. I really miss the days when going to church was all about Jesus and not about being entertained and/or how much technology you can incorporate into your worship service (or our home).
Have these technologies become idols? Most definitely ... what do we sacrifice to these new idols? Time, family, communication, money, respect ... the list is endless.
My stepdaughter asked her classmates which they would rather give up ... a foot or the internet? The concensus was each student at her lunch table would rather lose a foot. Now, really, no one is going to sacrifice a limb, but perhaps this is a good "wake up call." We need to go back to what's really important and focus on what real sacrifice really is ... ouch! ... not a foot or the internet, but laying ourselves on the altar and making God the center of our homes once again ... not the Mac Book.
1 John 5:21
... guard yourselves from idols.
This year is different for us. The school provided Mac Books to each student in middle school and high school. This changes the dynamic in our home. The kids sit on the sofa, noses pressed to the screens of their laptops, furiously facebooking or i-chatting with their friends. They take these "precious communication devices" everywhere with them. It's their social connection to the world. They rush through meals, inhaling the wonderful meal their Dad has prepared just to get back to the laptop.
It's not just about the kids, oddly enough. While they are "Mac-booking," their dad or I are usually on our laptop, tablet or Android phones "doing OUR thing ... emailing, fantasy football, etc." I picture what it would look like if someone walked in and saw us all sitting in the same room, not speaking or interacting with each other ... how silly we must look. Even I will admit, it has changed the style of communication and drawn attention away from things that are more important.
While technology has made our lives easier (we use the cell phones for shopping lists, GPS, texting the children), in some respects, it has made them more difficult. It has changed the way our children write and speak to others. They feel like they cannot function without the internet and now, they NEED their laptops to accomplish their classwork at school and their homework.
Many things have come along through the years that have affected the way we worship and interact with the Lord. These new technologies and types of worship have almost become a distraction. My own cell phone rang during church a few weeks ago ... I was embarrassed.
People now attend church and expect to be entertained ... they tweet during the service! You can find a tab on church websites called "media" and download a podcast of the sermon. I really miss the days when going to church was all about Jesus and not about being entertained and/or how much technology you can incorporate into your worship service (or our home).
Have these technologies become idols? Most definitely ... what do we sacrifice to these new idols? Time, family, communication, money, respect ... the list is endless.
My stepdaughter asked her classmates which they would rather give up ... a foot or the internet? The concensus was each student at her lunch table would rather lose a foot. Now, really, no one is going to sacrifice a limb, but perhaps this is a good "wake up call." We need to go back to what's really important and focus on what real sacrifice really is ... ouch! ... not a foot or the internet, but laying ourselves on the altar and making God the center of our homes once again ... not the Mac Book.
1 John 5:21
... guard yourselves from idols.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
"That's My Jen!"
There is no other way to say it, being a step mom is tough. There is nothing easy about it. I knew going in, it would be an interesting ride. The kids never cease to remind me that I am are not the "real mom" (not overtly, but it's just there). When Paul and I were married, the children and I said vows to each other that went something like this ...
"Jennifer, do you promise to be a faithful wife to Paul, a spiritual leader of your home and also a patient, loving mother to Joe, Olivia and Sam, caring for them and providing for them as your own? Do you promise to be their strength and their emotional support, loving them with all your heart and making Christ the center of your home?
And now, Joe, Olivia and Sam, do you promise to love and respect Jennifer? Do you promise to support this marriage and your family? Do you promise to accept the responsibility of being their children, and to encourage them and support them in your new life together?"
We all said, "I do." But did we really? When I re-read those vows, I have to admit, that's a pretty tall order from every angle. "Patient, loving mother? Love and respect?!"
Following a relaxing, family summer vacation on the beach at the end of July, we faced the first day of school on August 15. It was, in a word, CHAOS. I had been looking forward to the beginning of school. We would all get back on some sort of schedule. But, when it hit, it was like "the perfect storm." We were controlled by "the schedule" and the children all felt their "stuff" was most important. There were demands, disrespect and yes ... many tears. As the step mom, my heart was breaking. I thought I was handling everything so well ... breathe in, breathe out ... breathe in, breathe out ... I even went to work early for some quiet time. What happened to that "patient, loving mother" and the vows of "love and respect?"
Much like a marriage and even our relationship with God, sometimes, we let the chaos of our lives consume us and the love and respect part? It goes right out the window. The good news is that God is still in control and loves us beyond measure, even when life, and everyone around us seem completely out of control.
As for being a step mom? It's week 2 of school and the kids come home from the "real mom's" house today. I'll let you how it goes. Even with all that happened last week, I have to admit that being a step mom is still a "pretty cool gig." And, when we reach new heights of crazy, as the vows said, I still "love them with all my heart." The benefits outweigh the craziness ... smiles, hugs, high fives, knuckles, cuddles and laughter.
Sam still can't remember the word "step mom," so he introduces me and says, "that's My Jen." I think he believes everyone has a "My Jen" (he's only 5)! So, I'll be content to be "My Jen," and continue to pray every day that we will all be respectful and mindful of each other in our home. I know that when life is running amok, "My God" reigns and sits on His throne ... and smiles when, much like when He calmed the stormy seas, He calms "My Jen's" chaotic world.
"Jennifer, do you promise to be a faithful wife to Paul, a spiritual leader of your home and also a patient, loving mother to Joe, Olivia and Sam, caring for them and providing for them as your own? Do you promise to be their strength and their emotional support, loving them with all your heart and making Christ the center of your home?
And now, Joe, Olivia and Sam, do you promise to love and respect Jennifer? Do you promise to support this marriage and your family? Do you promise to accept the responsibility of being their children, and to encourage them and support them in your new life together?"
We all said, "I do." But did we really? When I re-read those vows, I have to admit, that's a pretty tall order from every angle. "Patient, loving mother? Love and respect?!"
Following a relaxing, family summer vacation on the beach at the end of July, we faced the first day of school on August 15. It was, in a word, CHAOS. I had been looking forward to the beginning of school. We would all get back on some sort of schedule. But, when it hit, it was like "the perfect storm." We were controlled by "the schedule" and the children all felt their "stuff" was most important. There were demands, disrespect and yes ... many tears. As the step mom, my heart was breaking. I thought I was handling everything so well ... breathe in, breathe out ... breathe in, breathe out ... I even went to work early for some quiet time. What happened to that "patient, loving mother" and the vows of "love and respect?"
Much like a marriage and even our relationship with God, sometimes, we let the chaos of our lives consume us and the love and respect part? It goes right out the window. The good news is that God is still in control and loves us beyond measure, even when life, and everyone around us seem completely out of control.
As for being a step mom? It's week 2 of school and the kids come home from the "real mom's" house today. I'll let you how it goes. Even with all that happened last week, I have to admit that being a step mom is still a "pretty cool gig." And, when we reach new heights of crazy, as the vows said, I still "love them with all my heart." The benefits outweigh the craziness ... smiles, hugs, high fives, knuckles, cuddles and laughter.
Sam still can't remember the word "step mom," so he introduces me and says, "that's My Jen." I think he believes everyone has a "My Jen" (he's only 5)! So, I'll be content to be "My Jen," and continue to pray every day that we will all be respectful and mindful of each other in our home. I know that when life is running amok, "My God" reigns and sits on His throne ... and smiles when, much like when He calmed the stormy seas, He calms "My Jen's" chaotic world.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Love Like "the Wind ... "
We are discussing "loving one another" in Sunday School ... agreeably one of the most important, yet difficult commandments. Even the Pastor admits it's not his "best" subject.
Recently, I had a "theological discussion" with my brother -in-law about the Holy Spirit. I reminded him that the Holy Spirit is like the wind ... you can't see the wind ... but you can see the affects of the wind. You cannot see the Holy Spirit, but you can see the affects of the Holy Spirit.
It just struck me yesterday. This is exactly how to best illustrate God's love. Scripture tells us that we cannot see God. However, we can see God, His love and the affects of His love in His Children ... much like the wind. The only way some people will ever see God is through us.
If we are not showing His love, how will those who are lost ever really "see" God?
Recently, I had a "theological discussion" with my brother -in-law about the Holy Spirit. I reminded him that the Holy Spirit is like the wind ... you can't see the wind ... but you can see the affects of the wind. You cannot see the Holy Spirit, but you can see the affects of the Holy Spirit.
It just struck me yesterday. This is exactly how to best illustrate God's love. Scripture tells us that we cannot see God. However, we can see God, His love and the affects of His love in His Children ... much like the wind. The only way some people will ever see God is through us.
If we are not showing His love, how will those who are lost ever really "see" God?
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Stop Talking! Stop Talking? What Does That Look Like?
Another episode of "Father Knows Best...But Sam Thinks He Does..." Paul was trying to fix Sam's video game and Sam has a habit of spitting out as many words as he can in a short period of time without breathing...he is 5 afterall. The non-stop chatter was starting to grate. As Paul was fixing the game, Sam was "helping!"
Paul finally stopped and looked at him and said, "this would be a lot easier if you would stop talking." Sam looked at him with a puzzled look and responded, "Stop talking...stop talking? How does that work? I can't just STOP talking!"
Contrary to we earthly parents, our Heavenly Father does not weary of conversations with His children. He does not want us to stop talking. He wants us to tell him everything ... our struggles and our praises. He knows and understands every tear and heartbreak and every moment of rejoicing. There are times when we don't feel worthy to bring our petitions to Him, but He "is" grace and mercy.
As parents, there are times when we glaze over and stop listening. God never stops listening and He is in control of every situation...even when the 5 year old won't stop talking. Ah, that God, what a kidder!!!
Paul finally stopped and looked at him and said, "this would be a lot easier if you would stop talking." Sam looked at him with a puzzled look and responded, "Stop talking...stop talking? How does that work? I can't just STOP talking!"
Contrary to we earthly parents, our Heavenly Father does not weary of conversations with His children. He does not want us to stop talking. He wants us to tell him everything ... our struggles and our praises. He knows and understands every tear and heartbreak and every moment of rejoicing. There are times when we don't feel worthy to bring our petitions to Him, but He "is" grace and mercy.
As parents, there are times when we glaze over and stop listening. God never stops listening and He is in control of every situation...even when the 5 year old won't stop talking. Ah, that God, what a kidder!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)