Insta-Friday Pilot Episode

My daughters who blog here and here do all kinds of fun things on their blogs

and I'm NOT going to be out done in this arena...so here goes nothing!!

This is the view from my desk at work.  This cool van was parked across the street

and the special thing about this vehicle in particular is that my brother

used to work for Simplex Grinnell...so in memory of his very short stint of employment

there I took this picture.  He was just a baby then!

I LOVE target and was thrilled to find this little gem in my mail box.

A gift from my hubby in celebration of our 27 year anniversary...that was Wednesday!

I made two of these this week, and gave one each to my daughters to help

with their Valentine decorating.  I found the idea on pinterest, and I'd love to share

the link where I first got the idea, BUT I can't find it anywhere.

What can I say...

This cup represents one of my FAVORITE things---tuxedo mocha from a little 

book store/coffee shop down the street from my office.  Normally I don't buy coffee

because I have connections to Starbucks but, Thursday I decided to splurge!

I sat, on a church pew no less, with my coffee and enjoyed some

lively phone conversation with my daughters.   

The atmosphere is wonderful there with a large fish tank filled with interesting 

and colorful fish.  I wanted to snap a picture but

didn't want to interrupt the boy at the table right in front of the fish tank 

who was obviously studying or reading or something

equally important that probably shouldn't be interrupted

by some crazed middle aged women who wanted to take a picture of the cool clown fish!

So there we have it...my week at a glance.

Grace Treasures

One thing you should know about me; I like old things.  I live in a house that is old, it has lots of character.  I like antiques, things that hold memories of a bygone days or have a special meaning.  For this reason I didn't have pictures on the walls in my house for a looong time.  Whatever was going to hang there staring at me, had to mean something, even if no one else got it, I had to.

So it goes with most of my purchases.  When I am searching for just the right thing and I find it, it's like finding a treasure.  I've looked and looked at all different kinds of ________ (fill in the blank) and I find the absolute perfect fit, the "just right" for my need.

I've been looking for a ring for quite some time.  I knew I wanted a silver ring with a stone, preferably blueish in color and an emerald cut (square).  I had looked at several regular stores (i.e. Kohl's and Goody's) over the past few months, trying to find "my perfect ring".  Each time I would leave wondering if I would ever find the one, you know, the "just right" perfect fit.  The one that gives you the feeling when you find it that it was there all along, awaiting you, like a forever friend.

And then, unexpectedly, it happened!!

I walk into one of my favorite little shops around the corner from my office, really just to browse

and there among the other rings was my "just right".

Not quite the color I was dreaming of

but lovely in its own way

So happy with the way it looks

just perfect!! :o)

And the best part about this purchase was it COST ME NOTHING.  If I had found my "just right"
at another store, I would have had to pay for it.  You see, I had consigned a few
little bobbles at this shop and so actually this treasure was

FREE
 ~makes my heart happy every time!!

This ring is a wonderful example of how the lover of my soul orchestrates

the every day dealings of my life to demonstrate his care and love

in the little things, things that might not mean anything

to you, but speak volumes to my heart!!

Today, it's a jewelry trinket he graces me with!

Tomorrow it might be a scripture treasure I can tuck deep into my heart~

one that whispers truth that will strengthen and encourage

one that will speak to me of his Love and Faithfulness!!

I hope this post will encourage you to look at the every day little

grace treasures you experience and know they come from the

hand of one who Loves you with an everlasting love!!

Blessings,
Lisa

Speak the Truth

I just read the verse at the top of this blog and thought, "How do you do it"?...speak the truth to one another. That sounds rather odd. Why wouldn't we desire to speak the truth? But think about it a little. Do the people you relate to on a daily, weekly basis REALLY want to hear the "truth"? No one wants to be lied to, do they? or do they?!



TRUTH is a funny thing. People "like" it only when it goes along with what they're doing. They desire to hear it IF it doesn't rebuke them or stifle their actions or call them to face something they don't want to face. I know this because I see it in myself at times. I have this issue with the truth...I LOVE it and I have some disdain for it because it reveals things inside my heart that need attended to, worked on, weeded out, etc.



AND, face it, the TRUTH, the real TRUTH is hard. Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life..." So Jesus embodied truth, was truth. How does that affect us? How should it affect us?

Do we love people enough to tell them the truth?

"...speaking the truth in love.." that is Paul's admonition in his letter to the church people in Ephesus. So the manner in which we speak is key to how we speak the truth.  So, as in every case, motive is everything.  Why do we desire to "speak the truth"?  Is it from a heart of love for that person?  Is it to expose something that will hurt them or is it to expose the truth that will "set them free"?  Sometimes those two things are synonymous!!  The truth that will set you free is painful.

Do we love them enough to risk hurting them in an effort

to help them find freedom?

The title of this little blog reflects the heart of the blogger...to tell the truth

the truth about THE TRUTH (Jesus)

the truth about myself 

and the truth about and to others. 

Remembering

The day is dawning, I sit in the semi-dark having coffee enjoying quiet and looking at the tree with all the ornaments we've collected over the years and remembering.  Remembering how every year I'm up before everyone else, stuffing stockings, and taking time to enjoy a little respite from all the hustle and bustle of preparing for this day.  I remember our family from days gone by, excited little early birds dressed in special jammies waiting at the top of the stairs so the video camera can be prepared before they descend to see what treasures await!  Packing dozens of gifts in our van and heading to another town to have special breakfast with one family and then breaking neck to get to dinner with another.  Although some family traditions remain, those days of having children here anticipating the day and running around like crazy are gone.  Our family is grown and making traditions of their own and it's hard, hard to let go of what used to be, the way we used to do Christmas. 

This Christmas is the beginning for one daughter's family, the beginning of their own family traditions with a little one!  Traditions that include running hither, thither, making sure everyone gets to visit with the babies and share in the joy that awaits as they open their first Christmas present from the grandparents!  Deciding who will spend time where and what time we'll eat and when are we doing presents with these...and on it goes when your family is young. 

Not so after the kids are grown...it's different...very different.  And, as I'm realizing a little at a time and rather slowly, it's time for intentionally preparing new traditions here as well.  Not sure what those will be, still in the thinking process.  But I'm mentally preparing myself and pushing myself forward...dragging my feet a little, I must admit, but time is moving forward.  I can move along with it and enjoy and change OR I can be dragged behind and struggle and kick and be miserable.  I chose the former!

Remembering Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas future....looking forward with anticipation to what 2012 will bring for our family!

Stretching

When I type the word, "stretching" it conjures up a certain feeling in my heart...a hurt...because things are tight there.  Like all muscles the heart gets tight when it isn't stretched.  And so it begins continues, the process of stretching, pulling, tearing away the hardness the tightness, causing the heart to feel.

I read this during the past week and recognize what happens this time of year and other times when our regular schedule of events is "interrupted" by a holiday gathering or some other such event that is unusual in our day-to-day activies and requires more, more of us!  I read and I contemplate what it means and am reminded of what will inevitably come over the next few days.

I recognize what will come and what will be required but I really just don't want to go there.

It's like physical therapy, painful, tiring, weakening before stregthening...
WHY, why would I want to subject myself to that rigor? 

So the week passes and it happens and I fail miserably to be full of grace.  I am short-tempered, irritated, selfish and unloving in my heart.  Others can see it happening and call me out, but I don't want to see the ugliness of all that is there, just brimming at the edge, ready to spill over on anyone who "bumps" into me!  So I wrestle with the whys and the if-onlys and am reminded (when I ask of my Father) that the WHY is for me!  He desires to show me my need of Him, my utter dependence on Spirit dwelling in me to enable this grace walk I so desire.  And slowly the understanding of truth resurfaces and the ugliness pours out in prayer before the Throne of Grace where I beg for Him, knowing full well I cannot survive another minute with this poison spilling out.  And He comes and gives freely what I so desperately need..a heart full of praise to Him, thankfulness for Him and a knowledge that He knows what is best for me, what will stretch me, what will cause me to see HIM and know that nothing can compare with knowing HIM!!

He sacrificed ALL!

I am called to do the same, sacrifice ALL!!



New Tradition

This morning as I caught up with my Advent readings, I was overwhelmed as I read aloud the passages of scripture dealing with the promises of God to send Messiah!!  What a wonderful exciting tradition to heighten the coming of the celebration of Jesus birth!!  As I wasn't raised with an understanding of what it all meant, Advent, that is, I've come to appreciate it and even revel in the excitement of the daily Advent readings and the lighting of the candles at church on Sunday mornings!  I'm not going to go into a big litany of what Advent means but you can read about it at the bottom of the page if you so desire!

Today's reading was Psalm 2 and begins~

 "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 

The kings of the earth set themselves,

 and the rulers take counsel together,

 against the LORD and against his Anointed,

 saying, "Let us burst their bonds apart

and cast away their cords from us."

He who sits in the heavens laughs;

 the Lord holds them in derision.

  Then he will speak to them in his wrath,

 and terrify them in his fury, saying,

As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill."

As I read this chapter, I was just astounded at the TRUTH it foretells!  Joy, peace and comfort flooded my heart as I was reminded of who REALLY is in charge!  For me, reading scripture aloud is a somewhat new adventure and I am enthralled with the experience itself.  As I sat in my "front room" (that's the best room in the house besides the kitchen) and read this chapter aloud it was such a wonderful worship experience as I acknowledged through speaking scripture-God's words to me-who the true ruler of the universe is!  A King of Kings who will indeed rule the earth one day in splendor and majesty never before seen!

If you are not familiar with Advent I encourage you to check out the link below.  Immerse yourself this Christmas season not only in the day we celebrate Jesus birth, but in the prophecy from the Old Testament, the promises of an ever faithful God who keeps His promises.  Some of the promises have already been fulfilled, like the coming of Messiah and some, we are still awaiting! 

This is an exciting, fun-filled time of year.  I'm so thankful for the exposure to some new traditions and the joy they have already brought to my sometimes anxious, stressed-out, striving, cold heart!! 

And, if you're never read scriptures aloud, you MUST try it!  Faith comes by hearing...and when you hear your own voice speaking the truth of God's word, it has a definite affect on you...just like everything we speak to ourselves, but that's a whole nother post!!

Blessings,

Lisa

Read about Advent by clicking this link

Scarlett Syndrome

I don't want to think about that today, I'll think about that tomorrow.  After all, tomorrow is another day!                          ~Scarlett O'Hara

Ok, today is a NEW day...that was my FIRST thought as I awakened this morning and made a list in my mind of all I have NOT accomplished in the past few weeks/months/years.  I grab my glasses and head to the kitchen to get coffee so I can function and get a list going of all that needs to be accomplished.  I sit in the "front room" (my favorite room for thinking/reading/praying) and contemplate where to begin.  Distractions are ever present in my life.  Why can't I keep myself "on task"?  Sometimes I do rather well, then I get "distracted" by something more enjoyable or creative (not so mundane as dishes, laundry, or getting the Thanksgiving gravy stains out of my white linen tablecloth) Or someone else's urgent cry for help which requires me to change my plans, right now, to accomodate their need!

I think I may have a stronghold, strike that, I KNOW there is a stronghold on my heart of procrastination and down right slothfulness (that's a harsh Biblical word for ya, what we like to dumb down and call laziness).  I also know that there is something deeper that causes me to not want to go forward.  How do I get to the root?  And when I finally find the root, how do I dig it out?  And do I really want to dig it out and get rid of it...do I want victory over this ever present nagging feeling that I'm not getting it done?  Do I always want to be making baby E's turkey shirt on Thanksgiving Eve, or wrapping or worse yet purchasing my final Christmas gift the day before?

The answer to all of those questions is a resounding "NO"!  I desire to be organized, to plan ahead and not be in bondage!  But where to start?  I could read a book or better yet a blog (I LOVE reading blogs and getting ideas).  BUT that's where it ends, I go a little bit, I read and plan and think about it, and maybe even begin...but how to finish?  

Some of you may say "Lisa, you're being too hard on yourself.  I've seen you do things and make things, and when I come to your house, it's mostly neat and clean, and you usually have some yummy chocolate something you've baked".  And that's true to a certain extent.  But, I think my daughter's would agree that I have a problem in this area.  They've been here Christmas after Christmas as I struggle to get it all done before December 25!  It always gets done, eventually, but I want to enjoy the season (and my life), not strive and hurry and miss all the fun things because I'm behind! 

So, from today until December 25 I'm going to check in here EVERY DAY and give a little synopsis of how I'm doing with the ever growing list of things that need to be done!

1 Corinthians 10:31 Paul admonishes

 "So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God"

Part of my struggle I think comes from RUNNING away from a performance based philosophy that was emphasized for years from numerous people in my life.  I believed the lie that God (and some people) would accept/love me if I "performed" the way they wanted me to. I believed that my husband would love me if I did things HIS way or that my church family would KNOW I was "spiritual" IF so-and-so was present or absent in my life.  After years of living around people who expected me to perform in certain ways in order for them to give me their love/acceptance/approval, I've stopped!  God has revealed His grace to me in such a profound way.  I know that He accepts me, loves me and has made me JUST THE WAY I AM for a His particular purpose. 

 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 

Wonderful are your works  (that means me and you) my soul knows it very well.

Psalm 139:14

BUT, in stopping I've become, or given in to laziness because I know I don't have to perform to be accepted, so, sometimes, I don't!!  That's the bottom line, I just sit down and do nothing!!  Obviously this is not a balanced approach!  So I will take baby steps and allow my family to help keep me accountable in this area.  That's a whole nother post, allowing people to keep you accountable!

I'm asking for help, and I won't be offended if you remind me, well, maybe at first, but then I'll realize it's for my own good and you love me, that's why you're reminding me!  So with the help of my friends and family maybe I can stop living life stuck in the Scarlett Syndrome and adopt a better phylosophy, one that allows me to enjoy my life here on earth and live every minute with intentionality and grace given by my loving Father.