I was sitting in church this morning, waiting for the deacons to serve the communion bread. I was praying silently, "You have done so much for me, God...." when I had a sudden realization: God hasn't just done "so much" - He's done it ALL! My salvation is complete in Him, my freedom from sin and self is thoroughly accomplished in Him, my acceptance into His family as His precious daughter is DONE in Him! There are no hoops to jump through, no tests to pass, no striving to make it - it's DONE! You know that old hymn, "Jesus Paid It All"? He really did! Hallelujah!
Pastor Mike was talking about remembering today, remembering the high price paid for our freedom as a country. I am so thankful for those men and women who were and are willing to give their very lives for my freedom and for the freedom of my children and their children, though they didn't/don't even know me. It's pretty mind-boggling! And as amazing as their sacrifice was/is, how awesome is it that Jesus made that ultimate sacrifice not for my rights and privileges as a Canadian, but to purchase my freedom for life and eternity! And not for some unknown stranger in a generation yet to come, but already knowing every little thing about me...knowing I would betray Him, I would forget Him, I would take Him for granted, I would be selfish and lazy and unloving and ungrateful and deceitful and selfish some more... I want to remember. I want so much to live in an atmosphere of Christ, sharing every thought, every joy, trial, struggle, battle, triumph, every breath a prayer. And I think an important step to getting there is remembering that Jesus has indeed done it ALL. I can't seem to get away from the cliche "let go and let God..." because it's true! I have absolutely no need to hold on to anything because He's already done it all, already planned it all out, already written the story - and even promised that the ending is really good! What freedom there is in knowing that everything's been taken care of, all the little details have been attended to, all the i's dotted and t's crossed...by the One who loved me enough to sacrifice everything for my sake! Why, oh why can't I rest in this? Why, oh why do I continue to scurry around as if everything were up to me, as if I were the one in control? May we learn to rest in those oh-so-capable arms that are so very willing to hold us, and in doing so, may we take one more step towards finding real joy. Bless you, Friends!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Routine...
I'm writing a book - did I tell you that? Do you know the one thing I believe to be essential to writing a book, or any grand undertaking, for that matter? DISCIPLINE! Wanna know my biggest weakness? DISCIPLINE! Argh! I've discovered something about myself lately, and it's driving me crazy because I have no idea how on earth to overcome it - I'm a lazy perfectionist! Oxymoron, right? Well, what it boils down to for me is that if I don't think a particular thing/task/goal will be easy to do/achieve perfectly, I don't even want to attempt it. Up until very recently, I didn't think I was a perfectionist at all; in fact, I prided myself on my non-perfectionism! It seemed that the author of virtually every blog I read was outing herself as a "recovering perfectionist" and all they wrote about was how to slow down, how focus on yourself, how to be ok with "good enough", and so on...Well, as a stay-at-home unschooling family, we're about as slow as you can go (which I love!), and I've always been ok with "good enough", particularly in all things clean.~grimace~ I didn't fit the traditional "perfectionist" mold, so I thought I was ok. I mean, sure, I had other issues, but not that, right? Wrong!
Which makes it really hard to write a book! I'm convinced it's something I'm supposed to attempt, I believe I have something of value to share, but sitting down and actually writing it? Or even scheduling time to sit down and write? Setting up a routine for myself and my family that includes quiet, uninterrupted time for Mommy to work on her book on a regular basis? I'm realizing that, in spite of my mania for to-do lists and punctuality, I've been the kind of person who just lets life happen, who goes with the flow, with whatever will most easily produce the closest-to-perfect results...Ugh! I don't want to live like that! I want to live with purpose, to make my days count, to intentionally raise my kids to love and serve Jesus, to purposefully find ways to let my husband know he's loved and valued, to reach out into my world and share a message of hope and joy...I want to know what it is to sacrifice, to put forth a real effort, to try, even to fail! But the thing is, I get bursts of resolve like this every so often, I put forth an effort for a bit, then the inevitable "something" comes up, and I find a good excuse to go back to the way things were, the way I was. I'm so tired of that vicious cycle. It's a trap - a self-sufficiency trap. As long as I believe I can pull myself up by my bootstraps (do you have boots with straps? I don't...) and succeed just by trying harder, by putting forth more effort, even by employing time management tricks and putting into place the magic "right" routine, I will remain trapped in this circle of trying and failing.
Solution? Stop striving. Let go. Let God... I know that's cliche by now, but it most accurately expresses what's on my mind tonight. You know, I was thinking of this verse in Colossians that I wanted to use to make my point, when Paul says that he's "struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me". (Col. 1:29) Not my energy, but His energy...When I went to biblegateway.com to find the verse, I had to laugh because I forgot what Paul was struggling with all His energy to do: "to present everyone perfect in Christ"! (1:28) Perfect in Christ! ~smile~
I have a feeling, however, that this discovery (or re-discovery, 'cause I know this stuff, I just forget - a lot!) is only the very beginning; that now a long process is in order to reprogram my brain and adjust to a new way of thinking - again - and that perseverance and trust will become the names of the game. I am so very thankful that God never gives up on me, no matter how many times a lesson needs to be drilled into my heart and head. Hope is a beautiful thing! Bless you, my Friends! May you know real joy today!
Which makes it really hard to write a book! I'm convinced it's something I'm supposed to attempt, I believe I have something of value to share, but sitting down and actually writing it? Or even scheduling time to sit down and write? Setting up a routine for myself and my family that includes quiet, uninterrupted time for Mommy to work on her book on a regular basis? I'm realizing that, in spite of my mania for to-do lists and punctuality, I've been the kind of person who just lets life happen, who goes with the flow, with whatever will most easily produce the closest-to-perfect results...Ugh! I don't want to live like that! I want to live with purpose, to make my days count, to intentionally raise my kids to love and serve Jesus, to purposefully find ways to let my husband know he's loved and valued, to reach out into my world and share a message of hope and joy...I want to know what it is to sacrifice, to put forth a real effort, to try, even to fail! But the thing is, I get bursts of resolve like this every so often, I put forth an effort for a bit, then the inevitable "something" comes up, and I find a good excuse to go back to the way things were, the way I was. I'm so tired of that vicious cycle. It's a trap - a self-sufficiency trap. As long as I believe I can pull myself up by my bootstraps (do you have boots with straps? I don't...) and succeed just by trying harder, by putting forth more effort, even by employing time management tricks and putting into place the magic "right" routine, I will remain trapped in this circle of trying and failing.
Solution? Stop striving. Let go. Let God... I know that's cliche by now, but it most accurately expresses what's on my mind tonight. You know, I was thinking of this verse in Colossians that I wanted to use to make my point, when Paul says that he's "struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me". (Col. 1:29) Not my energy, but His energy...When I went to biblegateway.com to find the verse, I had to laugh because I forgot what Paul was struggling with all His energy to do: "to present everyone perfect in Christ"! (1:28) Perfect in Christ! ~smile~
I have a feeling, however, that this discovery (or re-discovery, 'cause I know this stuff, I just forget - a lot!) is only the very beginning; that now a long process is in order to reprogram my brain and adjust to a new way of thinking - again - and that perseverance and trust will become the names of the game. I am so very thankful that God never gives up on me, no matter how many times a lesson needs to be drilled into my heart and head. Hope is a beautiful thing! Bless you, my Friends! May you know real joy today!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Live the Journey
I have been enjoying the most freedom-filled holiday...it's almost beyond words! It's the annual Grandkids' Weekend at my parents' place, where they are currently playing hosts to 5 wonderful children, ages 2 to 10. My sister and I wanted to be near in case the little ones needed us, so we decided to take a room in a lovely retreat centre about 20 minutes away from all the fun in Avondale. And what a place! We're the only guests here, and have been served and pampered and fed to our hearts' content - it's been wonderful! And the talking! My sister and I have not had more than an hour together, sans children, in 10 years! A sister is like a best friend, only better because of all the shared history. :) We've been enjoying a weekend of reminiscing down various memory lanes, as well as thoroughly discussing our present joys and struggles, and sharing our hopes for the future. My sister is a very wise woman, and I can't begin to describe all that I've learned from her, this weekend alone! But as we've been talking, a few patterns have emerged that I think relate to this quest for (the) real joy that I'm on...
Forgiveness and release: Everyone and their dog has issues that stem from childhood, it's unavoidable. Unless we learn differently, we tend to persist in these patterns of behaviour right up into adulthood. An important step on the great and glorious path to freedom is recognizing the roots of those issues, laying it all on the cross, forgiving those involved that need forgiving and releasing them from further blame/responsibility for our misery, habit, issue, etc... There comes a time in each person's life when, regardless of our past, we need to assume responsibility for our own actions and reactions. Forgiveness and release are beautiful things...
Life is a journey: This may be obvious, but a startling realization dawned on me the other day. I discovered a lie that was affecting how I reacted to my circumstances, buried so deeply that I was practically unaware of it. Particularly in my marriage, but also in many other areas, I'd subconsciously been working, praying, trying, striving to get to a point where I could breathe a sigh of relief and say, "Ahhhh, we've arrived... From now on, this will be pure bliss!" It's pretty clear to me now that this will never be the case and is actually not the goal at all! I've constantly found myself working towards that, thinking we'd arrived, enjoying the few days/hours/moments of bliss, then being completely disillusioned when something happened (I think it's called life?) to interrupt the bliss and feeling slapped in the face when reality set in. It's sort of like when Peter and James and John witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus. After Jesus had blazed glory, Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with Him. Peter, likely totally blown away, wanted to stay put there on the mountain top, offered to build shelters for Jesus and Moses and Elijah so they could all stay and soak in the splendour a while longer. But that wasn't the plan; they were soon on their way back down the mountain, back to the realities of itinerant ministry. Mountain top experiences are wonderful, necessary even, but not where the real journey takes place. The real goal is growth, growing in grace and truth and trust and acceptance and love and understanding and perspective and patience.
This has been a real revelation for me; a significant clue to changing the way I react to my circumstances. And that's the goal, essentially what growth is; we very rarely can change either our circumstances or other people. (Believe me, I've tried!) :) I'm so thankful for the gift that this weekend has been! Thanks for letting me share it with you! May you know real joy today!
Forgiveness and release: Everyone and their dog has issues that stem from childhood, it's unavoidable. Unless we learn differently, we tend to persist in these patterns of behaviour right up into adulthood. An important step on the great and glorious path to freedom is recognizing the roots of those issues, laying it all on the cross, forgiving those involved that need forgiving and releasing them from further blame/responsibility for our misery, habit, issue, etc... There comes a time in each person's life when, regardless of our past, we need to assume responsibility for our own actions and reactions. Forgiveness and release are beautiful things...
Life is a journey: This may be obvious, but a startling realization dawned on me the other day. I discovered a lie that was affecting how I reacted to my circumstances, buried so deeply that I was practically unaware of it. Particularly in my marriage, but also in many other areas, I'd subconsciously been working, praying, trying, striving to get to a point where I could breathe a sigh of relief and say, "Ahhhh, we've arrived... From now on, this will be pure bliss!" It's pretty clear to me now that this will never be the case and is actually not the goal at all! I've constantly found myself working towards that, thinking we'd arrived, enjoying the few days/hours/moments of bliss, then being completely disillusioned when something happened (I think it's called life?) to interrupt the bliss and feeling slapped in the face when reality set in. It's sort of like when Peter and James and John witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus. After Jesus had blazed glory, Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with Him. Peter, likely totally blown away, wanted to stay put there on the mountain top, offered to build shelters for Jesus and Moses and Elijah so they could all stay and soak in the splendour a while longer. But that wasn't the plan; they were soon on their way back down the mountain, back to the realities of itinerant ministry. Mountain top experiences are wonderful, necessary even, but not where the real journey takes place. The real goal is growth, growing in grace and truth and trust and acceptance and love and understanding and perspective and patience.
This has been a real revelation for me; a significant clue to changing the way I react to my circumstances. And that's the goal, essentially what growth is; we very rarely can change either our circumstances or other people. (Believe me, I've tried!) :) I'm so thankful for the gift that this weekend has been! Thanks for letting me share it with you! May you know real joy today!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
The Top 10 Reasons Why I Shaved My Head
10. I've always wanted to be a "hat person".
9. My hair was driving me crazy.
8. I wanted to make a statement. (What statement exactly? Read on...)
7. I suspected I might have a decently-shaped head. (I think I do, head-dimple and all!)
6. I LOVE rubbing little boys' carpet heads. (Now I have my own!)
5. I've cut my showering time in half, as well as my towel useage.
4. I'd been considering doing it on-and-off for a couple of years now...
3. I was tired of trying to make my hair look ok, and constantly having the kids pull it or mess it up.
2. Long, thick hair is HOT! (not "smokin'-hot", but temperature "hot") AND...
1. It was a physical (drastic, obvious...) act that symbolizes my new beginning!
It's been a week since I took scissors and (10!) razors to my head to take it all off! I know, most of you think I'm crazy, but that's ok. I've discovered a lot of things about myself this week, and one is that I don't need any external confirmation to know that I'm ok. In fact, I know that I'm loved beyond measure, cherished, treasured, and unconditionally accepted by my Father, and that is enough for me. I have gone to great lengths in the past to try to please people and make them like me, and I hope I've taken another step toward being finished with that. (Though I am happy if you do like me - I like you, too!)
Surprisingly, I really like my new haircut! :) My only concern was that people would think I was sick. I didn't want to make anyone worry, so I always wore a hat when I went out. (Another related concern was sunburn - you've never seen anything as white as my white head, with a lovely red line down the middle where my part had been!) Well, last night I realized that I was acting like I was ashamed or embarassed by what I had done. So, in the middle of my walk along one of Port Hawkesbury's busiest streets (which really isn't that busy, but nevertheless...) I whipped off my hat and walked home proudly with my (nearly bald) head held high! AND, I went to church today - hatless. AND I was asked to lead part of the service, too... Yes, I received a few shocked/horrified looks (hard to differentiate) and a few barely-holding-back-a-laugh smiles, but I felt really good. It's part of what this is all about: freedom. Freedom from my own judgements, freedom from being defined by what others think, freedom from peer pressure (yes, it still exists at my age)... For me, shaving my head was a personal stance against conforming to the pattern of this world. I feel that I'm beginning the journey of being transformed by the renewing of my mind, and that this act would always remind me of my choice to do just that.
That being said, I'm not going to keep on shaving my head. I may very well keep my hair short for awhile, but I don't need to remain bald to remember my fresh start. A couple of startling joys: big fat rain pouring down on my head and my sons constantly rubbing it - it's been really fun! Not to mention the fact that it took my husband 4 days to be able to look at me without laughing...) I'm glad I did it.
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for (drumroll, please...):
9. My hair was driving me crazy.
8. I wanted to make a statement. (What statement exactly? Read on...)
7. I suspected I might have a decently-shaped head. (I think I do, head-dimple and all!)
6. I LOVE rubbing little boys' carpet heads. (Now I have my own!)
5. I've cut my showering time in half, as well as my towel useage.
4. I'd been considering doing it on-and-off for a couple of years now...
3. I was tired of trying to make my hair look ok, and constantly having the kids pull it or mess it up.
2. Long, thick hair is HOT! (not "smokin'-hot", but temperature "hot") AND...
1. It was a physical (drastic, obvious...) act that symbolizes my new beginning!
It's been a week since I took scissors and (10!) razors to my head to take it all off! I know, most of you think I'm crazy, but that's ok. I've discovered a lot of things about myself this week, and one is that I don't need any external confirmation to know that I'm ok. In fact, I know that I'm loved beyond measure, cherished, treasured, and unconditionally accepted by my Father, and that is enough for me. I have gone to great lengths in the past to try to please people and make them like me, and I hope I've taken another step toward being finished with that. (Though I am happy if you do like me - I like you, too!)
Surprisingly, I really like my new haircut! :) My only concern was that people would think I was sick. I didn't want to make anyone worry, so I always wore a hat when I went out. (Another related concern was sunburn - you've never seen anything as white as my white head, with a lovely red line down the middle where my part had been!) Well, last night I realized that I was acting like I was ashamed or embarassed by what I had done. So, in the middle of my walk along one of Port Hawkesbury's busiest streets (which really isn't that busy, but nevertheless...) I whipped off my hat and walked home proudly with my (nearly bald) head held high! AND, I went to church today - hatless. AND I was asked to lead part of the service, too... Yes, I received a few shocked/horrified looks (hard to differentiate) and a few barely-holding-back-a-laugh smiles, but I felt really good. It's part of what this is all about: freedom. Freedom from my own judgements, freedom from being defined by what others think, freedom from peer pressure (yes, it still exists at my age)... For me, shaving my head was a personal stance against conforming to the pattern of this world. I feel that I'm beginning the journey of being transformed by the renewing of my mind, and that this act would always remind me of my choice to do just that.
That being said, I'm not going to keep on shaving my head. I may very well keep my hair short for awhile, but I don't need to remain bald to remember my fresh start. A couple of startling joys: big fat rain pouring down on my head and my sons constantly rubbing it - it's been really fun! Not to mention the fact that it took my husband 4 days to be able to look at me without laughing...) I'm glad I did it.
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for (drumroll, please...):
The first day
The third day
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Pressing on...
Hello? Is anybody still there? You may (or may not) be wondering where I've been for the past eight months...Well, to sum up, I've: almost lost my marriage, gained 15 pounds, quit 2 jobs, celebrated my 13th wedding anniversary, finished out our first year of homeschooling, rescued a kitten, bought a trampoline, claimed a home office space, started a ministry, felt a call to start another, seriously considered shaving my head (still may!), fallen more in love with my hubby and kids, been exposed to insane amounts of wisdom and knowledge (and possibly absorbed a bit) and been learning to lean more and more on God's grace. It's been a wild ride, roller coaster-ish in the most cliche ways, up and down and up and down and around and around and around...
Fast-forward to today, July 16th, 2011. I'm feeling brand new, ready to roll, anticipating the next steps of the journey. (Yay!) I was driving home the other night from a few hours out with myself (courtesy of my dear hubby) when I found myself crying out to God with an honesty I'd never dared before. I confessed that I'd been trying to make it on my own for far too long, that to continue down the road I was on was going to kill me, spiritually and eventually, physically. I told Him that I quit; that I was (finally) ready for Him to really take control, really be in charge of my days, my decisions, my body, mind and spirit. "Body" is the real focus here; I'd never been actually willing to surrender my body to God. Food and I have had a very dysfunctional, distorted relationship for many years. I've recently come to realize that food has been my god, that I'd call on food for comfort, rejoice in food, reach for food in times of joy, sorrow, boredom, anger - you get the picture. And I was never really willing to let that go, the power that food has over me, no matter how much I knew I would benefit from letting go, no matter how much weight I gained, no matter how crappy I felt...because it was so good, whatever it was, right there in that moment. A couple of verses that I have known for 25 years have recently become my new inspiration:
Fast-forward to today, July 16th, 2011. I'm feeling brand new, ready to roll, anticipating the next steps of the journey. (Yay!) I was driving home the other night from a few hours out with myself (courtesy of my dear hubby) when I found myself crying out to God with an honesty I'd never dared before. I confessed that I'd been trying to make it on my own for far too long, that to continue down the road I was on was going to kill me, spiritually and eventually, physically. I told Him that I quit; that I was (finally) ready for Him to really take control, really be in charge of my days, my decisions, my body, mind and spirit. "Body" is the real focus here; I'd never been actually willing to surrender my body to God. Food and I have had a very dysfunctional, distorted relationship for many years. I've recently come to realize that food has been my god, that I'd call on food for comfort, rejoice in food, reach for food in times of joy, sorrow, boredom, anger - you get the picture. And I was never really willing to let that go, the power that food has over me, no matter how much I knew I would benefit from letting go, no matter how much weight I gained, no matter how crappy I felt...because it was so good, whatever it was, right there in that moment. A couple of verses that I have known for 25 years have recently become my new inspiration:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:1-2
These verses speak to me on so many levels, but what jumps out at me every time I read them is how connected the mind and body are. How do we transform our bodies? By the renewing of our minds! The pattern of this world is self-indulgence, over-indulgence. God has a different, better, plan for us! And it's a plan that involves sacrifice...how counter-cultural is that?! And that is true worship, offering up to Him that which we'd give anything to hold on to. But what do we receive as a result? Knowledge, wisdom! Who doesn't want to know God's will? He's telling us here how to tap into His very heart for us! It's all connected: body, mind and spirit.
I'm so excited! Excited to offer my body as a living sacrifice - can you believe it? I can't! For two days now (I know, it's not much, but it's a start!) I've been living according to this concept, and it has been transformational! I'm hungry, I'll admit it, but (and this may sound weird) it feels like a holy hunger, not just physical but spiritual, a hungering after God Himself...It's making me aware of Him and His presence with me and how He wants to fill me...
My dear friends, thank you so much for allowing me to share my journey with you! I'd appreciate your prayers, and I'd love to hear your stories and support you in prayer, too. See you soon! (sooner than 8 months, I hope and pray!) May you know real joy today!
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