Sharing Life

For everything that happens in life - there is a season, a right time for everything under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

I have to admit, I am a slow adopter to emoji's. Unlike my 14 year old daughter Natalie who has entire conversations with them. I tend to stick with words and be pretty direct in my communications. While I'm quite accustomed to a quick colon/ parantheses smile :) or xo for kiss and a hug.... who has time to change the keyboard to a sea of hundreds of faces?!

But I've tried. Mostly because Natalie has asked me to. I think it's a 6th love language & Gary Chapman may have to revise his book on the love languages.

In my efforts, I've failed as much as I've done them right. Who knew that each face has a particular meaning and you can't just choose the one you want? Did you know that there is even an emojipedia where you can discover all the meanings? And I'm not going to read it. She's just going to have to put up with her mom's love language & do some interpreting. 

What I do know, is that emoji's communicate emotions - a vital exchange and sharing in our relationships. There is a season to rejoice and a season to weep. A season to hold and a season to let go. A season to live and a season to die. All these things we experience, and our friends do too. 

So, maybe emoji's have a good place in our lives. Sometimes they deliver cheerfulness and othertimes comfort. Whether you use them or not, I encourage you to find a way to share the seasons of life with the people around you. 

Living your best life means feeling it & sharing it with others. 

Keep Going!

"I am usually the last one. It doesn't matter if you win or lose. You get it done." Scott Willey

I had the privilege of talking with Scott last Friday at the Y. A man who walks an average of 20 miles a day & participates in many road races & walks for charity. In the past few years he has been at the top of the leader boards in the U.S. (#1 in Iowa) for Fitbit, an activity tracker. 

In January 2014, Scott made Fitbit history by pushing the system to 100,000 steps (approximately 40-50 miles) in 13 hours. At the time, Fitbit's app only went to 75,000 steps. Willey was able to get Fitbit to change their badge system to include a 100,000 badge. During this time, others followed in his footsteps and accomplished the same. On January 2015 he did it again, receiving the badge he earned. This time doing 106,894 steps in one day. 

While I could go on about Scott's accomplishments, and they are certainly worth honoring; that is not the whole story. What has inspired me the most about Scott is his determination to keep going in spite of the challenge of cerebral palsy. 

Scott & I met over a year ago. I was in a low spot that day as the music played through my headphones and my feet hit the track. I was weary and confused; with my soul breaking on the inside. As I went around the track again and again, my eyes were drawn to Scott. He was walking with a pretty good limp as he navigated the track with determination. 

Inspiration began to rise in my heart... If he can keep going, I can too.

I introduced myself to Scott that morning, who greeted me as a friend with the happiest, most welcoming smile. I told him that while he may limp on the outside, I was limping on the inside today and how much of an encouragement he was to me to keep on going. He laughed and seemed pleased that he had made a difference in my life.

Scott attributes his resolve to keep going to his mom. He said she suffered for years with rheumatoid arthritis and kept going; never complaining and never missing a beat. 

As Scott says it best, "Don't quit. Keep going. Don't lose interest. The only way you can accomplish your goal is to stick it through. It's much more than walking and having a fit tracker. You have to put everything together to see the whole picture. Two years ago, I was in it for the competition and being #1. Now I am in it for the fun and for motivating other people. So what if I drop in the standings? I don't care because I am involved in groups and focused on what I can give to others." 

Living in sync with your best life means you keep going. You don't quit. You find there is a bigger picture to your life and the great blessing it is to give to others.

Thanks, Scott. You are an inspiration to me and to many.  






  

From the Farm Kitchen

A watched pot never boils.

Growing up on a farm in a family of 11, there was a lot of cooking to be done. In fact, as I look back at my childhood most of my memories of my mom are in the kitchen. 

Daughter of German immigrants, she made everything 'from scratch'... homemade bread, noodles, pies, you name it - we grew our main ingredients and very little of our food came from the store in a box. 

From the play kitchen set to the real kitchen, I donned my apron and learned to cook with mom. There were simple directives to follow and few instructions provided, you just did what she said. I mean, let's get real - she had a feast to get on the table 2-3 times a day. Who has time to look up the newest recipes on Pinterest or explain what you're doing? Learning was caught. 

As I grew, more responsibility was given to me. I remember getting anxious a time or two and mom telling me, "a watched pot never boils".

Sometimes life gets a little like the farm kitchen. There's a lot to be done and coordinated to reach completed goals. And you know what? That same saying holds true in those situations, too. 

Over-focusing on something and getting anxious about it, whatever "it" is, will not make it happen any more quickly. In the right conditions and at the right time, it will come. Be patient and wait for it. 

When that pot is on the burner and it is turned on high, the water will boil. No doubt. With the same assurance, I can remind you that...

• with lots of practice & in the right time, your children will learn how to sleep through the night, tie their shoes, pass a math test, drive a car, and all they need to develop and grow.

• your hard work & commitment to do the right thing will reward you in the long-term, even if you can't see it right now.

• most things worthwhile in life come from a process and with great patience- finishing a degree, buying a home, having children, establishing a career or business,  making a difference in the world, and leaving a legacy.

Hang in there. A watched pot may never boil... however, be assured, it will boil. 

REALLY? As Much As I Want?!

For my daughter's birthday this year, we took a group of girls for a scavenger hunt around the city and ended with a celebration at Menchie's Frozen Yogurt shop. 

 

Maybe you are familiar with the frozen yogurt bars? Where they give you a big bowl, in front of a line up of around 10 freshly made yogurt choices, followed with a topping bar with every topping you could imagine! It's kind of like Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory all over again. 

At the end, you put your masterpiece on the scale & choose your favorite spoon while the adult pays way too much for this journey of enjoyment. 

 

It's great. And it's also Natalie's favorite treat, so that's how we ended up there.

As the girls begin to sample the yogurt samples, one walked up to me with her big bowl and asked, "How much can I get?"

"What do you mean? Get what you want." I answered. 

"Well, when mom takes me I am only allowed a small portion because it's really expensive and I just want to make sure I know how much I can get."

Ding, Ding, Ding. Now, I knew it was an opportunity to make a memory for a girl and I jumped all over it... "You get as much as you want!" I replied with a smile. 

"REALLY?!?" she asked with large eyes. "As much as I want?!"

"YES! Get as much as you want!"

She wandered around, almost unsure what to do. In fact, she came over another time to make sure it really was okay to fill her cup as full as she wanted. 

 

Not only did it make a special moment for her, but for me too.

 

It reminded me of the Father heart of God and how extravagant he is with us. In fact, according to Psalm 23, he makes our cups run over. 

Bring your empty cups, and let him fill them. He takes great pleasure in it.

 

 

Eyes For Only One

Last weekend, I attended my daughter's show choir performance. Her team is comprised of 73 middle school students and bringing together the music, singing and dancing with a group that size is no small feat. 

As they took the stage, I thought to myself, "This time I am going to watch the whole group to see how the choreography looks as a whole and how they do as a team." Mind you, this was the fifth time I have seen this particular show.

And then it happened. In fact, it happens every time she performs. I lose sight of every other person on that stage as my eyes settle on her. The music and dancing begins and my heart grows so big inside my chest it feels like I may pop as the corner of my eyes fill with tears. I track with that girl up and down and all over that stage. Every spin, head turn and smile is captured. I have eyes for only one. 

How is it possible to feel this much love over and over again for my child?

If you have ever experienced a deep friendship, fallen in love, or watched your child perform, you know exactly what I'm talking about! 

"He who keeps you will never take His eyes off you." Psalm 121:3

Maybe these moments provide us a glimpse of the Eternal Father's love for us. 

I think I have a new definition of grace... it's your Papa having eyes for only one. You know, He can do that. That's what makes it amazing. He can have eyes for only one - - for each one for us at the same time!! Not because we've done everything right or special, just because we're His. 

Yep, He has eyes for only one. You. 

The Journey

"Everyday is a journey, and the journey itself is home." Matsuo Basho 

In the familiar story of The Wizard of Oz, we see a cast of characters on a journey. Dorothy is looking for home. Scarecrow is looking for brains. Lion is looking for courage. Tinman is looking for a heart. They set off on the yellow brick road, believing their journey will lead them to the Great Oz, the one who will grant their deepest desires. In the end, Oz is found out to be a hoax and the disappointment of the sojourners is evident. Their hopes are dashed in reaching what they believed was the purpose of their journey. 

It seems easy to cast our vision on a preferred future as a destination of outward significance. That somehow once it is reached, the accomplishment will be fulfilling and our sense of quest complete. We'll have "reached" the purpose of our journey. Many people spend their whole lives pursuing their vision, but that sense of reaching the destination remains slightly out of reach.

Maybe we have a wrong perspective on what the journey is. 

What the characters in The Wizard of Oz found out, was that the journey itself was the destination. Finding a home, brains, courage or a heart was found throughout the experiences of the journey. The experiences that seemed to only exacerbate their weaknesses & deficiencies was the very journey to realizing their dreams & desires. 

What we most long for is found in the places we most want to escape. 

Dorothy found home far away from a physical location. 

Scarecrow found brains when facing situations he had to think. 

Lion found courage by facing his fears.

Tinman found heart by being in situations that required caring.

What do you most desire today? 

How are the experiences in your journey helping you realize that desire?

Yes, Dorothy was able to click her heels three times and be brought back home. I think what we'll find, is that as we find ourselves in the journey; things will click for us as well and we'll find ourselves in those places in rather simple ways. 

Living our best life is not about reaching a particular destination or accomplishment.  Living in sync is the simple rhythm of life that helps us find our best lives right where we are today. 

Taken By Surprise!

"The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us." - Ashley Montagu

Last month, my brother had generously filled my freezer with some meat, as he prepared for a fresh beef to be delivered. If you've ever ate home-grown beef, you know how amazing it is! You also know it comes in very generic white wrapping paper with pink lettering telling you what is inside.

Well, earlier today I thought I'd put out a package of meat to thaw for dinner. I reached into the freezer and grabbed out a package that looks exactly like the size of a pound of ground beef. Perfect... tacos it will be. Around 6:30 tonight, I whipped the package open as I grabbed out a skillet...evidently STILL not reading the print... and out plops two steaks.

Befuddled, I look at the packaging print filet mignon. Whoa. Taken by surprise. I tell you, a true moment of happiness as I grilled those up, made potatoes and a salad. Eating like a king on a Monday, no less!

As you plan and prepare for the New Year, my prayer is that you would be seized by moments of happiness as you enjoy the surprises of life.

Happy 2015 to you!

[Photo not my steak. Was long gone by the time I thought of this blog.]