Is "#socialmedia" #ruining #your #Holiday #season?

Sleigh bells ring….are you listening?

In the Lane… snow is glistening….

(Unless you live in Austin, Texas like myself where it's 74 today.)

(photo credit Guy Wulf)

Back to the song….

A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight….

Happy?  HAPPY?

I'll have time to be happy after the shopping list is done, Christmas cards are out, school parties are wrapped up, bus driver gift purchased, pine needles from dried-out Christmas tree are vacuumed (again!) holiday baking complete, church craft supplies bought, and biggest-light-display-ever is in place outside in my front yard.

And…

I've successfully recorded it all on my Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat page.
(Don't forget to tweet it out…)

I mean… c'mon!  You gotta show the world how "organized" you are.  How "busy" you are.  How "involved" you are.  How "Merry" you are.

Don't misunderstand my heart… there is joy…it's just a little suppressed and choked off right now….

Do you know that I was so tired on Saturday morning that I actually took the wild advice out of some "beauty secret" column?  I probably read it during my Birthday pedicure appointment; no joke, I put hemorrhoid cream under my eyes to reduce the bags that had formed from a week of staying up way too late to finish way too many things!

(For the record… it works!)

But that's not the point, people!  The point is… we've become so fixated on all of the extras in the holiday season… and having to broadcast it out to the world…. and watch everyone else's holiday session unfold via photos scrolling down our screen…that we don't even notice if there is snow glistening down a lane.  We're too exhausted to see the "beautiful sight" and "be happy tonight."

I'm not writing today to suggest a "Mary spirit" in a Martha season.  (For those that have NO idea what I'm talking about a great passage in the Bible about 2 sisters…one's a worker and one appears to be slacking off while her sister is prepping food in the kitchen.  You can read about it here… great story to pop over to for context.)  I'll wait…..

Okay, good, we are all on the same page.  Okay, so I'm not pointing fingers at the Martha.  Fellow fan-club President of Martha…right here… I empathize with all of us who are losing hair every December. I mean, you could choose to not send out Christmas cards, do any holiday baking, stiff your nieces and nephews and skip the shopping.

Yeah, right!!!  Okay, so not very realistic… and that's why I'm not asking you to just sit at Jesus's feet for the next 8 days.

BUT…..

This time of year gets noisy.  Media is noisy.  It can be bombarding.

We see around 247 images a day.  NOT including Social Media.

And since I know you are reading this via social media of some-sort… let me land the plane and make this short…..

We'll never see if the lane is glistening… or see the beautiful sights of the season if we've got our nose buried in our phone looking at what OTHER people are doing during the holiday season.  The season is a fixed time… it only lasts a short while… it's (despite what culture has turned it into) Jesus's birthday… the Savior… the King… came to earth as a child to save us and restore us to God!!!!

Rejoice… dear friends… rejoice!!

Don't "like" what your friends are doing… get together with them!
Stop scrolling… and start enjoying.
Don't compare; share…. yourself… with others… not as a "selfie" but share your time, your resources with those in need…with those you love….

Go walk in a winter wonderland…. get quiet… keep your phone in the car…. and just soak it in.  God created a beautiful world…with beautiful people…. and a beautiful Son…. for us.

I challenge you to do something "off the grid" this week… tell me… post…what will it be?  (Ironic to post it…yes… but hopefully you'll inspire other readers to do the same!)

In honor of Thanksgiving past: stretched out yoga pants and bad ingredients

So I have an admission to make.

I've never seen Restaurant Impossible.

Until after church on Sunday.  My Pastor at Expression Church mentioned it in one of his opening stories.  You know, the ones a Pastor uses in the beginning to get you all relaxed, engaged and in your seats… the one that you are so engrossed in and following and then wha'baam… you're sucked in to whatever he wants to say next.

He's brilliant.

Mostly because God's made our pastor brilliant and partly because I have ADHD at church and the minute you pull out an organ, some responsive ritual that I don't know (and subsequently won't pay attention because I don't want to talk at the wrong time) or something that sounds very ominous or huilt-inducing… I'm out.  Surfing my phone, doodling on the announcements… out.  I would probably post on Facebook something like #countingminutestilStarbucks

So back to Restaurant Impossible.  The basic gist of the program is that the host, Robert Irvine, helps rescue flailing restaurants by coming in and consulting… giving feedback and a plan to help the restaurant succeed.  All in the timing of one show.  (Talk about your chances of being cut on the editing room floor… I bet they have HOURS of footage that gets driven down to a precise air time.)

In most episodes, Robert asks the chef to cook up all of his favorite dishes so that he could sample them.  Needless to say, all of them were inedible by Robert's standards.  I mean… bad.

Consistently, one particular piece of advice is given to the owner of the restaurant:

"You need to use different ingredients."

Now I want to give credit where credit is due… Pastor Ryan did a great job at laying out a quick analogy for this restaurant but it got me chewing on it for awhile…

Modern culture needs different ingredients.  

Today's culture isn't going to be fixed with a fancier car, a new diet plan or a "20 days to a better marriage" conference.  And, when I mean today's culture… I'm talking about what we see when we turn on the TV… read the web or the news… watch "E!" or buy "In Style" magazine.  (I refuse to hyperlink those!)  It's what we see our neighbor wearing, doing, saying, dressing like.  Culture.  The majority.  You know, "go with the flow?"  You know….

The #Kardashians?

#MileyCyrus?

The Biebs?

#snapchat?

(Yes.  I just typed with hashtags.)  And you can "humpf" all you want about the people I mentioned up above… but the reality is we all know who those people are… which means we all know a bit about pop culture.  Which means it starts to become part of our background… normal.  Can I suggest we turn this notion of "go with the flow" on it's head?

Cuz, friends, "goin' with the flow" ain't workin!

This notion of believing in a God, or Jesus.. like it's an accessory that we can just add or take off when it works for us.. isn't working.  We need to START with Jesus and add on from there.  

Here's the amazing thing… if we start with the Big Man (that would be Jesus, stay with me!) then HE actually provides the rest of the recipe.  He provides the ingredients (including you!) He even provides the "salt" that makes everything better…. 

Crickey, you don't even need cooking skills!  (PREACH!)

So as you are wearing your stretchy yoga pants for the 4th day in a row… may I offer up a suggestion as we roll into the holiday season?  May we consider what ingredients are going into our minds… our hearts… our souls?  Especially as we jump in waist-deep to a season filled with joy and awe…but also a "culture" of materialism, hurriedness and competition.  

Take a moment or two and reflect on this new "main" ingredient for your life.

What did you come up with?

Share…. what's one "bad" ingredient you can omit in your life this month?  

Tell me… post it…share and don't forget to sign up for blog posts right into your inbox (right side your screen)…especially if you are omitting FB this next month!  

Give. No GIMME!

How do we create givers?  It starts with us.

Man I hate that answer.  More work for me as a mom.  I’m thinking, “Haven’t I already given you LIFE?  Fed you?  Bathed you? (well, most the time.)  Taught you how to tie a shoe, even if it meant we missed the bus...for two weeks in a row?” 

So when I hear that there is one more thing for me to focus on, I sigh.  We all know there is no amount of talking a child into giving.  Threatening?  Perhaps.  A 5-minute diatribe on starving children in Africa?  Usually unsuccessful.  

We have to model giving.  And there is no better opportunity to model giving than to our children; we give knowing they cannot repay us.  (Except the one son that will let me move in with him when I am senile and wrinkled...but other than that, you get my heart on this, right?)  We will give 127 times to our children before they give back.  If you don’t have a child, think of a cat.  If you own a cat, you spend all this time feeding it, grooming it, picking up it’s poop out of a box filled with smelly pebbles and what do you get in return?  Some leg rubs when he/she feels like interacting with you and receiving more of your love.  That’s the best example I can give you when we’re talking about the giving ratio of a child.  (If I were talking about love I would give you a dog... if you know me, I own NEITHER... I have children to pet and eventually I don’t have to pick up their poop.)

Giving isn’t always about dollar bills and shiny bows.  Sure, we live in a culture that bombards us with materialism which is somehow morphed into the premise of giving.  How many of us have given your child the VERY thing they begged for, or hoped for… only to seen it tossed aside and forgotten about just 3 days later?  Trust me, this family has a long way to go when it comes to giving.  Read my post about last year's "ungiving" tree to get an idea of what we're dealing with at my house!

The point is, that giving of any resource is the key.  Your love.  Your time. Your energy.  Your wisdom.  Your advice.  It’s the purity of your thought behind the giving that is instilled in your child’s heart forever. 

We don’t give with the end in mind; we give out of love.  I don’t run into a lot of women who introduce their children and then tell me, “Yeah, I had them so they could take care of cleaning the kitchen.”  I am just NOW entering a season where my 10-year-old provides exceptional labor assistance... I have just NOW passed the torch on lugging in the empty garbage cans, emptying the bathroom trash and sorting laundry.  (If you aren’t there ladies... just wait... it’s coming.  And if you have a girl... I’m sure it will come earlier.)  

We give with pure intentions; to demonstrate and model the art of giving.  

Because God gives to us.  Daily.  

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”  -John 3:16

What resource do you love to give the most?  What is the hardest thing to give?  Why do you think the latter is hard for you?

The story of M & M, according to a 4 year old

I'm not a morning person.

Period.

The funny thing is, I'm really not a late night person either.  I suppose I'm kind of a 8-5 kind of gal.  By 8 am I've had two cups of dark coffee and by about five in the afternoon, I'm ready for my hubby to come home and take the reins.

God just sees our limitations and laughs.  He probably has a 6-pack of abs from laughing at me up from Heaven...I just give him so much material... jeesh.  So in spite of my "bear of a personality" morning disposition, he blesses me with a 3rd child who is a morning person.

More like a Rooster.

The world's lightest sleeper, up one minute before any alarm and happy as a clam... ready to go.. up and adam.  He's no match for my flesh until I've had a good cup of caffeine.  And even then, I'm a slow roll.... beginning with a bear wakening from hibernation to a somewhat functioning adult.

Which means that when HE wakes up with his brothers at 6:25 a.m., we end up together from 7:10 am after the bus departs from our street all the way until 9am when his preschool starts.  Precious time... I know... I know... but lets face it moms, when you finally have a child in preschool you've already HAD PLENTY of precious moments with your child.  So, nearly 2 hours with a full-burst four year old doesn't exactly make for "time-flying-by" mornings.  Sure, we've developed routines; making banana bread, 17 games of Uno, coloring, etc.  I would be lying if I didn't tell you I wasn't fully caught up on the lives of the Little Einsteins as well.

But, I do try and make sure we begin our time together by snuggling on the couch and reading out of my son's Beginner Bible.  It's a multitude of wins for us; more couch time for me to suck down a cup of coffee, getting my mind set on the word of God (because clearly there is not much in there at 6:20 am) and to ensure my son is getting HIS mind in perspective.

(Better than a bookmark... a cup of caffeine to read the word of God)

I don't care if he's four or not... it's never too early to instill the word of God...Kingdom principles... miracles of Jesus and most importantly... I want his identity to be rooted in truth because his mama is going to mess it up... repeatedly... and I want him to know Jesus's love never fails.


My 4-year old has also been reading since he turned 3 so I use this as time for him to read to me.  I usually can't find my glasses this early in the morning either, so it all works out.  He just loves the old testament stories- don't all little boys?  Today, however, I decided to break open the new testament and it landed on Mary & Martha.  My son wanted nothing to do with a story about two girls in a kitchen but I promised him the story of Jericho if he would listen to Mary & Martha first.

Deal.

For those of you not familiar with the story, let me give you the Cliff Notes version.  I realize this dates me because they aren't even called that anymore but ROLL WITH ME PEEPS....

"There were two sisters, Mary & Martha, who were friends with Jesus.  (They also had a brother Lazarus.) Jesus announced he was coming over to visit and upon his arrival, Martha got very busy preparing for his visit and making a meal.  Even though they were friends, they knew him as the Messiah and so of course it was a big deal that he was coming over.  When Jesus arrived he sat down in the living room and began to chat with the people in the house.  Martha was in and out of the kitchen, feverishly working to cook (no microwave or Trader Joe's appetizers available) and ensure the table was set properly.  Her younger sister Mary, sat at Jesus feet and just enjoyed the conversation.  Big sister Martha just about blows a gasket in frustration and finally pipes up to Jesus, "Hey, can you tell Mary to get off her tush and help me out?  Can't you see I'm sweating it out in here by myself?"  Jesus responds, "Martha.... you don't need to stress out.  Mary is actually the one who has this figured out."

Now, if you are really into theology and biblical studies, you may want to read the actual scriptures which can be found in Luke 10:38-42 (I like the New Living Translation version linked here... it's written how we would talk today;  too many "thous" and "thy's" rev up my boredom factor.

My son and I finish the story and before I give him the satisfaction of Jericho, I ask him what he thought the story of Mary & Martha meant.  His answer nearly blew me off my cushion.

"If you are too busy you won't be able to hear what Jesus is saying."

Well, that will do it.  A 4-year old is breaking down the very message of that story in a way I have never heard it explained.  Oh sure, I have always identified with Martha:

• I'm a "doer"... and "doers" are movers and shakers.
• I'm Martha...I'm responsible, resourceful... people won't eat if I'm not in there making it (or heating it up out of the package.)
• I'm the one who gets stuff done... I can't sit down... Mary is going to be living at home forever...she has no drive or ambition.

But for my child (remember, God calls us to have "child-like faith") to simply point out that when we get too busy, we can't hear Jesus talk.  Wow.

I've really wrestled with this over the course of this week.  As many of you know, I threw my back out over a week ago (thankfully just 2 protruded/bulging discs and so I'm back to rehab today) but for the last 7 days I've been horizontal and in a bit of a pain-killer haze.  Instead of just getting silent and still... I've filled my time w/ catching up on past seasons of favorite shows, googling like crazy and of course.. a lot of sleeping.  Now I'm not chastising myself, but I'm pointing out the obvious...

Graphic by: Natalie Ryder Design

This is not my default choice.  This was not Martha's default.  Please don't misunderstand the point of my message... it's actually one that should inspire us.  If you are a Martha... ROCK your Martha... plan the best parties, post on Pinterest, create.... do... serve... move... make it happen!!!!

Just know... and take my son's advice... "We can't always hear God when we're moving and shaking." Sometimes we need to stop.  Get in the room where God is speaking and listen.  

It reminds me of my middle son who gets so frustrated when he misses a question on a test because he didn't slow down to read all the way through the problem.  When we slow down, we allow our brain to rest; it's at those times, God can speak the loudest.  How many of you get your best ideas in the shower?  Because as moms, its the ONLY TIME BESIDES PEEING THAT WE GET PEACE AND QUIET!!!

So dear Marthas..... tell me one way you can slow down to hear God's beautiful voice today?  He might want to give you the answer to prayer you've been waiting for... the perfect solution to a problem you've been wrestling with.... inspiration for your next project.... whatever it is- tell me about it here and share your thoughts with the rest of us.  I'm so thankful you will.

Preschool Pollution

You would think by now that I would have known this was coming.

After all, I have three precious boys and all three of them have completed the blessed rite of passage into childhood....

If you have heard me speak before at a conference or Mother's group, you'll remember very clearly, why I support preschool.  You see, I write a check to a wonderful organization each month so that my boys will have a loving environment for a few hours each day.  

Because mom is done.

D-O-N-E.

Done making homemade playdoh, done with Diego Memory Games, done making the stuffed animals talk over and over and over again.  I mean, I don't mind getting down on the floor, but c'mon... I've been doing this since the kiddo needed tummy time!  I've been living my life in 15 minute increments- ensuring my child was properly stimulated, kept safe, learning his ABC's and preparing for standardized testing for THREE YEARS NOW.  Give the mom a break!

I think Preschool is a way better return on investment than mommy and baby therapy sessions at the family psychatrist.  And without preschool, that's exactly where we might end up!

In fact, when we found out we would be relocating to Austin, TX this summer, my first two google searches were "Homes for Sale in Austin" and "preschools near Steiner Ranch."  No joke.

And so it goes, the first day of preschool for my last child.  I'm early.  We're ready.  I've had the day circled on the calendar.  (You might be thinking "calloused, cold mama".... but at least I'm honest.)  You same people should be relieved to know that I cried like a baby as soon as I walked into my staff meeting at Expression Church that morning.  Okay, so it only lasted 5 minutes and it wasn't "blow your nose worthy" crying but there were definitely alligator tears.  I mean... this was my last, first day of preschool!!!!

So we've been grooving at preschool for about a month now... and it's my son's favorite part of the day to greet his teacher.  Thank goodness the second favorite thing to do is run into my arms when it's over!  So far, I've consistently impressed with what preschool teachers can draw out of youngsters this age.  How they memorize new songs, learn to hold scissors without taking out an eye and get along with 12 other mini-human strangers blows my mind.  Truly, preschool teachers are a gift from God!

Well... all was going well and then it happened.

If you have had a preschooler before you know what is coming next.

My child has been polluted.

By other children.

Ugh.

You know what I'm talking about.  Preschool is just as much academic as it is learning how to navigate this big world on a social level.  And that means you are going to be exposed to different children who come from different families and just do things differently.  So our sheltered little kiddos get sent off from our small, isolated worlds of the house and wham!, they are exposed to all the cultures, values and habits of other children.  Which, can be a great thing.  But not always.

First my son came home with the "defy authority" habit.  He smacks his fist on the table and tells me that I'm "making him so mad."  If you know me at all, it made me laugh at first because it was so out of character- but it was promptly dealt with and it really only lasted 2 days.

Then we had the sudden speech issue because we wanted to be just like our friend at school.  I had to explain that God was still teaching our new friend how to say her letters but that WE were going to use our words to help her along.  (My middle son took 6 years to pronounce his "L's" correctly, which was fine and I was used to it.  But to go "backwards" and have your child come home talking like Ming-Ming on the Wonder Pets was like nails on a chalkboard!)

Yesterday's gift was my child deciding he was only going to talk like a dog... just like his other new friend at school.  I have no more words to say about this subject.

Today as I was getting some much needed, often too distracted from, quiet time (what does that even mean anymore, right?) I decided to read Ephesians in my bible.  I love the message Bible, btw... tell it how it is, Hey-Seus.  

Anyhoo... ( I can tell my blood sugar is getting low, I'm getting random.)

I came across a passage that resonated with me:

Ephesians 2:1-6

 "It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah."

At first, it really reminded me of my son at preschool.  It's like his little body took in this polluted air of defiance, of speech difficulty, etc., and exhaled disobedience.  And c'mon, let's be real... it's not like I'm up here preaching that my son was a runner up for the Messiah and now he's walking around as the towne square bully.  No, not at all... but he fell subject to a world that isn't perfect... he took it all in... and kept some of it for himself.  He "tried on" what other kids were wearing to see how it would work for him.

But this is what really struck me.....

We do it too.  Whether we are followers of Christ or not.

We allow the world to fill up our lungs and we exhale it's impurities.  I'm not going to name what air you are breathing in... because it's different for all of us.

For me personally, I find it all too easy to take in the act of gossiping and judgement.  It goes on all around me, church attendee or not, Christian or not.  I find myself assimilating towards it; pretty soon, I've adopted it... just as easy as my son coming home and barking instead of talking!  Sometimes it's as easy as just doing whatever I "felt" like... (see passage above.)  How many times do I so easily fall into the snare of watching others lavishly shop beyond their means, talk down their husbands or watch inappropriate movies... and then think that it is okay to do that myself???

Friends, beware of the enemy who stalks around like a lion, seeking to destroy!  His best ploy is sneakiness.  You remember the tree of life, right?

He lies!

So don't think you are safe from the oxygen of the world.... of "culture."  Don't chalk it up to something like, "It's just the way it is these days" or "I want my kids (substitute yourself) to fit in."

In His love... he shows us mercy and envelops us in His embrace.  Resist air from any other Source! Drink in THAT oxygen and be refreshed today.


Hey, would love to hear from you!  Please leave a comment if that spoke to you...share with a friend or leave me a comment if YOU have one of those great preschool "pollution" experiences!

Two things bad roots and big bags taught me

Oh wait, it's just Thursday.

Come to think of it, why would I "TGIF," even if it was a Friday?

Friday isn't really too different from any other weekday.  Up at 6:21 a.m. via my iPhone alarm; bleary eyed, I head to the kitchen for shift #1:

Coffee into cup.  Add creamer.  Add more creamer.  Sip.  Peel eyes open. Check.

Quiet time w/ Jesus.  (Consists of 2nd sip of coffee and out -loud prayer. "Jesus, help me this morning.")  Check.

Wake two "would rather not be woken" children out of deep sleep.  Listen to general sounds of malaise and discontent about being woken at ungodly hour.  Check.

Greet my preschooler who has absolutely no authorization to be up so early (what human can survive the world at 4 years of age on just 9 hours of sleep?) from the stairs as he sing-songs at volume LOUD, "Good morning mom!  It's 6-3-0 on my clock!"  Check.

Cook 3 breakfasts, prepare 3 variation of lunches (because 3 the human beings I grew have absolutely no food commonalities.)  Check.

One, two, three, FOUR reminders of homework in backpacks, water bottles filled, permission slips signed, shoes located, (trust me, I have bins... you just gotta USE them.)  Check.

Kisses, prayers and send two offspring out the door.  Exhale.  Check.

It doesn't really matter if it's a Friday or not.  I'm exhausted writing out my morning routine.  Don't get me started on my Saturdays.  Three boys?  Living in the land of middle-class suburbia where playing just ONE sport makes them highly unusual already?  No, our Saturdays are the epitome of "minivan shuttle service" which also provides complimentary laundering service, complimentary beverages and snacks, not to mention psychological encouragement, coaching and every so often, first-responder or basic first-aid responsibilities.  That, is on a day we're NOT volunteering for one of the teams.  (Is it sad that my husband and I both volunteered to announce our son's recent football game just so we could get some time together?)

Now I'm really exhausted as I proofread this and realize how many "lines in the sand" I've stepped... I mean PLOWED across at 65mph in my mini-van (a line in the sand itself.)

So, even if it's not a TGIF, it's another day in the life of a stay at home mom... who's primary responsibility of running the family's home is busy, to say the least.  I didn't even drop the info bomb about our hot water tank "failing" and dumping 300 gallons of water in our attic crawl space and garage below.  Did you know that drywall dust is very, very fine and gets EVERYWHERE?????

To think my husband just got the whole garage organized... now it's all loaded in a POD parked in our driveway.  :)

Onward....

I meant for this to be short...OBVIOUSLY I have some pent up feelings today... but I"m hoping just one of you have been here before and handled it better than me?

After my hair stylist and lunch date cancelled on me within 20 minutes of each other... I was bummed out this morning.  You saw my morning... I mean, where are MY Mary Jane's?  Where's MY milk and cookies?  Oh yeah, mom's have servant hearts.  Yes... yes I do.  But it's also just fine to look forward to sitting for 2 hours and having someone touch your hair that doesn't want a snack or sex, right?  Sure I gotta pay for it... but the two hours is worth it and ON TOP OF THAT I get 7 weeks of pretending I have blonde hair.  A hair-stylist that can't reschedule for another week may as well be like someone deliberately popping your child's balloon at the midway of the state fair.

Traumatizing.

Then my lunch date cancelled.  Big bummer.  Food?  Prepared?  Without having to clean up?  Total treat!  Big people convo?  Priceless.  Now, like my balloon analogy... my own lip is quivering as I fight the pity party I can feel welling up inside of me.

Pity turns to fuming.  It's like my hairdresser and friend know each other.  Really... two dates canceling in 20 minutes?  I bet THEIR going to go and have lunch.  That is just so mean.  So rude.  So.......

Wait.  What am I going to do... I've go two choices; Tailgate at the pity party or make some lemonade?

So what do I do?

Provide the BBQ and tent, of course!  I look in the mirror... I see lots of mud-colored hair... matted flat to my head from the rush of the morning shift.  I peer in closer and see the Louis-Vitton tote-bag-sized bags that have formed under my eyes.  (Sponsored in part by a dear four year old who not only needs just 9 hours of sleep but is having massive nightmares in this phase of life.)  The pounding headache is back, reminding me that indeed, I was up every 55 minutes for most of the night and that now, with this amount of REM sleep, or lack thereof, I will need to cancel my plans to join friends at a NW Wine Social at their club.  (Another  cat's meow for any mom who lives in Lycra and tenny-runners all day AND happens to LOVE fermented grapes from the NW.)

I can almost smell the BBQ at the pity party tailgate.  I have two options.  Continue down this rabbit hole or remind myself of the truth?

Having chased the rabbit down the hole several times, I realize my crossroads look familiar and decide to take a right turn... down truth lane.

LESSON #1: (for you note-takers) We don't HAVE to live this way.

What do I mean?

I don't have to spend time wallowing in my situation.  I don't have to pity.  No.  I can rise above.  And, I'm talking about some crafted Polyanna "singing bluebird" attitude either.  You don't have to pull up your own bootstraps.  If you don't have your own bible, go search online "John 14:26."  It says that Jesus sent his "advocate" for us.... the Holy Spirit... to be our helper.  So our perspective change isn't just a matter of us pasting on a smile and saying, "Oh well, I'm dusted in a fine layer of sheet rock, sleepless and am now left w/ a wide open schedule thanks to be cancelled on... I guess I'll just learn to love my roots and eat leftover Rice A Roni for lunch."  Joy.  Joy.  Joy.  No... God knew we needed the Holy Spirit to get us out of rabbit holes...give us some perspective.  Remind us to knock it off!  


2 Timothy 1:7
New Living Translation (NLT)
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

I don't have to live by a fallen (sinful) spirit of a 40 year old whose exhausted and emotional.  No, I have the holy spirit inside of me who reminds me of who I am.  The way I explain it to my kids is that the Holy Spirit, Jesus and God have been around a LOT longer than they have... so they have a lot more time to learn how to navigate life's up and downs... stay steady and not be tempted to chase down  every rabbit.


LESSON #2:  When in doubt, always turn right down truth lane:

Here's some truth:


Psalm 139:13-16 
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Jeremiah 29:11 

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

1 John 3:1 

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 

It really doesn't matter whether my hair style is from last Tuesday and has subsequently been put in a ponytail ever since....without shampoo or water.  It doesn't matter that the bags under my eyes are bigger than my chin.  It doesn't matter that I fed my kids cereal for the last 34 breakfasts in a row (I didn't but you get my drift.)

GOD LOVES US AS WE ARE.  

He made us.  He knows.  He KNOWS.  Whether you are frustrated with this season, feeling hidden, feeling like you could host your own pity party... he knows, he loves you and wants to offer you a hand to get back up and out of the "pity toilet bowl."  You are loved.  Wholly loved.  Just as you are.  Nothing you have done this morning, this last week, year or lifetime can separate you from God's love once you reach up your hands and ask him for a big hug.


If you are like me, you might be wondering, "So, how did it turn out?  Did you post a snide FB post about your neighbor?  Throw a rock at your stylist's salon?  Will you be on Jerry Springer?"

(Sorry, cracking myself up.)

Ahhh... no.  The reality and humbling truth is that it took about 45 minutes of me piddling my time away, feeling sorry for myself before I returned to my bible and read the verses I shared with you today.  Truthfully, 45 wasted minutes that I could have been praying for someone, cooking a meal for someone, catching up with someone... all those things we think we are "too busy" for.  (Sigh.)

Finally, I turned to the truth for a change in perspective and let the holy spirit guide my thoughts.  My neighbor and hairdresser weren't conspiring.  In fact, how many times have I needed to cancel last minute?  Duh... that will give you some compassion... turn it around and realize how often you've done the same thing.  Of course we'll reschedule- can't wait to spend time with my new friend.

I found another hairdresser... I'm now back to my pre-children color.  The bags are still there but they are marks of a caring mom who stayed up through the night to be with her child.  (And I figure I'll just go to bed when they do tonight... saves me the calories of the fermented grapes and the $35 on the sitter.)

That's why I love getting God's perspective on our situations and our emotions.  He has a 94 year perspective on my life... so I don't need to be ruled by my sleep deprived, morning perspective.  I can rest in truth and know that even if my children don't appreciate me at 6:20 a.m..... even if my hairstylist has an emergency and cancels... I am wholly loved, fearfully and wonderfully made.

And you know what?  So are you. 

Do you speed-date through life?

I don't know about you, but I love a good party.  Now, what defines a "good" party for you may be different from me... and its certainly different from the kind of party I used to go in search of when I was a reckless young adult.  (So thankful for God's forgiveness... and that those days are behind me!)  So, to define... a good party to me would have:

Amazing food. (You know, the kind that is so good you don't have to eat before you arrive?  The kind that you could never have the patience to make on your own... the kind that makes Pinterest look like a valid and achievable website.)

Amazing beverages.  Fermented or not, I'm talking about mixologist wonders of the world.

Great dress attire.  I mean, what girl doesn't love dressing up???  So far, most of my life residency has consisted of Seattle, WA, Portland OR and Austin, TX; none of these being the fashion capitals of the world.  In fact, I went to the opening night of the symphony in Portland one time and sat next to a guy in a Gap sweatshirt, Jeans and Berkenstocks.  Needless to say, I in my long dress and pearls, was not mistaken to be his date for the night.

I'm missing something.... good party requirements... hmmm.  Music...yes, good music... maybe even a bit to dance to, depending on the occasion.  Everyone needs to get their Michael Jackson on.

No children.  (Duh.)

In fact, my ideal party would look something like this....

Okay, so you get the image I am trying to paint... gorgeous atmosphere... amazing food... music... hmmm... anything else?

Oh yes, people.  

Ahhh, now THAT is a variable, isn't it?  The ideal party...would you surround it with everyone you knew.... would you make it a party where you got to meet lots of exciting people, new BFF's people that would ultimately shape your life.... or would you hodgepodge the mix?

While I personally wouldn't want to miss out on a new BFF or amazing people who would play an integral part of shaping my life, it's so much easier to hang out and talk with your friends.  Your "crew."  The ones you don't have to die a slow death of small-talk with.

You know what I mean.  We've all been there.  You are mingling at some event and you meet a new person.  This situation pretty much boils down to three outcomes:

1. You'll have a familiar face the next time you cross paths and can once again discuss the weather, local sports teams and the stuffed mushrooms being passed around.
2. Sending your date or spouse "the look" 5-7 times before they understand you desperately need to be rescued out from a conversation that makes you jealous of those who are currently undergoing  a root canal... because truth be told you'd rather be having dental work performed than continuing to converse with this person.
3. You and your new "contact" exchange information and actually do what you say and follow up with each other to set a time where you can hang out again... a new friendship is formed.

The amazing thing is that all of that happens in the course of a few minutes.  In between the music, the food (oh my goodness, the food) and the mingling, we really only have a short time to decide where our conversations are going...and how we are going to categorize the person we're talking to.

Isn't it fair to say that it doesn't really matter if we've been set up by Match.com or forced to attend a work function with our spouse... most of our introductions to people... our first "interactions" or "exchanges" with people are pretty much like speed dating.  Within about 2 minutes you know whether this person is ever going to make your radar again or not.

Scoff, stop reading and ponder for a minute or do what you need to do... but I feel like I just landed on a big one.  

Because when we get right down to it, we realize we might be passing by some God-given relationships in our life.

Now of course I can write and say, "Don't judge a book by it's cover" but we're adults and we've said it and read it so much it's lost it's flavor.  But it's true.  We speed-date people and decide... based on a couple of minutes... seconds.... LOOK-OVERS (gasp...what???) that this person is "in" or "out" in our life.  Ever thought any of these next few thoughts?

One or two looks at that gal's outfit tells me she's had a wild life and trying to find "30" again when CLEARLY I guess she's about 41... did she borrow her daughter's outfit?  Ugh, I don't need THAT kind of woman in my circle of friends.

Oh, I see that guy every week in church... and look at him holding a beer.  I bet it's his 3rd.  Hypocrite.

Wow... that was such a boring conversation with Devon's mom.  All she cares about is the safety of her children diet in the schools...she's paranoid... my kids would RUN OVER her kids... better not accept any play dates. 

Wow.

Kind of easy to do, isn't it?

We adopt a bit of a "Been there, done that" attitude towards people, don't we?

Hey, look folks, I am being REALLY VULNERABLE here.  If I were preaching, I'd ask for a few "amens" right about now so I could keep going and not pee my pants of embarrassment on stage.  Rotten thoughts... but I have sooooo gone there.

But here's the kicker... life isn't meant to be done like speed dating... life is relationships.  And relationships don't get built on cocktail-party timelines.  They get built layer by layer, each time we interact... because people are not static...they are dynamic, growing and changing. 

Last week, Pastor Ryan Malouff at Expression Church preached a message on "been there, done that."  He was trying to illustrate how many of us think we have God figured out... so we stop growing the relationship.    Or even paying attention to the relationship.  Or even paying attention to the idea itself!  We kick it into the box of "religion" and give our spouse "the look" to get outta there.

We can't speed date Jesus.  

We can't think, "Oh, there's that God thing again.  Been there.  Done that." and brush off our hands.

Jesus came so we would have a living example of what God is like.  He left but gave us the holy spirit, our resident "holy helper" to be with us always... so we could converse, spend time together in prayer and worship... attend cocktail parties to encourage those around us.  And that is just how our relationship with Jesus should be. 

I hope that today you'll not only pray for a new approach as to how you see and interact with people...that maybe you'll spend a bit more time before you let God tell you if this is a person you are supposed to have in your life, regardless of your personal opinions about that person.  But I also pray you would go and visit that table where Jesus was sitting... when you were so busy speed dating that you took one look at Him and decided that you had him all figured out and left the table.  I pray you would sit back down and begin a great new relationship with Him.

The coolest thing is that he's ALWAYS available to talk AND will love you even if your appetizers didn't turn out like the Pinterest picture.  (Just sayin')

Is there someone you can go back to and invest in?  Share your thoughts with me, leave a comment!- I'd love to hear!

Thanks for reading... be sure to "join" the site by clicking the button on the right or find me in Google circles so you don't miss a post!

Grab your hammer!

I'm having a really hard time.

Now I know I've been notorious for blogging about kiddos... trust you me... I'll get to that in a few days.  I'm still recovering; also still pondering why anyone on God's beautiful earth would come up with some grand idea of having elementary school kids go out the door at 7:01 in the morning to catch a bus to school.  I get that it's good for the teenagers to sleep in later because their natural sleep rhythms change and they go to bed late... but did anyone bother to ask mom about THEIR sleep rhythms?  If they had... I hope someone would have mentioned that there is a high percentage of us that are now walking our kids to the bus stop in our pajamas, hair half-in, half-out of yesterday's ponytail and flip flops on the wrong feet.  Forget homemade lunches; it's "cafeteria-city, sweetheart" and a halitosis kiss from mom before you're on your way.

So, yeah, I got a couple of things to say about back to school... but it's not why I'm so worked up.

I'm sad.

And I'm mad.

And you know, that means I'm gonna write about it... and hope it blesses just one person as much as writing it down and sharing it with you blesses me.  (And saves me a therapy co-pay.)  :)

I wish we'd put away our rocks.

Not our diamonds... not our bling... our rocks.

The ones we come running with when someone screws up.  When someone does something we cannot tolerate.  When someone crosses the imaginary line of acceptable...that funny enough... we, as a "western" culture, promote and dare people to cross... but then flock like pigeons at a bread factory when someone crosses that line... gathering like a collective mob to throw that person under the bus.

Yes... I'm talking about Miley Cyrus (And you'll NEVER see my Hyperlink her name.  If you like this story, share it... but I trust those who are supposed to read this will get their hands on it without me trying to manipulate search engines!)  But I'm talking about just about every person here on the earth.  We seem to have stones in our purse or briefcase... tucked away in our pockets... ready to come out a moment's notice when somebody does something.

Anything, really.

So she gyrated and sexed herself up and down on a stage in front of a world-wide audience.  It's MTV... it's pop culture... there's no ethics committee in the media folks.. what did you think was going to happen?  And now that it has... why are we lining up to throw stones at her?  We've got her in every blog, every commentary, left-wing, right-wing... from E! News to Fox News... we're trying to assign her to some spot on the "you really screwed up" bell curve.

Reminds me of an old story I heard.... (Oh, you know where I'm going with this.)

John 8:1-11 NLT: As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

11 “No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

Okay... so a woman CAUGHT IN THE ACT OF ADULTERY... literally!!!!  I mean, getting drug out of a bed, or wherever she is?  Probably naked.... probably grabbed a bed sheet (what the heck was it made out of then, anyway?)  Anyhoo... what does Jesus do?  I mean, she broke the law and had tons of witnesses.  And look at this crowd... they are ready... PUMPED... to "be good people" and slay her with their stones.  And Jesus?  Well, heforgives her and tells her to not do it again.

It's a great story of forgiveness, but I love the sub-plot here.  Jesus gives simple directives to the gathered crowd... "Whoever hasn't sinned...not even one single time... YOU... YOU can be the first to hurl your rock at this gal's head."  (Uh, translation mine.)

Even better is that while the crowd is so busy yelling accusations at the chick, calling for her death... Jesus looks down and starts drawing!  Fast forward a 2013 of this story:

Everybody is busy dragging Miley Cyrus into the middle of the spotlight... tearing her down... pointing their finger, calling her names, expressing their outrage.  But Jesus doesn't even stop to watch the news clips, read the tweets or re-post the letters to the press.  He looks down and doodles on his etch-a-sketch.  Then he asks all of us to go ahead and stone Miley if we have never sinned.

Pause.

The bible says that all sin is created equal.  The bible says that in God's throne of judgement, killing your neighbor is just as much a sin as being jealous of your neighbor's new car.  God doesn't "stack-rank" sin, people.

So where does that leave us?  Definitely looking for a place to set down our rock.

Because who ARE we to judge?

Saved or unsaved... I'm fighting the good fight but I still fall to sin.  You bet.  In fact, until I am sitting next to Jesus in heaven, I DEFINITELY have to put my rock down.  I've judged.  I've been jealous.  I've been angry.  I've been greedy.  I've been prideful.  Shoot... that was just this week!  :)

I hope you are hearing me here.  

If the woman caught in adultery can be compared to Miley, he would have loved her, forgiven her and encouraged her to go and stop sinning.  It's his love that leads us pursue a life of righteousness.  

Don't misunderstand me here.  I'm not outraged at Miley.  We can be outraged at what America considers acceptable to air on TV and we can be mindful of what our own eyes take in and what images our children are subjected to... but that's a whole other post.  I'm praying that Miley's heart would be turned to a life with Jesus.  I'm praying that she would encounter the unconditional and radical love of Jesus.  I'm praying for new people in her life to show her a different way!

But I'm not here to talk about the actions, instead, my heart was burdened by the hearts of others.  I was even bothered by my own heart... not at what I did or didn't do about Miley's performance, per se, but what I've thought about others when they cross MY imaginary line of acceptable.  

What we need to do is drop our stones and pick up our hammers. 

Jesus was a carpenter until his ministry began.  Let's use our hammer to "build" up a society that embraces and promotes wholeness, love and truth.  Hammers can join things together... rocks destroy a structure!  It seems to be a tool that brings a lot more love into the world as opposed to holding onto these rocks... ready to destroy.

John 13:34-35: "....Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

I'll admit... this is harder to do than you think.  But I think this is a good place to start.  Remembering that we are in no position to judge.  Because when we really step back... we would all be deserving of those stones, wouldn't we??  

I know, that for me and my heart... I will choose to remember we are ALL children of God.  While I cannot control what happens to me, I can control how I respond to it.

Be blessed and feel loved... you are!

My last two and a half hours....

I should probably consider buying myself a journal and just write in that every day.  Oh wait, I have several journals (some empty, some with a few entries, some with to-do lists) that I already possess.  I think the hardest part is remembering to be consistent.  Because life happens....and it happens fast.  Details unravel...there are highs...there are lows.... most things work themselves out....

To try and catch someone up to speed can take pages of writing.  Oh sure, there is the "male" version I could give you... "I have three boys...they are nuts... I'm becoming nuts... we're moving...again... yes, I know... again."

But c'mon... God made me a WOMAN which means I need to give you every detail, every back-story so you will COMPLETELY understand why...oh why... I look completely frazzled and in the same gym clothes I was in yesterday.  If I didn't tell you everything, well, then... I appear pathetic.  If I drag you through the highs and lows...why, then...I appear to have superwoman strength just to be there talking about it!!!!

(Does blogger still wrestle with a strong need to perform?  Check.)

So here I am... in front of the Starbucks to borrow their Wi-fi (I'm going to get my cup of coffee... jeesh... it's not like I'm free loading... but if I go in, I'll see someone I know, make up excuses and not ever get a chance to write... I'm very honest that I lack willpower!) but I'm trying my best to get a post in.... I've got a great one up my sleeve about God's nutty journey the last few weeks but........but....

I have two and a half hours left.

See...some people cry and get wistful.  I do.  I DO!  I do get choked up.. at the most random of things... the national anthem.  Seeing soldiers come home.  The end of my kiddos sports games (especially when they come and clap for US at the end of the game... be still my beating heart!!!)

But the end of City Kids PRESCHOOL?

Uh... no.  I don't get wispy.  I get sad.  Very sad.  A bit panicked and sad.

I really love those of you who are gasping and wondering if you should call protective child services on me right now.  I love you because I'm AMAZED by you.... you are such great moms!!!

I love my kids, don't get me wrong.  But the end of preschool is like a probation officer coming to my house and greeting me at the front door with a low-jack ankle bracelet.

I will now be reduced to a 30 foot radius for the entire summer break.  I can't hear it go off, but my preschooler can.  If I go upstairs to pee... only 10 seconds go by before I hear, "mom?"  "MOM?"  If I head to the garage for a minute... "mom?"  "MOM?"  It must sound off like a dog whistle... which apparently my son can hear because for the last week he's insisted he's a dog and simply barks for water or food.

Awesome.


Why, preschool directors, why?  Why do we have to end earlier than our school-aged siblings?  It's like a band-aid being ripped off over an 8 day period.  Leg hair, by leg hair... my freedom is being ripped away from me.... my ability to shop down an entire aisle and look at new products, read labels and not have to avoid the dessert section..... gone.   For the next 3 months I will no longer be able to get through Target without opening up the $1 package of God-knows-what-is-in-them animal crackers to keep someone in their shopping cart so we're not consistently calling out his name on the store intercom.

Gone are outisde runs with my Ipod; not accompanied by a stroller, 17 stops to look at bugs, feed ducks, collect leaves, pee outside, open snacks and head back after 700 feet because someone has to poop.

Gone are having full thoughts, full sentences or full cups of coffee without having to microwave it.

Don't get me wrong... I love my children.  I really do.  But it's not like I was a miserable person contemplating the meaning of life before I had them.  So... for these 9 months I have relished my two and a half hours, three days a week, in which I get to visit the ghost of "Erin past."

Silence.

Talk radio.

Phone calls... even 7+ minute phone calls....

Suddenly, snack requests, shaving foam paintings and ominous "Thursday share days" sound delightful.  Hustling out the door, always running back for our tote bag or stuffed animal leaves me wanting more... more... more of those!

I'm reminded of the lyrics in a Counting Crows song, "Why does it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone...."

Readers... it's been so nice to share these last few minutes with you.  It has been a treat.  I can't promise you when I might write to you again... I can't promise you the sentences will be coherent.... I'm thankful you can't hear screaming while I type.  Doesn't really matter if it's mine or my children's.  I'm thankful I don't "vlog" because you'd see me with those gym pants from yesterday and a stringy pony-tail.... mascara from April.

A parallel universe I am sure we can all relate to.... to love our little nuggies so much...so much it hurts...so much that we read other really great blogs from inspiring moms who are telling us how to raise our children even better.... but to also cry.. just a little bit.... that in now THIRTY minutes... my school-break is coming to an end....

Let the duck-feeding, bug-hunting and skipping the dessert aisle at the grocer BEGIN!!!

(Hey... you know that most of what I type is REAL but certainly not enough to call the police on, right?  So... throw me a bone...anyone else dress in black the last day of school?  Let me know!)

I'm losing control

A short musing for the day.  Because let's face it... if you stalk FB like I do, and treat it like a diary (like I do) then you've noticed that I haven't posted in a long time.  LLoooonnnnnggggg time.

(What, you didn't notice?  You mean, you're not trolling FB looking for another blog posting from #Viewsfromtheburbs?  You mean... sniff... it's not all about ME?)

So posting this today is about as challenging as calling up a friend you haven't talked to in 3 years.  I mean...where do you start?  There is no possible way to get in all the details of what has been going on.

Sidebar...isn't THAT in of itself a lesson that most of the stuff that happens in our life is really SMALL AND FORGETTABLE???  Ha!

Well..that was an unforeseen bit of wisdom right there.  Bonus material... it's a generous day.

OKAY...here's what I really wanted to say (and for those who are minimalists, get to the point type of people... you're pulling your hair out, aren't you???)  :)  That makes me giggle.

I've lost control over the last 3 weeks.

I mean... LOST IT.  Put some inflection in your tone when you read that.  Seriously.

Painfully... after needing SEVERAL reminders, the same facts keep presenting themselves to me:

• Lectures won't control my children's behavior
• Calling my Realtor numerous times throughout the day will not cause our rental home sale to close.
• Re-vacuuming my floor to get perfect "lines" in the carpet will not bring a buyer to view our home.
• Refreshing my internet browser bar will not make a new home in Austin magically "appear" on the market.
• Having the courage to finally speak my intentions of becoming a presenter and speaker to people does not automatically cause engagements to get booked.

Drats.  DRATS!  (And just to be clear... I know sometimes little ones read over your shoulders... hence the "drats" because I've had to apologize to God and my Hubby for a few other...ahem... choice of words lately. )

I literally remember the time two weeks ago I was smoothing out the down in my comforter...trying to ensure the bed was not looking lumpy in the event someone came to look at our house.  No... we didn't have anyone scheduled.  But, JUST IN CASE.... I was going to have the most evenly-filled comforter this side of Bellevue.  Because THAT, I was SURE... would cause someone to buy the house.

(Folks... I'm being really raw here...so I appreciate you not falling off your chair in how ridiculous this must be as you imagine it in your head.  This is real...welcome to my world.)

I felt like God actually spoke to me right up in my room...right to my heart...and he said,

"Do you think THIS is going to make someone buy your house?"

And I replied (duh, to God...not myself) "Not sure... but this is what I can control."

And it dawned on me... I don't really have any control... do I?

Nope.

Nada.  Zilch.

I mean we do.  I was lamenting to a friend about all of this and she said, "Man, what CAN you control?" in a very empathetic tone.  My response?  

"I can control my reaction."

It's all we've got people.... IF we choose to live according to God's plan for our lives.  I mean, lets distinguish this fork in the road right now people.

You can get as far as you can in your own human strength.... but that has limits.  Somewhere... there is a ceiling you will reach.  And to do life that way, you need to control a lot... all the time...without ceasing.

Or... you can let God take over and live according to the plan HE has for your life.  While very unnatural for me to "let go" or give someone else the "reins" to my life, here's the truth I can hold onto and know the benefits:

• My yoke is easy and my burden is light- Matthew 11:30 NIV
• For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.- Jeremiah 29:11
• As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.- Isaiah 55:9
• Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.- Ephesians 3:20

Well that seems so much easier than making vacuum lines in my carpet every morning (okay, okay... every morning AND afternoon.)

And doesn't it seem like the minute you stop obsessing about something...scheming... trying to "figure it out" that not only do you relax and get your life back...but when you give that situation to God... it literally works itself out???

Okay... so I have some hens in the henhouse that I can't let out until tomorrow...so stay tuned.... but for today... take 5 minutes to say out loud or write it down...that which you are wearing yourself out trying to control the situation or outcome.  Then give it to God... with your mouth or your written words.... let him take over in that circumstance.  If I.... the best (overcoming) control freak I know...can do it, you can too.

Hey, post back to this...what did you give up or... you don't have to share if you don't want...but tell me how it felt!!!!

Talk atcha' tomorrow!

Oh Yeah... forgot about that old stuff....

I've sat down to write several times today but I just can't articulate my thoughts... I keep returning to the internet to see if I can find out the latest on the Boston Marathon bombings.  Like any other human, I am addicted to a train wreck.  I don't want to be, trust me... I am reduced to tears every single time I see an image.  My core is rocked thinking about that precious 8-year old boy who just wanted to see his Daddy finish his race.  My thoughts quickly track back to when my son was eight and we made the trip to downtown Chicago to see my husband finish his race.  More tears.  I'm immobilized.  I'm grieving those people who will forever alter their plans because they are missing a limb.  Again... tears.

Yet I am moved by compassion...the hundreds of people who stayed and helped.  Color was not an issue for those hours after the bombs went off.  Neither was race, gender, economic status, age.  Quite frankly, I LOVED that the world suspended judgement against one another.  Labels vanished.  It was all for one and one for all.

I loved the comraderie that was so prevalent today as I went back to my "normal life."  Smiles were more genuine.  "Thank-you's" were a bit more heart-felt and not just obligatory manners.  And oh, the runners... the runners were out in full force today.  There was an appreciative nod to one another; we were of one accord today.  (It helped that the rains subsided enough in Seattle that the ark finally rested on high-ground.)

And that was good.

But amidst the extra effort to treat others a bit more humanely, amidst the light layer of solemness that exuded itself today, there was definitely a spirit of restlessness.... a itch I just couldn't scratch.... a question I just couldn't answer.

How did we get here?

I poised this question to my husband last night as we were about to head upstairs to bed... (c'mon, get your head out of the gutter... I've got 3 boys... bed = sleep!)

No, seriously... oh man, I've lost some of you... come back.  Okay, I asked,

"Do you think the world has gotten a lot crazier or are we just more aware of it because our faith in Jesus Christ has grown and He has opened our eyes to it?"

Mark 8:17-18     Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?

(I am referring to our ability to see the world through the eyes of Jesus as opposed to our sinful selves.)

My husband's answer has followed me everywhere today.  This is not what I intended to write about; I intended to write about a huge breakthrough... future plans... updates on transitioning from life as I know it to life in ministry (cliffhangers, I hope...do make sure you "join" my site to receive my next few posts.)  But I think my hubs, Chris Turnley answered that question so well that I am COMPELLED to share it with as many who are willing to listen.

We, as a society, as a culture, as a nation... are here because we've lost the reverence and fear of God.
Really.  It is as simple, yet haunting, as that.

We don't fear him.  We've shaved Him down, watered Him down, contorted Him into what works best for our lives.  And quite frankly, now that He's so manageable, He is no longer a giant.  He is no longer Lord.

Hubby went further to illustrate how the nation has gone from its creation, it's Birth, conceived out of dennouncement of England... being able to be "indivisible, under God" to movements that call for the removal of the word "God" from our currency, our schools, our statues, memorials and the very pledge of Allegiance that founded this country.  (By the way, can I just draw your attention to the "Pledge of Allegiance."  Ahem.... allegiance.... synonmous with "devotion" and "loyalty.")

Okay, so here is what I am driving at.  I'm sure you have scrolled Facebook after a national tragedy and seen posts such as this:

"You ask where I am in the school shootings yet you try and remove me from schools.  You ask where I am when the town square is bombed yet you remove the plaque that says 'In God we trust.' from the very same park.  I want to be in your life but you keep kicking me out."   -God

I have to be honest with you... it ressonnates with me for a few days after a tragedy; it gets me all fired up and I'm ready to send off letters to my public school system, my representatives and anyone else who will listen.

And then life returns... schedules resume... a child gets sick.... the minivan's tire is flat... and the news coverage is no longer 24/7 about the incident... it's filed away in the "where is this world going to?" bucket.  Quickly, our life bucket (which is much larger and leaks, by the way) gets stacked on top of our deep moral compass concerns and we move on.

The truth is, guys, is that God is actually the answer.  Now, is He going to create utopia for us here on earth?  Ummm... no, that's actually what he calls Heaven...and He DOES say there will be trials until you graduate to Utopia.  Trials can be anything from a broken fingernail to the senseless death of a loved one.  BUT... friends... BUT....  as a whole, we need to remember who created the universe... who breathed us into existence... who spoke a mere four words and "poof," here we are.

I'm speaking to the 84% of us... the 84% who responded to some survey, somewhere along the line and claimed the existence of God.  Who believe that there is one true God.  Right now would be a really good time to drop your theologian hat and keep reading...  stop getting hung up on the "does he love Gays?," "Why does a church ask for money?" "Was Jesus's body really put in tomb?"  STOP!

Drop the backpack of baggage you've been slinging around that "religion was forced down my throat," or you had a "bad pastor" or "God wouldn't let bad things happen"  STOP.

I'm not going to tell you I have answers.  But I will point you to a few things that started to make so much sense:

Jeremiah 2:13

“My people have done two evil things.
    They turned away from me,
    and they dug their own water cisterns.[a]
I am the source of living water;
    those cisterns are broken and cannot hold water.

The cisterns that are broken and cannot hold water are interpreted by scholars to be His analogy for idols.  Most people think of little wooden or ceramic carvings when you hear 'idol" in a religious context.  I suppose if you are reading this late at night you might be thinking about Ryan Seacrest, Simon Cowell and American Idol, the TV show.  But check out Webster's Dictionary and what they had to say about the word "idol."


1.   a. An image used as an object of worship.
      b. A false god.
2. One that is adored, often blindly or excessively.
3. Something visible but without substance.

Check out number three.  As I mentioned before, we've neutered, binded, and trimmed God to a point that he's no longer welcome in our neat, tidy and "lots of gray area" little world.  He gets in the way of the choices we want to make...and feel okay about making them.  Yes... long gone are the "fire and brimstone" messages our parents grew up with (and maybe even some of us) about the fear of God and the fear of his condemnation, his damnation and our the destiny of our eternal souls.  Good grief... heavy stuff... who would want to listen to that?

But perhaps we should every now and then?  Perhaps not in a way that it is delivered, Bible thumping, some would call it... but shouldn't we... and don't we owe it to one another... to bring God out of the box and put him back in his rightful place?  At the top?  Bigger than us?

Bigger than our other idols?  As world-renown author and leader Beth Moore has put it, an idol is "any tradeoff for God."  Wow.

What I love is that God "seeks" us.  We don't "find" him.  We... at some point... turn to Him and there he is... waiting.  He was waiting the whole time.  But lets not miss the fact that we have to turn to him which means one, it's active and two... it means we turn away from other things.  We turn away from our other idols and turn instead to a mighty and powerful God, who according to the Old Testament says He is:

• El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty)
• El Elyon (The Most High God)
• Adonai (Lord, Master)
• Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah)
• Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner)
• Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd)
• Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals)
• Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)
• Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness)
• Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You)
• El Olam (The Everlasting God)
• Elohim (God)
• Qanna (Jealous)
• Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide)
• Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace)

That sounds like a lot more security than any of my other idols can offer.  That sounds like a lot more happiness than my glass of wine, my workout regimen or juicy novel can offer.

And that sounds like something worth fighting for.  Worth speaking up about.  Worth writing to my school district and my government representatives about.  Worth telling my neighbor about.  Worth telling the stranger at the bus stop about.  Because let's face it... this "hush-hush" attitude about God isn't going so well.

As Craig Groeschel  mentioned in his book Weird, "The majority of people claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. And all this is normal. But normal isn’t working."

What will you do tomorrow to make God bigger in your life than he was today?