It’s One Word Friday!
Ok, so I’m not sure how I got there, but after becoming a Christian in my teens, I fell into a default mode that always assumed that God’s will must be the hardest, and most painful choice I was faced with.
Broccoli or brownie? Broccoli must be more holy.
Cat or dog? God surely hates cats so He must want to refine my character by inflicting a cat on me (if this is true, I’m not committed enough to be a disciple) Continue reading
Happy One Word Friday! I think some of the ways we “Choose Life” (my two words) are by choosing truth, choosing grace, and choosing to delight in the gifts of God. I thought I’d share some of those gifts that have been delighting me lately. What about you? Share what’s delighted you lately in the comments! Continue reading
Last year my One Word was Fearless. Even if it wasn’t your “word”, it clearly struck a cord with many of you.
I’d really like to say, “Fear shmear! Puh-lease! We’ve dealt with you and we’re so done! Shaking the fear dust off our feet! Moving on!”
Unfortunately, like bad hair days and weeds, it can keep showing up. What’s a current fear of yours? Is it a risk in business? A parenting decision? A move or change?
Recently as daughter Maggie was getting ready to head to northern Uganda she was researching snakes – a phobia we both share.
She texted me asking if I thought mace would deter a Black Mamba. I said I thought it might just make him angrier. Her husband, Austin did research and assured her that she’d have 20 minutes to find an antidote (in the middle of nowhere) before she died. And then this:
So, she’s got that advice in her hip pocket.
But a fear of mine, not as dramatic as snakes, has been plaguing me recently – fear of technology.
Laura to technology is like the Cubs to baseball. #Fail. And I HATE making mistakes!
Recently it was creating and trying to figure out how to embed a survey that loomed large. Now on the other side of it, I am trying to reflect on what I’m learning about facing fears, especially when I feel inadequate. Here are a few of my learnings. I’d love to hear yours!
1. Study. Like Maggie googling snakes in Africa, the more I can learn about something the better off I’ll be. Frankly that’s a pain with technology because I’d prefer to have someone sit down and show me, but instead I had to google tutorials. Still, it paid off. Knowledge is power. Or a tiny bit of courage.
2. Ask, “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” For me the worst that could happen did. A wrong button was hit and those of you who subscribe received an empty post. How humiliating! (Again, I HATE appearing incompetent). But was it as catastrophic as the apocalypse? No. You guys are a forgiving lot and I dusted myself off and tried again.
3. Identify the benefits of failure. Often the fear is worse than the thing itself. There can be huge growth, relief, and pride on the other side of walking through our fears, even if temporary failure is part of the deal.
I don’t just fear technology, I basically hate it. It’s detail-y and scienc-y and science is close to math and we all know I don’t do math, so it takes a tremendous amount of discipline to MAKE myself do any projects involving technology. But that discipline pays off in learning new skills, and diminished fear for the future.
4. Pray. (You figure I had to put that one in, eh?). Honestly my prayers regarding my fears are usually an inarticulate “Helpmehelpmehelpme!”. I’m learning I’m better off if I pray scripture – either paying attention and praying for the character qualities of those in the Bible who face their fears – like Daniel, Joseph, and Nehemiah, or claiming God’s promises of His presence and guidance.
So, what’s a current fear of yours? What are you learning?
This week has taken on the theme of “stuckness” so I thought I’d continue it on this One Word Friday.
When we’re stuck, “LIFE” often seems to be a choice hiding like Waldo at a convention of clowns. It requires determination and intention.
Again, this is not a magic formula, but here are three things I do to try to “choose life” when I’m stuck:
1. Affirm the LIFE in others. Write notes of encouragement and blessing, noting the value you see in others.
2. Pray LIFE for others. Take time to lift up others who are struggling in challenging circumstances.
3. Practice gratitude for the LIFE around you. I love the theory that I just read in Rhoda Janzen’s memoir, “Menonite Meets Mr. Right”. She tells of a jar of water representing discontentment being displaced as we drop in rocks of gratitude. The waters of discontent are forced out by the rocks of thankfulness.
What are some ways you choose life when you’re feeling stuck? Consider posting in the comments below!
Here are just a few of the things I’m grateful for today. I wish there was a way to waft the aroma of barbecue and lilacs and clover and to record the squeals of the kids on my block playing in their wading pool!
It’s One Word Friday! How’s it been going for you? Has your word changed your life or do you have a hard time remembering what it is? Here are some of my recent thoughts on Choose Life.
Text message convo with daughter Maggie…
Me: Guess who I just ran into at the pool??!!!
Maggie: Ellen???!!
Me: Close, but no. Not this time.
Maggie and I love Ellen (Degeneres) and are pretty sure she wants to meet us and be best friends. We also made it to the finals auditioning for the Amazing Race as a team.
And we’ve visited the giant space acorn (which is probably on your bucket list too).
All that to say, we set our sites pretty high. No halfway stuff for us.
I figure, in John 10:10 Jesus didn’t say, “I have come so that your life might be kind of okay.”
Then the other day I was having a conversation with my husband (small caveat: it may have been 6 am and he may still have been half-asleep when we had this conversation).
Me: Honey, Light of my Life, what are some exciting things you’d like to do in the next 10 years?
Husband: “Road trips. Like up the coast of Oregon and Washington State.”
Me: Road trips???!! NOOOOOOO! Wrong answer! (You think you know a person!)
Husband: What are some exciting things YOU’D like to do in the next 10 years?
Me: Hike Machu Pichu, teach with you in Africa, hang glide in Switzerland, are the first things that come to mind.
Husband: Well, whatever you die of it won’t be boredom.
True, but as I look back over my “high expectations” I think, how many of them are eternal? How many of them reaaaaallly matter?
When we “choose Life” we’re choosing to live into all of God’s abundance, but He also warns us about investing in what won’t last. And then there’s that whole annoying thing about losing our life in order to gain it. And the reminder to “live a life worthy of our calling.”
I love it when choosing life includes my passport, or chocolate, or doing anything outside, preferably with really exciting people. But what about when choosing life means choosing inconvenience or grace, or discipline or service?
When I’m not sure, this reminder helps:
Choosing life will always be consistent with choosing love.
Choose life = Choose love.
So today I’m thinking about the “Life” I’m choosing. What about you? How’s it going?
The other morning I was up early, before husband John (as usual), but no worries. Did I wake him? No, that would be sooooo inconsiderate! Instead I left him a note in the bathroom. It read something like this:
Sweet Baboo (NOTE: I did not say “baboon”),
I woke up remembering…
And could you please…
And while you’re at it…
And don’t forget to buy….
love,
your adoring, romantic, AWAKE wife
Upon reflection, I write a lot of these notes which reinforce the business of marriage much more than the delight. I’m trying to turn over a new leaf. So these were my notes this morning: Continue reading
It’s “spring” in Minnesota which means when I woke up this morning and it was gray and cold my first thought was, “Thank God it’s not snowing or raining again.”
Spring in Minnesota looks like a boat-load of ugly.
Yes, this is the mountain of soot-covered snow still in our parking lot. We’re thinking we could raise money for missions if we take bets on the date it will finally be gone (and 4th of July is not out of the question).
It does NOT seem like an easy time to choose life. Or to remember that life is there, beneath the surface, hidden in the ugliness of brown dirt. It’s hard to remember that God WILL actually transform that ugliness at some point in the near future.
It’s much the same with seasons, or days of our life. We can recite “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him.” but we think, “HOW in the WORLD is God going to change this mistake, this sin, this pain, this relationship and bring LIFE and Beauty from it??? How will God redeem it at all?” Continue reading
As I’ve been traveling I’ve not been able to post very consistently and I’ve really dropped the ball on our One Word Fridays. Sorry about that.
Like I wrote the other day, it’s been a week of living back into real life. And part of that has been letting my heart and mind catch up with the rest of me. Doing a kind of Examen. Celebrating places of Life, and mourning places of Death.
The main thing that drives me to write this blog is the conviction that we don’t just drift into becoming more like Jesus. We have to pay attention. When we do, maybe we end up saying with Jacob, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”
So…today I’m paying attention to the “patches of God-light” or instances from the past two months that shouted, “This is what it looks like to choose LIFE!”. Here are 6 of them:
1. Hospitality We had the delightful privilege of staying at the guest cottage belonging to some friends in Charlotte NC while we met with some mentors. We had dinner with our friends and some different topics of interest came up in our conversation. The next morning (one when rain was predicted), here’s what our hostess left outside our door. The books are about the topics we had discussed the night before.
Choosing life = paying attention to the way I can serve others.
2. Relationships A week in one of my favorite cities, reconnecting with friends in ministry at National Community Church and spending time with daughter Katy!
Choosing life = learning from everyone everywhere.
3. Travel in Israel/Palestine, Telos Conversations and at the International Justice Mission Global Prayer Gathering
Choosing life = partnering with God in His work of bringing justice around the world.
4. Creation Life emerging from death, even in Minnesota!
Choosing life = noticing the smallest gifts.
5. Words
Choosing life = choosing to share life-giving words that build up rather than tear down.
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Bob Goff (@bobgoff) |
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God doesn’t look for typos in our lives; He’s a creator, not an editor. We’re all rough drafts of who we’re becoming.
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6. Random Acts of Kindness Twice in the past two months – once here and once in Florida, people have surprised us, paying for our dinner!
Choosing Life = looking for opportunities to delight others.
What are some places you’ve experienced Life over the past two months?
We had another 8″ of snow dumped on us last night and it’s tempting to think that spring and little green shoots will forever be smooshed down and hidden under heaps of this white stuff.
Even before the most recent snow, this guy was looking longingly for any sign of life!
Maybe we’ll never ever see the lavender of lilac bushes or the pink of tulips again! Maybe we’ll never smell the enticing aroma of burgers on the grill, or feel the warm pavement under bare feet! ARRGH! Stop the madness!! Before we despair, a couple of life-giving links on this One Word Friday. Continue reading
On Tuesday some dear friends welcomed their first baby, Nel. New life, greeted with great joy.
This morning, Wednesday, we got word that a 93 year old friend had entered the kingdom of heaven overnight. He had a mind as sharp as our polar vortex wind, but the body of a helpless infant. The last time we visited him he had been in hospice at home for over a month and when we saw him he felt like he was just. done. He was ready to greet death with great joy.
Upon Dallas Willard’s death, John Ortberg wrote of him:
“He (Dallas) said that a person is a series of conscious experiences, and that for the one who trusts and follows Jesus, death itself has no power to interrupt this life, for Jesus said that the one who trusts in him will not taste death. Dallas died on May 8, 2013. I’m not sure if anyone has told him yet.” Continue reading
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