seasons?

there are "seasons of life", "reasons for the season", "season of change", "changing seasons"... you get my point... it's as obvious as a single spot on a dalmatian:)... there are seasons everywhere, the very word conjures an image of trees, leaves, evergreens and NEVERgreens, but season also represents change, or an evolution, or possibly a new beginning... so many concepts, hence my relating to spots on a dalmatian...
to find the connotation that you want to explore obviously involves context;

"seasons of life"= commentary on stages of getting older or aging...a nice way of saying that if we follow the natural order of life we will eventually be in our "wintery months"...

"changing seasons"=many times a reference from those who don't live in southern california and actually observe a change in seasons; leaves morphing into a variety of hues, diminishing warmth, snowy holidays...

"season of change"=not one of the better known idioms referencing change (and possibly just one that runs through my own head) but a reference to limbo life, the moments, weeks, months sometimes years of accepting all things new surrounding us... family growing up, loss of loved ones, acceptance of personal limitations, challenging personal limitations, finding the equilibrium to make the season a positive stepping stone to whatever the next season may be...

"reason for the season"=Jesus, referencing the Christmas season and celebrating Christ in Christmas
for God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life....John 3:16

recently timmy and i had a discussion about the christmas spirit and how we all tend to look for more opportunities to demonstrate God's love at this time of year; pay for someone's dinner, serve food at a homeless shelter, put a quarter in the salvation army bucket... all good things, but why is there a spotlight at this time of year? why is it merely seasonal? i guess what i took away from that conversation was a bit of a weighty conscience and a challenge to not allow "the reason for the season" phrase to dictate an annual event, and to actively (actions vs. words) pay homage to our Lord and Savior who gave everything for us, and think/act on this as a regular exercise in faith.
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When we think of the word reason, many of us may think, "well doesn't there have to be some question involved?" and of course if we're using Jesus as the answer to the Christmas season that totally works. But what if we just simplify and turn the other well known phrase around "Jesus is the answer" and combine the two and take out the question (uh-oh, sounds like math to me...)

Jesus is the reason for the season + Jesus is the answer = Jesus IS the reason:)

a pinch of crazy is all that's necessary:)

ah, what fun it is to check in with your grown children, enjoy holiday break time and sit back a bit as you enjoy the new little ones (and some not so little ones...) try to create new traditions and throw them up against the wall (the traditions of course) and see what actually sticks in this crazy, busy world...

our world, as so many are pointing out recently, is compiled of technology, lights, sounds, and busyness...when you have a moment to observe it all, you can literally, audibly hear the WOOSH as it passes by... it can be quite amazing to ponder that gravity actually does its job... how we manage to stay on this planet and not be literally turned upside down is completely a God thing:)...

in this past week... a break from work i might add... (i love the school system's furlough days? hey, we may not get paid in money, but we DO get paid in a lot less guilt by taking a much needed break, in the long run, SO much better for your health...) we have attended some necessary doctor appointments, acquired a long overdue furnace, spent time with our youngest daughter, her husband and our new granddaughter... of course the latter half of this week was the highlight, due to emily, jeff and eiley visiting and staying with us...what a thrill to see a little face that reflects genuine adoration for her hardworking, adoring parents, and to be able to see a glimmer in eiley's eyes as she looks at her grandparents like they're a bit strange, but mildly amusing:)...

more joy (and busyness) to be had as we made the rounds to great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and any other eiley stalkers out there (hi karen) that had the chance to stop in and see the east coast group as they enjoyed their west coast roots...

now, as i sit here quietly writing this little blog, i can only smile because timmy and i can now close our eyes and imagine that cute little baby girl actually talking to us, cooing away at her parents and attempting to snag sweetpea's tongue (she was successful at one point..)...we can enjoy and revel in the fact that we are familiar with her compact 14 pound person and know what it's like to hold such a precious package... yes, it's hard to wave goodbye at an airport as we watch the little family pack up all their carryons, but we also know that God is first in their lives and we'll be seeing them so soon (thank you skype!!)...

and now the new crazyness will ensue, clean up, get in the holiday spirit (maybe a bit wistfully, i must admit...) but get ready for our oldest jenna and her wonderful husband andrew to come enjoy christmas with us... yep, a pinch of crazy is all that's necessary, and we thank God for that gift:)

confusion with a side of clarification please:)

once again i come up with confusion and asking God for clarification...what's funny is that on a daily basis He DOES confirm my very existence by nudging the little things that are relevant to my person...yes, maybe they are relevant to others as well? but i find it interesting that He cares to confirm what i'm learning about Him right now...

timmy and i are in a thursday night bible study group where we are wading through the research and reasonings of lee strobel and "the case for the creator"...goodness it's technical and more than a bit mind-blowing, and on a weekly basis i procrastinate in reading the full pages that our group has agreed upon... my mind struggles with wrapping around scientific, mathematical and cosmological explanations that justify the existence of God... last night , one dear member, (and i might add pretty brilliant) member of our group related a story of how einstein's "theory of relativity" is actually based on genesis 1:1 "in the beginning"...she explained very clearly, how this brilliant man's life work was all about proving time... it's existence, how it came to "be" or rather "begin"... although so much of this is way over my head, i must admit when it comes to einstein and the obscure concept of time, those two in tandem make a nice little mental sandwich...i am fascinated by this man's life but i am also intrigued with ALL things related to time:)... so last nights discussion wielded many moments of sparked conversation...

of course, since my realm in this world tends to be about thoughts and feelings, emotions and how we handle them? part of the reason for me struggling with my current reading is the lack of humanity, or rather the lack of discussion regarding the human need/desire for God... no, this is not a measurable concept, we are incapable of measuring need, want, desire through mathematics or quantum physics... but our nature, the very nature that is in the image of God, is not measurable...hence my struggle... but i come back to earth when our study group reminds me that this book is attempting to be logical and scientific, and to drop the "human" variable into the equation would probably deviate the whole emphasis of what we are attempting to digest... therefore i will persevere and get my studying done (maybe on a less procrastinatory level...) and open my mind to the level-headed world of numbers instead of warm fuzzy feelings...

and just for fun, to demonstrate God's sense of humor in tipping his celestial hat to my confusion? this morning i brewed myself a cup of good earth tea...this is not necessarily a daily practice for me, due to time constraints, but we were enjoying a relaxing breakfast and tea always seems to be representative of relaxation and the aaaahhhhhh factor;)... anyway, i opened the little tea bag and good earth always has a thought for the day or quote on the little tea bag "tab"... ahem

"when God made time, he made enough of it" ~celtic saying.... :)

i read this little quote to timmy and we both had to smile, because once again God showed us that he cares for us exactly where we are... confused or clarified it's all good when we realize who's in charge...

EMPHasis...

recently i have had some experiences that keep pointing in one direction, but i couldn't possibly tell you what i will DO with this direction... i truly think that God is speaking to me regarding the human trafficking situation, but you've totally got me what exactly He's saying... i feel that i need an interpreter... does anyone else out there feel that God is speaking to them in a foreign language? you know He is directing you, guiding you, you just don't exactly know how to apply, understand or comprehend what He is saying...

examples:
1. over a year ago our church hosted an art sale in huntington beach where the proceeds would go toward stopping human trafficking...naturally my ears perked up because of the "art" aspect, but i wasn't feeling led to participate.

2. a dear friend of mine told me about an event that was held at the sawdust festival venue called "isanctuary", proceeds would go toward stopping human trafficking (sound familiar)?? i volunteered for set-up and dipped a toe in the waters of helping in a verrrrrrrrry small way... i'm now receiving e-mails regularly regarding this organization and future opportunities to help.

3. i ran across a gorgeous t-shirt from one of my favorite companies "threadless t-s", the most artistic t-shirts i've ever owned and they always make a subtle statement...this one was a the silhouette of a girl with a "birdcage corset" the door is open and she is being set free...proceeds for the sale of this t-shirt? to put an end to human trafficking.

4. sunday morning at church an incredible group from maine came to share and sing at our church, refuge, they are called the wrecking, what aMAZing hearts...their cause and EMPHasis? to raise awareness and money for notforsalecampaign.org the prevention and abolishment of human trafficking.

5. and now today? i am compelled to write this because i was just on "stumbleupon.com" where an article and petition regarding human trafficking at an orphanage in haiti was brought to my attention.... i have 2 friends that at this moment are working in haiti to provide some medical relief and my prayers and my thoughts are naturally with them...so needless to say to read an article about something that is in this very spot? and that God has managed to tie up so many loose ends over this past year to point towards doing something.... maybe it's just to write this, maybe it's just to EMPHasize that God does talk to us and sometimes we do need an interpreter... maybe someone reading this is my interpreter;) if the least we can do is to sign this petition? then that's what we can do...

WEEK 2: Crazy love challenge...SMALL steps...

how many times have you asked for the strength and faith to take a small step toward a goal; breaking a habit, learning something new, getting to know someone, mending a relationship... there are SO many things that we as human beings would love to be/do but we can be overwhelmed with "self"...
our internal dialogue might go something like this...

"that's not my gift, i'm not talented in that area (music, art, communication, interpersonal relationships...)"

"but i've lived in this neighborhood for 20 some odd years, i'm gonna start talking to my neighbors now?? they'll think i'm really strange/odd/weird... "crazy"...hmmm..."

"every time i talk to them i feel like an idiot, they either patronize me or they cut me off, what do i do with that?"

these are all very valid reasons to not do something, to not try, to stay in the same spot... BUT what has God been saying to you in your 10 minutes of focus time this past week?? i'm sure, (like me) you have been hearing something pretty persistently in your ear and in your heart... what keeps coming back into your mind like a merry-go-round... what keeps repeating that God won't let you NOT hear... yep, we can ignore it? but we can also start with small steps... little things...

moses didn't think that he was a communicator (at ALL) yet he was asked to lead a whole bunch of people through a wilderness for forty years... God gave him the tools to be a leader, moses didn't really start out that way:)

maybe you've been wanting an opportunity to talk with a neighbor that you might see several times a week as you put out your trash bins...now follow me on this... lift up your hand, put it in the air, look at said neighbor, wiggle your fingers and say "hi"... it's a start... a small step...no, you don't have to present the gospel to them right there at the curb with your hand on your recycled trash bin... but you can do something...

lastly, this is a hard one, and maybe not something that is pressing on your heart or mind? but maybe it is... a broken or bruised relationship... something that has really taken a beating... small step? be the first one to open the door to communication, once more a simple "hi" can be a beginning...

prayer is a powerful thing, and God is opening all sorts of doors inside of you if you allow Him to make you aware...

i want to leave you with a little bit of a small step "vision"...

how many of you remember "indiana jones and the last crusade" (spoiler alert if you have never seen this movie...!!)

i will often think of a particular scene (many of you probably already know where i'm headed with this...) where indiana's father (a beautiful codger role played by sean connery, you gotta love it...) has been shot and indiana in order to save him must accomplish some tasks to encounter the holy grail which will save his father's life... the particular moment that i envision is when indiana is in a large cavern with no apparent way to get from one side to other without plummeting to his death, literally closes his eyes and takes one small step into what he presumes to be thin air... with the first step the optical illusion of rocks that create a bridge to the other side of the cavern to obtain the holy grail? is clearly marked and he makes his way across (of course throwing a bit of sandy rock across it to make it clear for the way back....oh indy...you're SO brilliant... or at least your writers did a great job...)... of course indy did this to save his father's life and this is completely fictional but i LOVE the graphic illustration of taking a small step of faith...

what is your small step? what will you do this week that takes you one step closer to what God is calling you to do??
close your eyes, put your hand over your heart, take a breath and step out...

2 Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith not by sight...

just checking in: crazy love week one challenge PRAYER

i realize i'm a day early in checking in with all of us that raised our collective facebook thumbs in agreement to get up 10 minutes early and pray daily to ask God "what do you want me to do??" but i'm kind of excited due to some vague "niggles" that have been stirred in my heart and mind due to this daily practice.... i must admit, i did NOT succeed in actually waking up the deadly ten minutes earlier in the past six days (too many nightly interruptions from my dear puppy, sweetpea... who knew that thunder and lightning could constitute such a shaking mass of fur?...poor thing...) anyway, i did manage to carve out the 10 minutes of complete quiet and distraction free time to devote specifically to our question...i am amazed at how LONG and how SHORT ten minutes can be when i am attempting to focus solely on God and truly try to listen to Him...it all seems so quiet...but, this is what i learned...

a. if something keeps coming back to my mind continually? God is in it... whether it is something i'm being convicted about? or it's something i should be doing (or not doing) God is in it...

b. if i sit there long enough? my mind does slowly begin to focus around the edges...(sometimes it's reallllly slow...)

c. time with God is never wasted:)

now, in this past week God has called me to step out in a manner of ways that i never dreamed possible... He has asked me to mend personal fences that i thought were beyond the realm of possibility to mend...humbling yes, and i would like to say that they mended beautifully? but God isn't finished with this little home repair project apparently...He has also asked timmy and i to look more carefully at our finances and our time management...where are we spending these precious commodities? on frivolous "things" and "shtuff"?? or sitting in front of a television set that is spewing out negative words, thoughts and ideas and invading our own conscious actions... once again, this is a process...i would love to share with all of you that i have miraculously been able to give a TON of our $$ to the poor and that i don't fall asleep to the glow of a t.v. every night... but God is helping me to make steps, some have been small, some a bit more like falling off a cliff;)...

i love that quote "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step..."


so what steps are being whispered in your ear by a patient and persistent God who wants the best for you??
what tugging on your heart and soul is being so insistent that to ignore it is almost a physical impossibility??

new challenge coming up tomorrow:) get ready!!


3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37 3 & 4

CRAZY love challenge week ONE: prayer!!!

my husband timmy and i have been greatly enjoying a small group bible study the past several months. we have been reading and reviewing what we've read on a weekly basis about, "crazy love" by francis chan...now, please understand me when i state VERY vocally that this is truly a challenge, a very humbling challenge...i figure it's a good thing when we are asked to look at our lives, especially as followers of Christ, and ask ourselves, "what exactly are we doing to make a difference??"...some of us have jobs where, on a daily basis, we have great opportunity to share Jesus' love by our attitude and actions and possibly even our words:)... others of us may have to create more opportunities to make a difference maybe through volunteerism, quiet acts of service, putting our time or money where our mouths are... but talking about these concepts in the real world? being the Jesus that others may not encounter because they have either never heard of him? or maybe their examples might be through the lens of assumed hypocrisy because words and actions (through humanity) did not match and, frankly, disappointed others, can be more than a bit fearsome (i would compare this with oh, let's say, a lion's den or jumping off a cliff...anything that requires true bravery)...whether you proclaim to the world that you are crazy in love with our Lord Jesus Christ and want to follow him at all costs, or whether you are crazy in love with Jesus but a secret admirer and don't know how to express this in a world that is pretty much...crazy...we all need, guidance... yes, there are questions, concerns, fears and doubts? hopes, dreams and gifts:) so if we're looking for guidance and wisdom from the very one that created us, who knows us better than we know ourselves? then maybe we should really try to make the time to HEAR Him... soooooo this is my proposal, my "challenge"...

for the next week? would you commit with me to get up 10 minutes earlier each day and simply ask God what He would have you do with all that "stuff" He has given you?? (time, talents, finances...you probably already have something in mind)... let's try it for a week, 10 minutes EVERY day, on our knees (or whatever position allows you to be comfortable with God...) and then be accountable to each other that we have completed this first challenge??

WILL YOU STAND WITH ME IN THIS CHALLENGE?
Raise your hand and let's support others that are crazy:)

Philippians 4:6
New King James Version (NKJV)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

G.P.S.

recently i have been finding that there are many forms of G.P.S. in our lives... there is the obvious vocal coach that you drive around and have them issue many directions (oftentimes with the voice of your choosing...how pleasant)... the directions are repeated in a very persistent, calm voice, and it is difficult to deviate from someone insisting that you "turn right in 500 ft, turn right in 500 ft, TURN RIGHT IN 500 FT!", no they don't yell at you (thank heavens) but it does seem to be a form of automated nagging...

when we were in virginia beach this past summer...four very hot, sweaty, yet exciting and memorable weeks... we used the GPS on timmy's phone (free app, by the way...), we found ourselves in a variety of situations and places that didn't quite make sense and the GPS would actually make sense of it... how princess anne intersects princess anne i have NO idea, (and yes chad, this was for you...)....but something else i found fascinating about this little innovative directional gem is that when we DIDN'T follow the voice? it would say "re-routing, re-routing..." it would take a moment, re-calibrate what we had actually done, and then start us over in the right direction.

yes, many of us see where this is heading (and i'm sure you don't need GPS to get there...) but in each of our lives we are seeking direction! we have an initial path that we begin and then we just "head out"... maybe we need to be more purposeful? maybe we need to actually plug into our God Positioning Service and "assume the position" of prayer where we literally bow our heads and ask our Creator God where He wants us to go.... and that interesting little feature of the worldly GPS where it "re-routes" you? is not by any means lost in this analogy... no matter what we do, no matter where we go, if we are asking God to lead us, guide us and even re-route, He will speak to us in whatever "voice" He chooses to use; time (aka waiting...), prayer, people, His word, His work... if we're following His plan we'll never be lost we'll just find ourselves re-routed...

jeremiah 29:11 "for i know the plans that i have for you," says the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

the tongue...

now some may take note of the title of this particular blog and wonder, "what in heaven's name is she writing about..."... ahem! i am writing about the beauty of our little dog, "sweet-pea" this fuzzy puppy (seriously, she is SO soft) has stolen our hearts (to the point of ridiculous obsession and even MORE ridiculous tolerance of her quirkiness, can you say, "lack of sleep"??) but what i find even more intriguing in our adoption of "her highness", is that she has actually changed us with this odd little tongue that never goes inside her mouth (no exaggeration here...)....she is a constant source of entertainment, she is a master manipulator of her cuteness factor, and yet the unconditional love exhibited by a 10 pound, hanging tongue, 3 toothed hound is a bit overwhelming...

the recent lessons we have learned from this little warm body have been many and irrefutable:

1. cute can take you very far in this world, especially if you're cute AND funny looking...

2. looking at someone as if they are the only one in the world that they love and depend on can probably turn the hardest of hearts to soft-serve ice cream...

3. when you put #1 & #2 together? it is amazing how tolerant of 1 a.m. romps and pouncing on your face your "people" will endure just to be able to enjoy some chuckles even at the expense of some sleep (although it does catch-up occasionally)

4. it is mind boggling that this bundle of warmth seems to realize which one of her people she will wake up...she literally takes turns with the two of us...i find this truly wondrous, perceptive and a little bit mysterious as well...

5. surprise quirks springing up on us are an endless source of entertainment; the way that she loves to be blow-dried after her bath, that the sound of velcro ripping (this is her leash/halter) will send her into a frenzy to go out, a ride in the car is the BEST thing ever, and certain bodily function sounds (insert noise here), will send her running from a room and looking over her shoulder at her "person" with great disdain and superiority...( sorry, but this one really cracked us up and HAD to be shared...)

6. last and definitely not least, it is an utter impossibility to not laugh, giggle, grin, smirk, snort or any other form of mirth to emerge from our lips when we look at this dog with the perpetual tongue...it's just that much of a quirk to draw you into the rest of the little package, and you just keep on smiling....

waiting room...again:)

a long time ago i came up with a visual regarding that dreaded four-letter word "wait"...i had been told, (or maybe i daydreamed it during a sermon??) that God has 3 answers to prayer..."yes, no and WAIT"... notice that the word "yes" has 3 letters, the word "no" has only two (although those two little tiny letters can pack a powerful smack on the chin when you feel God's impact of uttering them...) and then there is the dire whisper of the word "wait"... it's usually pretty distinctive because it resembles a verbal strait-jacket... no matter how you try to wiggle your way around it? if God really wants you in the "waiting room" He reeeeeeaaaalllllllyy wants you in the waiting room:)....

i find it interesting that we can choose to attempt to be uncomfortable in our strait-jacket waiting room (and this probably is coughing up an image of a psychiatric ward)...or we can trust God, not resist this time of waiting and look around at the pictures on the walls, the other patients, and in particular the magazines displayed on the coffee table in front of you... what do you see? can you learn something from these surroundings? for me, i've recently been fighting and wiggling in my job strait-jacket...i'm doing something i enjoy, but yet i'm not comfortable and feel like i need to pursue something different...but at this moment in time, i simply cannot be looking for another job or even a change of assignment within the constraints of my current employment...i am completely aware that God, the great Physician in every respect, is having me wait in this room so i can learn...learn from others that are in the same room? learn from the pictures on the walls? learn from the various magazines that are all there for a reason, either to distract me or to teach me a lesson...and that is completely up to me... how i wait, whether it be with struggle or with grace, this is all part of His answer, it's all part of the process...just like waiting for a doctors appointment, you eventually get there...but sometimes it takes longer than others to hear what the doctor has to say AND when the doctor finally does see you and give his prescription? it's up to the individual to listen and follow His advice...

prayer fingerprint...

recently our pastor began a new series very aptly entitled "prayer"...he joked about his creative genius in coming up with the title, yes amusing in it's simplicity, but dead on regarding a integral component of any relationship...communication...and who could possibly be more important to communicate with in an authentic manner? but God, our Father, Lord, Savior and Friend...

"what a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear, what a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer"...not just some things, but ...talking to God, what does that look, feel, taste like? how do we as individual's communicate with the very being that created us? very simply...we communicate with Him in the manner in which we feel the most comfortable, whatever is innate within us...this will be very individual...we may be face-down, prone and vulnerable... we may be on our knees, hands folded head bowed in humility...we may be standing with arms open wide and uplifted toward the heavens that He created...we may even dance openly in His presence as physically we express grief, love and joy...all these and more are ways to share with our Lord, to exchange thoughts, ideas, dreams, hopes, and concerns... no one way is right, no one way is wrong... it is as unique as a snowflake, as individual as our DNA, it is our "prayer fingerprint", our direct line to God, our spiritual tether, connecting us to our Creator God...when we discover this fingerprint, when we feel that direct-line of conversation? we need to hone, practice and celebrate!...