It is easy to see the need to forgive hurtful actions. A person says something rude, carelessly forgets about something important or slights you, and you immediately are faced with the task of forgiving them. Without extending forgiveness there will be a wall between you and the offender. You will feel hurt while they will feel the burden of knowing they have damaged a relationship. No one wins and everyone feels like there is an elephant in the room. The burden is great but it is easily remedied by extending forgiveness.
This is basic. We were taught how to forgive when we were children. Just picture a small child in preschool. Little Sally is crying because Johnny stole her Barbie doll and won't give it back - typical boys. When the teacher is alerted to Johnny's antics she remedies the situation by reprimanding him and demanding that he return the Barbie to Sally. He does so reluctantly. The teacher then instructs Johnny to ask for forgiveness. Sally is instructed to accept Johnny's apology, hug and skip off into the sunset with glee. This is the kind of forgiveness we all know we should extend to each other. But there is a deeper forgiveness that is often overlooked and rarely put into practice.
There will be times you need to forgive someone's thoughts. They may never voice them, but negative thoughts can hurt just like negative words. The offended is left carrying resentment like a heavy weight. The offender doesn't even know the damage they have inflicted. This may seem hopeless. No words have been exchanged, no action taken, so how can forgiveness heal? This is where the power of forgiveness is on full display. The forgiver doesn't have to speak or make a ceremony of the process, they simply have to make the decision to forgive the person for the thoughts that are so hurtful.
This may seem too fundamental to work, but there is power in the thoughts we have towards others. Our thought life is so fundamental to our mental health and the health of our relationships that it can literally transform our outward life when we take the steps necessary to ensure that we are mentally whole and at peace.
The thoughts of others are so powerful that they can inflict real damage. It is hard to cover up our thoughts, and they are all to often displayed by body language and facial expressions that shine a light on the true feelings that lay below the surface. Unfortunately, we can't control what other people will think. We can only control how we will respond. We can be hurt and offended or we can extend forgiveness and acceptance.
To extend these thoughts of forgiveness and acceptance is as simple as telling God you forgive them and asking him to bless those very people who have hurt you. There is peace in blessing others. How can you be sour and perturbed when you are busy blessing and forgiving? The two cannot coexist.
God has forgiven us for not just the sins that are outward and blatant, but our deepest and most repulsive thoughts. He sees them all and forgives them all. He isn't selective. This is the same level of forgiveness he asks his children to extend to one another: believers and nonbelievers. We are to be a mirror, reflecting to the world the forgiveness shown to us and so desperately needed to be whole.
Friday, May 31, 2013
James 2
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds,3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4
As Christians this is the view we are to take of trials. We are to embrace our trials and our difficult circumstances, finding joy and comfort in the growth they will produce in our spiritual lives. If we are living in sold out obedience to God and his will we will take this approach when we are faced with trials. Yet, we are given free will which means this joyful outlook must be chosen. God will give us the strength to walk in joy but first we have to deliberately decide that it is joy we want.
Even as Christians, proclaiming the name of Christ and his goodness, love, grace and mercy, it is easy to fall into the trap of wanting our own way. We want our timing because we are so short sighted that we can picture a timing that is better. We want our plans because we aren't imaginative enough to believe that there is a more fulfilling plan out there. We are limited in scope and perspective, seeing with human eyes on a human level. But God is seeing the situation from a whole different level. He is above, seeing not only the present and past but the future. He knows far better then we do what is best because, unlike us, he knows exactly what is to come in not only our lives but the world that surrounds us.
In the midst of a trial the situation never feels beneficial. It usually feels uncomfortable and downright lousy. We want our equilibrium and ease, so we strive to break out of the trial by whichever means is quickest and usually easiest. God doesn't always (and I might even say rarely) work that way. Instead of wanting to get us out of the difficulty ASAP, he wants to take whatever time is necessary to produce fruit in his children before he moves them on into a different set of circumstances.
There is so much about a trial that we can't dictate. If we are allowing God to have his way, we won't tell him it is time to switch things up! If we are truly resting in God we won't be demanding that he change our lives around at our beck and call. We can only influence one thing and that is our attitude.
In James we are instructed to claim joy in our trials. Will that be easy? James didn't claim it would be and if you have ever tried to be joyful in the midst of your darkest hour you know it is far from a walk in the park. But that doesn't mean it isn't attainable.
God is loving and wants to give his children what they ask. So ask for joy. Ask for the rest and peace that comes through truly resting in God's promises and provision. Ask God to give you the strength to be joyful even when everything in life feels like it is in opposition to such an attitude. Claim the promises of God and take heart in them. Don't look simply at the mountain in front of you, look at the resurrection of Christ and the joy found in your salvation.
When trials abound you get to make a decision. A) fight like mad to break out of your circumstances: run, hide, scream or cry. Or B) rest in God and praise him for who he is and the miraculous work he is doing in your life.
There are no other options. If you are not for God and his will, then you are against him. The beautiful thing about God is that he gives you the opportunity to choose each day if you will circle A or B. Each morning anew you have the chance to wake up and choose joy.
James 1:2-4
As Christians this is the view we are to take of trials. We are to embrace our trials and our difficult circumstances, finding joy and comfort in the growth they will produce in our spiritual lives. If we are living in sold out obedience to God and his will we will take this approach when we are faced with trials. Yet, we are given free will which means this joyful outlook must be chosen. God will give us the strength to walk in joy but first we have to deliberately decide that it is joy we want.
Even as Christians, proclaiming the name of Christ and his goodness, love, grace and mercy, it is easy to fall into the trap of wanting our own way. We want our timing because we are so short sighted that we can picture a timing that is better. We want our plans because we aren't imaginative enough to believe that there is a more fulfilling plan out there. We are limited in scope and perspective, seeing with human eyes on a human level. But God is seeing the situation from a whole different level. He is above, seeing not only the present and past but the future. He knows far better then we do what is best because, unlike us, he knows exactly what is to come in not only our lives but the world that surrounds us.
In the midst of a trial the situation never feels beneficial. It usually feels uncomfortable and downright lousy. We want our equilibrium and ease, so we strive to break out of the trial by whichever means is quickest and usually easiest. God doesn't always (and I might even say rarely) work that way. Instead of wanting to get us out of the difficulty ASAP, he wants to take whatever time is necessary to produce fruit in his children before he moves them on into a different set of circumstances.
There is so much about a trial that we can't dictate. If we are allowing God to have his way, we won't tell him it is time to switch things up! If we are truly resting in God we won't be demanding that he change our lives around at our beck and call. We can only influence one thing and that is our attitude.
In James we are instructed to claim joy in our trials. Will that be easy? James didn't claim it would be and if you have ever tried to be joyful in the midst of your darkest hour you know it is far from a walk in the park. But that doesn't mean it isn't attainable.
God is loving and wants to give his children what they ask. So ask for joy. Ask for the rest and peace that comes through truly resting in God's promises and provision. Ask God to give you the strength to be joyful even when everything in life feels like it is in opposition to such an attitude. Claim the promises of God and take heart in them. Don't look simply at the mountain in front of you, look at the resurrection of Christ and the joy found in your salvation.
When trials abound you get to make a decision. A) fight like mad to break out of your circumstances: run, hide, scream or cry. Or B) rest in God and praise him for who he is and the miraculous work he is doing in your life.
There are no other options. If you are not for God and his will, then you are against him. The beautiful thing about God is that he gives you the opportunity to choose each day if you will circle A or B. Each morning anew you have the chance to wake up and choose joy.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Content over cover
Don't judge a book by its cover. Yea, sure, we've all heard that one but don't try to lecture me on the subject when I'm standing in Barnes and Nobles with a table full of new titles staring me in the face. The cover is the first thing that grabs my attention. I pick up the best looking, prettiest, most attractive covers I see. Sometimes I open the cover before I even read the title. The cover hits me before the synopsis, the author and certainly before the content.
And so it is with people. We are immediately struck by what is visible. Before a person even has a chance to open their mouth or extend their hand in a friendly greeting, we see an outward appearance and come up with an inward conclusion. It may be faulty logic and chances are, if we took the time to really meet the person and get to the heart of them, we'd find that our initial conclusion was way off base. Very few people can be summed up by the packaging they wear.
This truth has never been as apparent to me as it is now, wearing a packing that is skin and bones. My physical appearance throws up red flags and flashing lights that warn of impending danger. "Caution: this girl has some issues!" What are the issues? No one knows unless they ask but plenty assume without any further knowledge. Most assume anorexia or an eating disorder of some sort which must come from some deep seeded mental instability. I've been around enough to know the thoughts that snap into a person's head when they see a severely underweight individual. I know it so well because at one time I would have come to the same conclusion. What the common observer doesn't know is that my digestive system has been plagued for years, causing symptoms that have made life terribly unpleasant and weight to be a thing of the past. But they don't know and instead of finding out, they stay far enough away to avoid any true involvement.
Instead of finding out the content of who I am, what I believe and why I look the way I look, they judge solely based on the cover. They are making a terrible mistake. But who can blame them? Who among us hasn't judged based on the appearance?
My favorite and most cherished book, apart from the Bible, is the Oswald Chambers devotional, "My Utmost for His Highest." I never put it down without being convicted. It has spoken to my heart and grown me spiritually unlike any other modern day writing (modern being anything not written in the scriptures). Yet, that devotional has the most unassuming cover of any book I own. I would walk past it ten times out of ten in a book store. The cover is a plain brown with the title simply printed across the front in gold. The font is small and simple. The gold isn't flashy and doesn't jump out at you from its brown background. If you were looking for intrigue you would look elsewhere.
Unless you actually opened up the book to discover its content.
Inside you would find the uncompromising truth of the Bible laid out in 365 devotionals that shake off spiritual stagnation and demand growth. They convict by unabashedly declaring the truth of obedience, patience, faith, love, humility and so many more Biblical principles. Chambers doesn't hold back and never gives his reader an out for a lack of spiritual fervor. He declares the truths of the Bible, calling his reader to be changed by the word of God and the salvation of Jesus Christ.
The book that has so changed my life doesn't do a thing for me aesthetically but if I would have never picked it up I would be much poorer spiritually. God has used that little devotional book to speak to me in ways the fancy, artfully designed devotional books never have. Is that to say he can't speak to me through a book that has a beautiful cover and an appealing color scheme? Of course not. But he has chosen to use what would never catch my eye to change my heart.
When we meet people we have the same opportunity as when we book shop. In the aisle of the bookstore we can stop, read the title, take in the synopsis and decide if we want to jump into chapter one and get more familiar with the style of the author and his purpose for penning the book in hand. Or we can simply glance at the colors and pictures on the cover and grab the prettiest of them all, possibly getting ourselves into a lousy romance novel or boring book about the life cycle of a fruit fly. When we meet someone new we can pre judge and pre determine based on the physical appearance we encounter upon first glance. The question is will we get past the cover and give them a chance to show us their true content?
And so it is with people. We are immediately struck by what is visible. Before a person even has a chance to open their mouth or extend their hand in a friendly greeting, we see an outward appearance and come up with an inward conclusion. It may be faulty logic and chances are, if we took the time to really meet the person and get to the heart of them, we'd find that our initial conclusion was way off base. Very few people can be summed up by the packaging they wear.
This truth has never been as apparent to me as it is now, wearing a packing that is skin and bones. My physical appearance throws up red flags and flashing lights that warn of impending danger. "Caution: this girl has some issues!" What are the issues? No one knows unless they ask but plenty assume without any further knowledge. Most assume anorexia or an eating disorder of some sort which must come from some deep seeded mental instability. I've been around enough to know the thoughts that snap into a person's head when they see a severely underweight individual. I know it so well because at one time I would have come to the same conclusion. What the common observer doesn't know is that my digestive system has been plagued for years, causing symptoms that have made life terribly unpleasant and weight to be a thing of the past. But they don't know and instead of finding out, they stay far enough away to avoid any true involvement.
Instead of finding out the content of who I am, what I believe and why I look the way I look, they judge solely based on the cover. They are making a terrible mistake. But who can blame them? Who among us hasn't judged based on the appearance?
My favorite and most cherished book, apart from the Bible, is the Oswald Chambers devotional, "My Utmost for His Highest." I never put it down without being convicted. It has spoken to my heart and grown me spiritually unlike any other modern day writing (modern being anything not written in the scriptures). Yet, that devotional has the most unassuming cover of any book I own. I would walk past it ten times out of ten in a book store. The cover is a plain brown with the title simply printed across the front in gold. The font is small and simple. The gold isn't flashy and doesn't jump out at you from its brown background. If you were looking for intrigue you would look elsewhere.
Unless you actually opened up the book to discover its content.
Inside you would find the uncompromising truth of the Bible laid out in 365 devotionals that shake off spiritual stagnation and demand growth. They convict by unabashedly declaring the truth of obedience, patience, faith, love, humility and so many more Biblical principles. Chambers doesn't hold back and never gives his reader an out for a lack of spiritual fervor. He declares the truths of the Bible, calling his reader to be changed by the word of God and the salvation of Jesus Christ.
The book that has so changed my life doesn't do a thing for me aesthetically but if I would have never picked it up I would be much poorer spiritually. God has used that little devotional book to speak to me in ways the fancy, artfully designed devotional books never have. Is that to say he can't speak to me through a book that has a beautiful cover and an appealing color scheme? Of course not. But he has chosen to use what would never catch my eye to change my heart.
When we meet people we have the same opportunity as when we book shop. In the aisle of the bookstore we can stop, read the title, take in the synopsis and decide if we want to jump into chapter one and get more familiar with the style of the author and his purpose for penning the book in hand. Or we can simply glance at the colors and pictures on the cover and grab the prettiest of them all, possibly getting ourselves into a lousy romance novel or boring book about the life cycle of a fruit fly. When we meet someone new we can pre judge and pre determine based on the physical appearance we encounter upon first glance. The question is will we get past the cover and give them a chance to show us their true content?
Tune in and turn it up
God often speaks to us in ways we don't want to hear. Maybe that is why so few people ever say they hear God. They don't want to, so they shut him up. Instead of tuning in they press mute.
For three years God has been turning up the volume in my life and I have, at times, reluctantly let him have that control. I admit to not always wanting to hear what the message was going to be. Most of the time the message was to be patient and be prepared to wait. Who wants to hear that? We live in a culture of now. I'm not used to waiting. When red lights take too long I start to get antsy. When the internet is taking forever to load I immediately start pressing all sorts of buttons which probably only makes the problem worse. I'm human and on my own natural steam I am a terrible failure at waiting.
So God has been making some improvements in me. Throughout my ordeal he has raised the volume and made the message in loud and clear: get patience or get frustrated, because you are in a period of waiting. At first I wanted to get frustrated and search for answers to put an end to the waiting. Who wants to be in a depleted physical state at the age of 20, 21, 22 or 23? No healthy minded person wants to be physically unhealthy. I have never wanted this physical condition and at first I fought hard against it, trying to find a human answer to a problem that could only be cured by a spiritual solution.
It has taken years but I am finally resting in the waiting, allowing it to take as long as is needed.
To get to this point I have endured tears, screams and deep depression. Many days have been far from pleasant. I have wanted answers and a solution, not a future of unknowns. God had to teach me that I didn't need to know the future to rest in it.
Peace doesn't come from knowing the road ahead but knowing who is driving the car.
This revelation didn't come overnight. The truth of God's promise to take care of his own has come slowly. I haven't always been able to see proof of it in my physical life but God didn't go silent in my spiritual life. He purposely quieted my physical life so he could have full control of the airwaves in my spiritual life.
He taught me that learning to listen comes when it is not what we want to hear. But hold on to the promises of God. It may seem like he is only giving you bad news but those are the times to take heart and get comfortable. Enjoy the time of rest and the peace that God wants to give lavishly. When you learn to listen in these trying times, you will be better equipped to hear God when the messages take on a more uplifting tune: your healing is in you, claim the victory, you are gaining weight. If you couldn't hear him when he said: "stop and wait," how will you hear when he says: "get ready to go"?
What I have learned over the last three years is that God will use the unpleasant circumstances, the unwanted conditions of our lives to make us better listeners. Will you tune in?
For three years God has been turning up the volume in my life and I have, at times, reluctantly let him have that control. I admit to not always wanting to hear what the message was going to be. Most of the time the message was to be patient and be prepared to wait. Who wants to hear that? We live in a culture of now. I'm not used to waiting. When red lights take too long I start to get antsy. When the internet is taking forever to load I immediately start pressing all sorts of buttons which probably only makes the problem worse. I'm human and on my own natural steam I am a terrible failure at waiting.
So God has been making some improvements in me. Throughout my ordeal he has raised the volume and made the message in loud and clear: get patience or get frustrated, because you are in a period of waiting. At first I wanted to get frustrated and search for answers to put an end to the waiting. Who wants to be in a depleted physical state at the age of 20, 21, 22 or 23? No healthy minded person wants to be physically unhealthy. I have never wanted this physical condition and at first I fought hard against it, trying to find a human answer to a problem that could only be cured by a spiritual solution.
It has taken years but I am finally resting in the waiting, allowing it to take as long as is needed.
To get to this point I have endured tears, screams and deep depression. Many days have been far from pleasant. I have wanted answers and a solution, not a future of unknowns. God had to teach me that I didn't need to know the future to rest in it.
Peace doesn't come from knowing the road ahead but knowing who is driving the car.
This revelation didn't come overnight. The truth of God's promise to take care of his own has come slowly. I haven't always been able to see proof of it in my physical life but God didn't go silent in my spiritual life. He purposely quieted my physical life so he could have full control of the airwaves in my spiritual life.
He taught me that learning to listen comes when it is not what we want to hear. But hold on to the promises of God. It may seem like he is only giving you bad news but those are the times to take heart and get comfortable. Enjoy the time of rest and the peace that God wants to give lavishly. When you learn to listen in these trying times, you will be better equipped to hear God when the messages take on a more uplifting tune: your healing is in you, claim the victory, you are gaining weight. If you couldn't hear him when he said: "stop and wait," how will you hear when he says: "get ready to go"?
What I have learned over the last three years is that God will use the unpleasant circumstances, the unwanted conditions of our lives to make us better listeners. Will you tune in?
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Things I deemed worth noting
Five things worth, or maybe not worth noting - that is probably a matter of opinion.
1. Today I noticed "Benjamin Franklin - the punctual plumber". The company came to the plumbing rescue decked out in a van with Ben Franklin's head on the side. Who knew that Mr. Franklin was known to be punctual? This got me thinking: how do companies come up with their names? How do they decide that the name they choose is going to somehow further the sales and success of their business, product or service? Round of applause to the Benjamin Franklin plumbers. I may be confused by their choice of name but if I ever need a plumber you can bet I'll be looking into them on google reviews. Mission accomplished, Ben.
2. Everyone has their own unique and distinct running style. Maybe you have noticed the wide array of running styles that abound on sidewalks, treadmills and street (ugh - use a sidewalk buddy). If you haven't previously noticed this phenomenon then take a minute and picture runners. They all look different in your mind, don't they? Some twirl their arms in little circles, keeping pace with their striding legs. Others appear to be gliding. Still others look pained and fatigued, as if they might keel before their heel meets the pavement once again. No two runners are the same. Kind of like people. No two individuals are the same. Maybe these two principles are somehow linked? Someone should study this theory. Not me in particular, but someone.
3. Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. What one person cherishes will be deemed worthy of demolishing by another. Just watch HGTV for proof. One person sells a home to move across the country for work, leaving behind the home they have made their own and loved. The next owner comes in and tears off the wallpaper, knocks out the kitchen cabinets and paints the dining room bright, flaming red. They couldn't wait to change what had once been loved and carefully selected. To them, it was simply dreadful. To the one who loved it and created the design it was truly beautiful.
4. Every woman needs a little black dress and every man needs a bow tie. These are wardrobe essentials. Don't question me, just go to Macy's.
5. You can't expect to meet friendly faces when you wear a sour expression with a downward cast glance. If you want to find friendliness, you need to give it. If you want to make a friend you need to be ready to be a friend. If you want to meet people you have to take the ear buds out and look people in the eye, and smile. You have to get out of your comfort zone and off the couch. The world is full of friendly people, are you one of them?
1. Today I noticed "Benjamin Franklin - the punctual plumber". The company came to the plumbing rescue decked out in a van with Ben Franklin's head on the side. Who knew that Mr. Franklin was known to be punctual? This got me thinking: how do companies come up with their names? How do they decide that the name they choose is going to somehow further the sales and success of their business, product or service? Round of applause to the Benjamin Franklin plumbers. I may be confused by their choice of name but if I ever need a plumber you can bet I'll be looking into them on google reviews. Mission accomplished, Ben.
2. Everyone has their own unique and distinct running style. Maybe you have noticed the wide array of running styles that abound on sidewalks, treadmills and street (ugh - use a sidewalk buddy). If you haven't previously noticed this phenomenon then take a minute and picture runners. They all look different in your mind, don't they? Some twirl their arms in little circles, keeping pace with their striding legs. Others appear to be gliding. Still others look pained and fatigued, as if they might keel before their heel meets the pavement once again. No two runners are the same. Kind of like people. No two individuals are the same. Maybe these two principles are somehow linked? Someone should study this theory. Not me in particular, but someone.
3. Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. What one person cherishes will be deemed worthy of demolishing by another. Just watch HGTV for proof. One person sells a home to move across the country for work, leaving behind the home they have made their own and loved. The next owner comes in and tears off the wallpaper, knocks out the kitchen cabinets and paints the dining room bright, flaming red. They couldn't wait to change what had once been loved and carefully selected. To them, it was simply dreadful. To the one who loved it and created the design it was truly beautiful.
4. Every woman needs a little black dress and every man needs a bow tie. These are wardrobe essentials. Don't question me, just go to Macy's.
5. You can't expect to meet friendly faces when you wear a sour expression with a downward cast glance. If you want to find friendliness, you need to give it. If you want to make a friend you need to be ready to be a friend. If you want to meet people you have to take the ear buds out and look people in the eye, and smile. You have to get out of your comfort zone and off the couch. The world is full of friendly people, are you one of them?
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
In case you were wondering...
This is what's on my mind... in case you were wondering....
1. Don't underestimate the importance (and power) of a good night's sleep. Pam Beasley (from The Office, in case you aren't up on your stupid humor comedy sitcoms) knows the difference a solid REM cycle can provide to the waking hours. When she gets 8 hours of sleep compared to 4 - big difference. So, take a lesson from a show full of utter ridiculous, yet amusing, antics: get your shut eye. The beauty sleep does more than just help the appearance. It clears the mind and puts a cheery light on the whole day. Who knew what happens when we aren't even aware could influence the rest of life in such a profound way? Pam knew.
2. A red front door, designed and executed with style and an eye for design, can be as powerful as the perfect shade of red lipstick. It takes a home from boring, dull and lifeless and makes it a showstopper. A few coats of paint can be the difference between drive by and stop and stare. Like I said: lipstick for the house. Just ask any women with a go-to shade of fiery red. She isn't born with it, it might be Maybelline. But it makes all the difference when getting all dolled up for date night.
3. When you read Jane Austen you will find that your day to day thoughts take on a new accent. Call me crazy, but don't judge until you've read over 300 pages of one of her classics. You begin to think with an English accent. I'm not complaining. Who doesn't love a true Brit speaking with that irresistible accent so captivating that it stops women young and old in their tracks?
4. Do you want to change your daily interactions with strangers, friends, family and even your pet dog? Smile and make eye contact. These simple acts will transform your communication. A smile goes a long way. It conveys openness and invites further interaction. Eye contact shows that you are engaged. Try these tricks of the communication trade and watch the world around you take on a whole new light. You won't be disappointed, I promise.
5. Cars are a blessing and a curse. Life was simpler before they existed. I wasn't around then, obviously, but since moving to Chagrin Falls I am beginning to get a picture of what that world was like. Needed groceries? You walked. You didn't buy 2 carts full of potato chips and Oreos. You bought what you could carry, aka what you needed. Had to send a letter? You walked to the local post office and bought stamps, probably running into a few of the locals on the way. Communities were close knit. People knew each other. There is something nostalgic and picturesque about that way of life. It was a life grounded on the fundamentals and a simplicity that is missing from society. From now on, I'm going to try to let my car stay parked more often.
Whats on your mind? What have you noticed today?
1. Don't underestimate the importance (and power) of a good night's sleep. Pam Beasley (from The Office, in case you aren't up on your stupid humor comedy sitcoms) knows the difference a solid REM cycle can provide to the waking hours. When she gets 8 hours of sleep compared to 4 - big difference. So, take a lesson from a show full of utter ridiculous, yet amusing, antics: get your shut eye. The beauty sleep does more than just help the appearance. It clears the mind and puts a cheery light on the whole day. Who knew what happens when we aren't even aware could influence the rest of life in such a profound way? Pam knew.
2. A red front door, designed and executed with style and an eye for design, can be as powerful as the perfect shade of red lipstick. It takes a home from boring, dull and lifeless and makes it a showstopper. A few coats of paint can be the difference between drive by and stop and stare. Like I said: lipstick for the house. Just ask any women with a go-to shade of fiery red. She isn't born with it, it might be Maybelline. But it makes all the difference when getting all dolled up for date night.
3. When you read Jane Austen you will find that your day to day thoughts take on a new accent. Call me crazy, but don't judge until you've read over 300 pages of one of her classics. You begin to think with an English accent. I'm not complaining. Who doesn't love a true Brit speaking with that irresistible accent so captivating that it stops women young and old in their tracks?
4. Do you want to change your daily interactions with strangers, friends, family and even your pet dog? Smile and make eye contact. These simple acts will transform your communication. A smile goes a long way. It conveys openness and invites further interaction. Eye contact shows that you are engaged. Try these tricks of the communication trade and watch the world around you take on a whole new light. You won't be disappointed, I promise.
5. Cars are a blessing and a curse. Life was simpler before they existed. I wasn't around then, obviously, but since moving to Chagrin Falls I am beginning to get a picture of what that world was like. Needed groceries? You walked. You didn't buy 2 carts full of potato chips and Oreos. You bought what you could carry, aka what you needed. Had to send a letter? You walked to the local post office and bought stamps, probably running into a few of the locals on the way. Communities were close knit. People knew each other. There is something nostalgic and picturesque about that way of life. It was a life grounded on the fundamentals and a simplicity that is missing from society. From now on, I'm going to try to let my car stay parked more often.
Whats on your mind? What have you noticed today?
Monday, February 18, 2013
Becoming "beautiful"
Think back 365 days from today. Where were you? What were you doing? What were your plans for the day, the week, the month? Do you even recall what was happening in your life those days? Or has the past faded with the setting of each sun? Has the past become a hazy patchwork of circumstances that have formed you yet alluded your detailed memory?
I don't remember what I did 365 days ago. Maybe I went out and had lunch or took a shopping trip to TJ Maxx. Those sound like plans I would have embraced a year ago. I still embrace days such as those. Although I don't remember the specifics of my day I do remember the circumstances surrounding my life at that time. I was sick and searching for answers. I was waiting for results from the IBS Treatment Center in Seattle, WA; all the while scouring the internet for any answer, any explanation for my suffering.
At that time I was in a state of utter confusion and questioning. I didn't have answers but I wanted them badly. I was searching and reaching. I felt stalled out and at a loss for a future or a way out of my predicament. Each road seemed to lead to a dead end. Every medical condition that seemed to fit my struggle only fit half way. The other half didn't even come close. I was coming up empty handed. It was about this time 365 days ago that the results came from Seattle. Still, no answers.
My search continued.
I don't need to rehash the saga of how I ended up back in Erie at a chiropractor to find answers from a Christian man of God who believes whole heartedly in the bodies ability to heal itself and God's desire to heal us with tools he has provided right here on earth. The saga would take much more than a single blog post to cover it adequately. I don't have the time, space or desire to go through the whole process. But it was a journey. It took me from coast to coast, Washington to Florida, California to Cleveland. I went everywhere, tried anything and had the scans and MRIs that should have shown something, anything or in my case, nothing.
In those days I couldn't see what God had for my future or how he was going to use that trial to shape the person I would become. There were nights I didn't know if he would take me to be with him right then and there or if I would live to see (and suffer) another day.
I remember one night where I laid in bed with one of the worst hot flashes I had experienced to date. I was sweating, my heart pounding and my mind racing. I was nervous and afraid for my very life. Tears started to form in my eyes - a rarity for me. I couldn't suppress them and for once, I didn't want to. I let them flow as I cried out to God: "If you want to take me, okay. I'm yours and I'm ready. I am going to sleep now, trusting that whatever happens is your will. If I wake up tomorrow morning it is because of you alone, you have sustained me. You have given me another day because you aren't finished with me yet."
Needless to say I woke up.
He wasn't finished.
He isn't finished.
From that moment in July of 2012, to today, February 18, 2013, so much has happened. God has taken me to places I never thought possible and never anticipated. He has brought me here, to Chagrin Falls, Ohio to the Starbucks that I walked to from my house just 5 short blocks away - the house I live in, the house my parents generously purchased for an investment and for my home. The road here was twisted and winding. I couldn't have fathomed it while I was walking it but that is the mystery of God.
When God is leading every day is an adventure and every trail is not just a mere shortcut. God takes us down the scenic route for a purpose. He wants to show us something special. My scenic route didn't feel scenic at the time. It felt like I was on a road to nowhere, spinning my wheels. I felt despondent and depressed until I released my agenda to God. My own plans weren't evil or inherently wrong, but they were preconceived and, most importantly, they weren't God's. I wanted to be healthy and I wanted it yesterday, not tomorrow. God didn't have that in the cards just yet. He wanted to keep me where I was physically so he could grow me spiritually. He still hasn't brought my body back to full health but he has given me enough to go forward with dreams and service that I wasn't capable of in my darkest hours.
Now I am here in the midst of beginning a whole new life. It is unknown and exciting at the same time. I don't know where the road here will lead but I know who brought me here. In life that is what's most important. We aren't meant to know our future - where is the fun in that anyway? We are to be confident in the one who got us where we are and the one who is taking us where we are going. If our confidence is in God and his providence, perfect timing, and perfect plan then we don't need to fret about a single step that is to come. When we have confidence in him we don't need to have confidence in the ways of the world or our own ability to plan and plot out our future. We must wake every morning and close our eyes each night asking God to direct our paths, while we live in obedience to his laws and commands. There will be days we deny our own desires and human pleasures because they aren't God's. Don't despair. Although it may feel like a hardship in the moment it is moving you closer to the road God has set forth specifically and specially for you.
When you hand your life over to God's providence wholeheartedly he will do amazing things. He will take you places you didn't even know were possible. He will exceed your dreams. You have to submit. You have to take that first step. It may hurt. It will feel like pruning. Remember you are clay in the potters hands. You are being molded, formed and shaped into something beautiful. If he left you as you were when he found you - gray, dull and misshapen - you would never bear the name "beautiful". But if you allow yourself to be changed you will become something marvelous and God will use your life in a way only he could. You can't do it on your own. You can't even understand it as it is happening. But remain steadfast in obedience and he will remain true to his word. He will make your life something miraculous.
I don't remember what I did 365 days ago. Maybe I went out and had lunch or took a shopping trip to TJ Maxx. Those sound like plans I would have embraced a year ago. I still embrace days such as those. Although I don't remember the specifics of my day I do remember the circumstances surrounding my life at that time. I was sick and searching for answers. I was waiting for results from the IBS Treatment Center in Seattle, WA; all the while scouring the internet for any answer, any explanation for my suffering.
At that time I was in a state of utter confusion and questioning. I didn't have answers but I wanted them badly. I was searching and reaching. I felt stalled out and at a loss for a future or a way out of my predicament. Each road seemed to lead to a dead end. Every medical condition that seemed to fit my struggle only fit half way. The other half didn't even come close. I was coming up empty handed. It was about this time 365 days ago that the results came from Seattle. Still, no answers.
My search continued.
I don't need to rehash the saga of how I ended up back in Erie at a chiropractor to find answers from a Christian man of God who believes whole heartedly in the bodies ability to heal itself and God's desire to heal us with tools he has provided right here on earth. The saga would take much more than a single blog post to cover it adequately. I don't have the time, space or desire to go through the whole process. But it was a journey. It took me from coast to coast, Washington to Florida, California to Cleveland. I went everywhere, tried anything and had the scans and MRIs that should have shown something, anything or in my case, nothing.
In those days I couldn't see what God had for my future or how he was going to use that trial to shape the person I would become. There were nights I didn't know if he would take me to be with him right then and there or if I would live to see (and suffer) another day.
I remember one night where I laid in bed with one of the worst hot flashes I had experienced to date. I was sweating, my heart pounding and my mind racing. I was nervous and afraid for my very life. Tears started to form in my eyes - a rarity for me. I couldn't suppress them and for once, I didn't want to. I let them flow as I cried out to God: "If you want to take me, okay. I'm yours and I'm ready. I am going to sleep now, trusting that whatever happens is your will. If I wake up tomorrow morning it is because of you alone, you have sustained me. You have given me another day because you aren't finished with me yet."
Needless to say I woke up.
He wasn't finished.
He isn't finished.
From that moment in July of 2012, to today, February 18, 2013, so much has happened. God has taken me to places I never thought possible and never anticipated. He has brought me here, to Chagrin Falls, Ohio to the Starbucks that I walked to from my house just 5 short blocks away - the house I live in, the house my parents generously purchased for an investment and for my home. The road here was twisted and winding. I couldn't have fathomed it while I was walking it but that is the mystery of God.
When God is leading every day is an adventure and every trail is not just a mere shortcut. God takes us down the scenic route for a purpose. He wants to show us something special. My scenic route didn't feel scenic at the time. It felt like I was on a road to nowhere, spinning my wheels. I felt despondent and depressed until I released my agenda to God. My own plans weren't evil or inherently wrong, but they were preconceived and, most importantly, they weren't God's. I wanted to be healthy and I wanted it yesterday, not tomorrow. God didn't have that in the cards just yet. He wanted to keep me where I was physically so he could grow me spiritually. He still hasn't brought my body back to full health but he has given me enough to go forward with dreams and service that I wasn't capable of in my darkest hours.
Now I am here in the midst of beginning a whole new life. It is unknown and exciting at the same time. I don't know where the road here will lead but I know who brought me here. In life that is what's most important. We aren't meant to know our future - where is the fun in that anyway? We are to be confident in the one who got us where we are and the one who is taking us where we are going. If our confidence is in God and his providence, perfect timing, and perfect plan then we don't need to fret about a single step that is to come. When we have confidence in him we don't need to have confidence in the ways of the world or our own ability to plan and plot out our future. We must wake every morning and close our eyes each night asking God to direct our paths, while we live in obedience to his laws and commands. There will be days we deny our own desires and human pleasures because they aren't God's. Don't despair. Although it may feel like a hardship in the moment it is moving you closer to the road God has set forth specifically and specially for you.
When you hand your life over to God's providence wholeheartedly he will do amazing things. He will take you places you didn't even know were possible. He will exceed your dreams. You have to submit. You have to take that first step. It may hurt. It will feel like pruning. Remember you are clay in the potters hands. You are being molded, formed and shaped into something beautiful. If he left you as you were when he found you - gray, dull and misshapen - you would never bear the name "beautiful". But if you allow yourself to be changed you will become something marvelous and God will use your life in a way only he could. You can't do it on your own. You can't even understand it as it is happening. But remain steadfast in obedience and he will remain true to his word. He will make your life something miraculous.
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