We have been looking at Romans 12 in a newer translation called The Voice. And when in Rome, do as the Romans. :)
Let's pick back up in verse 9: Romans 12:9-10 Love others well and don't hide behind a mask; love authentically. Despise evil and pursue what is good as if your life depends on it. Live in true devotion to one another, loving each other as sisters and brothers. Be first to honor each other by putting others first. This brings us back to the masks we spoke of at the Conference. Did you relate to the mask? Have you been evaluating areas of your life to see if you put on masks? Why would we put on maks anyway? Maybe to hide something...maybe to portray something as if it is something it's not...maybe to avoid something? Whatever it is, women are good at putting on masks. But as we read here, we are not to put on masks, we are to love each other authentically as sisters, and we are to live in devotion to each other. Are you living authentically? Without masks? Are you living in devotion to your Destiny Friends? Verse 11 continues: 11 Do not slack in your faithfulness and hard work. Let your spirit be on fire, bubbling up and boiling over as you serve the Lord. Do not forget to rejoice for hope is always just around the corner. Hold up through the hard times that are coming and devote yourselves to prayer. We can't let up!! Plain and simple! We should be bubbling up and on fire for the things of God. THAT is becoming!! We need to hold each other up through the tough times because we know we have a hope in Christ and its just around the corner. Have you noticed how if you know when something hard is going to end, you can stick it out? If you are working out and you know you will be done climbing that stairclimber in 5 minutes, as tired as you are, you can stick it out since you have an end in sight. The same goes for the tough times in our lives. And despite the fact that we don't know when exactly tough times will end, we do know they will end and hope is around the corner - so encourage each other through those hard times. And finally, verse 13 says this: 13 Share what you have with the saints, so they lack nothing; take every opportunity to open your life and home to others, even if they are outside your faith family. "Even if they are outside your faith family" - wow!! As we are becoming more like Christ, we need to be there for our faith family and open our lives and homes to those outside our faith family. For some of us, it's easier to be kind to those within our faith family because they are more like us. And for some of us, it's easier to have compassion for those outside our faith family because we have lower expectations for what kind of person they will be. Are you looking for ways to "be Jesus" to those bith inside and outside your faith family? Are you compassionate to both? Are you accepting of both? Are you non-judgmental to both? Remember, you are influencing those in your life - even if you don't think you are. You ARE!! This week, look for a way to reach out to someone that is more difficult for you to reach out to. Maybe a coworker who is not a believer, maybe a parent who seems to never let up, maybe a child who let you down, maybe a friend who made a mistake. Reach out, honor God by honoring them and put them first. Seek to reconcile instead of seeking revenge. Live and love authentically as you are becoming!! Thanks for being you- jenny
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This morning, I was looking through my digital photos for a specific picture - which I found - but a few spots over, I saw a picture I had taken of a page out of a Bible. I evidently took the pix in March out of a new translation I was reading called The Voice. Have you heard of it? It was of Romans 12. I'm sure you've heard parts of this before, but you might not have heard it from this translation. And if you haven't heard it, you are in for a treat. :)
Romans 12:4 starts like this: "For in the same way that one body has so many different parts, each with different functions, we, too - the many - are different parts that form one body in the Liberation King. Each one of us is joined with one another, and we become together what we could not be alone." Easy enough - we are all parts of one body in Christ. I love the last part of that, though. "Each one is joined with one another, and WE BECOME TOGETHER WHAT WE COULD NOT BE ALONE." WOW!!! I hadn't heard it put quite like that. Together, we can become what we couldn't become alone. So maybe we need each other after all. I heard it said once that we were meant NOT to COMPETE with each other, but rather COMPLETE each other as sisters. That verse is a great example of that - we become together what we could not be alone. Again - WOW!!! Ok, to continue on with verse 6 ... "6) Since our gifts vary depending on the grace poured out on each of us, it is important that we exercise the gifts we have been given. If prophecy is your gift, then speak as a prophet according to your proportion of faith. If service is your gift, then serve well. If teaching is your gift, then teach well. If you have been given a voice of encouragements, then use it often. If giving is your gift, then be generous If leading then be eager to get started. If sharing God's mercy, then be cheerful in sharing it." We did our strengths and skills exercises, have you worked on them again? Have you gone back to look at what you wrote that day? Have you avoided it? Remember, BECOMING IS A JOURNEY! This is a process. Don't just attend the conference and be excited that day, that weekend, or that next week. EMBARK!!! Go back to your notes from the conference - what did God say to you that weekend? What has He said to you since then? Are you listening??? Are you asking?!?! Embark on that journey that God has for you discovering, uncovering and becoming! Put the effort in - some days the effort will be much more than others - but take time to discover things about yourself you didn't know, to uncover things you have consciously and subconsciously hidden, and to become more like Christ in ALL areas of life. BABY STEPS!!! Some days we just need to focus on baby steps. This week, let's take a baby step together. Pick ONE area, just ONE, to work on this week. Maybe this area is a role you have, maybe it's a strength of your yours, or a skill, but whatever it is, do it well. As we just read, "serve well, teach well..." Whether our roles, strengths, or skills are being a co-worker, being a mother, being a wife, being a boss, being a manager, being an artist, being a singer, encouraging, writing, speaking - whatever it is, do it well. Mother well, lead well, manage well, design well, write well, whatever you do, do it well as you are becoming all He created you to be. You are BEAUTIFUL! You are BECOMING!! thanks for being you - jenny I recently read a wonderful daily devotion regarding forgiveness. Forgiveness is a very interesting word that carries with it all kinds of emotions. Some of those emotions are negative, like disappointment, bitterness, and even anger - which are emotions which might have caused reason for forgiveness in the first place. And some of those emotions are beautiful - emotions such as joy, peace and relief from experiencing forgiveness.
But forgiveness is also a word loaded with action! Forgiveness only happens when action is taken, right? The ACT of forgiving. We could focus on so much when it comes to the action of forgiving, but today, I'd like to focus on forgiving YOURSELF - who, for many of us, is probably the hardest person to forgive. When was the last time you actively forgave yourself? I know that might be a strange concept for some of us, but when? When was the last time you did something that you regretted, had to ask someone for forgiveness, AND THEN actively forgave yourself for the wrong-doing? When was the last time you said something that was misunderstood and even though the other person didn't hold it against you, you held it against yourself and carried that guilt with you? There are many situations in which we might find a need to forgive ourselves so that we don't carry around the guilt and condemnation that comes with UNforgiveness. And, if God can forgive us, then shouldn't we forgive ourselves? Here's the devotion I read last week. It's written by Os Hillman. "Forgiving Ourselves "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9 The apostle Peter was one of three disciples who walked with Jesus closer than the other nine. He was the most enthusiastic and the one man who was willing to step into territories where others would not dare. He was the first to step out of the boat and walk on water. He wanted to protect Jesus at times when Jesus rebuked him for having a demon influence him. He cut off the ear of the guard who wanted to arrest Jesus in the garden. As Peter matured, the Holy Spirit harnessed his many extreme emotions. The greatest trial for Peter was when he denied the Lord just before Jesus was crucified. Three times he denied knowing Jesus. Jesus predicted that the cock would crow after the third time just to reinforce the prophecy to Peter. Peter was crushed when he realized he had failed His Lord so badly. The Lord forgave Peter for his denial. However, gaining forgiveness from Jesus was not the most difficult part for Peter. The hard part was forgiving himself. As we mature in the faith, we begin moving in victory after victory with our Lord. Then out of nowhere, an event happens that reveals our true sin nature, and we are confronted face to face with this reality. We cannot believe that we are capable of such sin. There is no good thing in us save the grace of Jesus Christ and His blood that cleanses us. When God looks at us, He looks at the blood of Christ that has covered our sin. He does not look at our sin once we confess it. When we have difficulty forgiving ourselves, this is pride at its deepest level. We are making an assumption that we should never have sinned and that we are too mature to sin. This is a trap from the enemy of our souls. People who cannot forgive do not recognize from what they have been forgiven. That includes us." Satan is the author of confusion and he's rather good at it! If you've considered yourself to be a Christian for a long time, sometimes it's REALLY hard to forgive yourself when "confronted face to face with [the] reality" that we are still capable of sin. We still hurt others with our words, we still do things we shouldn't, we still think things we wouldn't dare vocalize. And because of that, Satan can really push the guilt on us! He can confuse the issue - make us feel we are being humble by being hard on ourselves, rather than potentially prideful. He can confuse the facts that Jesus' blood covers ALL sin no matter who sinned and no matter when we sinned. And if you are a new believer in Jesus, Satan can confuse the fact that no matter who you are or what you've done or haven't done, if you confess your sins and believe in Jesus, you will be saved. That's it! Jesus' blood that He shed on the cross covers ALL the sin and God FORGIVES ALL THE SIN! His forgiveness is not an excuse to keep sinning, but rather a call to actively forgive and, as Jesus said, "Go and sin no more." If you are trying to become all God created you to be, then maybe you should forgive yourself of your past - whether distant past or recent past - and move toward Him. His arms are open. He forgives you - maybe you should, too! :) Thanks for being you! jenny Q: Can you think of something right now for which you've had a hard time forgiving yourself? How did you handle it? Have you forgiven yourself? Comment on this post, or email us with your answer. (You don't need to give details of what you needed to forgive, just answer the latter questions.) So, I apologize for the absence of our blogging. We try to blog weekly, but our "stories" have been more time consuming lately. I blogged on November 8th about my very special Mother-In-Law (or as my sis-in-law and I say, our Mother-In-Love) and how she was "moving past pause" and recovering from a stroke. Many of you now know that my incredibly MIL went to be with Jesus on November 29th. It's been a very difficult time for us as her story here on earth ended and as the chapters in our stories that included her with us have ended as well. She will forever be in our thoughts, our hearts, our pictures and our videos, but the reality of her not physically being here is still a difficult one to say the least. Thank you for your support, encouragement and prayers for our family during this time. As my husband said at her funeral - There is a God, He knows and loves me, and in all things He is sovereign even when we don't understand. He also concluded with the words "She was Epic...she was my mama."
One of my MIL's many qualities was her kindness. True Kindness. Anyone who knew her would say that and it was spoken of many times at her funeral. Is that something others would say about you? As we move on to this week's blog, Stefaney Lockwood prepared a blog on Kindness for us this week. Enjoy ... ******* I am currently reading Kelly Minter’s The Fitting Room for the second time. Bronie and I referenced it during our “Best Wardrobe” lab at Scripting Her Epic. We have also had the pleasure of meeting weekly to discuss the book with two other awesome ladies. This past week’s homework focused on the virtues of kindness, humility and compassion. Many of you experienced firsthand the Katrina and her destruction. I watched it all unfold from my living room in Alabama. Our family had just experienced Ivan and his wrath, the year before. My family watched and prayed for days for you all, not knowing one day we would have the joy and pleasure of calling many of you friends. While I can only imagine what your experiences were like, I can relate to being without power for weeks, with no food or water except what was brought in by strangers. It was surreal to be on the receiving end of kindness from strangers. A smile or a nod from the ones handing out ice, water and MREs was a lifeline for us. I was born and raised in the Deep South and kindness comes naturally, or at least I thought so until I read this week’s homework. My momma raised us three kids to look out for each other, and to always help out when we can. But is that all there is to kindness? It is easy to show kindness in the midst of tragedy, but what about every day? I would like to share with you Kelly’s words on kindness. Kelly says, “ I’ve become so familiar with the word kindness that I’m afraid I’ve tempered it a bit or maybe even stripped it of its power...because out of all the virtues it’s the one that seems pretty doable in most settings...everyone can tap the hammer of kindness, right?” The words kind and kindness have begun to lose their power. We tend to use them like we use love, “I love coffee’, “I love that blouse” or “I love to read”. Kindness doesn’t mean a whole lot as a compliment except that a person is really nice. Now please bear with me, I am not saying that kindness is not important, but let’s look at what the Bible and Kelly both say about kindness. Kelly goes on to say, “When kindness is fueled by the Holy Spirit, it is set apart from the cheaper version of friendliness or adrenaline-based sympathy. It’s when the easy-to-come-by smiles and patient attitudes that are fueled by self start to run out, and you realize that sustainable kindness is energized by something far more enduring and powerful than the common grace of mankind- by the Person of Jesus." Think about the people in your life that you consider to be kind. What makes them kind? A few observations might be: they listen, draw others out, express genuine interest or concern, are gentle, and are able to speak a hard truth in love. Kind people don’t gossip or focus on unflattering stories about other people. They aren’t short tempered, self- centered or explosive. Of course, no one is a perfect example of kindness, but that type of kindness originates from the heart of God. Christ was focused on the interest of others, and if we want to be Christ-like then we must shift our focus too.Jesus deals a blow to the Pharisees’ “outer“ righteousness in Matthew 12:34-35 by saying, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” In Philippians 2:4 Paul writes, "Each of you should look not only to your own interest, but also to the interest of others." While we search for what authentic kindness looks like, we need to be aware that one of its enemies is selfishness. God doesn’t ask us to neglect our own needs or desires. Looking out for others is about the position of our hearts. In Philippians 2:20-21, Paul writes about Timothy: “I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” Timothy was not interested in others to make himself feel better or to impress God, he was interested in what interested Christ.“Christ is interested in the welfare of people, and kindness is one of the greatest ways we can show this selfless interest” (p 138, The Fitting Room) If we want to attain authentic kindness, then our speech and actions must reflect Christ. True kindness may be the only picture of Christianity that some people see. ******* Be Kind, Be Authentic, Be Blessed!! jenny Several weeks ago, I read a devotional entitled "traces in time" and it has really stuck with me.
What is a "trace?" Here are 3 definitions from The Encarta World English Dictionary as well as a few synonyms: (n) 1. a sign that remains to show the former presence of a person or thing no longer there 2. a footprint or physical sign of the passage of a person or animal 3. a path or track left by people or animals regularly passing Synonyms - sign, evidence, indication, remnants, mark. Know where I'm headed with this? :) What "traces in time" are you leaving as you are scripting your epic? What indications that you were there are left behind in different situations? What marks are you leaving in the stories of others? Who or what is leaving signs that they have been in your story? The devotion mentioned snow. Even though we don't get much snow in South Louisiana, many of us have experienced at least a little flurry. And, I'm sure there are plenty of us who have experienced snow that actually sticks to the ground for more than a passing moment. With a heavy blanket of snow, it's easy to picture how walking through it would leave a very visible footprint. But even in a light snow, if there is snow staying on the ground, even a small bird can leave an impression. So it is with us. As our stories intersect with the stories of others, we leave impressions in each others' lives...evidence that we have been in someone else's story and they have been in ours. "That evidence can encourage self-doubt or God-confidence," the devotion's author says. She continues, "Our prints can cause stumbling or guide truthfully. Our impressions can widen wounds or bring healing." Isn't that the truth?! Snow is fleeting, while the snow's record is accurate, it is temporary. BUT, the impressions we leave in each others' souls, in each others' minds and hearts can last a lifetime. Let's be more intentional regarding the "traces" we are leaving behind. Today, this week, this month, find ways you can leave beautiful imprints in the lives of others. Maybe the imprint will be as obvious as a huge hiking boot in a thick blanket of snow. Maybe it will be as gentle as a little footprint left by a small bird. But whatever imprint you leave, I pray it will be a Godly one - one of encouragement, guiding truthfully and bringing healing - one that reflects the love of Jesus. I pray that it will be one that not only leaves an imprint on someone else's life, but also on your own. thank you for leaving "traces" in my story! jenny It's a new post!! :)
How have you been? We've been running wild, as I'm sure you have been, too!! It's crazy to think it's been 3 weeks since Scripting Her Epic, too! It's been a busy 3 weeks, getting all of our small groups going, but it's been a good 3 weeks. SO, have you been more intentional about your story? More intentional about Scripting your best Epic? Has it felt daunting? Has it been easier to slip back into the same ole routine? OR, have you been focusing on your best wardrobe, your best editing, your best supporting cast...??? It has definitely been an interesting past week for me personally. My mother in law, who I'm VERY close to, had a massive stroke last Wednesday morning as well as a heart attack. She was at MD Anderson in Houston, TX for her Dr appointment after her tests (she has sarcoma cancer). She had her tests on Tuesday and was on her way Wednesday am to the Dr, was in the elevator heading to the office when she began coughing and went limp. The Drs were saying she was not expected to walk or talk, respond to complex commands, move her right side, or really communicate again. In fact, one cardiologist even went as far as asking if my husband and father in law wanted to just give her morphine to keep her comfortable, as if this was the end of her life, her story. OBVIOUSLY the guys were making plans for her to recover and rehab - and oh, what a weekend she had. Long story shorter :), she is moving her head all over including nodding, is squeezing hands with her left hand in response to questions and her family, and even whispered the word "yes" yesterday! Regardless of the situation, we KNOW GOD IS SO GOOD!!! We are truly thankful, though, that mom is responding this much in such a short period of time. That cardiologist came back to see her yesterday after being off all weekend. He was absolutely SHOCKED when he saw her progress! She is so alert and responsive. She has a long way to go, but is making huge strides every day. And, just so you know, she is on her way back to Slidell as I type this. SHE IS EPIC! Even in such a short amount of time, she was UNWILLING to just sit back and let life happen to her. She decided, with whatever effort she could muster, that she would keep fighting. SHE MOVED PAST PAUSE!! Remember, that? MOVE PAST PAUSE!! Are YOU moving past pause? Have you refused to sit back and let life happen to you? Are you fighting for YOUR best epic? YOUR best story? Are you being intentional AND proactive? My Mom's stroke is now part of her story, she couldn't script that and wouldn't, BUT how she responds to it is making it EPIC! How are you responding to the situations in your life? PLEASE take time to consider all we talked about at the conference just a few short weeks ago. PLEASE - MOVE PAST PAUSE! You will never know what authentic life is out there, you will never know what God has for you, you will never know all you can be, you will never experience all you were created to be if you don't move past pause and let God move in your life. And this world, our lives, our stories will be lacking because YOU are part of our supporting cast and we can't wait to see all God created you to be come to pass as you Script Your Best Epic! Here's to moving past pause ... much love, jenny "Trying to forget my, feelings of love." Remember that song? There were several versions of this song about FEELINGS of love lost. Emotions are a funny thing, aren't they? They can float us high in the air, or bury us deep in the ground. And you know the saying, "You can't argue with feelings." :)
I read in a devotional this morning about feelings. Here's part of what was said: "Many things stir my emotions: worship, silence, a kiss on the forehead from my husband, my son's belly laugh, the voice of a treasured friend. Most of the time, however, what awakens my feelings is less heart-warming; being misunderstood, driving on icy roads, sleepless nights, and customer assistance numbers that do not let you speak to a human. Whether pleasant or painful, our emotions are in need of cautious and careful monitoring. Why? Because we live in a world that loudly proclaims, "What feels good, is good. What feels bad, is bad." And in such an environment we can easily confuse feeling with fact." AIN'T THAT THE TRUTH!?!?! Have you ever confused feeling with fact? Boy, have I been guilty of this! ESPECIALLY when it's something negative - or rather something I perceive as negative. I'm a very emotional person - I know that shocks some of you - ha ha!!! But seriously, when I watch movies, I put myself in the character's situations. When I read books, I find the character I relate to the most and I take on their emotions and challenges. When I hear stories, the same happens. When I listen to a song, YUP, you guessed it! Almost everything I encounter on a daily basis somehow affects my emotions. Texts and emails are THE WORST! Do you feel that way? Do you ever catch yourself saying, "well, what did she mean by THAT!?" when you read a simple one line email? "Was she mad at me or something? Why such a short response?" Or possibly, "what's behind THAT statement?! Does she think I'm stupid or something?" Have you ever been guilty of projecting emotions onto others? Creating a scenario in your brain of what's happening and therefore confusing the scenario you've created with the true situation? Maybe she responded so quickly because she was about to get in the car and drive somewhere but wanted you to know your text or email was important enough to respond to immediately. Did you think about that? Or what if her child needed help at the moment she was sitting down to type you an email and she could only get out one sentence? It's way too easy to confuse feeling with fact? And why is it that many times, we don't give each other the benefit of the doubt when it comes to things like that? What is your initial response? Do you find it easier to believe someone was mistreating you or that there might be something about the situation you don't know? What if we put some extra effort into giving others the benefit of the doubt? What if we put extra effort into understanding there are always at least two sides to every story? We might find that we get along better with others and even that our own emotions seem to simmer down a bit. And to take it one step further, what if we spend more time reading truth in God's Word than constructing negative scenarios without having all the facts? I love how my devotional put it this morning, "Our safeguard in a world where culture and media seek to benefit by manipulating our emotions is God's unchanging Word. God's truth is subject neither to hormones nor to Hollywood. His Word is nonperishable, non-pliable, and eternally free of decay." Again, AIN'T THAT THE TRUTH?! What a relief!!! We know God's Word isn't affected by hormones - HALLELUJAH!! Nor is it affected by Hollywood's lures. It doesn't perish, it isn't soft like clay so just anyone can shape it into something else, and it does NOT decay!! That is powerful! That is strong! That's something I can stand on. When there are questions about emotions, how I should emotionally handle situations, I can run to His Word. When I need encouragement because of something I've created in my own head, I can run to His Word. When there is reality to the negative in my life, I can run to His Word. For help, for a safe haven, for advice, for comfort, for encouragement, I can run to His Word. It's alive and it's real and it's applicable to my life today. "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statues of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. ' Psalm 19:7-8 (NIV) Anyone up for a run? Let's make our first run in every situation a sprint to God's Word and see how that will positively change our lives! Thanks for being you... jenny "So, is it just me? Please tell me it's not just me! PLEASE!!!! TELL ME I'M NOT ALONE!!!!...."
Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever made statements like that...out loud? To God? To a friend or a spouse or a relative? I know I have. And what is usually the answer you get back?? "YOU ARE NOT ALONE!" I know for me, I've asked these questions at different times of my life. I remember even when I was Elementary School age, I would compare myself to girl named Cori because my best friend Lesley seemed to begin liking her more. In Jr High I was was more aware of my appearance and felt awkward. In High School, despite all that I was involved in and all the friends I had, I still felt like I didn't fit in. I was very "successful" in school and I realized shortly after I was finished with school, that much of my identity was wrapped up in my accomplishments. Now that they were gone, who was I really? Who did I want to be? Am I able to make a difference? Do I really even matter? Of course, life continued...as it always does. Have you noticed that life around us doesn't stop when we have a question or need to figure something out?? Wouldn't that be nice! If you are considering a job change or purchasing a new house, wouldn't it be nice if everything else around you slowed down so you could really focus on the decision at hand? Haha!! I think that'd be way cool! :) BUT, alas, it does not, and it did not when I was younger either. During my early twenties, I married the love of my life, and 3 years later, we had our first child. Oh what joy that was! I LOVED being pregnant! I LOVED when I could finally feel my baby kicking around inside. I did NOT love all the weight I gained! UGH! But, to have that little boy - he still brings me such joy! A few years later, another baby. We didn't find out the gender of our first baby, but we decided we would find out for this one. We took Jordan, our son, with us to the ultrasound. The tech asked him, what is the baby's name? Jordan said if it's a girl, it's Emma. The tech asked, "What if it's a boy?" Jordan simply replied, "We don't know yet." Well, needless to say, the tears came streaming down my face when the tech said, "Looks like we have an Emma!" Oh, the joy! A couple of years later, another precious baby. This pregnancy was a bit different and I went into early labor at 33 weeks. I was put on bedrest and medication but that only held him off 2 weeks. One night, I realized I had not felt my baby move in quite a while. He had been such a mover and a shaker so it was quite obvious. It was late at night, I told my husband, we prayed and went to sleep. I already had Dr's appointment the next day, but I called in the am and they wanted to see me right away. Long story shortened, Carson was born that afternoon via an emergency C-section. He was in NICU for 6 days, but miraculously, everything the Dr's had seen wrong with Carson was gone and he was beginning to gain weight. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got about motherhood was from my own mother. She said, "The first 4 months are the most self-LESS of your life." I thought then that she meant it would all get easier, but I think now, she really meant that those are the months you FEEL it more because of the transition to self-LESS-ness and motherhood. The other great piece of advice she gave me, "This too shall pass!" :) I tell you this in hopes of you being able to relate. Maybe it's not with school and marriage and pregnancy and motherhood, but maybe there were other things in your life, GOOD things, GREAT things, and sometimes tough things that you can remember going thru. It's not always the bad things that cause us to get wrapped up in life. There are those seasons...I bet you already know them, and if you don't, you will probably get to know them at some point. You know, those "dry" seasons, the desserts. Desserts don't have to just be when things are bad or desolate, it can be that life is just dry. Maybe you feel unappreciated, unused, unseen. I always wanted to be a wife and a mother - and by the time I was 30, I had been married 10 years and had 3 children. I felt so blessed!! I was living the life I'd always dreamt of. I was VERY involved in church, had a devoted husband and 3 amazing kids - and we were all healthy! So, now what? As fulfilling of a life as I was living, and it was fulfilling, I still had the "dry" seasons. The seasons that I began to feel unappreciated, or like I didn't really matter. I felt bad because, although I absolutely loved being a wife and mother, I felt there was something else on the inside of me. There was so much I want to do! I was fine to postpone those dreams for now, but would I ever get a chance to pursue them? Is that just me? Am I alone? I daresay, no! I don't believe we will walk desert-free until we are in the presence of Jesus. But I've come to realize, it's ok. :) His presence here on earth can help us through those times. At least now, I am able to recognize those dry seasons in my life and instead of trying to get through them alone, or beat myself up because of them, or listen to the lies that inevitably come, I involve my husband, my friends, my family...whatever it takes, and I allow God to navigate me though. There is a wonderful book called Anonymous and it's written by Alicia Britt Chole. It was life-changing for me. She talks a good bit about Jesus' temptations in the desert. She refers to these seasons as a season of hiddenness. Here is a little excerpt: "In each season of hiddenness, our sens of value is disrupted. Stripped of what others affirmed in us, we are left staring at our undecorated selves, wondering what makes us truly special. Surely no one experienced this disruption more drastically than Jesus. He came from heaven to earth, voluntarily stripped of His glory. Yet He does not seem to question the value of His undecorated self. During His hidden year, Jesus clearly came to terms with what made him significant. Actually, that what was a Who: the God whose loves does not ebb and flow on the ever-vacillating waves of human perceptions. What grows in anonymous seasons? An unshakable identity." When we struggle with our own identity and purpose, when we are in dry seasons, or hiddenness, or living anonymously, as Alicia Britt Chole reminds us, "Father God is our only consisten audience. Others come and others go, but only He always sees. ...When no one else is interested in (let along impressed by) our capabilities and dreams, God is still wholeheartedly with fatherly pride shouting His love over us." I hope and pray you realize you are not alone in this life and that you feel God's fatherly pride shouting His love over you always! Thanks for being you~ jenny Last night, I returned home from a weekend in Atlanta, GA. Several ladies from Slidell got together and went to a Women of Faith (WOF) conference. I knew about half of the ladies really well and the other half, not quite as well. I was friends with all of them, though, which made the anticipation of the weekend that much more fun.
Last week was a busy week for all of us. If you read last week's blog, you know public school started in our area last week and many of the ladies who went to the conference with us have kids in public schools. Some have kids who will start this week. One had been out of town all week and met us up there. A few had just recently accepted the invitation when others who had previously prepared to go had to back out. Needless to say, there was a good bit of hustle and bustle last week trying to get ready to leave. It's rather ironic to start a trip fatigued. :) Most of us met at our church on Friday morning and we left at 8am. We had a 7 1/2 hr trip ahead of us, and traveling to Atlanta, we lost an hour. For me, the time spent with my friends outside of the actual conference was just as enlightening as time spent at the conference and even more enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, the WOF conference was wonderful and in between time of wiping the tears from my face, I was scribbling notes on all the great points they were making. I'm not sure if I had more tears from crying or from laughing. But, if you have any good friends, you know that time with them is so special. Do you remember your early friends? I remember my first friend. I didn't know at the time she was my first friend, but I remember her. I remember my first good friend in the neighborhood where I grew up. Then there's my childhood best friend, the close friends in jr high, the friends in high school. I can call them all by name - I remember many of their pets, their siblings and their parents. I remember the nicknames we had for each other, the laughter we shared, the sleepovers, the boyfriends. During that time and as I have grown older, friendships between girls changed. I began to see and feel the jealousy, the competition, the comparing, the gossip. Why is it that one of the most special relationships God gave us is so easily twisted into something that brings out the worst in us? Here are a few things that the Bible says about friendship - and there is SO MUCH more about it in there. " Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul." - Proverbs 27:9 " Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down." - Romans 12:14 "If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care - then do me a favor; Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand." - Philippians 2:1-4 (All verses from The Message) I don't see anywhere that it says, "be jealous of the life your friend has, compare yourself with her and try to keep up with all she has accumulated, talk about your friends when they are having challenges, jockey for friendship positions with those with whom you share mutual friends, belittle the accomplishments of your friends..." And, while we wouldn't want to admit it, don't those challenges like to creep up in our lives? Why do we insist on comparing ourselves with other women instead of recognizing we are all unique? Why is it so easy to find ourselves jealous over the good big and little things in the lives of our friends instead of being happy for them? Why do we have to share in the gossip? Compete in every way possible? WHY!?! God gave us friends! He created friendship! The Bible even talks about being friends with God. We read how God walked with Adam, His first human creation. God created us for relationship with Him and gave us relationships on earth. Why can't we just be happy and thrive in our friendships? I enjoyed my weekend so much! I loved spending time with them over lunch on the way up, hearing stories from their past. It was so much fun sitting on the floor of the hotel room eating a quick dinner (that was brought to us by friends who already lived in Atlanta). It was hilarious to be frantically searching for the brownies that some of them KNEW I was coming back to their room to get - only to find out they had hidden them from me...they only let me miss the brownies about 15 minutes before they confessed and we all had a good laugh...at my expense! :) Sharing worship in an arena, running to get refills on Sodas together and sharing the bottomless popcorn bucket together, laughing together, crying together, passing tissues and gum and pens. Then on the way home, laughing because the girl in the back couldn't understand the girl in the front and we all kept misunderstanding each other - "She doesn't like gummies?" "What?! Who was talking about gummies!!!" As I type, I smile at all we thought someone else said that was NOTHING EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE to what was said. hahaha!! Be honest - don't you want a BFF?? Isn't it a great feeling when someone calls you her BFF? Let's make an effort to be the kind of friend we long to have. It is an effort...and that's ok. Friendship is worth it! As Max Lucado says in his book A Gentle Thunder, "Each ife is a book, not to be read, but a story to be written." As you are writing the story of your life, don't forget to "write" the memorable moments with your friends! Take time to make good friends...put in the effort to be a good friend. Make time for them...do things together. And when you have some good friends, don't let them forget what they mean to you! I hope you know the blessings of true friends! John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this, than a man lay down his life for a friend." King James Translation"There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends." New Living Translation"This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends." The Message Translation Thanks for being you - jenny WOW!!! August 8th!! My heart is racing!
Why is my heart racing on August 8th? My oldest son started Jr High today! My daughter started 4th grade today! My youngest child started 1st grade today! Perspective is an interesting thing, isn't it? My oldest son started Jr High...I remember Jr High! It was where social classes seemed to begin dividing up, where my skin started changing and a new daily goal emerged - to catch the attention of the cute boy. It was where I became more aware of my wardrobe and my hair, who noticed me and why, was I in the cool-crowd or the not-so-cool crowd? Was I gonna forget my locker combo? Would I be late for class? Would I forget something in class and look or feel like an idiot? Will I keep making good grades? ... WAIT! I'm old enough to have a child in Jr High?! ;) 4th grad - LEAP testing!! Changing classes for main subjects, not just library or art or music. Higher learning and more expectation. No older brother at the school now - she's the oldest there. The challenge of making her own imprint instead of trying to walk in her big brother's BIG footprints that he left at the school. Living up to teacher's expectations of her because of who her brother is. Making a name for herself not just being known as his little sister. Leading, not just following. Continuing to set an example for her little brother. I am the middle child - and oh the pressures I put on myself as the oldest daughter and middle child. While many of those pressures pushed me to excel, will she excel or withdraw? She and I are very different. When does the identity in children begin to get questioned, for little girls in particular? 1st grade! He's the youngest in our family, but will be one of the older kids in his class. Will he be a leader? He gets frustrated so often when he can't do something he think he should be able to do well. Will he get frustrated as he's learning? Will he quit? Will he be nice to the other kids and make friends? Will he be shy in class? Will he be too talkative trying to make others laugh? It's funny to think about the challenges I remember experiencing myself, as well as the ones I now anticipate for my kids. It's also very interesting to see that some of those challenges remain similar all thru life. Social classes, keeping the eye of my husband, looking nice, being "cool," forgetting important details, being late, saying something that makes me look like an idiot, not knowing something I should know, following in others' footsteps, living up to expectations, leading, personal pressures, excelling at whatever I do, setting an example with my life, being younger than some and older than some, being frustrated as I continue to learn, making friends, quitting ... Can you relate to any of this right now in your life? I remember hearing something about relationships when I was younger that stuck with me. It may be puppy love, but it's real to the puppy. These issues we face at different times in our lives are so similar and yet so different. To a 7th grader, at a new school, with a new schedule, and new friends, it may be simply daunting to think about forgetting your locker combination or worse, remembering it and not being able to make it work. As an adult, we look at it and say - just go ask a teacher for help. That need for help might represent something to that 7th grader that could possibly dent his self-confidence. How does it make me feel when I have to ask for help? Does it "dent" my self-confidence? Do I let that lack of knowledge or know-how affect how I see myself? What about social expectations? Fitting in, looking just right, comparing oneself to others, being younger, being older... what about all that? Does aging suddenly solve those issues? I would gently say - HECK NO! I've dealt more with those things as I've aged than ever before. Perspective - You've probably heard that life is not about the destination, but rather about the journey. I can buy into that! If that's the case, then maybe we should all try to keep our lives in perspective. The issues we face today and the challenges we face today ARE VERY REAL. The issues our children face are VERY REAL to them. The issues our neighbor faces or the child we teach, or the family we come across at Chic-fil-A are VERY REAL. We shouldn't diminish them because we can't fully relate to them, or because we now feel OUR issues are bigger than theirs or worse or whatever. Have some compassion on others in this life. Life isn't always about how YOU are affected by something else but it CAN be about how you can affect someone else - both positively and negatively. Take your eyes off of your issues to help someone else thru theirs. And, when it comes to your own issues, find some friends you can be real with, those you can share your challenges with. Someone who can help talk you thru some of your concerns. Friends who can remind you "this too shall pass." Your issues and challenges are real right now, but the issues won't be there forever. And they may not all be as big or bad as you think right now. Maybe there's something else at work in your life. Maybe there's a reason something is happening. Or maybe despite something bad happening, something good can still happen out of it. Jonathan and I have spent quite a bit of time over the last couple of weeks helping our oldest son prepare for his newest adventure. We've asked all 3 kids questions about how they feel, what they are nervous or concerned about, what questions they have and so forth. The more we talk, the more we prepare together, the more we explore, the better they feel about starting the new school year. I'm still nervous for them, but they feel better. :) So, if your heart is racing about something... ENGAGE! Don't run away, don't diminish, don't crumble - ENGAGE! Engage in the lives of others. LISTEN to their story - they have one to tell. Sometimes their stories can actually help you thru yours. HAVE COMPASSION! Recognize the issues in others' lives are VERY real - help them when you can! Take time for others. SHARE! Share your story, share your faith, share your experiences. Take a risk - try to have a bigger perspective about this life and who's in it! Try to discover something new about your journey and what you might be challenged to do thru it. :) thanks for being you ... jenny |
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