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Archive for February, 2013

31525266111735619_mN9c2Kr4_bI have been pondering the question, “who am I?”

As I have been pondering and researching that question I have kept returning to the same response …

Before I get to that response, let me expose myself to you first (my kids would now place their hands over their eyes and say “TMI Mom” (too much information).

As I see myself, I see one word …

f   a   i   l   u   r   e

As a wife, I am a failure.
I love my husband, but truly I do not always like him. I do not put his needs first (unless he has done something to meet my own before that). I do not love him unconditionally. I do not save my best for him. He usually gets all the frustrations of my day dumped onto his shoulders (and the residual anger and frustration).

As the wife of my husband who is a pastor, I am a failure.
I do not even try to ‘work along side of him in his role. I do not sit with him in church. I do not spend my every spare minute leading Bible studies, teaching Sunday School or visiting the sick. I do not initiate connecting with people from church on a weekly, or even regular basis. I do not even play the piano!

As a mom, I am a failure.
When our three kids were born, I had such grand intentions. I whispered promises that I have broken over and over again. I have not stepped in when they have needed me to. I have ‘wigged out’ at and on them, like a wild woman. I have not tucked them in, with stories and prayers every night of their existence. I have not helped them with homework on a daily basis (in this I am a really big failure, because that is what I get paid to do at school!). Heck, there is a science fair coming up, and I have not done much other than edit my son’s paper. I have even told them, “no, I do not want to hug you right now.”

In my job, I am a failure.
I do not use my time well. I do not show up to classes prepared. I stand in the hallways and chat, when my students are in class. I do not always follow directions from my supervisors. I have even been known to leave early. I do not always like my students, my co-workers, my supervisors, my school.

As a friend, I am a failure.
I do not always make time for my friends. I do not always return their calls, emails, texts, messages quickly. I do not always remember their birthdays. I do not always listen actively to them.

As a child of God, I am a failure.
He, who I say is the most important part of my life, does not always get my attention … at all.

But …

Because I am a child of God, who I am is a reflection, not of what I see in a mirror, but who I am when His light is reflected through me.

Like the image at the top of the page, I am like that elderly woman. I am weighted down by the reality of living in this sin-filled body, in this sin-filled world. My body, my mind, my heart are aging towards their natural end … death. But, like that lady in that image, who I am is being reflected, not as I think I am, but as the beloved of the King.

“I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine”
Song of Solomon 6:3

Who do you think you are? In the light of your heavenly Father, you are

B   E   L   O   V   E   D

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e213e03d57cc73bcce414a1c5bfe3119My mind is pondering my son, my only son, tonight.

Finally I am preparing to write my letter to him (referred to way back in my post, Father-Son Bonding Weekend) to be placed in the box with all of those letters from the special men in his life … and me 😉 .

As I was pondering my son, and the words that I want him to keep with him for all of his days, even after I am long gone, I am reminded of the beginnings of elementary school each year.

Early in September, the letter would come home. The letter with instructions for packing an emergency package to be left at school … in case of emergency. A large Ziploc bag would come home with the letter giving directions for filling the bag. A larger garbage bag, snack bars, a toy or stuffy, and a letter to comfort our child … in case of emergency.

It was always a tumultuous task to write that letter. I remember sitting at a table, paper before me, pen in hand …

I would start with, “Your dad and I love you …”

Then they would start, those imaginings of situations that might result in this letter being read by my son. And each time they would eventually come to the point of realizing that this scrawling on paper might be the last communication that my son might have from me. And the tears would fall, and words would see inadequate for all that I would want to leave for him to take into his life … in case of emergency.

And washing his hands, and brushing his teeth, and scrubbing behind his ears would seem unimportant for in case of emergency.

What would I want my last words to my son (or my daughters) be?

Then I would know, I would know with the greatest of certainty what he needed in case of emergency …

“Love Jesus with all your heart”

So when I encountered the following song by Andrew Peterson, I knew it spoke my heart, just like those letters written, just like the letter my son will receive this week,

in case of emergency …

When I look at you, boy
I can see the road that lies ahead
I can see the love and the sorrow

Bright fields of joy
Dark nights awake in a stormy bed
I want to go with you, but I can’t follow

So keep to the old roads
Keep to the old roads
And you’ll find your way

Your first kiss, your first crush
The first time you know you’re not enough
The first time there’s no one there to hold you

The first time you pack it all up
And drive alone across America
Please remember the words that I told you

Keep to the old roads
Keep to the old roads
And you’ll find your way
You’ll find your way

If love is what you’re looking for
The old roads lead to an open door
And you’ll find your way
You’ll find your way
Back home

And I know you’ll be scared when you take up that cross
And I know it’ll hurt, ’cause I know what it costs
And I love you so much and it’s so hard to watch
But you’re gonna grow up and you’re gonna get lost
Just go back, go back

Go back, go back to the ancient paths
Lash your heart to the ancient mast
And hold on, boy, whatever you do
To the hope that’s taken hold of you
And you’ll find your way
You’ll find your way
If love is what you’re looking for
The old roads lead to an open door
And you’ll find your way
You’ll find your way
Back home

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imagesI have been reading posts by Roger Tharpe for quite some time now. He is insightful and thorough in how he views what he reads in the Bible and how it relates to his life.

On his ‘About Me’ page, he says of himself, “My name is Roger Tharpe and I am a Christian. I love to blog and tell others about Christ in stories that could be shared by all.”

In this guest post, Roger writes of the story of Peter walking taking a plunge on the Sea of Galilee with Jesus, in What Do You Do When Jesus Doesn’t Calm the Storm?

We all have storms in our lives. Sometimes they are easily managed with relaxed breathing, and just taking it easy. Sometimes our confidence is shot, the skies are ominously dark, the waves seem aimed at us, and there is no steady hand for us to reach for in clear view … until we look up …

I highly recommend a read of this post, today.

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So, confession time has arrived …

I have not started the year out very well!

As is often the case, I do very well over the Christmas season, and even as the new year gets started. Then January gets in full swing, the busyness resumes, back to work, rains pick up and the dark of winter seems … darker, now that the Christmas lights are packed away. The winter blues set in, imagesand carbs are the only thing giving satisfaction.

Over the month I’ve packed on 4 pounds 😦 … that’s a chihuahua!

So, back to the weight loss part of this DiaBLOG!

I am going to pretend this month did not happen and look towards the future!

In the six months of 2o12, I worked hard and lost 24lbs! Although that does not seem like a big amount (I have a friend who lost about 50 in the same amount of time), I am ahead of where I was. So, as I was thinking about that 24lb. weight loss, I found myself thinking, ‘what if I made my goal to lose 26lbs. by the end of the school year, making my total loss 50lbs. after one year of living, thinking, and eating differently?’ So, that is my plan! I want to lose 26lbs. from February to the end of June. That is a goal of losing 5lbs. each month …. very doable!

So, this past month was not so successful, and my goal of walking three times a weeks is still unmet. I did manage to get in a nice long walk each weekend, but during the week has not been successful. So, I will continue on with that goal for February.

This month I discovered a web sight that is kind of fun!

www.modelmydiet.com

If you click the link above, you will see a virtual me, the heaviest I have ever been and the lightest … sigh, how does that happen? If you play around with the details on the right of the page, then click on ‘update’ you will get to see you. It was encouraging for me to see the differences from where I am now to where I was seven months ago.

Best wishes with the month of February!

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