Friends 'til the End...

"A friend loves at all times.." Proverbs 17:17


A true friend is there with you through the good, the bad, and even the ugly.  A true friend doesn't enslave you with your flaws, recounting them over and over each time you have a conversation.  A true friend talks it out with you when there is discord.  A true friend is present.

Today was a day my mind decided to reflect on the relationships I have with my friends, past and present.  As an introvert, I have always valued a few close friends.  When I lived back east, I had just that - a few close friends and it was fine.  Once  I moved out west, suddenly my world opened up and I knew more people than I've ever known in my life.  Whether they were friends or acquaintances, it was quite overwhelming to my introverted heart...and still is today.  However, I am so grateful for the abundance of people I know now.  The Lord has blessed me with some wild, weird, and wonderful people in my life.  However, I miss having the closeness and familiarity that comes with having best friends.

Two things that I have learned in my life:  never label people your "best friend" or ask them to be your child's godparent.  I have had bad experiences when these two things occur.  I know it may not be true for everyone, but it is in my case.  As I think about the people I am no longer in touch with, a sadness builds.  I have always taken the loss of friendships very hard, whether or not it was justified.  I am no longer the person I was when I lived back east.  I have grown in areas that could only come from moving clear across the country on faith.  I get that people go in different directions and move in different circles, but somewhere in me always wants to know "why does it have to end?".  (Good grief, I'm starting to sound like I just broke up with my boyfriend or got left at the altar. Ok, snap out of it, sister!)

Remember that email/poem that went around talking about phases of friendship?  I always wonder who will be the lifelong friends.  Thank God for His grace to have a few still hanging in there with me. The new potential friendships I have encountered lately sometimes involve weirdness that I just can't connect to (or want to). No one seems authentic. There are masks all over the place, sometimes including my own.

In my work with children, I always tell them that "to have a friend is to be a friend".   Perhaps I am not a good friend or I need better social skills. I can take responsibility for that. Maybe I just need a reminder that Jesus is the "friend who sticks closer than a brother"(Proverbs 18:24).  In the meantime, I trust that the Lord knows best and thank Him for providing me and my family with a community of people with whom we can laugh and cry.

Until next time,
\o/

Just Do It....later?

I don't know about you, but I get bored easily.  When it comes to exercise, I really want some diversity in my workouts or my motivation will begin to wax cold.  This explains my stopping and starting exercise programs every 6 months.  It's defeating, I know, but I am having difficulty staying the course. You would think that my family medical history would change this, but I apparently am a hard learner (or just hard-headed).  I need a plan that works and doesn't involve me eating 3 sprigs of parsley a day and doing the insanity workout.  Hmm...

So, I decided to start slow to help me persevere and began exercising again this summer. Trying to find something you will stay consistent with is hard.  I like swimming and have been taking Aqua Zumba classes twice a week.  Wow, what fun!  This was so different from the deep water aerobics class that nearly left me breathless within the first 10 min.  Go figure, right? However, I need to do something more for strength training as I feel that I am starting to round off on the not so flattering edges of my person.  

Since I seem to be stressed out all the time, I thought about yoga, but it didn't sit we'll with me spiritually. I found an alternative to yoga called Praise Moves, which incorporates the Word of God and worship into the workout.  I bought the AM/PM DVD and now have this as a part of my weekly workout schedule.  At first glance, I told myself that it looks easy and I could do this everyday.  Uh...no.

Don't let the "zen" fool you. I am not a pretzel and stretching muscles I haven't used in a long time sent shock waves through my body. Ouch!  But I am determined not to give up and soak in Epsom salt when I need to.  I just hope that I don't  injure myself in the meantime.  

Breathe....breathe....breathe....

\o/

Something New

I am always looking for ways to change up the ordinary things around me. Take this blog, for example. It needed an upgrade (and a purpose).  I still am unsure what I want to accomplish with it, but I thought that changing the name and look of it was a good start.  Also, adding another contributor can only help, right? Maybe we will just write about stuff and see what comes of it.  In the meantime, I know that I am leaning towards revitalizing my life from the inside out.  Perspective is everything, so maybe I can fine tune it a little right here.  Hmm...we'll see.  Change can be good...right? 

Stay tuned...

\o/

Hope and Refreshment

Have you ever had a day when a word of encouragement could go a long way?  That was my week...Lately, I feel like I am surrounded by the most dismissive, negative, discouraging folks in the world. Some days, I just feel as if my strength to press on is fading. "Does anyone really care?" I've thought many times. That's why a smile, a friendly gesture, or encouraging words are so precious to me right now.  

So, I turn to God's word, which is the best thing I could ever do.As I read through Psalm 23, I am encouraged in the way David describes the Lord's care.  All 6 verses reveal something beautiful about our God. The Lord provides for us all that we need with tender loving care: provision, guidance, and protection for the sheep in His care. He is the "Good Shepherd" as explained in John 10. Under His care, we can have rest and peace that only the Lord can give. (Reminding me what Jesus says in Matthew 11:28) What I also notice is that this rest and peace brings refreshing and new strength - almost as part of preparation to be guided in the right path.

Verses 4-6 shows us that no matter what we go through, the Lord is always there and that He will do what is necessary to keep us where we need to go. If His presence is our dwelling place, then His goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives. The biggest encouragement we have is through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Through Him we are not only set free, but incredibly loved!

"See what [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are!"    

1 John 3:1 AMP 

Ahh...refreshing hope...

Today, I am grateful for the encouragement the comes from the Father. Although I may wish it would come from those around me, nothing beats the love and care that only God can bring. Apparently, I need constant reminding, but the good news is that God's Word and His Holy Spirit is always available to bring these things to mind.  Thank you, Jesus!

Peace & Blessings,
\o/

@Being Connected...

Over the summer, I signed up for Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.  I am not sure what I am trying to accomplish here by trying to be so social, but I've realized that there are WAY too many social media outlets that make absolutely NO sense to me right now.  All this has accomplished for me is that I feel more out of touch than in touch.  Gee, I used to be so tech savvy...or so I thought.

For the most part, I don't think I like Twitter at all.  I keep forcing myself to read the different tweets and even have 2 Twitter accounts (personal & professional)! I know...Why? Why?! Why?!? And I keep getting strange followers like make money now and a moving company in NYC (Umm...I live in NM).  Do I really need to connect with these folks? Or is there some unwritten contest as to how many followers you can get no matter who they are or what they sell? I just don't get it. *shaking my head*

Well, I've come to the conclusion that there is too much of nothing going on in the Twittersphere. The streams of consciousness some folks have is more than I care to keep up with. That's what your Facebook friends are for, right? ;-) Besides, I have more on my mind that exceed the 140 character limit of a tweet.  Perhaps Twitter was created to perpetuate multitasking skills in its followers. I mean really, who else could tweet every 5 seconds and follow a million people at the same time?? This is too overstimulating for me.

Google+ has some cool features, if I learned how to use them effectively and add friends to my circle. Honestly, I don't even know what the circles mean or how to start a hangout, but it looks really cool though.

LinkedIn can be profitable professionally, but to be honest, I find that I network online better through the blogs of other persons of similar interests. I'll keep my account for now, but I don't think I'll invest too much time in it unless the need arises.

Okay, so why am I connected to these things that make my head spin? Hmm...that's a good question!

Seriously, am I trying to keep up with today's hip culture? (Ugh, I sound old) Maybe...maybe not. *sigh* Perhaps all of this speaks to a deeper desire in all of us to connect in some way to each other (although I'd prefer different methods like actual human connection like conversations face-to-face or a phone call). There are so many people you can reach out to in these types of forums, but I don't know. I still feel somewhat disconnected from the people I "follow" or those "following" me.

To relate, on any level, requires giving a piece of ourselves to another. It's a gift actually. I love that God gave Himself for us in Christ. I love that no matter how cut off I may seem in the world, I can always be connected to Him. Being connected to the Lord is the only thing that matters in this life. Through prayer and through His Word, our connection with the God of the universe goes beyond a tweet or status update. Instead of being captured by the unimportant things, I can be renewed, transformed, encouraged, taught, corrected, protected, comforted, calmed, guided, forgiven, and simply loved.  Now that's a connection I can get with....tweeting it....lol


John 15:5 AMP

"I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing."

#Unplugged for now,
\o/

**UPDATE**
Ok, I think I've figured out Twitter a little better, so I might change my mind about it in the future.  LOL

A Bump in the Road

Proverbs 3 says to trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. Well that was put to test this morning as my car slowly went into transmission arrest and I barely got my daughter to school.  I was scared and felt the emotions creep up and eventually seep out. My daughter was the voice of truth reminding with such authority to trust God. When I said, "I will" she declared, "NO, TRUST GOD!" with such conviction that I had no choice but to be immediately obedient.  Wow, I was almost jealous of her level of faith!

Fear wanted to paralyze me and keep me from moving forward. However God used my sweet daughter today reminding me that He is very near, very present, and in control. I just needed to trust.

In all of this, I almost forgot that the Lord cares about every detail in our lives.  As I sit here in the parking lot of a car dealership listening to the radio, God  continues to be my companion with songs that encourage my fearful heart.

Thank You, Lord, for the voice of truth that reminds me of Your love and care.

"When I am afraid, I put my trust in You."  Psalms 56:3

FOOL: Tales from a Temper Tantrum

"Control your temper,
      for anger labels you a fool."   Ecclesiastes 7:9



The definition of a fool includes one who acts unwisely on a given occasion.  We all act foolish at one time or another, but when it comes to expressions of our emotions, we must remember to be careful or deal with the consequences of losing control.

Today I found myself a bit vexed. Oh, I'll admit it....I was angry. People and circumstances were getting on my nerves and I just had to let it out...and foolishly I did. *sigh* I felt like a tea kettle that had reached the boiling point and is now whistling full steam. For someone who has taught anger management, I sure didn't practice what I preach. Ok, so I am not going around hitting people or cursing anyone out.  However, the darts of my words (or facial expressions) have too often hit their target.

"Careless words stab like a sword..." Proverbs 12:18a   

Remember David and his angry psalms? Although he was pretty much "cursing" his enemies (e.g. "May all his offspring die. May his family name be blotted out in a single generation" Psalm 109:13), he always ended his rant with a prayer. Actually, he initially brought his frustrations to the LORD. What I was angry about is not so important as to my response in my anger. Familiar patterns distract me with reactive responses instead of me thinking before I speak or act.  Unfortunately, this reveals my heart. I struggle with this often. Also, I am beginning to notice that I am angry a lot of the time recently. Underneath the anger is usually hurt, pain, and frustration that I probably do not want to deal with.  Hmm...I guess it's time for an appointment with the Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace, huh?

Please keep this fool in your prayers...



Heavenly Father, please forgive my foolish ways. May I find better ways to speak the truth of my hurt, pain, and anger all the while remembering to bring it to You in the first place.  May I remember the amazing grace that has been extended to me in order to speak words of healing instead of destruction. May my heart have compassion on those around me as I seek to see others and situations through the lens of Christ.   In Jesus' Name...Amen  \o/