The Turtle

There is a box turtle in our yard and apparently my little dog, Gypsy, feels this is a massive threat to her teritory.  From the ferocious barking and intense attacking, one would think evil itself had come to invade our precious kingdom. 
You have to understand, we have 2 dogs, a lab, Godiva and the terrier, Gypsy.  Godiva really could care less about the other critters in our yard.  She only mildly appears interested in a deer if they are close enough to nibble on her fur (they eat just about everything else in my yard so why not the dog?!).  Gypsy however is on a constant vigil to rid the yard of every bird, squirrel, mole, deer, frog, lizard, beetle and especially turtles.  One would think this is an exhausting job, but Gypsy has the energy for it.  The first time I heard her battling a turtle, I was very alarmed.  All this vicious growling and barking, lunging and digging must mean she found a monstrous creature.  My first thought was a snake, since dinosaurs are extinct and komodo dragons are not indiginous to Virginia.  Imagine my relief and humor at discovering it was a box turtle, shut tight in it's shell under a bush.  She found a turtle the other day while I was working in the yard, and it had the nerve to stay around to be discovered again today.  After recognizing the familar battle cries I told her to leave it alone and shooed her away to terrorize another section of the yard.
Then it occured to me - how many times do I do similar things in my life?  I worry and fret over small insignificant things or I explode over a simple mistake?  Granted, that mole hill really did look like Mount Everest at the time with no sleep, junk food and hormones raging.  And turtles can do some real damage, just look at a large snapping turtle.  But sometimes I need to take a step back and see if my response is truly warranted.  I probably do look like my dog, Gypsy, at times.  God probably grins, shakes His head and says to leave that turtle alone and focus on something more important.

Be bolder...maybe

I have been challenged of late through several book, devotions and Bible studies to take my walk with Jesus to another level.  I am content with "lifestyle evangelism" and I love the poster on the wall of a church that says something to the effect of  "Go and preach the gospel everywhere, when necessary use words."  I am not comfortable with preaching at people, unless I am the teacher at that moment. 

I believe God calls us all to a unique purpose and gives us the gifts and talents to accomplish that purpose.  Fortunately, I have no gift or desire to be a sidewalk preacher.  But how do I step out of my comfort zone and become bolder for Jesus, without becoming judgemental or obnoxious?  I have said I want to be so full of God's Spirit that I cannot help but splash on to other people around me.  But what if they don't want to get wet?  I want to be the refreshing sprinkle on a hot day when you want to cool off or the light that helps you see better.  Not the wet blanket on a dreary day or a blinding beam of light that hurts your eyes.  I want to teach my children that Jesus loves them and He died so they can have a relationship with Him, not a religion.  I also want to teach them that going to church and being in a Christian community is importantl.  Rituals and tradition can bring profound comfort and significance to worship, as long as they do not become the focus themselves.  I want to go to heaven, and I want to take some people with me.

So how do you balance being bolder and wanting more of God's presence in your life without scaring people off or offending them?  Unfortunately, in some cases, it is going to happen no matter what.  I think the key lies in wisdom and obedience.  God promises to give wisdom to those who ask and wisdom is not just book smarts.  Wisdom is common sense and discernment.  It is knowing not only what to say, but when to say it, how and sometimes who.  Sometimes we are not the best messangers, which can be extra tough in families.  Then there is the obedience thing.  I admit that I have been educated way beyond my level of obedience.  There are many times when I feel God's urging, but it is not convenient, comfortable or I just flat out do not want to do it.  I am trying to listen and act more often than I ignore and sit still.  So if God wants me to step out, I need to listen to what He wants me to do.  Not what someone else thinks I should do or what God wants someone else to do.  I need to do what I am asked to do, when I am asked to do it.  Whether that be to speak up or step back. 

Waiting out the Storm

I am currently in a Bible study on Genesis and we are on Noah and the flood.  I think it is so easy at times to become so familiar with stories like Noah and the Ark that we gloss over what it may have really been like.  We think of Noah and his family happily working together to build the ark, the animals show up, they all go in the ark to hang out while it rained (a steady, dreary rain maybe) for 40 days and 40 nights, they floated on calm water for a bit, then the water goes away, they come out and all is well again, without all the bad people to deal with.  We don't realize Noah spent over a year to build the ark while friends and neighbors probably ridiculed him mercilessly.  It had never rained before so no one, not even Noah, had any concept of water coming from the sky, storms or floods.  When the rain came, it was probably more like a hurricane with torrential rains, coupled with volcanic eruptions and massive tsunamis.  This was a storm of such immense proportion, it literally wiped out the entire world.  Not just a small forest and a little village of a few hundred people, an incredible civilization that some scholars estimate could have easily been over 1 million (given length of life and potential birth rates).  Even if you don't believe that to be the case, the destruction from the tsunamis in Indonesia and Japan is only a small picture of what it could have been like and they are still recovering years later.

I could go on about the debris and potential clean up, but I want to talk about the time also.  The storm lasted 40 days/nights, but they were on the ark for over a year, before they walked out onto dry land.  We know the story had a happy ending, but God didn't tell Noah it would all be over in one year so they could count down on a calendar.  All Noah could do was wait out the storm and then wait for the water to recede.  Trust God and wait.  And wait.  They had plenty to do, taking care of the animals, but I'm sure Noah wondered a few times if they were ever going to get off of the ark.

How many times in life are we in a stormy season, with seemingly no end in sight?  I know too many people going through difficult times and want so badly to see everything work out well right now.  I have been through times myself where it seems like God has forgotten me, or things don't seem to be working out so well.  That's when I have to remind myself that God does love me and there is a rainbow at the end of the storm.  Things may be very different, but God is still with me to provide a fresh start and a wonderful life (I'll leave that for Christmas-time!).

To anyone going through a storm, big or small, my prayers are with you and the rainbow is going to be beautiful.

Being Real

I've been thinking a lot lately about what is means to be real or authentic.  I listened to a CD from a Hearts at Home conference about being real in our marriage.  I read about being real in our faith in a book (Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman, great book!).  It seems like everywhere I look I hear or see or read something about being real.  What does being "real" and authentic really look like?  And how much real do we really need to share?

I believe we are called to be real and authentic in our lives and relationships.  Which, to me, means being honest with yourself and others, allowing yourself to be vulnerable at times and not just put on the "I'm fine!" mask.  But I also believe we need to exercise wisdom and discernment.  Being real doesn't mean we have to share our family history with the grocery clerk or share all the juicy, potentially gory, details with our girlfriends.  We can be positive and encouraging, without promising that everything will work out great, because sometimes life is hard and unfair.  Fortunately we have a God that loves us and will always be there to walk by our side and give us hope.  It does not mean denying there is a problem or ignoring that you would really like to claw someone's eyeballs out, but keeping things in perspective and exercising self-control.  It does not mean never getting angry at God, it's not like He doesn't already know, but talking to Him and working it out.  I tell people, if God can't handle my getting angry sometimes when yucky things happen or I'm hurt, then He would be kind of wimpy and my God's no wimp! 

I believe being real is being able to respond to someone honestly in a sincere and genuine way.  I know when I'm "faking it"  or when I'm not being honest.  Granted there are times when "fake it til you make it" comes in handy and rather appropriate, that is where the wisdom comes in and I will know in my gut that that is the right thing to do in that situation.

It's where, what you say and what you believe and what you do all seem to match up consistently, no matter where you are.  And that is a beautiful thing!  I have not mastered this, but with God's help I'm getting better and better every day.

America's Funniest Videos

I am enjoying a nice relaxing day off from school with the kids.  It snowed a little bit, actually it tried, but didn't succeed much and is already gone. 
We are entertaining ourselves by watching America's Funniest Home Vidoes.  Some of them are really funny, but I have found that the one's where people get hurt are not funny to me.  We may giggle nervously, but mostly just groan or wince.  My favorites are animals doing silly things and little kids. 
I believe a sense of humor is very important and often vital to getting through life with any kind of sanity.  And laughter has lots of health benefits.  I agreed when someone said we need to learn to laugh at ourselves because we are the funniest things out there and we will never run out of things to laugh at then, too.  I know there are situations that do not appear funny at the moment, but you can laugh about them later.  (There was a snowmobile trip that resembles that remark and a sledgehammer incident as well. Fortunately, no one was permanently injured.)  I also love a good practical joke and my Dad's family has a whole catalog of stories.  My personal best was stitching all my boyfriend's clothes together while he was visiting at my parent's house.  He was still finding things 6 months later, but it must not have been too traumatic, because we have been married over 19 years now.  My favorite story of his was when he moved a guy's car around campus and had him convinced it was the football team doing it.
But how often do we laugh and allow ourselves to be entertained at others expense.  I have had more than one coversation with my kids about you can tease and joke around with someone, but when they are not laughing it isn't funny to them and it has crossed the line.  I have a very sarcastic tongue at times and have to be very careful that my teasing or joking doesn't cut too deep.
Our words have far more power than we could ever imagine.  They say "sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me".  They obviously have never had anything cruel or mean said to them.  My son has had several broken bones and they healed after a few weeks in a cast.  I, however, still have wounds on my heart from things that were said to me several years ago.  There are insecurities that I deal with where a seemingly harmless remark can cut deep.
As Christians, we are called to build each other up.  So be careful what you say and do.  Enjoy life and laugh with your family and friends often.  Just make sure you are making a memory and not picking a scab.
And if you happen to have the video camera available when your husband is hanging out of the kitchen cabinet, trying to rescue a trapped hamster underneath with a reciprocating saw, go for it.  I still think we could have won something if I had gotten the camcorder out and working that night!

Hats

As moms, we wear many different hats.  In order to keep our heads attached and our families fed (whether home-cooked or take-out) we have to multi-task and be prepared for multiple interuptions.  If the only thing I had to do all day is wear one hat, it would be easy (or atleast I dream it would be), but that is not reality.  So what do you do when yo have 5 hats on, someone wants to hand you 2 more, while 3 other people are pulling at you, threatening to throw you off balance and send all the hats flying in different directions?  Not sure, but taking a deep breath sometimes helps.  Then maybe you have to take the hats off for a moment and restack them so they're a bit more stable.  It may mean some go in a closet or the hat rack nearby for you to exchange later.  But one thing's for sure, it can't keep going on the way is or heads, not hats, will roll!

The Eagle

On my way to the gym this morning, I looked up and saw an eagle flying overhead.  It flew across the road and I lost sight of it as it flew over my car.  It seemed to follow along above me for awhile before heading off to do what it was going to do.

For me it was a real comforting sign from God that all will be okay.

I have an amazing daughter, but she is a normal 16 year old and as much as I love her, I still want to shake her sometimes.  Those times when you just do not know the best way to handle a situation, you think you have made the right decision, but it does not seem to work out the way you thought it would, it is nice to get a sign, some kind of assurance that it will all work out.  Perhaps I have done something right and haven't totally messed my kids up.

With all that is going on,  I was talking to my husband the other night and I said I would rather raise an eagle than a chicken.  (There is a history behind that comment that I won't go into now.)

So even though there are days when I look forward to it and days when I don't want it happen, it's going to be beautiful to watch her fly.