Do you ever let yourself get really annoyed by the little things? You know how it is; you're having a bad day and one little thing can set you off. Someone cuts you off in traffic, you get a paper cut, the top of your ice cream cone falls off, etc.
Today the opposite thing happened to me. I was having a pretty normal Wednesday, nothing special really. But something so small made it a really great day. I feel that often I get caught up in the habitualness of my everyday life, that I don't take the time to enjoy the little things. A beautiful sunset, a smile from a friend, a really great piece of chocolate.
There's no big lesson I really learned this week. Nothing truly enlightening or heart wrenching I have to share. But I did want to share a small lesson, one I've seemingly forgotten time and again.
Enjoy life. As Christians, we are here to serve God and bring Him glory, but I think He also wants us to have fun while doing it. So this week if you receive a random act of kindness or a few extra dollars come your way, receive it as a blessing. Remember that life is short and meant to be enjoyed.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Happy Birthday, Nanny!
Today would've been my grandmother's 95th birthday. My mom's mother, I called her "Nanny," passed away in 1999. I think of her sometimes, and wonder if I ever really knew the real her. You see, my Nanny had Alzheimer's disease, but it wasn't diagnosed at first. For much of my adolescence, I helped take care of her. She was also diabetic, so I would help give her insulin shots, make food for her, and spend time with her while my mom was working. She was usually fun to be around and enjoyed pretending with me during the early years. Later in life, she didn't feel much like playing. We wound up having to put her in a nursing home and move out of the house we had shared with her. She was usually a pretty amiable person, but the stories she told, the way she acted, I don't know if any of it was her true self.
Sometimes I think I feel that way about other people, too. They may not have a disease that makes them forget simple things, but we are all inflicted with the disease of sin. I often wonder when I'm talking to someone, "is this who this person really is? Or is this what he/she wants me to see?" How often do we do that ourselves? We hide the ugly parts of ourselves we assume people don't want to see, and in doing so we lose a vital connection that could have been shared.
Many times, what draws people together aren't common interests, but common hurts. We feel a special bond with people who have been through the same things we have. It's cathartic to share stories, compare scars. After all, we weren't meant to walk through this life alone. Sure, this life can be filled with heartache and pain, but the load can be lighter when it is shared with someone else (Eccl. 4:11-13).
I hope that my Nanny is enjoying herself today. I imagine she is eating rum raisin ice cream in heaven and bragging about her grandchildren. I like to think in the short time I was privileged to know her, I got to know who she really was in the way she cared for those she loved.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The Wisdom of Katy Perry
Yes, you read the title correctly.
"Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed, so you could open one that leads you to the perfect road..."
"It's never easy to be chosen, never easy to be called, standing on the front lines when the bombs start to fall."
"She could be a Joan of Arc, but he's scared of the light that's inside of her, so he keeps her in the dark."
These are all lyrics from songs on Katy Perry's album Teenage Dream, but they also feel like they could be embossed on a plaque or stitched into a pillow on your grandma's sofa. Now, I wouldn't advocate for everyone to go out and listen to the whole album, but there are some nuggets of truth in a few of the songs. The lyrics above are from songs that encourage girls to not be held back by adversity, but to press on to a greater purpose. That's sort of my point for today... lessons can come at any time, from any angle, often when you're least expecting it.
John 4:1-26 tells the story of a Samaritan woman who was performing the mundane task of drawing water from a well when she encountered the Living Water. She probably didn't think anything exciting was going to happen to her that day. But at the well, she had a conversation with the Son of God.
In Acts 9, we read about a man who once persecuted followers of Christ, then meets his Maker on the road to Damascus. And so Saul becomes Paul, one of the heroes of our faith.
Maybe you are having a bad day. Maybe someone really annoying, who you don't think has anything of value to say will strike up an awkward conversation with you. Maybe... just maybe you shouldn't run from a bad situation. But wait for the wallop of wisdom to hit you- "Boom, boom, boom even brighter than the moon, moon, moon."
"Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed, so you could open one that leads you to the perfect road..."
"It's never easy to be chosen, never easy to be called, standing on the front lines when the bombs start to fall."
"She could be a Joan of Arc, but he's scared of the light that's inside of her, so he keeps her in the dark."
These are all lyrics from songs on Katy Perry's album Teenage Dream, but they also feel like they could be embossed on a plaque or stitched into a pillow on your grandma's sofa. Now, I wouldn't advocate for everyone to go out and listen to the whole album, but there are some nuggets of truth in a few of the songs. The lyrics above are from songs that encourage girls to not be held back by adversity, but to press on to a greater purpose. That's sort of my point for today... lessons can come at any time, from any angle, often when you're least expecting it.
John 4:1-26 tells the story of a Samaritan woman who was performing the mundane task of drawing water from a well when she encountered the Living Water. She probably didn't think anything exciting was going to happen to her that day. But at the well, she had a conversation with the Son of God.
In Acts 9, we read about a man who once persecuted followers of Christ, then meets his Maker on the road to Damascus. And so Saul becomes Paul, one of the heroes of our faith.
Maybe you are having a bad day. Maybe someone really annoying, who you don't think has anything of value to say will strike up an awkward conversation with you. Maybe... just maybe you shouldn't run from a bad situation. But wait for the wallop of wisdom to hit you- "Boom, boom, boom even brighter than the moon, moon, moon."
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Three Ways God Amazes Me on a Daily Basis
1. He lets me live... and be myself while doing it. Seriously. If I had His job (and be glad I don't), there's no way I'd let me run around doing half the things I do. Not that I'm always bad... just a bit ridiculous and crazy at times.
2. He forgets about the day before. Even though I don't. I remember how stupid I was yesterday. But He doesn't let that stop the blessings from coming my way. Sometimes I think nothing good can possibly happen to me today because of how bad I was yesterday, but then BAM! God blesses me in a big way that humbles me to the core.
3. He puts me at the top of His "to-do" list. I'll admit, I put God at the bottom of my "to-do" list sometimes. I go to work, I cook dinner, I do the laundry, I watch Glee. Then often I'm so tired I forget to spend time with God. I put quality time with Him at the end of my list and then it doesn't get done. But He never does that to me. He makes sure I'm safe, fed, still breathing. And how do I thank Him? I forget to.
I'm sure there are plenty more ways that God amazes me, but those are the three I thought of first. How about you? How does God amaze you on a daily basis?
2. He forgets about the day before. Even though I don't. I remember how stupid I was yesterday. But He doesn't let that stop the blessings from coming my way. Sometimes I think nothing good can possibly happen to me today because of how bad I was yesterday, but then BAM! God blesses me in a big way that humbles me to the core.
3. He puts me at the top of His "to-do" list. I'll admit, I put God at the bottom of my "to-do" list sometimes. I go to work, I cook dinner, I do the laundry, I watch Glee. Then often I'm so tired I forget to spend time with God. I put quality time with Him at the end of my list and then it doesn't get done. But He never does that to me. He makes sure I'm safe, fed, still breathing. And how do I thank Him? I forget to.
I'm sure there are plenty more ways that God amazes me, but those are the three I thought of first. How about you? How does God amaze you on a daily basis?
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
New Blog Rollout!
Ta-da! Well, as you (all less than 5 but maybe more than 1 of you) may have noticed, I have taken a brief hiatus from the blogosphere. But, I'm back, baby! With a brand new outlook on life (and blogging!) and a dedication to do at least weekly updates. I have chosen Wednesday as the day for new posts.
Why Wednesday? That's a fair question. Wednesday tends to be the day I feel the most burned out. It's no longer Monday, but it's still not Friday yet. If I could use a little revitalization mid-week, I'm sure others can too. So Wednesday is the day!
Also, I'm keeping the name of the blog, "Kinetic Love," because I think it will become more about God's love in motion in relation to my life. If I can share some of the things He teaches me with others, maybe we can learn together. I'm not going to always promise to add a Bible verse or be the best example (Lord knows I learn a lot from being humbled), but I will promise to be honest and look for light among the darkness. I hope that there will be post that are funny, sad, quirky, and everything in between. Let's face it: life is messy. And mine is no exception. But having God around to teach me about grace and mercy through the messes, well that's what it's all about.
Why Wednesday? That's a fair question. Wednesday tends to be the day I feel the most burned out. It's no longer Monday, but it's still not Friday yet. If I could use a little revitalization mid-week, I'm sure others can too. So Wednesday is the day!
Also, I'm keeping the name of the blog, "Kinetic Love," because I think it will become more about God's love in motion in relation to my life. If I can share some of the things He teaches me with others, maybe we can learn together. I'm not going to always promise to add a Bible verse or be the best example (Lord knows I learn a lot from being humbled), but I will promise to be honest and look for light among the darkness. I hope that there will be post that are funny, sad, quirky, and everything in between. Let's face it: life is messy. And mine is no exception. But having God around to teach me about grace and mercy through the messes, well that's what it's all about.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
The Call
I got a call from Jon Acuff the other day.
It was somewhat unexpected, as I had forgotten that I bought his book on the day he was offering blog advice for this very reason. It was also unexpected because I had pretty much forgotten that I had a blog for over a month. OK, that was a lie. I knew I had this blog, but every time I would think about updating it, I'd say to myself, "Oh, I'll do it later." Or, "No one reads my blog anyway." But you know what happened? Jon Acuff, author of two books, came to read my blog and was met with a big fat nada from me!
It was a little embarrassing, but I'm also kind of glad it happened because he gave me some great advice. He asked what I wanted my blog to be, and to be honest, the answer I gave him sounded a little weak to me. What do I want this blog to be? Why did I start it? Those are questions I'm going to be answering in the next few days as I decide what direction I want to take this blog in. The great part about it, is that my readership pretty much consists of my best friend, and the occasional member from my church, so I've got some pretty understanding people who are rooting for me.
Another piece of advice Jon Acuff gave me was to pick one day of the week that I want to update. I explained that I had gotten really excited about doing the blog and then fizzled out as I tried to think of what to write. He said it was better to be at "80% and published, than 100% and still in your head." It was great advice. It also kind of made me realize that I sometimes treat my faith a lot like I treat blogging. Like a burden rather than a blessing.
Why is it that I can find time to watch my favorite TV show, but not to read God's Word? It's because I've been treating my faith like a burden, like it's something I have to do instead of something I am and get to do.
My pastor gave a great sermon on Sunday entitled "Now and Later." He illustrated it with candy, but one of the big things I took away from it is that I have been living too much in the now- focused on the instant gratification over the eternal rewards. My faith isn't meant to be a chore, but a way of life. I shouldn't view my Christianity by the laundry list of things I need to do that day for God, but by the love of Christ which transcends menial tasks and should bleed over into every aspect of my life.
So be on the lookout for a rejuvenated, updated weekly blog. It shouldn't have taken a phone call from a famous, unibrowed author to get me there... but it did.
It was somewhat unexpected, as I had forgotten that I bought his book on the day he was offering blog advice for this very reason. It was also unexpected because I had pretty much forgotten that I had a blog for over a month. OK, that was a lie. I knew I had this blog, but every time I would think about updating it, I'd say to myself, "Oh, I'll do it later." Or, "No one reads my blog anyway." But you know what happened? Jon Acuff, author of two books, came to read my blog and was met with a big fat nada from me!
It was a little embarrassing, but I'm also kind of glad it happened because he gave me some great advice. He asked what I wanted my blog to be, and to be honest, the answer I gave him sounded a little weak to me. What do I want this blog to be? Why did I start it? Those are questions I'm going to be answering in the next few days as I decide what direction I want to take this blog in. The great part about it, is that my readership pretty much consists of my best friend, and the occasional member from my church, so I've got some pretty understanding people who are rooting for me.
Another piece of advice Jon Acuff gave me was to pick one day of the week that I want to update. I explained that I had gotten really excited about doing the blog and then fizzled out as I tried to think of what to write. He said it was better to be at "80% and published, than 100% and still in your head." It was great advice. It also kind of made me realize that I sometimes treat my faith a lot like I treat blogging. Like a burden rather than a blessing.
Why is it that I can find time to watch my favorite TV show, but not to read God's Word? It's because I've been treating my faith like a burden, like it's something I have to do instead of something I am and get to do.
My pastor gave a great sermon on Sunday entitled "Now and Later." He illustrated it with candy, but one of the big things I took away from it is that I have been living too much in the now- focused on the instant gratification over the eternal rewards. My faith isn't meant to be a chore, but a way of life. I shouldn't view my Christianity by the laundry list of things I need to do that day for God, but by the love of Christ which transcends menial tasks and should bleed over into every aspect of my life.
So be on the lookout for a rejuvenated, updated weekly blog. It shouldn't have taken a phone call from a famous, unibrowed author to get me there... but it did.
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