Month: June 2011

Tonight I had the privilege to watch my nephew Isaiah in his first ever t-ball game. 

It was quite a circus of activity and delightful to watch.

Batters running all different directions, missing bases, passing one another on the bases, 6 fielders chasing one ball and some players (Isaiah) never moving from the spot the coach told him to stand at second base.

Batters who forgot to drop the bat, runners who couldn’t see where they were going since the helmet covered their eyes and coaches who kept redirecting runners back to first….

It was quite a scene and throughout the crowd there was laughter and encouragement. At the end of the two innings, which took 60 minutes, there was unified applause that felt like the cheering that is usually at the end of an amazing game of young athletes….

Perhaps most interesting to me was that Peter (8 years of age) played in this same fashion three summers ago and today was appalled to consider he might have been of this caliber in his baseball skills. I assured him, he was just like them and it offers me great hope that he just completed a pretty successful season at Southern Little League.

And so, I am thankful it is only a four game season AND I will choose to delightfully enjoy each game. I believe team-sports develops character, even in five-year old children! I could think of many examples of how this game mimics how many of us live life…but for now I will leave it with this: tonight I watched the Bad News Bears Live….and yet I am not discouraged. There is hope for each little guy out there. Soon they to will be 8 years old!

I wanted to blog today as a tribute to my Dad.

My Dad has been very influential in shaping me to be the person I am today.

I feel great admiration for his passion and love for his Lord, The Church,and  his family….

I feel great respect for how he lives from his convictions and does the work that needs to be done….

I feel great joy in watching him continue to be used by God in the work of the Kingdom….

I feel great love when I see him enjoying his grandchildren…

I feel great opportunity when I am able to live life  in shared experiences with my Dad, both at home and while traveling the world. (Netherlands, South Africa, Scotland, Hawaii…)

I remember a conversation he and I were having once many years back. He was saying he realized he was not a TV dad and thought that is what most kids really wanted. I often reflect back on that conversation and realize how fortunate I am. I did not have a TV Dad, that is true, but I have much better. I have a very real Dad who has offered me much.  I have a Dad who continues to invest in me, his grown up girl, and is actively involved in my life. For that I am ever so thankful!

I love you Dad and pray for continued good health and God’s protection over your life.

This quote really got me thinking today….

When you choose your friends, don’t be short-changed by choosing personality over character.  W. Somerset Maugham

In light of yesterdays blog on honesty, I realize that the more honest I am willing to be, the more transparent I will become. That transparency will also provide insight for others into my character.

I believe it is in my character that my true values and beliefs are rooted…

It is my hope that I will live my life in such a way that others are drawn to my character even more than my personality….

I wonder how you invite others to know your character….

What words would those who know you best use to define who you are and what you stand for….

I am grateful that in many of my friendships, I am able to celebrate both their good character AND their personality!

Honest communication will either mend it, bend it, suspend it, extend it, or end it! Either way, be honest!

I find this quote to be quite interesting in that it not only invites us to live in a certain fashion, it also talks about the cost and/or reward that might come as a result of a choice to be honest.

Honest communication comes with it risks and it’s rewards…I wonder where you know you need to live more honestly. I find that I often fear the worst and therefore let the fear control my decisions. What if I start to imagine the rewards instead of the costs…

I do believe that most of us crave honest conversation….

It is my hope that I will live with a commitment to hear the honest conversation that others initiate with me….

It is my hope that I will live with a commitment to live with a courageous heart that communicates truth and a discerning spirit that NEVER communicates truth without an abundance of grace and words that also overflow with love…

Hoping your (and mine) relationships will be transformed with honest words, spoken from your (and mine) heart!

 

I am watching the miles go up on my vehicle and seem to notice how they continue to climb by hundreds and thousands. I remember hitting 200,000 on July 6 of 2010. Now I am approaching 220,000. I love my car and if it would go forever, I would be content. It isn’t rusted, drives wonderfully and feels like it holds so many reminders of life. My red Saturn has been with me back in my Hospice days. It has navigated many country roads as I traveled to invite many to put words to their anticipatory grief and pending death. My red Saturn has been with me as I drove all over Michigan to meet with families for hours at a time, inviting them to wonder about how life would be different in their home if they adopted from China or Guatemala or Ethiopia….

My red Saturn ventured into business ownership with me and became the Visiting Angels marked vehicle that has been recognized by many. My red Saturn has heard my prayers, felt my tears, absorbed my laughter and been a place of many cherished conversations with family and friends. And in the last two years, my red Saturn has drawn the eyes of many as my very cute pup hangs her head out the window (in rain, shine and snow) and looks into every car with her loving deep brown eyes.

But now, more every day,  I am realizing that there will be an end to my red Saturn. Now, if only I knew when, I would wait till the very last minute. But, I am test driving a car tomorrow and trying to be open-minded. It used to be fun to purchase a car. To think about all the fun extra’s and to shop around and pick just the right car. I am not sure if it has to do with being 41, recognizing the cost more than I used to, or just loving the red Saturn that has been like a second home. But no matter what the reason for my resistance, I trust that the next car I purchase may gain some admiration in my heart as the next 8 years of life unfolds….

I continue to remember a story shared at Andrew’s graduation and am quite happy to have found it on the internet. I wanted to share it with you as it carries some really great reminders about choices made each day…

I hope you also might find this to be a good reminder as you live fully each day!

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.  The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career. When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.” What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well. So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that we would have done it differently. Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.” Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today. Author Unknown

I am struck today at the tragedies that continue to unfold in the world around me. Within those tragedies, I am aware, that even on a beautiful sunny day, there are many people who are sorrowing during these summer months…

I think of my friends in Joplin….

I think of  those families who have lost children to illness or accident during the school years and continue to feel their absence in the school to summer transition….

I think of those who have lost a father, young or old, as we approach Father’s Day….

I think of those who long to have children (either through birth or adoption) and for whatever reason, continue to live in a home that is void of new life…

I think of the many drownings that seem to be occurring and the helpless feeling when a child or adult dies at a time when fun is being had….

May I remember that a sunny day is amazing, but does not heal all wounds…..

Tonight I am praying for those who will sorrow during the summer months. It is my prayer that God will comfort in a special way. It is my hope that those of us who surround those who grieve will know how to live with kindness, compassion and understanding.

 

I have been thinking a lot lately about what do I use to keep me motivated in my day-to-day goals?

I enjoy getting a pedicure and am known to schedule an occasional massage. I love a new gadget every now and then and look forward to a vacation, in time, on a ship or at a resort, but all of those things are a bit much when it comes to the day-to-day….

And so I have found, as much as I would say I am not a numbers kind of person, I find myself quite delightfully motivated by numbers.

I have a fitbit (www.fitbit.com) which syncs with my computer and records my steps. My goal is at least 10,000 per day.  Tonight it was fun to see that this week I walked 90,368 steps.

I have a new heart rate monitor and I love uploading my info every night to see how it maps out on the graph and what % of my workout was fat burning. I like seeing that I had 16 workouts this past week and spent 25 hours in exercise. I like knowing that my heart rate monitor will guide me in working smarter and that doesn’t always mean training harder…

I am thankful that I have learned to have numbers that motivate me that aren’t only located on the scale. I find that as long as the tools I have outlined above are favorable, the bathroom scale is almost always favorable as well….

I used to say I am a Social Worker and not a numbers girl….maybe that is changing!

I wanted to share with you some wisdom shared….

Somehow tonight it feels like enough…

enough words

enough meaning

enough to reflect on and

enough to invite us to consider some changes….

I trust you to might find that it speaks to your heart….live well and live fully alive!

An old man once said, “There comes a time in your life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Forget the bad, and focus on the good. Love the people who treat you right, pray for the ones who don’t. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living.”