today i was struck by two minutes….

my toothbrush has a two-minute timer….it is amazing how it times out 30 seconds in each quadrant and the handle vibrates in order to direct me to move my toothbrush. It seems like a long time when I brush my teeth for two minutes…

my iPhone has a couch to 5k program and tonight I walked and ran the following: walk 5, run 3, walk 1.5, run 5, walk 2.5, run 3, walk 1.5 run 5…it seemed that once I knew I was at 2 minutes I knew I could do it….after all, I know how long two minutes is, since I brush my teeth that long in the AM and PM.

And then tonight I began to explore what happens every two minutes….and found that besides brushing my teeth and pushing through my run, for many life changes drastically every two minutes….

every two minutes a woman dies of cervical cancer

Every two minutes, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted

Every two minutes someone is the victim of elder abuse…

Time is a funny thing and often I find that when I am thinking about it, if I live intentionally, I can get quite a bit done in a two-minute block. When I think of all the sorrow that happens every two minutes, I realize I want to ensure I live intentionally. I would love the news to say every two minutes, someone is blessed with a kind word or generous spirit or every two minutes, hope is offered….

Live life fully and live life well….

 

Today was a wild and crazy kind of day…..

But I must say that I am thankful for the way my family weaves in and out of so much of my life.  Today was  a good example of that…

I have been employing my 18-year-old niece this summer. She is saving money and leaving in a short while for Youth With a Mission to London. I have enjoyed this time with her and  we talk pretty honestly about work ethic and how a job well done is as much about who you are as what you accomplish.

In light of that reoccurring conversation, I called my staff last night and told them to stay home. I want them to know they are valued for who they are as much as what they do. In light of the this, my Mom offered to help me staff my office, after we took a good early morning bike ride.

My younger Sister was going to go shopping and Peter and Isaiah didn’t want to go, so they came by the office to work in “their offices” and enjoy some computer time.

As I continued to sort out some details about my new car, my brother-in-law came by and offered solid financing advice.

My Mom then brought me to drop off my car and my brother-in-law offered me his Volvo while I was without a car and my Dad called and we discussed all of the options and decisions that come with  a new vehicle.  My sister’s brother-in-law owns the Ford Dealership where I bought my car and I talked to him a few times we sell. I also was able to schedule lunch with my Older Sisterr next week

I ended the day heading to visit my Aunt Anita and Uncle Bob along with my Aunt Dot. 

And so, in a day when I managed the phones and activity at the office, dealt with the details of buying and selling a car and got two workouts in, I am thankful for the active participation of my family in my life! I am blessed and so pleased with the threads that are woven through my day-to-day. And to think, “it all began when two people fell in love….”

I remember the day as if it was yesterday. I picked up my new red shiny Saturn Vue in November of 2002 and drove out of the glass showcase doors at Saturn. I had no idea the comfort my car would bring me. I knew it was an investment, but I did not envision the many hours I would spend in it. I would have never guessed it would travel to hospice homes and adoptions homes, Visiting Angel’s Homes and hospital visits. I have buckled in many nieces and nephews as they have gone from infant car seats to front seat passengers and even drivers.

 

I knew it was getting closer. The miles now show 224,762. I have been researching, planning and wondering what would be next. I often wondered what it would take for me to be ready to trade the key in for a new one. I still love my car. I really am not ready….

But, today was the day I bought a new car. I wonder where my new wheels will take me and what journey’s will unfold in the coming years. I will clean out my Saturn Vue in the morning and send it off in exchange for a new 2011 Ford Edge. The down payment check is ready and the day has come….

Watch for the new and updated Visiting Angel’s vehicle on the road.

 

 

Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent. –Marilyn vow Savant

Such an interesting distinction. Makes me really think about when I bring defeated to its permanent position….

I am curious this week to pay attention to when I feel defeated. I am curious if when this feeling hits,  if I consider my options?

Sometimes it feels as if giving up is easiest but most often I find myself striving again, soon after, to achieve the outcome on which I had given up…

I like the idea that defeated is temporary….I am committed to living by the wise words of Winston Churchill.

 

 

Families are like panties…

Some crawl up your butt.

Some snap under pressure.

Some don’t have the strength to hold you up.

Some get a little twisted.

Some are your favorite.

Some are holy.

Some are cheap.

Some are naughty.

And some actually cover your butt when you need them to

I have been thinking about the words to the Serenity Prayer today.

I went back to find the definition of serenity or serene. I found this: 1. peaceful or tranquil; calm

A prayer for peace or tranquility or calm….I think I need to remember this prayer more often.

God, grant me the Serenity (peace) to accept the things I can not change….every day I encounter things I can not change. There are small things in my day-to-day and there are big things that affect, our city, state and country. There is so much that I think should be different. I like the idea of being at peace about things I cannot change….

The Courage to change the things I can….oh, to live with courage every day to move into the conversations, relationships or situations that I do have  the ability to influence and the courage to be silent when what I have to say is not honest, positive and/or uplifting…(this is not about choosing silence if you have something that needs to be heard. This is about using discernment about when to speak and when not to!)

And the Wisdom to know the difference….To know when to stand up and speak and when to know that the battle is not mine to take on…..

May we all commit to living at peace and in peace

This is only the most well-known part of the Serenity Prayer….but I think it gives me plenty to reflect on.

May I live out the words of the prayers I bring before God!

Hoping for a serene weekend for you all!

 

 

I saw this quote today and thought it worth sharing tonight…

The longest journey of any person is the journey inward..

Dag Hammarskjold

I wish we could all be sitting and enjoying one another’s company!

This is the kind of quote I would love to use as a small group conversation starter….

I would wonder what you think of when you hear this quote

I wonder what your journey path looks like.

I would wonder if it is a path of comfortable walking or deep valleys and steep hills.

I would wonder what the view is like from the top of the steepest hill and where on this journey inward you have rested and where you have struggled….

And I would share

I would share some about my journey inward…about the times I have walked alone wondering how long till I come across a person who wonders about my wanderings.

I would share about the very sweet moments of the journey where i discovered beauty in places I least expected and how I found the pathways were not near as lonely as I envisioned.

I would share about fellow journey mates (some strangers and some family and friends) who I now feel deeply connected to and am privileged to journey with them to their valleys and mountain tops and invite them to journey with me to mine….

I like the idea of reflecting on the inward journey…

It is a long journey, and I believe it goes as long as we have breath…

It is a delightful journey, for often on this journey, I find places of deep peace and rest….

It is a rewarding journey, for I believe it is where we understand more about ourselves, others and our God.

How is your journey going and who are you sharing it with…

I am willing to sit and listen and wonder with you….if you desire a journey friend!

Journey inward…..and grow!

In the last week I have been surrounded with children and life….

I can still hear their voices, see their smiles, remember the conversations….

I have many pictures to remind me and it all brings me a feeling of happiness.

Tonight, I find myself wondering more about those who are grieving and struggling.

I posted a comment on my friends page as they honor the two-year anniversary of her husband’s death. I wonder how you do that with four little kids who miss their Daddy….

I know three people sorting out a new diagnosis of Cancer and others who are facing daily he effects of a disease that ravages the body and spirit in a sometimes cruel way. I wonder what they will need from the community that surrounds them. I envision faces of those close to me who struggle with substance abuse and drug addiction….I wonder how we do as individuals, neighborhoods and Churches when those around us find their worlds crumbling?

I know others who are waiting on information from medical tests and treatment plans. Those who wonder with each phone call or dread the drive to the doctor because the last visit changed life as they knew it….

I know of those who were aware that death was near and yet the absence of their loved one seems like a void that they will never get used to….

I find that I can feel irritable by the heat or discouraged by the scale or unsure of what tomorrow holds….but then I remind myself of how much I do have… I make a decision to choose to be grateful for all I have. I don’t want to forget how blessed I am. And if my life changed drastically tomorrow, I would likely understand this song at an even greater level….

My heart goes out to many whom I care for and love….

May you feel the embrace of God in the arms of His people!

I leave you with the lyrics of a beautiful song heard often on the radio these days.  Laura Story: Blessings

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?
We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It’s not our home
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?