May 2021 - Journey to my heart....

Learning from the tribe

An anthropologist showed a game to the children of an African tribe …
He placed a basket of delicious fruits near a tree trunk and told them: The first child to reach the tree will get the basket.
When he gave them the start signal, he was surprised that they were walking together, holding hands until they reached the tree and shared the fruit!
When he asked them why they did that when every one of you could get the basket only for him!
They answered with astonishment: Ubuntu.
“That is, how can one of us be happy while the rest are miserable?”
Ubuntu in their civilization means: (I am because we are).
That tribe knows the secret of happiness that has been lost in all societies that transcend them and which consider themselves civilized societies.

Trust the process

Over the last 24 hours, I have learned to trust the process—such a good reminder when things don’t quite go as I planned.

I had planned to smoke a brisket for our family dinner today of 17 people. I had it all mapped out and fully planned to be ready to serve it up by 4 pm.

Well, it started roughly when the new smoker did not work. This is the third attempt in 3 weekends, and it has given me fits every time. Now I can roll pretty well with things, but the meat was scheduled to take 12+ hours and needed rest time, so I knew I did not have a lot of time to waste. After it was evident my new smoker was not going to function, my brother and I came up with a plan B. Set the oven to 225 and let it cook.

By 11 pm, it was in the oven, and I slept pretty well, trusting the plan. All day I watched the temperature, thinking 12 hours might do it. But it went on to 13 hours and then 14, 15 and then 16. I talked to my brother, who lives out East often, about going get KFC instead. He assured me over and over; it will be fine.

I kept checking the temp of the brisket and following Nick’s directives. At 330, the Brisket was up to temp and had 30 minutes to rest. At 4 pm, we sat down on a lovely day to an incredible meal. The brisket was perfect.

There are so many times throughout the day I wanted to give up. I was reminded again throughout the day, the importance of trusting the process. Not only did Nick ensure we all had a delicious meal today, he reminded me to stay the course. I am grateful the meal worked, but I am even more grateful that I learned something valuable about myself yet again in everyday living!

A good day…

I wonder what is included in your description of a good day. If we could sit together, it would be fun to hear the top 3 things that make a good day for each person.

I am always fascinated by how we all need different things in different seasons. For some getting up early starts a day well, and for others, it is sleeping in. For some, it is productive moments or hours, and for others, it is doing nothing. For some, it is the quiet of being alone, and for others, it is enjoying time with people. For some, it is a unique mix of all of that.

Today was a pretty great day in my world. It is a combination of being home and being away, working on a project with others, and trying something new. It is enjoying the sunshine and good food and being with those I love.

I hope your day had some of what you need to have a good day. I hope tomorrow does too. If you’re in a season of hardship, I hope that someone will be kind, reach out, offer support and bring you goodness. Here is some of what I am so profoundly grateful for tonight. Blessed be His Name

Practice the pause

This is a powerful invitation: to practice the pause.

I believe when we learn to discipline ourselves enough to pause, we not only grow in our own discernment and self-discipline, but we also choose to love others in the midst of the pause. I have learned that pausing allows me to recalibrate. I am aware that in those moments, my prayer is, Lord, give me wisdom, insight, kindness, empathy, and courage to act in a way that brings life to the other person I am with.

In your comings and goings during this holiday weekend, listen for the pause.

Blessed be His name,

Trish

in the morning when I rise

I wonder how many of you know this song?

For me, this week has been a “Give me Jesus” kind of week.

The brokenness that surrounds me and within me…Give me Jesus!

The story of gun violence and senseless deaths…Give me Jesus!

The heartache and betrayal…Give me Jesus!

The struggle in living and the struggle in dying…Give me Jesus!

In our work, our play, our Worship, and our relationships…Give us Jesus!

Blessed be His name!

Choosing to grow!

Tonight I was in a meeting for Church and read this phrase:

Be open to the Holy Spirit teaching and disturbing us so we can grow

I really like something about this. I have learned to work through my story and walk with others in their stories, and often being disturbed or disrupted is a pathway to growth.

From my experience, when I have been disturbed by the Holy Spirit, I don’t immediately think, “oh good, I am going to grow.” I still find often my initial response is resistance. As I have gotten older, I am more willing to name my resistance and lean into it instead of pulling away from the growth that awaits me.

I wonder if you have ever been disturbed or disrupted by the Holy Spirit?

Do you resist or lean in?

Do you marvel at the growth or struggle to see beyond the disruption.

Every day we are faced with invitations to grow in so many ways.

I hope you will join me in choosing to grow!

Late night conversations

Do you ever have plans to get to bed on time, and then something happens?

Do you ever wonder how it went from 10p to 1230 am so quickly?

Do you ever find yourself immersed in such good conversations that you don’t check the time or your phone?

That was my evening tonight. I was ready to crash, and my niece and her friend came into my room to visit. They both found a spot on my bed, and the conversations started. We went deep fast, and before I knew it, we were 150 minutes into such honest conversation about day-to-day life and the hardships of defining and holding our space in our friendships.

I am grateful for the reflective and honest young people in my life. I appreciate their honesty in their struggle, their tears of sadness and frustration, and their confidence in where they know they want o move from and to. And I love and appreciate how they can and do laugh at themselves and each other.

It is late, but I know that the life-giving space I shared with Liv and Jenna tonight will carry me through more than tomorrow. Sleep is a gift, but time spent with those I love and appreciate is better than even a long night of sleep.

I hope you have conversations unfolding with people of all ages. Young adults today are wise and discerning. They see life with fresh eyes and inspire my soul. Consider engaging the young people around you and let them bless your soul!

God bless mothers everywhere!

As I wrap up the day, I am impacted by the variety of how mothers care for their children as they go about the work they must do every day. Thank you, Jesus, for the love and care of our Mothers!

Taking inventory…

It is almost that time again. The end of another month!

I have been working to take inventory at the end of each month, but I will admit some months end and new ones begin, and I forget to pause and reflect and look ahead.

This month it feels like my soul needs to spend some time checking in. How did we get to June of 2021 already? Some things in life are naturally falling into place. I am grateful for those spaces where life works somehow.

I am enjoying my growing puppy. She is almost 8 months and has started an intensive training program. I have decided I would rather have 10 years of a trained dog than the cash right now. It is an investment, and I am aware that it would be easy to spend the $ and not benefit. It requires me to put the time and work into the follow-through. I need to make time every day to practice with her. It will be good and fun, but I must prioritize this!

I am aware that post covid I am not in good physical shape anymore. I am winded too quickly, and I am opting out of activity where I used to opt-in. It is time to make my daily routine include movement. If you are in a place where you feel like it is easier to throw in the towel than to press on, please join me in the commitment to keep moving. My options are abundant right now. Biking, Peleton, Tempo, Impact, Walking…

I am eager to see how I feel at the end of June when I retake inventory.

I feel the tension of the world opening up. I have meetings, and they are on a rotation, so keeping straight which week I am on is feeling new again. Then to be a supportive participant, I want to do my part between meetings. As life gets busier, I must be sorting out what needs to get done and by when. I am becoming more of a list maker, and I am committing to my daily list.

Oh, and most importantly, I want to sit outside and feel the sunshine and the breeze. I have recently fallen in love with the sound of the wind. I don’t want this summer to pass me by without taking the time to enjoy the natural beauty around me.

And I want to laugh….laugh with friends, family, and strangers. I want to feel deep joy, release my sorrow, communicate my gratitude, share abundant generosity and always choose kindness!

What do you hope for in the coming month?

Blessed be His name!