Journey to my heart….

I started my day helping my niece and her husband out with their young ones. She is a teacher and needed a little extra help for the first two hours this morning. I woke up grateful for the vaccine as I got ready to greet the day. For two hours, I built roads with blocks, responded with exaggerated responses, which brought rolling laughter, and responded to the sweet voices of two children two and under saying “big hugs,” and of course, I responded with big hugs!

I ended my day in the Emergency room with our dear family friend, who is almost 94 years old. She has joined us at our dinner table for the last 40 years, journeyed through days of joy and sorrow, and we have laughed and cried together. But most importantly, we have committed to stand at her side. And tonight, I ended my day processing with her, laughing and crying and sharing tender moments and a big hug.

I am aware of the similarities and significant differences between how my day started and how my day ended. Most importantly, I am grateful for the gift of relationships with people of varied ages. Perhaps from 1 to 94 is about the most significant range possible. I hope that you also share sweet and tender moments with a variety of ages. I believe life is intended to be shared. We have an invitation to live in community. And there is an odd blessing in giving of yourself freely to love others. One might think that in giving of oneself, you would eventually have nothing left to give. I beg to differ. When you give of yourself freely, you will find that your heart is overflowing.

Go and share your goodness, wisdom, time, and resources with all ages. Your life will be sweeter and your heart more tender. I can promise you that.

If you are looking for a sign, this might be it! And if you are a guy and disappointed that this logo seems to be directed towards women, do not fear!  There is one here for you also! I wonder what you consider when you read, Go for it!

Is there an adventure  awaiting you? Have you felt convicted of going deeper into something you love?

Are you being called to be more generous in your spirit, more affirming with your words, more involved in your community or more present with your family or those you love? I know, both from my own story and from walking with others, that our minds can often convince us of why we should not as opposed to embracing why we can move into that new space.

I wonder if you Go for it, what you will experience? How will your confidence be changed or how will you be challenged to grow? I wonder if when you Go For It if you will venture out alone or venture into community to be with others.

If we are honest, I think we all hold Go For It spaces! I invite you to commit to one in the coming week and move with boldness and intention. May we all invite others to courage as we risk moving into those new spaces together

Be Bold and Brave and

Go For It!

 

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There are lots of things I could write about from today.

• International Women’s day
• The gift of warmth and sunshine
• The delight of a puppy
• The gift of Hospice
• The confusion of COVID precautions when vaccinated
• The joy of an applicant
• The struggles of navigating Church leadership during the pandemic
• The gift of hearing

I thought of each of those topics throughout today. But at the end of today I leave you with these images, lyrics and song.

Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me

O Thou who changest not, abide with me

I triumph still, if Thou abide with me

In life, in death, o Lord, abide with me
Abide with me, abide with me

My Mom is pretty amazing in how she stays current with so much at almost 80 years old. She is committed to trying new things and staying as current as makes sense for her age. It is not uncommon to hear her say, “It’s a new world.” I smile each time I listen to it. I can’t help but think, yes, so much has changed, and you are amazing!

Tonight we had a small group dinner. We sat outside around a fire in the driveway, and I thought, wow, it’s a new world. I am not sure we would have ever envisioned sitting outside in the driveway in 30-degree temps before COVID. We chose to do it tonight because even though we are vaccinated, it sounded like an excellent way to be together on a beautiful but a bit chilly afternoon.

We enjoyed a lovely meal around the dining room table. We have shared many meals in years past, and so it was familiar, and conversation unfolded with ease.

And at the end of the meal, my Mom said, shall we read the Bible? My Dad used to read the Bible every night at dinner. I did not realize how much I missed that until tonight.

My brother-in-law read these words from Zephaniah 3: 14 – 17. My sister picked this as one of her favorites.

Sing, Daughter Zion;
shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.
16 On that day
they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.
17 The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love, he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.”

And as we read scripture after dinner, I thought it is a new world in so many ways. I have lost the habit of reading the Bible after dinner. I wonder if you grew up with a routine that shaped you? Are you able to carry it on? What did you value from your childhood that you can practice today as an adult?

I want to bring reading scripture aloud back to my daily routine. It reminds me of a tradition that has shaped me, and I want to carry this with me into my changing world.

Blessed be His Name,

Trish

I wore one of my favorite shirts today. I don’t love the color (it is black) and they style is the stay at home and lounge kind of look, but I love the words on it!

I feel empowered when I wear it. I have found my Tribe, and I have learned to love hard. I haven’t always been good at loving hard, and I am not good at it in every moment, but my Tribe knows I am committed to loving them hard!

I wonder what resonates most powerfully in these words:

Find: If you haven’t found them keep looking. If you are losing hope of finding your Tribe, don’t give up. We are created for relationships, and I would guess there is an abundance of people in your circles. Your Tribe might be family, but it might not be. Your Tribe might be small circles of people or one larger circle. There is no right or wrong Tribe. 

Your: Yes, your, don’t latch on to someone else’s and stalk them. Claim your people and let them claim you. Tribal work is about commitment, loyalty, and deep and delightful love for one another. 

Tribe: It took me a while to fall in love with the word. Now I find myself fascinated by the concept of Tribe. Name, Claim, and Celebrate your Tribe

Love: I think this means love in unique and creative ways. Know them, what makes them tick, where they struggle, what their longings, dreams, and fears are and love them. Let your love be a verb, an act of kindness, a gentle presence. But love hard!

Them: this isn’t about keeping track of kindness. This is about loving Them. Give yourself entirely, pour yourself into them. When a tribe functions well, everyone is loved as the generous giving and receiving of love is life-giving and abundant

Hard: loving your Tribe isn’t a wimpy kind of love. This is loving on good days and bad days, when we feel offended, insulted, or annoyed. This is loving one another at our best and our worst. 

It sounds so “easy” and “perfect” as I write it out, but it is messy and wonderful, and when I am with people in my Tribe, I feel the freedom to be at ease and fully myself. 

If you have your Tribe be grateful. If you need to find them, do not give up. It is worth it!

Blessed be His Name,

Trish

Today I got a piece of paper in the mail. It is an essential piece of paper, but I was struck by how it really is just a piece of paper. This document has my name and an ID number, a license number, and an expiration date. I am not showing it to you for a good reason, but it is my social work license.

As I thought about the power in this document, I was reminded that I am not a good social worker for everyone I meet just because I am licensed. Just how every Dr is not suitable for every patient, every Pastor is not right for every congregant, nor is every builder right for someone who needs a house built.

I hope that you are someone who takes the time to interview anyone you are entrusting something to. It might be your physical health, mental health, spiritual health, or the landscaping of your yard. Still, I believe that anyone you enter into a relationship with benefits from time spent together first.

In my counseling practice, I would offer free first sessions as I believe it is vital for the client/patient/consumer to interview the professional before committing to working together.

I hope you will consider taking the time to get to know the people you entrust yourself to. It is important. It invites honesty, accountability and speaks to your willingness to venture into conversations that bring clarity.
Remember, neither a degree nor a license is the most crucial aspect of a relationship. How you feel in an individual’s presence and how you feel after you have been with them will provide you clarity about engaging professionally with them.

Just a few thoughts from a middle-aged woman with that piece of paper!

Trish

I have had a few weeks of facilitating hard conversations with families to navigate options for aging parents. Tonight I want to commend every family who finds time to talk about hard things related to aging or illness.

I am always fascinated and amazed by the many layers of conversation that surface during these times with families. Often there is not just a straightforward question. People are complex. There is so much to consider. There are finances, quality of life, end-of-life considerations, individual preferences, identifying options and level of care needed, and so much more.

I am passionate about creating the space for hard conversations to unfold. I will write more about this in weeks to come but tonight, let me leave you with this:

If you have hard conversations about aging, death and dying, end-of-life wishes, or resuscitation orders (Do not Resuscitate), I commend you!

If you know you need to have these conversations, I encourage you to act courageously and start the dialogue.

If you want to have these conversations, reach out to share your mind and heart with someone who cares about you.

I believe we grow in the process of conversation and community. We are not meant to struggle alone. I hope you have someone for you and with you to navigate these spaces with.

Blessed be His Name.

Trish

Hey there, my friends. This is one of those check-in blogs.

I committed to blogging every day in 2021. I want to write about whatever is resonating in my heart at the end of each day. Sometimes I sit down to write, and I have to wait and see where I land. Sometimes I think throughout the day about something that I could write about as it is unfolding. And sometimes, at the end of the day, I forget what that great idea is!

This morning I received a notification that I am on a 59-day streak! Thank you to those who continue to check in to read my musings. But what struck me in that is, wow, 59 days into 2021 already. I began to think about what I am hoping for this year and have not yet given time to allow it to unfold.
I am often struck by my reflection at the end of any given year. There is always so much to be grateful for. There is still places where my heart ached for myself or someone I love. There are always memories of laughter and time with my family. Often, I realize at the end of the year that I can not name a lot of areas where I saw growth because of a commitment to daily discipline.

I believe there are lots of different reasons for this. Some are personality and how people choose to live. Some are strategies and what is implemented. Often my areas of intention are in relationships, and I celebrate that strength in me.

This morning, I was struck by day 59, and I began to consider where I have not yet made an intentional movement towards what I hope for 2021. I want to cook more meals and eat more greens. I sat down tonight and found a few recipes I want to try with various veggies in March. I want to find 2 or 3 favorite recipes each month and in December spend time cooking the ones I really enjoyed.

I have not spent time on my own emotional journey like I want to in 2021. I believe that we can always work on understanding God, ourselves, and others in new ways. I am not unhappy emotionally, and I want to grow in my insight and understanding. I was able to tell someone today how refreshing it is that my journey is personal but not private. There is no shame in saying that I would like to find a counselor and spend some time twice a month being curious and dialoguing about my strengths and struggles.

I am looking forward to Spring. Willa and I plan to bike to work most days. I decided that is a Springtime goal to venture into. Not sure I am rugged enough yet for cold-weather biking.

 

And so I wonder what your thoughts are as you think about the first 59 days of 2021. It is easier to name things we feel good about sometimes than be honest about what we yet need to move into.

I write this to encourage you to name a few things, be specific, be intentional, and be creative. Life is too beautiful to let it pass us by. Take time to marvel at all that is good and dare to move into the spaces that need nurture, curiosity, change, or truth. I believe in you,

Blessed be His name,
Trish