Category Archives: Faith

Looking back, looking ahead and looking around

January. Ordinary time. Fresh off the heels of an awesome (although shorter) Christmas and Advent season. A season that we decorate our house to the brim in celebration of a sweet baby who came to save us from ourselves. He came to an unwed couple, on a long and dusty journey in a stinky animal shelter. Yep, he nailed our lives right on the head. Imperfect people on a journey surrounded by a world of stinky temptations. He tops it off with the most magnificent light, guiding us straight to HIM, accompanied by wisdom, preparation and love. What a way to start the year!

From Thanksgiving to Epiphany, it’s a month+ long party and celebration!

And so, this morning, as I drink my coffee and enjoy my quiet time, I plan the day and week ahead and pause to look back on last year’s “Resolutions” and to ponder the year ahead. I’m joining in a link up of 2014 with a lovely group of ladies and see that we ALL want a fresh outlook for 2014, each trying to be a better person one day at a time. I’ve joined in at In Honor of Design, however, they are all linked and you can get to a multitude of fantastic sites from there!

Looking back:

Losing weight. Wellllllll, I’ve stayed pretty steady in the actual numbers department, however, I have definitely made a much more focused and consistent effort in actually working out this past year AND healthier dishes, snacks, etc. I’m certain it comes down to portion size and/or stress eating, so always room for improvement. I feel good though, so I’ll just keep on keepin’ on!
More Joy-filled and focused. Hmmm. I’m going to say that I am honestly so task-oriented that the JOY gets lost in the day-to-day. The fact that I am working on it is a good one, the fact that I am less that consistent is yet another area to just keep plugging along, one day at a time.
Use and learn my real camera more often. Fail. Flat out. Although…..I have recently started pinning photo tutorials and joined a photo website (free) with a bajillion tutorials and areas to join in and have work evaluated in a constructive criticism manner. This might just be the year…..

It would seem 2013 was a big fat failure in the resolutions department OR it would seem that it is what it is….life…not always perfect and just taking each day as it comes and try to do a little better the next time. It’s precious time wasted to moan and complain about all the imperfect moments that I wish I woulda/coulda/shoulda done differently. It’s taken me 43 years to figure THAT out and a daily work in progress.

Looking ahead:

My word for this year will be “Be Present”. Okay, that’s two words, but it’s my blog and that’s what I am picking. Rather than changing all these individual things and ideas and re-working the wheel and all, I just want to be present in whatever I am doing. Chilling the Eff out on multi-tasking when I am with my family and friends. If I’m making dinner, I’ll make dinner—not make dinner, start laundry, change clothes and pack lunch for the next day. If I’m talking to my kids or husband, to stay put and talk, not talk and and half-listen while I putter around taking care of a million small details at the same time. It’s going to be hard. No joke. Honestly, I’m going to have to take a couple of days to really think about what I can do to re-train my brain to just SLOW. DOWN.

Looking around:

There it is, though. Now that I am done blogging this out, I can get dinner going…THEN get ready for work. Because TONIGHT we have a game to watch, folks. It’s going to be a great one!

For more inspiration on 2014, go check out IHOD and the multitudes and get ready 2014….here I am!

Saint Nick was Olive

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snatched the image from HERE

There’s a big debate on a newscaster who said that Santa Claus is white….yes, you can merely imagine the uproar over that one, because I’m suuuuuuuuure she had no idea that making a statement like that would start ANY racist discussions at all. I’m certain. Right? Besides, she said she was making a joke and people should lighten up, however…..the comment sure lit up the interwebz.

I am about to make a statement, however, that IS most likely true: Saint Nicholas was most probably olive, not so white. Born in the region of the southern coast of Turkey, he would most likely be olive-skinned. Logistically and realistically speaking. You can read more about him HERE. Since Santa Claus’ origin is often tied to St.Nick, it’s odd he’d be “white”, however….SC=fictional, St. Nicholas=real, feel free to make your own judgement.

Also, here’s another newsbreaker: Jesus Christ was of Middle Eastern descent, which would make him mocha/brown. Gasp. All we have to do is look at people born in the Middle East, typically they aren’t Nordic looking. Ammiright? Again, another odd idea that he’d be the only white man in a sea of not so white people.

While we are on the subject, let’s explore a few other characters:

Easter Bunny: unknown color of fur, would it change the basket of chocolate if we knew?

Tooth Fairy: unknown color of wings/outfit/hair, etc, does it change the reward per tooth if we had a color scheme?

Great Pumpkin: we can only assume orange, but in light of all these odd suggestions, I just don’t know.

In summary, does color REALLY matter? It shouldn’t. If it does, maybe we are focused on the wrong things. As for me, when I pray, I’m praying to the PERSON, not to the color. His promises surpass race, shouldn’t our responses to Him do likewise?

As for all the fictional folk everyone’s worried about, let’s remember; they aren’t real. This fighting over skin color of someone who is fictional? Well, that’s just weird.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you”, says the Lord, “They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Christmas Cookies and a Christmas Message

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Cookie monster heaven

Every year (almost) for the past 11(?) years, my former roommate, her mother-in-law and 2 sisters-in-law host a cookie exchange at Christmas. Although we only live about 30 minutes-ish from each other, this is our ONE time of year we get to visit and catch up. Ah, this busy life. Anyway, this cookie exchange is THE cookie exchange of cookie exchanges.

My roomie and I. We glow.

These ladies start in the summer with preparations, menus, taste testing and I believe—-even some cooking and freezing. Come December, they each invite scores of lady friends across the social circles of high school, church, work, neighbors and so on. It’s a FULL HOUSE and often many reunions are taking place.

Holy COW!!

Aside from the cookie swapping, there is a massive spread of various hors d’oeuvres, tea, water and coffee and prior to the number calling and cookie picking they do a little something as a reminder of the reason we celebrate Christmas: Jesus Christ. One year, there was a Worship dancer from Hawaii (a high school friend of one of the gals) who did a traditional Hawaiian dance to a wonderful contemporary Christian song, other years have been stories and small skits. Among this large and varied group, the message is clear: this get-together is a fellowship ministry for women sharing life with Christ as the centerpiece of this gathering.

The tale of the Three Trees. A must have for Advent and Christmas reading!!

Every year the family looks forward to the various cookies and recipes I bring home and I look forward to the time with my friend and her family and running into new and old friends. Next year, they’ll take a year off, however, my friend and I have already pencilled it in the calendar for dinner the first week of December 2014!!

#Affluenza: are you kidding me?

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It seems we’ve come to a whole new low in society, the final fruit of a generation of spoiled children and parents who (it would seem) have failed to set boundaries and actually parent their offspring.

If you aren’t familiar with the story of Ethan Couch in Texas and his attorney’s outrageously SUCCESSFUL plea of Affluenza as a defense in his drunk driving that left FOUR people dead, by all means click HERE or do your own Googling, there’s plenty of fodder. The gist of the story, as I see it, is that there are a group of young people (and for the minute, let’s leave affluence out of this) that steal beer, get drunk, drive and wind up killing 4 people and left 2 with serious injuries. This week the judge in the case sentenced Ethan to 10 years probation and a long-term treatment facility and NO JAIL TIME. Just chew on that a minute. It’s like grizzle, you simply cannot swallow that.

Parents, we have a DUTY to parent our children. Perhaps no one told us,or maybe we just weren’t listening/believing, but the sad fact is that parenting is the hardest flippin’ job EVERRRRRRRRRRRRR. From the time our sweet and precious bundle crosses the threshold of placenta to oxygen it is Game On. No joke. Sleepless nights and sleep-deprived parenting, potty training and 2-year-old defiance parenting, sibling rivalry and sharing parenting, school days and friendship parenting, tween angst and teen independence parenting, college life and young adult parenting and then…..then….then…..we can be friends. First we must parent. That, folks, is a marathon, so best fuel up!!!

Parenting means loving those kids and setting boundaries. Let’s clarify:

bound·a·ry

ˈbound(ə)rē/

noun

plural noun: boundaries

a line that marks the limits of an area; a dividing line.

Failure to set those boundaries leads to confusion when our kids are trying to figure it out for themselves. I’m not advocating helicopter parenting, however, I AM all for setting up expectations and explanations of WHY we set limits and the consequences and following through. The follow through is the hardest part and the most crucial, otherwise, where is the lesson learned? And lo, there are MANY, MANY lessons to be learned, and some a few times before the lesson is mastered.

Currently, our 8th grader has had a semester of slacking to the max in his math class. Now, it IS an 11th grade math class and we don’t expect an “A”; we DO expect effort. The effort has been lacking to the tune of a D/F which has resulted in some pretty uncomfortable consequences. Those consequences have resulted in 1)renewed focus, 2)more attentive and interactive child, 3)renewed vigor on task, 4)completed assignments, 5)increased understanding, 6) D/F to a C and 7)mature and tremendous communication among us and our son. It’s a challenge and sadly, we’ve done this last year and apparently we have short-term memory in this house at times and need to repeat lessons, however, as seen with our 10th grader….they DO learn, apply and adjust with much fruit to be shown. Like I said earlier, it’s flippin’ hard; parenting is hard.

In the words of Nike, JUST DO IT. and then do it again. and again. and again.

Otherwise, we will have more BS “Affluenza” nonsense diagnoses to deal with rather than just calling a spade a spade. If you mess up, there are consequences and if you REALLY mess up….there are REAL consequences.

Ethan (like MANY before him) made a terrible and tragic choice that dealt consequences that he will deal with mentally for the rest of his life. Sadly, his consequences aren’t much different from the coddling that led to his poor choices. Mamas and Papas, come on, let us ALL buckle down and hold our kids accountable for the choices they make, because Lord knows the mess we are in for when we don’t.

Galations 6:7-9

⁷Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.⁸For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

Sometimes, it takes LOTS of prayer

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Life isn’t always pretty or easy or fun. Life in a big family can just get plain crazy. Sometimes it all comes to a head at once. This is where I find God truly has a sense of humor. He knows I’m easily agitated by prolonged chaos, noise and things generally going in opposition to MY plan; so He gave us 4 children so that I can work on that. Repeatedly.

This Sunday, the first day of Advent I trekked it Mass with the kiddos (Hubby was working at went to vigil Mass Saturday) and they just took turns fraying my nerves with bickering, 16yo crisis of faith moments, etc etc. By the time we sat in the pew all I could do was pull out my devotional and start pounding the prayers. Any. And. Every. Prayer. I. Could. Find. All before the opening song. Good times, I tell you. Then I found this one that I never noticed before and I thought I’d share:

Father,

Sometimes the family gets me down.

The children are noisy and bills pile up.

Relatives and friends make demands of my time and attention.

I try to keep first things first and create and atmosphere where Your name is honored. Your word observed.

But I get tired and a hard edge creeps into my voice. Help me to cope with the daily strains of living in a family.

Help me to sustain a climate in which my partner can grow in Your love, to encourage my children to develop fully the talent You have given them and to make of my family the community of your love the Your Son came to bring.

Amen.

I don’t know. It spoke to me. It worked for me. The bickering stopped. The 16 yo came around. By the “sign of peace” all was restored and the day went on and we began the process of decorating and cookie making and I just shook my head at God and wondered how He does it, why I am worthy and so grateful He does.

making the trek

Trekking through life: Faith, family, friends and a whole lot of coffee!