Rise and Shine

I love the casualness of mornings.

The blinds still closed. Keeping out the eyes of the outside world so that you're still sequestered and cocooned.

The mussed up hair. The jammies. The vulnerability of who you really are. Because your mask isn't on yet.

Blankets all askew on the beds. Speaking to the humanity of your situation. Testifying that you needed comfort and warmth and rest and restoration. Marking the place where you found your dreams.

The sound of kibble hitting steel dog bowls. And the gurgle of the coffee maker preparing our motivation. The beginnings of movement and routine and responsibility.

That first streeeeetch. Murmured conversations between husband and wife. Connecting. Communicating. Planning.

That first sight of a freshly wakened young child already fully engaged in some fantasy world of play. The older child who will sleep well past noon of allowed, snoring blissfully among all the sounds of a household awakening.


Cool pillows. Warm showers. Hot coffee. Possibilities. And a fresh start. A new day.

And above all a deep, deep sense that you are deeply loved and abundantly provided for.

Snapshots

We've always had a rolling screen saver on our computer monitor that has been composed of a few specially chosen photographs that my husband would select just for that purpose. It's always been fun to see the pictures go by during the day and since our computer is kept in the living room, it's fun to share the memories with friends who are visiting. Recently, my husband did something to where the computer just brings up ALL of the photos we have stored on our computer from all the years gone by in random order. Some of them are breathtaking, iconic memories from our past, some of them are strange and odd shots that should have been deleted because no one can even identify what they are, and some of them are really silly and maybe slightly embarrassing like the time I caught my hubby in his boxers! Ooops! Should really delete that one...not especially the kind of pic I want scrolling by when I have the girls over for coffee! ;)

Half-dressed shots aside, looking back at these images really has been quite a trip down memory lane. I am starting to finally get over that gut reaction of "Ohmygoodness I looked so fat/skinny/fill-in-the blank back then!" We have all had those thoughts when looking at old pictures of ourselves, whatever the case may be. We don't realize how much we've changed over the years. After all, everyone else ages, but we stay the same, right??? But anyway, call it maturity or just a simple case of acceptance but I am starting to look beyond that now and to truly be mesmerized by these images that are meandering over my screen. My whole household has sat transfixed as we watch snapshots of our history play out before us. And it has been beautiful.

Christmases, Birthdays, trips to the pumpkin patch, field trips, fireworks, trucker's parades, trick-or-treating, family gatherings, graduations, vacations, and even and most especially, every day life. I'm almost breathless as I see pictures of our kids and our nieces & nephew roll by and see how little they were and I think about how much I love them and it just knocks me out--the depth of that love. Then you see the at the time unnoticed little expressions on their faces as they look at one another or react to something in the photo. You see time go by as baby teeth turn to missing teeth which turn to crooked pre-teen teeth. I was amazed when I saw how teeny tiny my babies really were when they were new. Seeing how tall that Lego tower was that my son built or how much fun we had on that houseboat trip even though it rained half the time. Even our pets have changed and one special one has said good-bye and we look back with fond memories.

They say that life isn't about the number of breaths you take, but the number of moments that take your breath away. And watching these images from our past has truly illustrated to me the breathtaking moments in our everyday lives. One day at a time, bit by bit, the drops that have filled the bucket of our memories are incredibly beautiful and from these memories our lives are constructed. We can't change the past, or waste time worrying about it, but we can look back and remember. Where our kids might not recall certain memories, we can hand them down in stories, almost as captions to the pictures, painting their history in words in indelible tales of our families' love and growth. We can witness God's hand as we look back on how our circumstances have changed, and we can see His greetings of love in those images of nature, that sunrise, rainbow, or wildlife that came to visit. We feel the frosty cold of the snow and the heat of that summer vacation. And it's good. It is so very good.

And what's neat is that boxer-pics excluded, there is not much that pops up on to the screen that we wouldn't mind sharing with anyone who comes by because more often than not, they're in there too, somewhere. Family and friends that have become family have made the journey so sweet. And we have lived behind our closed doors much the same way we have lived in public. Never perfect, but always growing. God centered. Home centered. Family centred.

I encourage you to try a similar experiment with your family photos. See what you can see. Take that trip down memory lane. And get a taste of how beautiful your life has been both in the special occasions and in the everyday moments.

"Dear Lord, Thank you for the Lord.

And for Jesus.

And for paper to write on.

And for toys.

Amen."

~Norah saying the blessing over dinner one random weeknight.

Just one of those days...

They say if you don't have something good to say, don't say anything at all.

This is one of those days where I am tempted to follow that adage.

And it's nothing in particular combined with everything specific.

Feeling out of balance, out of control and really thankful and hopeful all at once. Just "this side" of crazy.

I haven't been writing like I'd hoped/wanted to/planned/know I have been told to. And what's up with that?

"Time management issues", I have put it. And yes, there is some of that.

And then some of it is just outright disobedience.

And look where it has got me.

Wow.

And yet I know every thing's gonna be okay and that I am loved and all that good stuff still applies.

NOTHING can separate me from God's love. Not my bad choices, not my wasting of time, not my sometimes stinky attitude...nothing.

I was recently encouraged and appreciated and supported by two women who are mothers in my life. And I tell you what, that love has done more for my heart than all my self-condemnation ever could. That someone just takes the time to say, "Keep up the good work. Don't give up. You are loved and appreciated. You have a gift.", just makes all the difference.

God says, "Look at the birds outside. They don't even worry about where their meals come from."
And I say, "Yea, but see, we're the ones that pay for the bird seed their eating! And we probably shouldn't have spent the money!"

Ha!

See my craziness?!?!

I trust and yet I panic.

I have just enough information in me to drive myself nuts. ;) I can have great debates right within my very own soul!

I heard the beginning words of that song, "I will survive" today...you know it. And yet.

And yet. I am not just a survivor. Despite my tough days, like today, there is something so much bigger and so much more wonderful at play here.

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39 NIV

So you ever see a kid losing it...either with excitement, distraction, disobedience or fear....and the parent calmly holds that child's face in between their hands and says, "Look at me!"?

Well, that's sort of what God's doing in my heart today: "Shhhh! Look at me!" "But Lord, I'm so messed up!" "Shh! Stop." "But Father, I make all the wrong choices!" "Breathe." "But God, I'm so outta control!" "Hush now and Look at me." "But Jesus, I read your word and half the time it doesn't even make any sense and I don't know how I can possibly measure up!" "Shhhh. Enough. Hush."

Musings while walking & shopping on a Friday...

Dear Lord,


Please bless those who smile while shopping. Bless those who are polite and cheerful. Those people who are considerate of others. And those who pass you on the sidewalk and smile and say "hello", just because it's the friendly thing to do. Thank you for the people who are happy in their work and let it be known by their kind demeanor. Thank you for congenial conversations between strangers in stores. For answered directions or a polite nod. Reward those who put dropped items back on shelves or racks, where they belong. And an extra special blessing for drivers who keep an eye out and wait for pedestrians to cross the street! Thank you for those who sing cheerfully and with so much expression in their cars. And please send a ray of sunshine to the ones who pick up after their pooches. Oh God, please truly bless them!
Lord, I pray a special prayer for the moms shopping with their young children. Please fill them with your joy and peace to overflowing. Give them wisdom and kind and gentle hearts. May their little ones be happy, healthy, content and well-rested. And may these special women find that their every need is met in an affordable way. Give them supernatural shopping skills as they search for and select the items they need to bless their families. Set up great deals right in their paths. Let their dollars go farther than they ever imagined.
As we shop, let us keep others in mind and may we find something small, or even something big, to buy and bless someone else with. Keep us thoughtful and mindful of others. Let us love one another.
And for those who go about their errands with less than joyful hearts, Lord God, I pray for your healing touch in their lives today. For those stressed, grouchy, needy, and even angry ones...I know inside you made a gem and I pray that they will shine again for you. Restore their smiles. Work miracles on their behalf. Bring them gently to the end of themselves so they can depend fully upon You. Fill their cup, I pray Lord. Turn their days upside down--give them joy abundantly!!! And may they truly know You, from whom all their blessings flow.
Bless our comings and our goings. Bless every dime that we spend and every step that we take. Help us live a life of integrity Lord God, so that the kindness we extend in public is duplicated in private as a reflection of your holy character in us.



In Jesus Name I pray, Amen!

"May the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."

Psalms 19:14 (NIV)

Workin' for a Livin'

"If I work really really hard for a private company, I'm considered a good worker and a hero. If I work really really hard for the government, I'm considered a leech on the system and I'm taking advantage. Sadly, I am starting to get used to being treated like a villain. But all I really want is to get paid for the work that I do." ~A State of California (Department of Transportation)Employee

It's important to remember that we sometimes don't see the whole picture. We need to realize that we don't have all the facts. Perception is not always reality. And contrary to the old saying, ignorance is not bliss. There might be something you don't know about a certain situation. And if you were further educated about it, you would have a very different perspective.

Imagine being hired to do a job. You have been college educated for this position and passed a very rigorous screening process to qualify. And you work your tail off to excel at your work, often working above and beyond your official duties. Soon, you become capable in all facets of your job, even your boss's job. You are so good at your work, not only do you "earn your own keep", but you literally save your employer tens of thousands of dollars. Your work is difficult both mentally and physically and you are constantly in danger of physical harm. You commute over an hour both to and from work. And often at the end of a 12 hour day, the cell phone continues to ring. And you answer it. Because the job demands it. The work is challenging, the days are long, but you do it because you deep down inside you actually love this job, and you are compensated well for it.

And then things change.

Your pay is cut. And that overtime you put in? Yea, you are still gonna need to do that--but you will no longer be paid for it. In fact, they require you to work some days with no pay at all.

And the public?

The public thinks that you're lazy.

That you're a mooch.

That you don't deserve all your "perks". They think you should have your pay cut. In fact, many outright say you should be fired. And not only does this cause you to merely feel unappreciated, but vilified.

That's the common experience lately for many State government employees.

We've all heard the cliches. "Ten guys standing around one shovel." And we think that's reality.

What we don't see are the faces of all the hard working individuals that help provide those things which we so readily take for granted.

We don't feel that punch and that pull from both sides that they do:

"You're working too much."

"You're lazy."

"You earn too much."

"You need to get this emergency job done now because a whole town has been cut of from the world and they're running out of food and fuel."

"This road is trashed and full of potholes!"

"It takes too long to wait for this road construction!"

The message is: "Do whatever it takes. But not that."

And we forget that state workers are tax payers too. That even though we cut their pay, they still have bills of their own, just like the rest of us. Mortgages do not go on furlough. There is still the need to put bread on the table. Not looking for welfare, just wanting to be paid for an honest day's work, not a mooch on the system, but the very backbone of it, these are the hard working men and women who keep us moving.

"Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid so they can keep on doing the work God intended them to do." Romans 13:6 (NLT)

There is a lot that I wish that government would just get out of our way and let us take care of ourselves. We can be quite resourceful when we need to. For example, I do not feel the need to have my garbage and recycling services mandated to me, right down to how I prepare items before I put them into the bins. However, there are some things that I truly appreciate that government provides for me that I would not otherwise be able to accomplish. Law enforcement. Defense. Infrastructure.

And it is my opinion that not paying workers, government or otherwise, is not only illegal, but unethical and immoral as well. There is a word for uncompensated labor and it's called slavery.

"Do not take advantage of a hired man...Pay him his wages each day...because he is...counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin." Deuteronomy 24:14, 15 (NIV)

"Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight." Leviticus 19:13 (NIV)

"'So I will come near to you for judgement. I will be quick to testify against...those who defraud laborers of their wages,' says the Lord Almighty." Malachi 3:5 (NIV)

"Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation." Romans 4:1 (NIV)

"Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty." James 5:4 (NIV)

I do believe that there is a lot of waste in government, and that waste should be trimmed. Let us look closely at what we need and what we do not need. And let us do that with an eye for what would be best for the people as a whole. It would be in our ultimate best interest to have qualified, driven and successful people doing the work of our state. The very least we can do is justly compensate these folks for their hard work. That, and be grateful for their labor.

If you have questions about things you see, ask them. Learn more. Educate yourself about what goes on at a job site. Leave your prejudices and worn out cliches behind. You might just be amazed at what you learn and walk away, or rather drive away on a nice smooth road, with a new appreciation for what you've seen.

"Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take."

Jeremiah 31:21 (NIV)