I recently read that often times children (especially toddlers) are picky eaters in attempt to gain some control in their lives. Which, when you think about it makes sense. As a child often there is no say in their wardrobe, who they'll play with, where they'll go, etc. It's true that a toddler's taste buds aren't fully developed, which would definitely contribute to their pickyness. Personally, I like the control theory better.
Maybe I like the control theory better because I think that even as adults we're often in the same boat as children. We choose to resist change in attempts to remain in control.
Just a couple weeks ago, I was talking to a young man who just turned 17. My husband and I have had the incredible privilege of knowing him for the 3.5 years as we've done children's ministry and he's been apart of our "dream team." As we were talking/scheming/planning for the summer months, and the coming fall season (seriously...how unbelievable that fall is on my radar already! Where has the first half of 2010 gone!?!), I mentioned some dreams I have for children's ministry at our church. This poor guy looked at me like a deer caught in headlights.
The very thought of change startled him, and all I could think about a two year-old who will only eat toast, apples, and rice.
I can't help but think that all of us like to be in control. Maybe not in control of something huge, but at least of our own lives. Unfortunately, our lives are often not our own, and various people and things bring change whether we like it or not. However, we can control ourselves, how we will act and react when change occurs.
And so, as I stand before an empty page, beginning to put plans and dreams into motion (and receiving calls/e-mails/texts from others who are bringing about change) I realize that ultimately the only thing that I can control is what's going on in my head and my heart.
In realizing this I choose to embrace the coming change. I am ready, because I know where I stand with the things that I can in fact control.
How prepared for change are you?
22.6.10
17.6.10
a thankful heart is a happy heart
The weather at the moment is less then optimal considering it's the middle of June and Father's Day weekend. It's currently raining, and I don't mean just spitting, it's raining. Everything is drenched.
Unfortunately, Father's Day weekend plans may have to be canceled, adjusted, or relocated. There is more then enough reason to complain...and yet, I've decided to do otherwise. I've always been a huge fan of Veggie Tales, videos where vegetables talk and teach incredible life lessons. In a particular episode there's a song that has a the following line:
"a thankful heart is a happy heart. I'm glad for what I have and that's an easy place to start."
On this incredibly wet day, I'm choosing a thankful heart.
I'm thankful for, the roof over my head, the incredibly green grass, hot coffee, boots, pashmina's, trench coats, an indoor job, down spouts, muffins for breakfast, a loving family, the best husband in the world...
and I could go on, and on, and on.
It's easy to look at the negative, it's often magnified more then it deserves. What will you choose today?
As for me, it's a thankful heart all way, because truly, my heart is more then happy.
Unfortunately, Father's Day weekend plans may have to be canceled, adjusted, or relocated. There is more then enough reason to complain...and yet, I've decided to do otherwise. I've always been a huge fan of Veggie Tales, videos where vegetables talk and teach incredible life lessons. In a particular episode there's a song that has a the following line:"a thankful heart is a happy heart. I'm glad for what I have and that's an easy place to start."
On this incredibly wet day, I'm choosing a thankful heart.
I'm thankful for, the roof over my head, the incredibly green grass, hot coffee, boots, pashmina's, trench coats, an indoor job, down spouts, muffins for breakfast, a loving family, the best husband in the world...
and I could go on, and on, and on.
It's easy to look at the negative, it's often magnified more then it deserves. What will you choose today?
As for me, it's a thankful heart all way, because truly, my heart is more then happy.
8.6.10
preparing
I read the following in an e-mail yesterday:
Engaged people are obsessed with preparation. The right dress. The right weight. The right hair and the right tux. They want everything to be right. Why? So their fiance will marry them? No. Just the opposite. They want to look their best because their fiance is marrying them.
Engaged people are obsessed with preparation. The right dress. The right weight. The right hair and the right tux. They want everything to be right. Why? So their fiance will marry them? No. Just the opposite. They want to look their best because their fiance is marrying them.
The same is true for us. We want to look our best for Christ. We want our hearts to be pure and our thoughts to be clean . . . We want to be prepared.
(Max Lucado)
I love it, and can identify with it.
The four years of my life it seems like I've been in this place of preparation. To say I've been on a roller coaster would be an understatement. I've dealt with various emotions that I never thought possible, and have spent countless hours crying out to God for some sort of relief, as it seems one painful turn of events leads to another. Yet through it all, there have been times when the only form of comfort I've received has been in knowing that I'm being prepared.
I can only take responsibility for myself - my own thoughts, actions and words. It's been a painful process of keeping my heart right, and watching what I say and do, but it's all out of love and preparation for the lover of my soul.
10.5.10
Legacy
Yesterday our theme at church for Mother's Day, was "Building a Legacy of Faith." When I was first introduced to this concept during our planning, I couldn't help but think of the legacy of faith that has been built for me.
I don't remember my great grandma at all, but sometimes I feel as though I know her very well because of the stories I have heard time and time again about the woman she was. She built incredible legacy for our family, and it continues on through her children, her grandchildren, and hopefully through my generation - her great grandchildren, and beyond.
I've heard stories about when I was just a baby, and my great grandma took me in her arms at a wedding and said to my parents, "all children are a blessing from God, but this is a blessed child." And truly, I am blessed, looking at the legacy that has been built for me, I know without a shadow of doubt that I am incredibly blessed.
My great grandma was a woman who loved God. Our family meets once every three years for a family reunion, and one tradition that lives on is the church service on Sunday morning with the family. That is one tradition that could live on forever, as it's a vital part of the legacy built by my great grandparents.
I've heard stories about how great grandma would pray every single day for every single one of her family members. With sixteen children who lived to adulthood, that's a lot of family members, and yet each one of us was loving covered in great grandma's prayers. My mum has told me that when great grandma passed away, one of the biggest concerns of the family was wondering, "who's going to pray for us now."
My great grandma loved her family, and she loved God. My great grandparents built and incredible legacy for my family, which is one of the reason's why I am the "blessed child," great grandma said I am.
I don't remember my great grandma at all, but sometimes I feel as though I know her very well because of the stories I have heard time and time again about the woman she was. She built incredible legacy for our family, and it continues on through her children, her grandchildren, and hopefully through my generation - her great grandchildren, and beyond.
I've heard stories about when I was just a baby, and my great grandma took me in her arms at a wedding and said to my parents, "all children are a blessing from God, but this is a blessed child." And truly, I am blessed, looking at the legacy that has been built for me, I know without a shadow of doubt that I am incredibly blessed.
My great grandma was a woman who loved God. Our family meets once every three years for a family reunion, and one tradition that lives on is the church service on Sunday morning with the family. That is one tradition that could live on forever, as it's a vital part of the legacy built by my great grandparents.
I've heard stories about how great grandma would pray every single day for every single one of her family members. With sixteen children who lived to adulthood, that's a lot of family members, and yet each one of us was loving covered in great grandma's prayers. My mum has told me that when great grandma passed away, one of the biggest concerns of the family was wondering, "who's going to pray for us now."
My great grandma loved her family, and she loved God. My great grandparents built and incredible legacy for my family, which is one of the reason's why I am the "blessed child," great grandma said I am.
27.4.10
Laurel Place
I've come to realize that I'm quite passionate about community. It's something that I crave and that I fight to maintain.
The cul-de-sac that my husband I live in, is one of the large reasons why I would like to never move. It has nothing to do with our house (although I REALLY love my home), it has nothing to do with the location (although the location is perfect for us at this stage in our lives), it's more about the other families who are our neighbors.
Over the past year, some of our neighbors have become our closest friends. It's not unusual for us to spent at least one afternoon/evening during the week with one of our neighbors. We've celebrated births, birthday's, we've helped landscape, done snow removal, played games, shared meals...the list goes on and on.
There's one particular family in our cul-de-sac that we don't see very often. With our different schedules it seems often the only times we ever connect is a quick wave as one is pulling into the driveway and the other pulls out. However, over the weekend this couple mentioned to us how sad they will be when/if they move, as they have never felt so loved and accepted by their neighbors! SERIOUSLY! We hardly ever see them, let alone spend anytime with them.
I've come to conclusion that building community doesn't mean that you have to be best friends. You don't have to spend loads of time together, or know ever detail about someone's life. You merely have to take the time to wave, to shout "hello" across the street, to shovel the sidewalk that connects the houses.
It's really not rocket science, and it certainly doesn't take much effort.
I love Laurel Place, and even now as it seems some changes will happen as new houses are built, and some original owners move on, I know that I will continue to love it. We're not only neighbors, we're friends. The bar for our community has already been set.
The cul-de-sac that my husband I live in, is one of the large reasons why I would like to never move. It has nothing to do with our house (although I REALLY love my home), it has nothing to do with the location (although the location is perfect for us at this stage in our lives), it's more about the other families who are our neighbors.
Over the past year, some of our neighbors have become our closest friends. It's not unusual for us to spent at least one afternoon/evening during the week with one of our neighbors. We've celebrated births, birthday's, we've helped landscape, done snow removal, played games, shared meals...the list goes on and on.
There's one particular family in our cul-de-sac that we don't see very often. With our different schedules it seems often the only times we ever connect is a quick wave as one is pulling into the driveway and the other pulls out. However, over the weekend this couple mentioned to us how sad they will be when/if they move, as they have never felt so loved and accepted by their neighbors! SERIOUSLY! We hardly ever see them, let alone spend anytime with them.
I've come to conclusion that building community doesn't mean that you have to be best friends. You don't have to spend loads of time together, or know ever detail about someone's life. You merely have to take the time to wave, to shout "hello" across the street, to shovel the sidewalk that connects the houses.
It's really not rocket science, and it certainly doesn't take much effort.
I love Laurel Place, and even now as it seems some changes will happen as new houses are built, and some original owners move on, I know that I will continue to love it. We're not only neighbors, we're friends. The bar for our community has already been set.
26.4.10
just bragging...
about my husband. I am married to the man who:
- worked long hours all week
- at 11:00pm Friday evening, drove to pick up friend who was stranded on the highway
- got up early Saturday morning to get ready for a day of quadding
- drove the opposite direction of the mountains to pick up his friends, before turning around the heading in the right direction
- suffered through seasonal/outdoor allergies all weekend without so much as a complaint or brief whine session
- let his wife tag along for a day of quadding through the snow/rain/sun/mud
- arrived home after said day of quadding, only to manually help neighbor back fill
- got up early Sunday morning to do BV's
- taught 2&3 year olds about Jonah and obedience
- vacuumed both the truck full of mud from previous day, and my vehicle
- had a neighbor friend over who's in the process of making some huge decisions
- cuddled wife before falling asleep
22.4.10
best ever!
Since September, the grades 1-6 at DGCC have been learning about prayer. We've been using a great resource called PrayKids!. We've covered all sorts of topics from Praise, Confession, Thankfulness, Forgiveness, Hearing God, Agreement, and even Why Prayer Works. It has been so incredible watching students as they discover that they can indeed hear God when they pray, and see how their prayers make a difference in our church and city. And it's been amazing in my own life, as once again I've been challenged in my personal prayer life (I love how God works like that in children's ministry!)
This Sunday we're talking about Authority/Submission, a loaded topic for sure (at least with adults!). I'll be using an umbrella to illustrate how authority/submission works (when you submit to authority you're protected, and under cover etc.).
In my preparation for this coming Sunday I came across the best ever umbrella and must share it with you...
I absolutely love it, and can't help but giggle when I see it!
On a more serious note: as I prepare to teach on Authority/Submission, know that I am being taught. Bring on the rain, because I am under cover!!!
This Sunday we're talking about Authority/Submission, a loaded topic for sure (at least with adults!). I'll be using an umbrella to illustrate how authority/submission works (when you submit to authority you're protected, and under cover etc.).
In my preparation for this coming Sunday I came across the best ever umbrella and must share it with you...
I absolutely love it, and can't help but giggle when I see it! On a more serious note: as I prepare to teach on Authority/Submission, know that I am being taught. Bring on the rain, because I am under cover!!!
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