Category Archives: General

Carmen and Cooper

Posted on by

0

I had a long trip home from my conference last night. I was exhausted and ready to get home! When I got to the airport, I was told that because my initial flight was delayed, I was not going to be able to make my connecting flight. So I had to find another flight. The options were few. The best option wound up being a flight that was delayed 3 hours. This meant I would be getting home in the middle of the night. The guy helping me felt horrible about this, but I told him it was fine. So he made it happen.

I normally just want to relax on plane rides. Read. Sleep. Maybe do some crossword puzzles. Play on my phone. If it was up to me, I wouldn’t have to talk to the people sitting by me. I would just enjoy some quiet time.

So when I got on the plane, I sat next to a nice older lady with a neck pillow. She looked like she was ready to sleep!

Then walks up Cooper, a 13 year old boy whose family was sitting in the row behind us. He immediately held out his hand to shake hands and introduced himself. And I was immediately intrigued! Here was this 13 year old kid who was so friendly and interested in other people!

So here I was sitting in between Carmen, a 69 year old woman, and Cooper, 13 years old.

And the conversations started!

We learned a lot about each other. And talked a lot about life. Much wisdom was shared on each side of me. Young and old.

Cooper and I encouraged Carmen (69) to follow her dreams! At one point, Cooper and I said at the same time, “If you want it bad enough, you can do it!”

Carmen and I encouraged Cooper to work hard at his dreams for sports and dealing with dyslexia in school.

We all talked about church since I was coming home from my annual conference.

And we all got some rest on our flight too.

I walked away from the flight thankful for my new friends. For the chance to hear their stories and encourage one another.

We were all so different and in three different stages in life.

But yet, we were also much the same!

And that is beautiful!

The best compliment I’ve ever received

Posted on by

0

This morning, before I headed off to my first conference session of the day, I went to the hotel coffee shop to get my morning pick-me-up. This girl needs some coffee to get her morning started!

As I was standing in line talking to the man in front of me, the lady behind me heard me say I work in Richardson. She lives in Tulsa but comes to Richardson often. We talked for a few minutes until it was time for me to place my coffee order.

After I picked up my coffee, she came by and we started talking again.

While we were talking, she made a comment/compliment that blew me away! It stopped me in my tracks. It shut me up. Made me think.

She said that I had the light of Jesus in my eyes.

Woah!!

Woah!!

I was floored and humbled by that comment. I can’t stop thinking about it.

And you know what? I can’t wait to use it with others!

There are so many people that I see the light of Christ in on a daily basis! People who love well. Serve well. Are generous. Who are passionate about Christ.

May we look daily for the light of Christ in others. And when we see it, may we tell them!!

Let’s do it!!

5 reasons I should not be allowed to travel alone

Posted on by

0

I am at my annual Church Administration conference this week.  It is one of my absolute favorite things to do each year!  I learn great stuff and meet incredible people who I can call when I have a question about work!  The conference is fantastic!  I look forward to it all year!

But after a number of things happened tonight that made me crack up laughing at myself, I decided I needed to make a list of reasons why I should not be allowed to travel alone.  Here they are:

1. I hate hotel room doors!  I can never open them on the first try!  I stand in the hall trying and trying to time the door correctly to get it open hoping that no one comes around the corner and sees me struggling.  Every time!!!  At least so far, no one has caught me in the hall!

2. I sometimes lose my way in the hotel and try to open the wrong hotel room door.  OK, I don’t really do this much, but I did it tonight, so it’s going on the list!  I tried to open a door on the 1st floor.  When it wouldn’t even beep at me, I finally looked at the room number and realized that I was on the wrong floor.  I immediately bust out laughing, turned around and walked as fast as I could away from the door to the elevator!  Luckily, no one came out wondering what the deal was!!

3. I am constantly afraid that I am going to lose my room key, my wallet or anything else!  I double-check these items a million times during the day to make sure I still have everything!  Yesterday, I went downstairs to get a snack, and when I got back upstairs, I noticed that I didn’t have my conference book and meal ticket folder.  I immediately ran back downstairs and found the items on the counter where I had left them, but this just reinforced my fear of losing stuff! 🙂

4. I don’t exercise in the workout room as much as I plan to.  In fact, tonight I went down to a little cafe to get a piece of cake.  As I was walking out of the cafe door to head back to my room to eat my cake, I ran into the association’s president who was just coming from the gym.  I confessed that I really should be going to the gym too instead of buying a piece of cake!  She was so nice about the whole thing and complimented the look of my cake!  Now I feel like I really do need to go to the gym! 🙂

5. I buy cake!!!! 🙂

What funny things do you do when you travel alone?

Christianity: Offense Vs. Defense

Posted on by

1

Growing up in church, I felt like Christians were always playing defense. We always felt like we were being attacked or on the verge of attack. We had to do what we could to be ready to fight at all times. To have all the answers. To be ready to win any debate.

Defense. Fighting.

Now that I think about it, that doesn’t seem right. That doesn’t sound like what Jesus had in mind.

I’m reading the book Simple Church right now, and I was blown away when I got to this section:

“Gates are never on offense. Only defense. Hell is always on defense. However, the movement of the church is never on defense. Only offense. The church always has the ball! There are no defenders on the squad. This is good news. Victory is guaranteed. The question is not whether we are going to win or not. Our victory celebration has already been determined.”

“The question is, how much will we win by? How big of a dent in the gates of hell will we make? Will we run up the score?”

Oh my goodness! That is powerful stuff right there!

I believe this wholeheartedly.

So what would happen if I really started living this belief out on a daily basis?

What if we all did?

May we daily storm the gates of hell!

May we run up the score!!

Making my bed

Posted on by

0

Alright, time to be honest. When I’m at home, I’m the worst about making my bed. I’m not really sure why. I love a good, comfy made-up bed. They look nice, and I love pulling back the covers and climbing inside. I just don’t seem to do it much at home. Probably because I’m always in a rush to get ready, get my kids up, get them ready and attempt to be on time to where we’re going. There’s no time for making the bed! At least that’s what I tell myself.

But get me away from home, and I make my bed every morning!

20140701-102740-37660526.jpg

Every time! And I enjoy it! Crazy!!

What about you? Do you make your bed every morning?

Kid sunglasses

Posted on by

0

20140629-081716-29836355.jpg

Let’s talk kids’ sunglasses for a minute.

Kids wearing sunglasses are too cute! Everyone loves seeing their precious babies wearing them…

If you can find them!!

I can never find my kids’ sunglasses when I need them. Random times when you don’t need them? They’re in plain sight ready for your kids to play with. But I’m convinced they must hide any time the sun is out.

We’re headed to the beach today, and I searched all over the house looking for my daughter’s sunglasses with no luck.

Then I went to the donut shop.

Our donut shop has donuts with toys on them. And what do you know! They had a chocolate sprinkled donut with a pair of purple Dora sunglasses on top!

Sadie got sunglasses. I got a chocolate sprinkled donut.

Donut shop for the win! Beach, here we come!!

Morning people. Night people.

Posted on by

1

Some people are morning people.

Some are night owls.

I am neither!

My husband is both!

When we first got married, it really bothered Chris that I wouldn’t say anything in the morning while we were getting ready for work.

And early on, he would laugh at me because I would snuggle into bed every night and a big smile would come over my face. Climbing into bed at night may be my favorite part of the day!

Oh, and on weekends I require naps after lunch.

It’s a wonder I can get anything done, really! 🙂

When is your favorite time of day?

Sabbath

Posted on by

2

“Because of our desire to succeed, to meet these ever-growing expectations, we do not rest.  Because we do not rest, we lose our way.”

“Sabbath is a way of being in time where we remember who we are, remember what we know, and taste the gifts of spirit and eternity.”

“We must have a period in which we lie fallow, and restore our souls.”

“Sabbath time is time off the wheel, time when we take our hands from the plow and let God and the earth care for things, while we drink, if only for a few moments, from the fountain of rest and delight.”

“It is the presence of something that arises when we consecrate a period of time to listen to what is most deeply beautiful, nourishing, or true.”

“It was not Israel that kept the Sabbath, it is said, but the Sabbath kept Israel.”

“Once people feel nourished and refreshed, they cannot help but be kind; just so, the world aches for the generosity of a well-rested people.”

(All quotes taken from the book Sabbath: Finding rest, renewal, and delight in our busy lives by Wayne Muller)

Until recently, I thought the Sabbath was all about going to church on Sunday mornings.  That’s pretty much it.

I’ve always gone to church, but honestly, my soul has never felt completely at rest.  I have always rushed through my weekends just as I rush through my week.  I took time out of my schedule to attend church, and while I gained some great benefits from church, I would leave the church service each week ready to rush through the rest of my day in order to get ready for the busy week.

But lately, that has been changing. My soul longs for more.  It knows that more is out there.  A better way of being and living.  My soul has been tired, weary, thirsty and used up.  Looking for rest.  Needing to be filled.

The world of the Sabbath is opening up to me.  There is much, much more out there!  And I long to really, truly observe the Sabbath with my family in ways that provide rest to all of our souls, minds, spirits and bodies.  Ways that we can be filled with quiet, each others’ presence, the lives of friends, and filled by the Holy Spirit.

And I know that for this to happen, there must be a plan.  A set time where we stop each week.  A time that is sacred and holy to our family.  It doesn’t necessarily have to be the same time each week.  There just needs to be intentional time.

So, I’m wondering: what is your experience with the Sabbath?  How have you tried to set aside a time weekly, or even daily, to quiet your soul, spend time with God, listen to Him and allow Him to fill you back up?  I’d love to hear from you!