Powers

A good friend of mine made this photo for me shortly after my motorcycle accident.  She had it printed poster sized and it was in my hospital room for the duration. It gave me inspiration and made me laugh.

I have no real super powers, except maybe when it comes to jigsaw puzzles, I'm really good at those. What I do have is the power of those around me.

A few years ago I needed it in spades.

I will never be able to explain the feelings that come to mind when I think back on those times.  You may think this is crazy, but most of them are positive.

Don't get me wrong, it was (is) painful and sucked beyond measure in many ways, but it also brought out the very best in many people close to me. I have fond memories of those interactions and the friendships that were formed.

Adversity has the power to show you your strengths and weaknesses.  It also shows you those of the people around you.  I had so many strong people around me, helping me at every turn. It was amazing. I have so much to live for. I had so much love and support, and still do.  

My powers come from all of you.

Thank you!

Wait

Good things come to those who wait.

I hate to wait.

I'm not as bad at waiting as Deane is, but it is definitely not my favorite thing.

I'd rather get, or go, or do, or rest.

Wait means something is coming but is not yet here. That is so hard for me!

I can handle waiting if I know what is coming.

Wait and you will get your reward.

What happens when the reward isn't what you thought it would be?  Was it worth the wait?

Is waiting what Faith is?  Faith is believing.  Faith is knowing that something is. 

Are they the same? They don't feel the same to me.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Place

Place can mean so many things.  

You can be put in your place. 

Things can be out of place.

We all seem to want a place of our own.

I have lived in this place for 21 years, longer by 19 years than any place else.

This is the place I love to come back to.

This is the place I feel safe.

This is my place.

This is home.

This is where I belong.

Remember

Few things make us remember like photos.  One look at a photo and a flood of information comes pouring out at us.  Where we were, who we were with how we felt, what we were wearing, what the weather was like, etc.

Photos are very important to me and have been for a long time.  I love taking photos of others, I"m not so thrilled to have others take photos of me.  I really like looking at them and remembering all of those stories that go with them.

For a long time I've loved scrapbooking.  It's been a long time since I've done any.

I let scrapbooking become a chore.  I put pressure on myself to deliver a product on a deadline.  Don't get me wrong, it was still a work of love, but I let it become work and not love.

I need to fix this.  I am the only one who can fix this.  I will fix this.  It just takes time.

I have a new scrapbook room waiting to be pulled together in my basement.  Once I no longer see my breath when I go down there I will get started.

I may need a gentle push in that direction...

Path

Being the nerds that we are, we've been watching a Sci-Fi show called Helix.  This season features a cult living in an Abbey style building on an island.  They keep talking about how everyone has to follow their own path.  The cult members use that line as an excuse not to get involved with each other's lives.  I think that's pretty telling.

Everyone should follow their own path, that much is true.  However, I don't believe we should do it alone.  I think it is important to get, and especially to give, help along the way.

I would have lost my path long ago if no one had helped me.

If we were really meant to go it alone families would not be necessary.  I believe that families are necessary.  Whether they are families born of blood, friendship, or both doesn't matter.  Those of us who have help to walk our paths, have surer footing than those of us who try to go it alone.

It has been my experience that helping others along their path teaches me much about where to take my own.

The hardest part is asking for help when you need it.

Find your footing. Take the help that is offered to you.  Offer help whenever you can. Follow your heart. Stay true to your path.

Covenant

The first covenant I ever entered into was my marriage.

I vowed to love, honor, and cherish this man until death do us part.

It was the best commitment I ever made.

This first covenant has lead me to enter into several others.  It lead to the baptisms of first our son, then our daughter, and finally, myself.  

Next came the baptism of my Godson and my being able to be his Godmother.  

It lead to our renewing our wedding vows, not once, not twice, but three times (yes, there's a whole other story there).

Covenants are not to be entered into lightly.  They are powerful and life changing. 

Sometimes, they are life saving.

What covenants have you entered into?

Celebrate

Today my husband and I were recognized at church for our service as Youth Leaders for the last eight years.  In November we made the hard decision to step down and pass the torch to another couple.  The times we have shared with the amazing youth of our church have been truly celebratory.

We went on two mission trips to New Orleans to attend the National Lutheran Youth Gathering.  We served countless meals to our congregation.  We held several Lock Ins, Paintball Games, Superbowl Parties, Pizza Parties etc.

It was hard work, but so very rewarding.  These youth are part of our family and we will always be there for them.

An example of the bond we have with these kids, when I was stuck in the nursing home during my recovery, Deane still held Sunday School each week.  The kids asked if they could move Sunday School to the nursing home so I could still be part of it.  The Sunday they invaded my room was one of the best days of my life.

These youth and their families are amazing people and it is they that should be celebrated and thanked for allowing us into their lives.

Thank you!  We shall celebrate heartily next weekend with the lovely gift certificate you gave us, it is perfect!

Joy

What brings me joy? Family.

Not necessarily blood relatives, I'm talking about the amazing people who have accepted me into their lives and allow me to share myself with them. People like my beautiful Godson Noah pictured above.  Is that not an expression of pure joy on his face?

I am seriously happiest when I am surrounded by those I love and I know that I've done something to make them happy.

Joy is not something I want to keep to myself, it is something to be shared. Joy is not complicated, it is simple.  It is pure.  Joy is love.

What does Joy mean to you?  What brings Joy to your life? Please share your thoughts and stories with me, it will bring me Joy.

Alone

Why are all the images about being alone sad?  I took this photo at Gettysburg, I just thought it was a beautiful tree and I like the way the light was hitting it.  When I looked for images related to the word "alone" everything I found looked stark like this.  

"Alone" is not bad.

Sometimes, alone is a bountiful blessing.  For me, a working mother and wife involved in many activities and friends, alone is very precious.

When I'm alone, I can indulge in bad movies or TV and no one will judge me.  

When I'm alone, I can sit on the couch for hours in my PJs and play xbox without guilt.

When I'm alone, I can read a book!

When I'm alone, I can sort through closets, dressers and drawers and find bags of things to donate to Empty Tomb.

When I'm alone, I can turn into the White Tornado and clean the house top to bottom in a matter of hours.

When I'm alone I can sit in the sun and dream.

When I'm alone, I can concentrate on me.

What is your favorite thing about being alone?

Look

Look.

Look up.

Look out.

Look ahead.

Look around.

Look under every leaf.

Look for the best in everything.

How do you look at life? 

Do you look at life? 

Do you spend time thinking about how you are moving through life?  

I do.

I only got a couple of hours of sleep last night, I'm mainly running on caffeine right now, and that's starting to run low, so this may be a bit of a ramble today. Even so, I urge you to stop and take a look around you at all of the really good  things in your life.  It's very easy to get caught up and focus on the bad and stressful things, but I find it much more refreshing to look at the good things.

Good things for me today:

I got complimented on my boots.  That made me smile.

My husband is going to make chili for supper, yum!

I have access to lots of coffee, if I need it.

I really enjoyed the cooking class we (Deane, Cora and I) took last night, and the stir fry we made was a great lunch. (Hmm, I'm starting to sense that food is important to me :) ).

I work in a positive atmosphere.

I can walk, it may not always be easy, but I can do it. 

I will sleep better tonight.

Ok, your turn!  Look around and tell me something good!

Announce

It used to be that if you had an important announcement to make you sent out cards or letters to your family and friends.

Or maybe you held a party, raised a glass and tapped it with your knife to get everyone's attention, and made your announcement in person to the applause of those present.

Sometimes announcements are made over loud speakers or broadcast over the TV and radio. 

It seems to me that most announcements are made over social media today.  News that used to take hours, days, weeks, months or even years to reach the far corners of the earth, is now received almost instantly via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.

Today I can find out about the birth of a friend's baby moments after they are born.  I can also learn of job promotions or changes, engagements, performances and what you are eating right now as it happens.

Sometimes these announcements are wonderful.  Sometimes they make me cry. Sometimes they are things I really care about, sometimes, not so much. Sometimes I'm sad when I try to relay a story to a friend in person, only to discover they've already "heard" it on Facebook.

I love being able to stay in contact with friends and family everywhere.  I love feeling like I'm a part of their lives even if I haven't seen them in years.  I try to remember though, that the really big things are best told in person.  That to truly stay connected, I must stay involved and invested.

I announce to you that I will try to do a better job of connecting with you in person. I want to be involved and invested.