"A man is about as big as the things that make him angry."
- Winston Churchill
- Winston Churchill
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Star Struck
This past weekend ended up being very full... but it was fun!
For the benefit of my cousin, oldest nieces and Twilight fans out there, I got to meet BooBoo Stewart (Seth Clearwater) on Saturday. It seems the older I get, unfortunately, the younger teenagers seem to look. It was still pretty cool to have been able to meet a movie star!
(I told you they look young! That, or I look as old as I felt.)
My cousin and I enjoyed a day at a Mom's Expo in Bloomington, Illinois. We were able to sit and talk with Sheri Braendel, author of Good Girls don't have to Dress Bad. I was able to hear her views on fashion, modesty and being an example to my daughters. She has actually made me believe this was something worth listening to. (I bought her book and am very excited to read it. The introduction has already grabbed a hold of my heart!)
We sat and listened to Jill Cataldo as she spoke about Super-couponing. I am very hopeful I can put some of her tips into practice. She saves over something like $5000 each year! After her workshop, I actually think there may be some hope.
The highlight of the day for myself was this moment.
I have been to Hearts at Home a handful of times. Jill Savage has come to speak at our Mom's group at church. This moment, where I was able to have a picture with her and speak to her one-on-one left me a little star struck. As I was discussing it with my husband, he just pointed out that it meant a lot to me because she has been instrumental in my life. It was fun to meet BooBoo Stewart but he has made no lasting impact on my life as a whole. Jill's transparency and authenticity along with her heart for God has stirred dreams to life within my heart.
It was a good day away and spending it with my cousin, Kelly, made it the best! I love that God has surrounded me with just a great gift of friendship right within my own family.
For the benefit of my cousin, oldest nieces and Twilight fans out there, I got to meet BooBoo Stewart (Seth Clearwater) on Saturday. It seems the older I get, unfortunately, the younger teenagers seem to look. It was still pretty cool to have been able to meet a movie star!
(I told you they look young! That, or I look as old as I felt.)
My cousin and I enjoyed a day at a Mom's Expo in Bloomington, Illinois. We were able to sit and talk with Sheri Braendel, author of Good Girls don't have to Dress Bad. I was able to hear her views on fashion, modesty and being an example to my daughters. She has actually made me believe this was something worth listening to. (I bought her book and am very excited to read it. The introduction has already grabbed a hold of my heart!)
We sat and listened to Jill Cataldo as she spoke about Super-couponing. I am very hopeful I can put some of her tips into practice. She saves over something like $5000 each year! After her workshop, I actually think there may be some hope.
The highlight of the day for myself was this moment.
I have been to Hearts at Home a handful of times. Jill Savage has come to speak at our Mom's group at church. This moment, where I was able to have a picture with her and speak to her one-on-one left me a little star struck. As I was discussing it with my husband, he just pointed out that it meant a lot to me because she has been instrumental in my life. It was fun to meet BooBoo Stewart but he has made no lasting impact on my life as a whole. Jill's transparency and authenticity along with her heart for God has stirred dreams to life within my heart.
It was a good day away and spending it with my cousin, Kelly, made it the best! I love that God has surrounded me with just a great gift of friendship right within my own family.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
I Believe. I Believe. It's Silly, but I Believe.
My husband has a way of embracing the fun in life. He usually knows all the silly facts. Those such as, on the first day of Fall, you can balance an egg. He's told me this now for over 14 years. I just smile and nod because he has never been able to prove it. As a matter of fact, he just tried the other day to no avail.
"Do you know why the egg thing didn't work the other day?" he asked as he was leaving for work this morning. "Because it wasn't the first day of Fall?" I asked already knowing the answer. "Fall started at [some specific time] last night!" he exclaimed. "You have to try it!" he challenged me with the level of excitement my third grader would normally express. I just smiled. "Do it!" he pointed his finger at me as though he were commanding me and left.
I walked in the door, pulled out an egg, shaking my head in disbelief and began my experiment. Nope. It didn't work. I decided that, for his benefit, I would try for a little bit more time. That's when it happened! The egg balanced. I went to grab my camera and the egg was still waiting for me when I returned!
In reality, it wasn't for his benefit. It was for mine. God knew so well what He was doing when He gave me Rod. I take life all too seriously and then there's my husband; reminding me to balance eggs on the counter on the first day of Fall, teaching me how to hang spoons on my face and reminding me that there is fun in life everywhere. I just need to allow the time to experience it!
This morning I'm starting my day similing and I have my husband to thank for it.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Wednesday's Weight
Weight Watchers makes me mindful of usually mindless choices. Recently, my cousin talked me into going back to Weight Watchers. I hesitantly agreed to go. While I know it is good for me, I hate the effort involved. In the long run, I will be grateful to her once again but I have gotten very comfortable in my mindless way of living.
I just snacked on an apple. If I was not utilizing the Weight Watchers plan, I probably would have grabbed some type of processed snack. While attending my meetings, however, I am mindful of the fact that I need to work at least 5 fruits and/or vegetables into my day. Portion sizes are something recognizable again and I am reminded of the importance of staying hydrated.
"63% of the time we think we are hungry, we are actually thirsty," was the statistic my leader gave at the last meeting. I don't know how accurate that is but I can believe it. It is so important to get enough water into my body into the day. That is my goal this week: to get at least 8 glasses of water in each day.
While I'm not all out cheerful about attending Weight Watchers again, I expect to get some results. Who knows, maybe I can actually wear pants that fit this Christmas and feel good about being in pictures again. It is amazing what a difference just one day of healthy eating can have on my mind, body and spirit. I wonder what a couple of months will do.
I just snacked on an apple. If I was not utilizing the Weight Watchers plan, I probably would have grabbed some type of processed snack. While attending my meetings, however, I am mindful of the fact that I need to work at least 5 fruits and/or vegetables into my day. Portion sizes are something recognizable again and I am reminded of the importance of staying hydrated.
"63% of the time we think we are hungry, we are actually thirsty," was the statistic my leader gave at the last meeting. I don't know how accurate that is but I can believe it. It is so important to get enough water into my body into the day. That is my goal this week: to get at least 8 glasses of water in each day.
While I'm not all out cheerful about attending Weight Watchers again, I expect to get some results. Who knows, maybe I can actually wear pants that fit this Christmas and feel good about being in pictures again. It is amazing what a difference just one day of healthy eating can have on my mind, body and spirit. I wonder what a couple of months will do.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Justified Anger
“Come over to Aisle 4” the cashier announced. The decision to stay in line or make the bold move to another lane needs to be made in an instant. In that instant, I decided to move over to aisle 4. That’s when I saw the man rushing, not from another line, mind you, but from the main part of the store down this aisle. As we were equidistant from the cashier (and I was just waiting in another line when the lane opened), I had no problem stepping into line in front of him just before he reached the cashier. I placed my purchases on the belt and waited for the cashier to ring up the customer in front of me.
Shortly after, I heard a woman behind me talking loudly. “Yes, I saw that. For someone to just cut in front of you is rude.” She continued on and on. This was obviously his wife coming into the scene a little tardy. I did not view myself as having done anything wrong in this moment. When a new lane opens, it is just common knowledge that those waiting in other lanes have priority. As my friend pointed out when I relayed this story to her, it is, in reality, priority for those in the front of those already formed lines. There is always an awkward moment when a new lane forms and everyone believes they are in the right.
This woman just would not let up! Her comments that were clearly directed about me (although not directed to me) were loud and causing a scene. I turned around and politely asked, “Were you in another line?” The woman, I think surprised by the fact that I decided to speak to her, answered, “No”.
“Well, we were. And she opened the new lane for those in line to come over,” I replied in a calm tone of voice that usually does not accompany these types of emotion.
“Did she say that?” the woman inquired.
“She said you can come over to aisle 4.” (I see now that this is just a matter of individual interpretation.)
“I was just trying to explain to my children that it is rude to cut in line” she continued to speak loudly.
“If it means that much to you, you are welcome to go in front of me,” I not so graciously offered.
“No,” she said firmly.
“I just attempted to rectify the situation.” I said (surprisingly still in a calm voice). “But I’m sorry you don’t want to.” I turned my back to her and focused my attention to the transaction at hand.
I could still hear her behind me, “Don’t listen to anything she said boys.”
Seriously?! I was angry that this woman insisted that I did something wrong. I was angry that I was now questioning my actions and my attitude when she was the one blowing this up into a big scene. While I realize that I could have made the situation better or avoided the confrontation entirely, I still believe I understand checkout etiquette better than she did. I walked away feeling pretty good about the fact that I responded to her in a calm fashion and chalked it up to a victory in not allowing my anger to get out of hand.
This morning I was reading Gary Chapman’s book, Anger, Handling a Powerful Emotion in a Healthy Way in preparation for a group study that I obviously need. He says that “anger is the emotion that arises whenever we encounter what we perceive to be wrong”. This scenario quickly popped into my mind. I felt I was wronged. She felt she was wronged. We both believed we were right. Mr. Chapman goes on to say that “anger originates in the perception that something is wrong and that this sense of morality (some things are right and some things are wrong) finds its root in the fact that we are created in the image of God who is holy and has established moral law for the good of His creatures.” He continues to say that “We should thank God for our capacity to experience anger. When one ceases to experience anger, one has lost her sense of moral concern.”
See! I just have concern for the morality of our country! (Or maybe this scenario has nothing to do with that at all.) I’m sure Mr. Chapman will go on to talk more about this, but I’m guessing that as a Christ-follower, it is more important how I handle my anger rather than simply feeling justified in it. As I look back on my situation at the check-out counter, I realize that while it was fairly late at night, this woman was shopping with her husband and children and probably was ready to get home and get her kids into bed. I have no idea what had been going on in her day and this was an opportunity I could have taken the high road. That high road could have been to see a situation with a man and his children rather than just the “right v. wrong” of the situation, being grateful my children were not with me, and I would have waited and graciously (sincerely this time) allowed him to step in line in front of me. Considering I didn’t do that, the road God probably would have liked me to take would have been to say, “I’m sorry. I can see how you would believe I cut in line.” I would have gathered up my stuff, stepped behind her in line and allowed her children to witness that sometimes “justice” is not as important as kindness and the consideration of others.
Kindness: That’s a fruit of the Spirit. Showing the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit does not come naturally for me. It’s something I certainly need to work on. At the same time, I am so overwhelmingly grateful for God’s grace. Could have’s… Should have’s… Would have’s… While I make a lot of mistakes, I don’t have to live in light of them. I simply need to see how I could do better in the next situation and live life today.
What would I do without God's grace?
Shortly after, I heard a woman behind me talking loudly. “Yes, I saw that. For someone to just cut in front of you is rude.” She continued on and on. This was obviously his wife coming into the scene a little tardy. I did not view myself as having done anything wrong in this moment. When a new lane opens, it is just common knowledge that those waiting in other lanes have priority. As my friend pointed out when I relayed this story to her, it is, in reality, priority for those in the front of those already formed lines. There is always an awkward moment when a new lane forms and everyone believes they are in the right.
This woman just would not let up! Her comments that were clearly directed about me (although not directed to me) were loud and causing a scene. I turned around and politely asked, “Were you in another line?” The woman, I think surprised by the fact that I decided to speak to her, answered, “No”.
“Well, we were. And she opened the new lane for those in line to come over,” I replied in a calm tone of voice that usually does not accompany these types of emotion.
“Did she say that?” the woman inquired.
“She said you can come over to aisle 4.” (I see now that this is just a matter of individual interpretation.)
“I was just trying to explain to my children that it is rude to cut in line” she continued to speak loudly.
“If it means that much to you, you are welcome to go in front of me,” I not so graciously offered.
“No,” she said firmly.
“I just attempted to rectify the situation.” I said (surprisingly still in a calm voice). “But I’m sorry you don’t want to.” I turned my back to her and focused my attention to the transaction at hand.
I could still hear her behind me, “Don’t listen to anything she said boys.”
Seriously?! I was angry that this woman insisted that I did something wrong. I was angry that I was now questioning my actions and my attitude when she was the one blowing this up into a big scene. While I realize that I could have made the situation better or avoided the confrontation entirely, I still believe I understand checkout etiquette better than she did. I walked away feeling pretty good about the fact that I responded to her in a calm fashion and chalked it up to a victory in not allowing my anger to get out of hand.
This morning I was reading Gary Chapman’s book, Anger, Handling a Powerful Emotion in a Healthy Way in preparation for a group study that I obviously need. He says that “anger is the emotion that arises whenever we encounter what we perceive to be wrong”. This scenario quickly popped into my mind. I felt I was wronged. She felt she was wronged. We both believed we were right. Mr. Chapman goes on to say that “anger originates in the perception that something is wrong and that this sense of morality (some things are right and some things are wrong) finds its root in the fact that we are created in the image of God who is holy and has established moral law for the good of His creatures.” He continues to say that “We should thank God for our capacity to experience anger. When one ceases to experience anger, one has lost her sense of moral concern.”
See! I just have concern for the morality of our country! (Or maybe this scenario has nothing to do with that at all.) I’m sure Mr. Chapman will go on to talk more about this, but I’m guessing that as a Christ-follower, it is more important how I handle my anger rather than simply feeling justified in it. As I look back on my situation at the check-out counter, I realize that while it was fairly late at night, this woman was shopping with her husband and children and probably was ready to get home and get her kids into bed. I have no idea what had been going on in her day and this was an opportunity I could have taken the high road. That high road could have been to see a situation with a man and his children rather than just the “right v. wrong” of the situation, being grateful my children were not with me, and I would have waited and graciously (sincerely this time) allowed him to step in line in front of me. Considering I didn’t do that, the road God probably would have liked me to take would have been to say, “I’m sorry. I can see how you would believe I cut in line.” I would have gathered up my stuff, stepped behind her in line and allowed her children to witness that sometimes “justice” is not as important as kindness and the consideration of others.
Kindness: That’s a fruit of the Spirit. Showing the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit does not come naturally for me. It’s something I certainly need to work on. At the same time, I am so overwhelmingly grateful for God’s grace. Could have’s… Should have’s… Would have’s… While I make a lot of mistakes, I don’t have to live in light of them. I simply need to see how I could do better in the next situation and live life today.
What would I do without God's grace?
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